2014 Frugal Living Challenge

lovefullshelves

Merry - i didn't relise where you were, im a fenland lass about half an hour from you!
Well, my frugalness yesterday was 'shopping' in my stash of clothes I keep in the garage. I work on the understanding that fashion goes in circles! I found a top, a dress and a pair of jeans that actually fits me after surgery swellings! As its girls night out tonight I have something 'new' to wear!! Thankfully I have stayed virtually the same size for the last 10 years:)
I have £15 pounds for night out, in a baggy I 'spent' at the beginning of the month. Should be enough to have some fried rice and curry sauce for supper too I am easily pleased, definitely not champagne tastes!
I'm off to start on the long process of making myself presentable, must not look like back country hick in dungerees and wellies!!
xx

Shortie

Evening all. Popped out for lunch with a friend today but that was well overdue and only £5 spent so very much worth it.

Taking FrugalSod's suggstion a week back I've had a rethink about nezt pay month's plan (I get paid next Thursday) and have decided to move a large chuck for savings out of my main bank account on day one. I'll then put £100 into an esavings account for emergencies and what's not spent from that will go onto a mortgage OP. I'll also set aside £60 for personal spends and if there's anything let from that it'll go into my savings

Fingers crossed this plan works better for me :-)

sparrer

A bit of a spend day today, my Spring trip to buy bedding plants etc., spent £55 but came home with a boot/back seat full of trays and pots. Chose 241, 342 and a 443 so did very well. I also got triple nectar points on the lot . I do the big spend now and a much smaller one in the autumn, and pleased to say a lot of the winter flowering pansies and cyclamen are still going strong so they can stay as long as they look happy.
Got a cheque from CPP - the official one, not the rip-off companies that keep advertising on television, which covers the above and leaves me a very nice sum to put toward my NZ trip next year :T.

DawnW

sparrer wrote: »

Got a cheque from CPP - the official one, not the rip-off companies that keep advertising on television, which covers the above and leaves me a very nice sum to put toward my NZ trip next year :T.

Thanks Sparrer, I wondered what was happening with CPP. I sent my form back a while ago but haven't heard anything yet. I received mine some time after others on here though - made me wonder if perhaps they were sent out in alphabetical order, and being a 'W' I was in a later batch...

We have planned to redo one of the beds in the garden this morning, and like you, I was at the garden centre buying plants yesterday, though in my case raspberries, rhubarb and herbs :rotfl:We do have flowers as well though. My pansies are still lovely too

I am off to the hairdresser this afternoon, so more spends today. I need to buy a new kitchen bin as well, as mine has broken. Given it was one that DD decided she didn't want, and threw out years ago though, it doesn't owe us anything :rotfl:I will see what they have in Wilkinsons later, as it is almost next door to the hairdresser's.

Just_be_2

Today will be a very frugal one. Won't be leaving the house so no chance of spending, got a super duper full to the brim batch of Bolognese in the slow cooker, this will be split between trays of lasagne and bags of just the Bol to add to spaghetti, all to be frozen. I'm hoping to get 2 months worth (8 meals of each, one meal of each per week). April is going great spending wise. After such a dire march what with huge car bills prompting a deflated feeling towards finances and some unneccessary spending, I was determined to get back in track this month. I personally find that if I've got money in my pocket (or a card) then I will spend. So my tactic is to only bring what cash I absolutely need for specific items. It's hard but I'm just hoping that at some point it becomes normality. On the whole, feeling very frugal

cydney65

Have saved a grand total of £35 this month but had to buy furniture as my bedroom drawers finally gave up the ghost. They were 15 years old and have survived 4 house moves so can't complain really.

Next month I shall attempt to be more frugal. OH and I are shocked at how much we have spent on food and petrol this month, so are determined to cut back in May. I will do as previously suggested and transfer savings out when I get paid. Any money left over after bills will automatically go to savings as well...that's the plan anyway

macwah97

Cold and miserable here but I'm smiling. Just halved my house insurance to £150 a year!!! :j

alja

I agree with the comments about how reading the posts on here provides a real motivation boost to help keep the pennies in check. I've found it really useful over the last few years

I had a NSD yesterday. Today I popped into town and bought a mango dress/top thing (£5) and a Zara cardigan (£7) from two of the charity shops. Not as cheap as I was expecting, but then again they don't look worn and I'd probably pay more for a similar item of poorer quality in Mr T or something! Plus, the money goes to charity!

I haven't really got many plans for the rest of this weekend, I may pop to the shopping centre tomorrow. And this evening I think I'll chill out, watch some movies and have a bit of a pamper session as I have so many products to use up before I buy anything new!

We're about to look in getting a new isa for my savings too, will see if it's worth doing. I hope you're all having a lovely frugal Saturday

Becky_2

After a complaint made to Boots earlier this week, I have now received £10 on a boots card. I will use this to pay for my SPF facial cream. We are managing to live fairly frugally at the moment but there is always room for improvement. Our council tax went up £1 per month.

I enjoy reading everyone's posts.

Becky_2

hollieinbloom wrote: »

Once OH gets paid I need to stock up on some bits so I will take £20 and keep it in my purse for when I see certain items on offers. We're low on all cleaning products so that's my first stop! Never known so many things to go wrong lately, hopefully it's at its end now.

Sorry for the moan and being away for so long!! xx

Hollieinbloom, great news that your OH managed to find a job so quickly.

I just wanted to share with you how I save money on cleaning products. I only have 1 bottle of proper cleaning product. I clean the bath and various zinks with unloved conditioners and brillow pad. Windows, mirrors & bathroom shelf I only use a micro cloth that I rinse under the tap and then dry it with a newspaper, this gets a brilliant result.