2014 Frugal Living Challenge

skintygerlinky

Evening Frugalites xxx

Long time no post! Just catching up on some posts and threads. Been a mega busy few days - uni and work. Long hours for both!! Had two days off and done loads of laundry and cleaning. Spring Fever!

Frugal wise...it's been a mixed bag. Had spontaneous night out on Saturday and spent far too much dosh. Good night but I had a hangover the next day . It's been aaaaages since I was in that state, I just don't ever fancy it again!

It's also one of my oldest friends' birthdays this weekend so we're out for a meal and I've just booked tickets for my mum, dad and me to go and watch Twelfth Night at the newly re-opened Everyman theatre in Liverpool. The tickets are nearly sold out but we got them for £12 each! So that's my mum's Mothers Day pressie sorted.

I've had a lot of NSDs to counteract this spendy-ness and haven't had to do any big food shops. So I've a feeling I'm breaking even. Proof comes at the end of the month when I look back!

Balance is the key! Onwards and upwards! Keep on keepin on Frugalites! Don't falter! Of course I'm not worrying :eek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOz3p6k5O2g

Frugalsod

I have been naughty and bought myself a few bargains, but have been pretty good on the NSD otherwise. Grocery spend is low, and I have a veg box tomorrow so that will add to that budget, but still well down on last month at this rate. I have been monitoring my electricity usage and even that is down fractionally. It amounts to three days less per year electricity. My current daily use is nearly 25% down on last year so doing well on that score.

Shortie

Frugalsod wrote: »

I have been naughty and bought myself a few bargains, but have been pretty good on the NSD otherwise. Grocery spend is low, and I have a veg box tomorrow so that will add to that budget, but still well down on last month at this rate. I have been monitoring my electricity usage and even that is down fractionally. It amounts to three days less per year electricity. My current daily use is nearly 25% down on last year so doing well on that score.

That's great news on the grocery spends being lower this month - we're doing okay this month, but I also know that we have stock piles helping us at the moment. Next pay-month we're going to push the boundries for the month

Have you changed anything to reduce the electircity usage? We're focussing on ours quite a bit at the mo but that has been hugely helped by the MiL prompting me to buy a £1.50 washing line so that we didn't have to have wet washing out indoors as much, and it's helped us to greatly reduce the usage of our tumble dryer...

Frugalsod

Shortie wrote: »

That's great news on the grocery spends being lower this month - we're doing okay this month, but I also know that we have stock piles helping us at the moment. Next pay-month we're going to push the boundries for the month

Have you changed anything to reduce the electircity usage? We're focussing on ours quite a bit at the mo but that has been hugely helped by the MiL prompting me to buy a £1.50 washing line so that we didn't have to have wet washing out indoors as much, and it's helped us to greatly reduce the usage of our tumble dryer...

Yes food stocks have helped but they were boosted last month by an Approved Foods. I have still plenty left.

As to my electricity bill. I have changed to using a flask for my hot water, so boil the water to heat the flask and then reboil it to refill it. I then use that all day. It eliminates the extra boiling that I have for each cuppa. I also turn one of my computers off as long as possible and that make a big difference.

Kantankrus_Mare

Shortie wrote: »

Any one else watching the repeats of Paul O'Grady's For the Love of Dogs? I think he's fab, and I'm a complete softie for rescue animals (hence our first 2 brother-puds (both now in puddy heaven) were rescues from Battersea) and pud no4 is from Wood Green Animal Shelter

If I don't blub by the end of the program it will be a miracle

Still, I can wipe my nose on pud 3 (not a rescue pud, he's never had a hard day in his life, lol) who's currently flopped all over my laptop :rotfl:

I have two houses that I rent out and in one of them........the tenant is in the process of moving out as cant afford to pay the rent and is also behind with said rent. There is a puppy left in the kitchen whilst the house is empty. It has messed everywhere but is such a lovely little dog. The ex girlfriend is supposedly taking it to live with her but nothing seems to be happening.

I know we shouldn't enter the property but couldnt leave the poor thing on its own last night so fetched it home, gave it some food and walked it. My own dog (a labrador ) kept trying to hump it and it was chaos whilst they were together so reluctantly I took it back to the rental property.
Been again this morning and found mess and pee on kitchen floor...I am so mad!! Fed it and walked it and trying to make contact with tenant or his girlfriend but no reply as yet.
Will leave it till tomotrrow but feel I should take it to animal rescue or similar.
No dog should be left alone like that!

afoolwithmoney

Shortie the holiday is getting more exciting in that its looking like OH maybe working & not able to come!!! Lol dogs (both rescue) & I trying to contain ourselves
Mare poor little thing. What would have happened if you hadn't called around?

Kantankrus_Mare

Well good news re the puppy at my rental.

The ex girlfriend has been and collected him. She is taking him to her nannas where she is staying. That's a weight off my mind.

Now just the job of thoroughly cleaning property and touching up paints before we can rent it out again.

Oh the trials and tribulations of being a landlord. :cool:

It could have been a lot worse though!! At least we didnt have to go down the court route.!

Shortie

Phew, that's a relief KM, for both the dog being collected and them moving out. Is there a plan in place for them to pay you the rent owed? We had to start xourt proceedings to gt our tenants out when we rented our old house but they thankfully moved out before it went to court - out case was watertight but I didn't revel in the thought of having to call in bailiffs to actually evict them at the end of it. Everyone told me to stop being so soft in business but I didn't feel comfortable on a personal level doing that to someone (even though they'd had months and months worth of warning to start looking.

That muat be a huge relief though xx

Shortie

Lol AFM... sounds like you're set for a quiet break wih just pooches for company then xx

Shortie

Ah, I asked Mr Shortie to start doing that a while back with flasks but he's not started yet - Mon to Fri I'm out most of the day with work..

Now I have a laptop that doesn't need to be plugged into the wall, and Mr Shortie hasn'tbothered to replace his, maybe we'll start to see some electricty savings there? Hoope so :-)