2014 Frugal Living Challenge

SarahB1989_2

Returned something I'd bought for a friend (found something better just after) today so £5 back in the pot. In the past I'd have just put it in a drawer to save for another birthday/Christmas, but decided I need cash now and not stuff in storage. Actually made a penny profit as the shop assistant didn't want to hand over £4.99 in coins so gave me a five pound note. Did have to keep reminding myself the rest of the way round town that this was £5 that used to be mine and was not free money to spend as I please though!

mum2one

A frugal day and a nsd;)

Did good deed, took some towels to the local dogs home and I so wanted to rehome about 6 of the dogs.

nipped to L!dl enroute as DD wanted to go, asked me to go with her, hadn't got my bag so said to dad lend me £5 incase theres anything I want... out comes his debit card and a spend of £9.16...

He brought himself a bottle of beer, tulips (its 25th anniversary of my nan passig) and few other bits - and he was so nice and said haven't got to pay him back!!

Another NSD day 2mor, lie in and c if there is anything to go on ebay - free listing weekend xx

Florenceem

Been frugal here - no spending. No need to spend tomorrow - last day of my February GC. All tomorrow's dinner ingredients are in stock.
I finished varnishing my upcycled rocking chair.
Made JJ's Herby Cheese Bread - cost approx 90p - 6 portions. So yummy to have a portion - sliced and buttered - very nice toasted too when it gets a bit stale. We eat a piece for lunch plus some fruit.

DawnW

pm2326 wrote: »

Came home from work to find a lovely letter from my bank.....the loan I pay £80 a month for ends on 25th Feb I thought I had another month to pay!

I get paid on Tuesday so have been looking at my finances for Feb and I while I'm really pleased that I managed to pay off a debt and reduce my overdraft by £150, I want to cry.

This month has all been about watching every penny and where it goes, I record every spend on a spread sheet. I've wasted no food and used up some things that were out of date, taken lunch to work everyday and batch cooked where possible. Freezer is now ready to burst (hopefully no shopping in March).

I even managed two nights out, which is a very rare treat as I'm lucky if I go out once every 6 months.

But this makes me sad as I now keep thinking about how much money I've clearly wasted over the last few years and have nothing to show for it....I have so many questions going through my head and I cant answer them, where did it all go? why did it me so long to realise I was throwing money away? what the hell was I playing at?

Feel so stupid and disappointed with myself

But think how much better you are doing now Watching spends and avoiding waste means that you can have nights out? More fun for you and good for the environment too. What is not to like? As others have said, look forward, not back. And well done for paying off a debt :T
What have you got to look forward to next month?

TM6 wrote: »

Good morning Frugalites from Leicester

My DD2 has just set off for the University Open Day with my DH leaving me back at the hotel with DD3.

Leicester Uni is lovely TM. I went to a function there recently and met some of the staff and postgraduate students, and was really impressed. It is in a very nice part of the city, too.

Florenceem wrote: »

Made JJ's Herby Cheese Bread - cost approx 90p - 6 portions. So yummy to have a portion - sliced and buttered - very nice toasted too when it gets a bit stale. We eat a piece for lunch plus some fruit.

That looks gorgeous Florenceem

It was lovely today, and I managed to get the bedding dry outside on the line :j
And clean out the chickens and tidy up the garden a bit

Spendy day as I needed to do a big shop, so hit the farm shop and Lidl's big time :eek: Still I shoudn't need much now for a few weeks.

Also bought something quite expensive for OH at the auction, as well as bits for my business. In fact it was by far the most expensive item on the invoice :eek: We don't usually bother with birthday or Xmas presents for each other, so if there is something one or the other of us wants (doesn't happen often to be honest) and we have the money to pay for it, we will buy it. He won't be getting anything else for a while though :eek:

Looking forward to the end of the month to add up my total spends for the month. How sad is that?

Nicki_Sue

Lurking as always- it's taken me ages this time to catch up on posts!

An update: I've continued my frugal ways and even allowed us a few extra treats, was going into March very much in the black and then... a c@ck-up not of our doing but not something we can help/fix is leaving us £405 down with little notice. Jeez March is going to be tighter than a duck's behind but plans are in place.

Tomorrow is a re-sort the pantry and freezer day so I can make the grocery budget stretch a little further and sorting/planning to make sure we come out of March intact.
Remaining positive though (if I let the inner demon out heads might roll )

Florenceem

DawnW wrote: »

But think how much better you are doing now Watching spends and avoiding waste means that you can have nights out? More fun for you and good for the environment too. What is not to like? As others have said, look forward, not back. And well done for paying off a debt :T
What have you got to look forward to next month?

TM6 wrote: »

Good morning Frugalites from Leicester

My DD2 has just set off for the University Open Day with my DH leaving me back at the hotel with DD3.

Leicester Uni is lovely TM. I went to a function there recently and met some of the staff and postgraduate students, and was really impressed. It is in a very nice part of the city, too.



That looks gorgeous Florenceem

It was lovely today, and I managed to get the bedding dry outside on the line :j
And clean out the chickens and tidy up the garden a bit

Spendy day as I needed to do a big shop, so hit the farm shop and Lidl's big time :eek: Still I shoudn't need much now for a few weeks.

Also bought something quite expensive for OH at the auction, as well as bits for my business. In fact it was by far the most expensive item on the invoice :eek: We don't usually bother with birthday or Xmas presents for each other, so if there is something one or the other of us wants (doesn't happen often to be honest) and we have the money to pay for it, we will buy it. He won't be getting anything else for a while though :eek:

Looking forward to the end of the month to add up my total spends for the month. How sad is that?

My youngest Son went to Leicester Uni - History Degree.

macwah97

Evening All,

Hope everyone is doing better than me!!

Having started new job I really am having issues with whether to continue with my night-time job. It brings in an extra £500 per month but to continue with it will practically wipe out family time at the weekends, as I will be working 12 hours Friday and Saturday night leaving a grouchy mummy on Sunday trying to get sorted for work and school on the Monday morning

Now we have started making in-roads into paying off debt - more crawls out of the woodwork - it's as if the companies who are accepting our payments are selling this info!!!!

OH keeps applying for jobs as even though he is disabled (hearing, mobility and breathing due to the cancer surgery) he still wants to work but is getting disheartened at the lack of response. He feels that his age is against him also (56 this year) and there is no point in applying for JSA as he already has an occupational pension.

Anyway on a good note - we were debating whether to have a bottle of wine with our HM pizza tonight - I even went to the off licence and bought a lovely bottle of merlot then turned around and went back to ask the guy if he would take it back :eek: He did and I put the money back in purse. Little voice in my head was saying if you are going to stay at home the cost of that wine would put petrol in the car for 4 days!!! :A Dinner tonight cost £6 for 4 + dog!!

Have a lovely weekend - what's left

Buffythedebtslayer

macwah97 - for what it is worth I would mentally set a deadline for quitting the night time job?


doing that kind of work is hard-I remember working evenings and I did for the debt. It was not out of much love for the job!


Frugal wise I didn't shop today. I fixed a table.


exciting times

Mrs_Cheshire

SarahB1989 wrote: »

I don't mind fat content - anything to keep me full until the next meal, on some days half my calorie intake can come from snacks! The beans meal sounds nice, I'll have to give that a try.
Coscto sadly isn't an option - I only have a tiny freezer and there's only me to feed so even the supermarkets 3 packs of meat for £10 deal is beyond me! Will keep it in mind for the future though, thanks for those tips

Do you have a morrison's nearby?

Betsie2010

I'd like to join too if I can, a late comer to the party. Hoping to repay all my debts this year so certainly looking to reduce my spends.
1st step, off to lower the heating thermostat