2014 Frugal Living Challenge

skintygerlinky

Evening Frugalites xx

Quiet day - went swimming, some uni work and spent all of £1 on eggs!! Also trying to finish my book - well, my friend's book. Sorted through all my books recently and (as discussed on a VERY supportive MSE thread!) discovered/actually admitted I had over 50 unread books :eek:

Amongst these was a book my friend had lent me when God was a lad and I'd forgotten about. Feel guilty!! Seeing her on Weds, want it finished by then!!

So, a quiet, productive and balanced day (which makes a nice change!) - hope this soundtracks it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8D5Ihe4hg

mothernerd

skintygerlinky wrote: »

Right. RIGHT!! Details plizz, mothernerd?!!

**sings this whilst awaiting mothernerd's reply:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STTLwI-u4Fg **

Not as exciting as I made it sound. I go to my mother's on a Friday. She fell downstairs in February and still having problems with her hands and neck. Her OH was diagnosed as having dementia at the same time and they need support and we sort problems out as they arise - mainly me, one of her OH's sons and his 2 daughters (twin GDS). I am chief declutterer (I told her the stairs were a death trap weeks before she fell down them) trying to get the house safe for them.

This Friday it was me and the 2 GDS + 2 GGDS (1 baby) + 2 mad dogs (1 belonging to each GD). We had already agreed that valentine's Day was everywhere and really over the top this year (it wasn't just me being a curmudgeon). Twin 1 had a lovely bracelet off her husband (but was worried that he had spent more than they had agreed). Twin 2 was not in the mood as her card was still as at the post office waiting to be collected.

Twin 2s OH turned up just as we had finished tea. He is a swimming instructor but also does work in schools trying to get children involved in physical activities. He had been on a training/ideas swop day and at some point during the day had done a cartwheel (he generally behaves like a six year old) and injured his back in the process.

He was lying in the middle of the floor and his niece (4yo) wanted to play. I said she should walk up and down on his back, he agreed so I held her hands while she did that and when she got bored (starting to poke the back of his head with her foot) I tried to teach her how to massage his back first using her fingers and then making little fists. When she got bored again I carried on. I didn't offer to help him with his trousers (also damaged by the cartwheeling).

Shortie

OMG, another great song choice there skinty. Hope you don't mind me asking - are you a mature student? These songs are some fab ones from my teens! Heck, Alanjs Morrisette was a fav of mine at a time when I was nearly able to learn to drive, and I waa finding out who I was becoming (ie properly 'growing up') lol... What an awsome trip down memory lane that was!

tatabubbly

Planning on having a quiet day today. Only spend is on transport to my tutoring which should be covered by my tutoring money so I'm counting a NSD.

Spent around €20 yesterday at the local shop for a little top up shop. Hoping OH will be here at the weekend so we can have the car to go out and do the shopping!

On better news we managed to pop another €150 into our savings account! Me and my OH went 'dream house' windowshopping and alas, of course we found a gorgeous house! It's been on the market an absolute age though and they haven't decreased their asking price so no chance of getting in with a low ball bid.. Ah well, onwards and upwards!

shiningfaery

So really needing to get to grips with the spending. My income has been reduced by half, I am taking some time off to get my health in order as I am struggling with post natal depression.

I have already had a conversation with BG and reduced my G&E by £20pm, not massive but a work in progress.
I have reduced my childrens nursery hours to bare minimum and have reduced that by around £300pm. I havent taken them out completely as I need the time for me as well as they need the time for them.

My rent is my biggest outgoing and there is nothing I can do to affect that sadly, other than move but feel that would be more costly than beneficial.

My next goal is to reduce my food spending as this is where I am failing miserably, I am part of the Grocery Challenge but as I havent been on the boards recently I have let it slide so getting back to it.

I want to start my own business at some point but obviously this needs funds so a big challenge set for myself.... 1 income 2 kids and saving for financial freedom.:)

quidsy

I was nearly crying today trying to work out where I had "lost" 500 pounds. I worked out what is coming in the next 2 weeks, my current balance & how much was going out & kept coming up 500 short, close to tears I finally remembered I had kept 500 pounds in my tax account to cover the owed to HMRC. Thank god, I have been so so frugal, cutting down & keeping track so to think I had "miscalculated" 500 quid was about to send me over the edge !!!!

I have joined costco under my LTD company name & plan next month to make a visit, stock up on essentials then bulk buy meat, fish, tea coffee etc & then just limit myself to 20 pound a week for veg, milk & eggs & see how far we get. We have decided to limit spending to less than 400 (we spend around 360 a month of just food anyway) and see how much we can get. OH is on board so hopefully this will cut our next couple of months spending down even more.

cw18

quidsy wrote: »

I have joined costco under my LTD company name & plan next month to make a visit, stock up on essentials then bulk buy meat, fish, tea coffee etc & then just limit myself to 20 pound a week for veg, milk & eggs & see how far we get.

Keep an eye on supermarket offers for the packets / tins / jars.

OH and I wander around Costc0 using the data allowance on our phones to double check prices in Mr T and Mr A before any 'impulse' buys - and sometimes the supermarkets are actually cheaper (and there's a Mr A right next door to out Costc0, so we don't need a special trip out for that one either!).

Meat we tend to stock up when on offer (normally only allowed 3 trays per card holder at offer price, but as we have a card each that means 6 between us and he doesn't often want all 3 of his so I get extra for me / my DD ), but some doesn't come up often - Costc0 haven't had the pork steaks on offer since last April, so I had to buy some at full price last month, and I've only seen lamb steaks on offer once in 18 months (English ones, and still dearer on offer than the NZ ones were)!!

We've had skinless chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless chicken thighs, mince, stewing steak, gammon joint, turkey crowns and NZ lamb steaks from Costco and never once been disappointed. None of it 'shrinks', it's all very lean, and all have flavours we remember from when we were children! We've also have venison from there, but you need to check the price of that very carefully if you have an alternative source (paid the extra for the fillet from Costc0 instead of standard 'steaks' from elsewhere - absolutely gorgeous, but at £3 per 100g portion or thereabouts it was a once in a blue moon treat meal, and I've now none left in the freezer).

The turkey crowns seem a lot dearer than from elsewhere, but having tasted it OH's nephew (who's a chef) said it was well worth the money.....


And check prices across different sizes as you would elsewhere. OH says granulated sugar is cheaper per kg by buying a multi-pack of 1kg bags rather than a single 5kg bag.

DawnW

TM6 wrote: »

I'm intrigued - are we allowed to ask what line of work you are in?

Sorry, I'm so nosy :rotfl:

I can't go into detail as not many people do it Civil service related stuff. Don't believe the rubbish you read, it is hard work, very stressful and I earn a fraction of what my opposite number in a decent sized company would.

Got back last night at about 11pm, so working at home today. Lunch hour currently - don't usually get such a thing :eek:

Spendy few days, but most reclaimable on expenses.

I did succumb to some duty free perfume , on the basis I won't get many more opportunities (not that we won't ever be able to go away, but I hate airports with a passion).

Meatballs and HM tomato sauce for dinner tonight, and I am having various bits for lunch from fridge and larder - not very slimming I am afraid

Brrr it is freezing today and OH has gone out to help a friend and not left any chopped kindling to light the stove (his job normally). So, I have been out and broken off some bits of our wrecked fence and now have a lovely blazing fire, much to the delight of the dog who is almost pressed up against it :rotfl:

On a serious note, I must ring a pal who isn't well

Cantfindafreeuserid

Saw this and thought it was amazing not only would your gas/electric bills drop but you would e changing the life of a whole family in Africa too!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_179857787_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000782163&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=012FSPTRGSKQSAYEFV58&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=468149467&pf_rd_i=1000783273

shiningfaery

Cantfindafreeuserid wrote: »

Saw this and thought it was amazing not only would your gas/electric bills drop but you would e changing the life of a whole family in Africa too!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_179857787_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000782163&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=012FSPTRGSKQSAYEFV58&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=468149467&pf_rd_i=1000783273

Seems like such a simple solution why has no one thought if it before!! Fabulous idea and great charitable effect which does actually give both ways. Just sent it on to my sister who is paranoid that a slow cooker will burst into flames.