2014 Frugal Living Challenge

just_the_two_of_us

macwah97 wrote: »

Gave in today and bought A Girl named J book from Sinsbob - have read it cover to cover and there will be a few tests carried out over next month.

Just to advise I saw a few A Girl Named Jack books in TKMa** last weekend - can't remember the price but perhaps worth a look if anyone else wants a copy?

ALJA "I also have a bit of money on a M&S gift card, so it might be worth a look in there too."

I got a couple opf bargains in M n S yesterday. Per U denimn skirt from 45 to 16.99 and another skirt 27.50 down to 11.99. They had lots of stuff but you may need to rummage. Hopefully by today they may have put them into size order!!!! always easier to search through. No more personal money left though so will need to save up - I went in for T shirts!!!!

quidsy

Hi all, been reading but not posting for quite a while. My finances are ticking along, paying what should according to the budget but I am still coming into a shortfall every month as I just can't get the old food/general spending down.

I do well on weekly budget at the shops then just lose it mid week 7 hit sainsbobs & spend 20 quid on nothing. I have to get this under control. The other issue I am struggling with is making meals. I like to cook but as my oh prefers to eat his own national food I tend to tryt o cook for just me & ds but the whole organising thing is getting to me, especially as I need oh to finish off as he picks ds up from scholl & I get home 3hrs later.

I really need to get back into making in advance or prepping the night before then having oh just chuck in the oven when they get home.

These are all things I can fix, I just lose interest & motivation but I am determined this month to do it so wish me luck.

Shortie

Hello everyone

Sorry for being 'absent' for a while. I kept up to posts up til the weekend and lost the flow with internet life as work has been busy and I'venot been online in the evenings this week so far

There are quite a few changes going on here on a few levels... 2 weekend's ago I had a dream about a make of car (classic) that I sold last year. I didn't want to sell it but at the time I knew it was a project car and I didn't have the time or inclination to do anything with it (as I had a daily running car too so there was no 'push' to get the other one on the road as it were). I also found out that the car needed a lot more work that I naively originally thought.

Anyway, I had this dream and it kept playingon my mind the whole weekend. So I took the bull by the horns and am going to see one this Sunday. It needs very little work to get it up and running and I know how much it will cost for someone else to get it up and running for me. And, as we now have just one car between us, I can have a station and life car back, which will be the 'push' to keep it running. Quite excited really!

Last weekend we had DS1's party which was exhausting but fun. It also caused a family-stir as Mr Shortie's mum voiced some unwelcome opinions over someone we didn't invite. There's a mass of history there which reached crunch point last year - I won't go into it on here as you never know who's reading and will twig, but it was something I find quit stressful to think about (I feel a weird mix of guilt at not being the forgiving person I had always been in the past, wishing it never got to that point, anger at all the little things that had happened to get to the 'crunch point', self defense as I understand why I couldn't take anymore of their rubbish... etc, etc) Needless to say, each time the subject arises I go through the whole raft of emotions and end up a bit of a moody-cow mess, lol.... So Mr Shortie and I weren't best pleased when the MiL passed criticism on Friday evening (but I let it slide and pretended it hadn't been said) and then she decided to tackle Mr Shortie on the subject on Sundaywhen she thought I wasn't there. I was aware of what was going on as I happened to walk past the room unaware, to hear Mr Shortie getting quite heated..! So that ruined Mothering Sunday as MiL was then in a foul mood the whole day (and was staying at our the weekend so we couldn't avoid it) and I just took myself out for a long walk with the dogs to get out of the way

Sigh.... She then appologised when I was at work on Monday but Mr Shortie told her that there was to be no more mention of the said couple in our house again. It really does do my head in though

Sorry, rant over.

Then, last week we all had meetings in work to start on our 'Personal Development Plans' which I found really hard as I've lost motivation in my job - I've been in this field on and off for over 10 years now. The lady who held the meeting (not my boss) suggested I have a nose around to see what I want to do - and that got me really thinking. A lot. So.... I took a step out there and yesterday contacted another team at my workplace to see if they have any roles going that I would suit - and I am having a chat with 2 people from the department on Friday :j Which really is something for me as, while I'm confident in my work and can chip into lots of things and train people, etc, etc... I've never been good at standing up and pushing myself forward. Fingers crossed!

[Deleted User]

Shortie, I feel your pain, I try to avoid my MIL at all costs as she is a very negative and manipulative person. Sometimes for OHs sake I relent and meet up. The last time we met she made some very patronising comments about me and being off work with stress so OH knows I have no intention of seeing her again any time soon.

My frugal challenges this month are to have zero takeaways and to have zero visits to the local corner shop for a wee treat. Doing well so far. Our month starts on the 25th (payday to payday). I am really noticing the difference in that I haven't spend half my personal spends on takeaways and junk food yet!!

alja

Well yesterday evening I ended up spending £25 on two things, but they were expected, so I'll let them go. No other money was spent and today has been a NSD.

Finally, after being ill, I started my new job today and that went okay. The team seem very nice. I just want payday to come so I can save more money! I wish I was retiring, but seeing as I'm only in my mid twenties, I have a little while to go yet unfortunately!!

I'm just glad I've already started to put money away and got into the saving frame of mind already.

Ches

Those photos cost me £40.43p :eek: but I need them for scrapbooking so totally my fault for having a very expensive hobby.

ginnyknit

Had an energy audit by a very nice man the landlord sent - he left amazed, he was going to use the answers in my questionare as a blue print for what people should be doing. Sadly he cannot find anywhere cheaper for my electric So its a case of swithing everything off again. Only had one heater on all winter but will have to keep it on a while longer.

I got a cookery book out of the library - Eating and cheating by Gill Holcombe. Its very simple and cheap recipes including making butter and all manner of pennypinching meals. I just made beef biryani and it was fab. I used garam masala as I didnt want it too hot and it came out very aromatic and cost very little to make.

The debt busting is going ok and am hoping to break the £100 next week. I am making sure I use every voucher I have. Also earned a £5 M&S voucher from greenredeem just by re-cycling and doing short quizzes. This gives me £5 off clothes, shoes and housewares if I spend £35 and I already have £10 in swagbucks vouchers so my sandals will be £20. They last me years with long term summer use so bargain!

cw18

Ches wrote: »

Those photos cost me £40.43p :eek: but I need them for scrapbooking so totally my fault for having a very expensive hobby.

I've had to stop buying stash and tools - at least until I get back to using it :rotfl:

I've got two rooms full of empty albums, cardstock, paper, embellishments, die cutters etc., etc., etc. :eek: But most of it was bought when I was in a well paid job.

I've got VERY good at not opening related emails apart from the announcement of sales around Nov/Dec time (and I managed to avoid even those this last time around). I'm about to start unsubscribing as I'll have limited access to emails when walking across Spain, and I don't want to waste bandwith / time / inbox space with them then.

alja

I've been doing a bit of swagbucking this evening, about to hit my little target for the day. I'm getting up towards a few survey sites' targets at the moment, which is great

I have a birthday meal to attend in two weeks time, so I'm going to look at my present stash in a minute to see what I can give!

Coulddobetter

Had to spend £95 on fridge/freezer repairs, spent £32 at T****, fridge is full with healthy things. I have started my healthy eating again I am trying to focus on losing the weight once and for all. According to the NHS site I need to lose over 50lbs

Could do better x