2014 Frugal Living Challenge

pm2326

quidsy wrote: »

Icontinuetodream,

I used the tablets from the GP, they really do work, they are like beta blockers, they remove the desire to smoke, you still smoke for a couple of weeks on them but fund you have less & less until you actually can't stad the taste. Speak to gp or boots to get on the stop smoking program.

This is how I stopped aswell, by the time I got to my stop date on the 2nd week if I had a cigarette the taste made me feel sick....been 3 years now and although I still get the odd craving for a cigarette I cant stand the smell so never tempted to try one :T

Saying that I know 3 male friends who've tried them and they went straight back on the cigs soon as they finished the course of tablets.

pm2326

Pay day today so start of a new month for me.

I managed to keep £500 in another account from last months pay by transfering it at the beginning of the month, it took the temptation away to spend it as I couldn't see it when I checked my current account. So I've done the same again this month and moved a lump sum out of the current account.

The money will be used to pay of another debt but I'm not sure which one to do yet (have 3 loans left 2 of which are on the same interest rate + a 0% interest free HP).

I've been to Ald* and spent £15 on a top up shop, once I get my milk tomorrow I'm sorted for at least a fortnight, the freezer is chocker block again, to the point I made a curry yesterday, portioned it up and then realised have no room in the freezer but will have some tonight and the rest will stay in fridge for a few days while I use up/rearrange stuff.

Getting haircut tomorrow which will cost £10 and then need a hair dye, will call into B&M on the way to see if they have any deals on (no pound shops/home bargains near me).

Having lunch out on Wednesday but that's a free treat from work.

Cant think of anything else that will affect my purse strings this month apart from top up shops later in the month. No doubt I'll have forgot something costly :rotfl::rotfl:

DawnW

Nice to see so many on here tonight

It is Friday :j:j:j
Not a NSD as I had run out of snacks for work and I bought a yogurt. Also had a takeaway tea, but only from the chippie so not too drastic

OH and I went to an auction viewing after work, to look at some bits for our business. Earmarked a few bits, but will not be buying unless the price is right. Also looked at some bits for DD and DiL.

I got my pension award letter today - my income will drop by more than two thirds :eek: but I already knew that. Still, I cant wait to simplify life and lose the stress, there really is more to life than work and money I have 3 more days in work now :j and I couldn't have done it if I hadn't been frugal (my state pension won't arrive for 5 more years) so stick with it guys, pay off the debts, add to the savings, it really is worth it, and helps you to be able to do what you want to do, whether it is buy a house, go on a world trip or whatever

I will be watching the auction for most of tomorrow, to see if I can get any bargains to sell on, or the bits that my DiL wants. It is her birthday this weekend, so I shall probably pay for one of the lots for her present I never know what to get her :rotfl:and none of them are very extravagant.

I have some out of date and not very nice natural yogurt (zero fat, and yuck) to use up and I think that would make scones rise nicely so might also try that, as I have some HM jam left in the larder

Mrs_Cheshire

Had 3 NSD's in a row from our leisure budget so doing well there. Still making meals from stores and a small shop in Aldi this week

sparrer

How much on a ring?! My new car didn't cost that much! But we all covet different things and I suppose it keeps the jeweller's in business. Even so...:eek:
I tried all sorts to give up smoking, hypnotism (but the lady's voice just made me laugh so I was sacked :cool:) inhalator, gum etc., then 7 years ago I read Allen Carr's book Easy Way To Stop Smoking and I was done in the first 35 pages, even though he suggests not giving up til you've read the book through. DD used the e-cigarette and also gave up 18 month ago. What works for one may not work for another and the aids are very useful but I think it's mainly will power, and how determined one is.
I agree Dawn, if I hadn't been frugal I couldn't have retired when I did, and now I can enjoy my family and my holidays

Not been out today so nsd/npd. No heating on as spent most of the day under the duvet, unfortunately nothing on my list got done as my wrist/hand joints aren't playing ball.
The main expense next month is having my hair cut (college £10) and roots done (1/2 box from the £1 shop) in prep for my holiday at the beginning of June. I have enough clothes so no need to buy more, and will start the tan off courtesy of Dove (£3.99 in @sd@), not going looking like a ghost!

Sleep tight

pm2326

DawnW wrote: »

Nice to see so many on here tonight

I got my pension award letter today - my income will drop by more than two thirds :eek: but I already knew that. Still, I cant wait to simplify life and lose the stress, there really is more to life than work and money I have 3 more days in work now :j and I couldn't have done it if I hadn't been frugal (my state pension won't arrive for 5 more years) so stick with it guys, pay off the debts, add to the savings, it really is worth it, and helps you to be able to do what you want to do, whether it is buy a house, go on a world trip or whatever

Even though your income is reducing, I'm soooo jealous!

I turned 40 this year and while I'm not wishing my life away my thoughts have turned to retirement :rotfl: there's no way I intend to wait until I'm eligible for a state pension, if it even exists by the time I reach 67!

Although I pay the maximum into my work pension, I know I need to get a good amount of savings behind me before I could even contemplate retirement. But to do that I have to clear the unsecured debt, do some work on the house and then look at the mortgage.

So at the beginning of the year I set myself two small achievable targets - 2014 clear all unsecured debts, 2015 save as much as possible and replace the roof and bathroom.

At the minute I should achieve the 1st target in October 2014 :T

In 2016 I then need to decide whether to start paying lump sums to the mortgage or into a savings account, the issue being its an interest only mortgage and I intend to sell up when I retire. But this will be decided nearer the time and will depend on savings/mortgage interest rates etc.

The way I see it, I need to have something to aim for, I don't take holidays, I don't smoke, I drink but most of it is gifted by friends/family if I buy it comes from Ald*. I have no social life, I cant remember the last time I bought new clothes, I dont have a handbag or shoe fetish and I have no kids to spend vast sums of money for me (god my life sounds so sad and boring :rotfl:).

I'm hoping making and achieving these small targets will allow me the opportunity to retire when I feel I've done enough and can comfortably live off my savings. Then I can have the holidays and new clothes if I want them

lynnejk

icontinuetodream wrote: »

I have set myself a 'personal' spend of £60 per month...this will be a challenge as I currently smoke and have tried giving up so many times its totally embarrassing...however, I am going to really make the effort over the next week to cut down and then stop....I can't justify the cost, can't roll my own and am fed up with being a slave to an addiction..:o

Hey - join me. I am just trying to give up the evil weed and am a few weeks in front of you. I decided to get some help and went to Boo*s and signed up to 12 weeks. You can get all the patches etc and I have found the gum and mini loz, together with the occasional 'puff' on an e-cig seems to help. Still struggling but definitely getting there :T thank goodness.

[Deleted User] wrote:

I was flabbergasted when she said it was a new ring costing around £8k. She has also just bought her OH a watch costing £4,500 to make up for 'only' spending £2k a couple of years ago on his 40th. This is someone I regularly talk to about finances and she is currently trying to pay off her mortgage. I kept quiet but was thinking to myself - I would rather put this towards my mortgage. But maybe that's just me!!

That's unbelievable :eek: I don't see the point ?

DawnW wrote: »

I got my pension award letter today - my income will drop by more than two thirds :eek: but I already knew that. Still, I cant wait to simplify life and lose the stress, there really is more to life than work and money I have 3 more days in work now :j and I couldn't have done it if I hadn't been frugal (my state pension won't arrive for 5 more years) so stick with it guys, pay off the debts, add to the savings, it really is worth it, and helps you to be able to do what you want to do, whether it is buy a house, go on a world trip or whatever

Think that's brilliant Dawn and I hope you really enjoy it after all your hard work and efforts - you deserve it.


Well - I had made up my mind to get my hair done next week and DH said I could put it on the CC as it really is past the sell by date now. Been putting it off as it is sooo expensive now to go somewhere decent. Opened my in-box this morning and there was a Group thing for a hair-do in Edinburgh. It would normally be £90 :eek: but the offer is £34.50 - booked for next Thursday YEH !! :j


Sorry such a long post - hope you all have a super Saturday
Lx

Kantankrus_Mare

A temporary boost for us on our empty buy to let property which is up for sale.

A work colleague of a good friend has just found out his wife is leaving him for another woman :eek: and needs some cheap accomodation till he decides what to do long term.

We have agreed he can rent our property on a cheaper than normal basis with the agreement on both sides that if we get a buyer, he moves out.

Gives us the mortgage and council tax money and though I know many landlords would say what we are doing could be risky without deposit and contract, its a risk I am willing to take.

DawnW

pm2326 wrote: »

Even though your income is reducing, I'm soooo jealous!

I turned 40 this year and while I'm not wishing my life away my thoughts have turned to retirement :rotfl: there's no way I intend to wait until I'm eligible for a state pension, if it even exists by the time I reach 67!

Although I pay the maximum into my work pension, I know I need to get a good amount of savings behind me before I could even contemplate retirement. But to do that I have to clear the unsecured debt, do some work on the house and then look at the mortgage.

Yes, that is what I did - paid off debts, paid off the mortgage, saved, got work done on the house It was hard to begin with, but gets addictive when you start to make progress

This site has been a tremendous help, though all the debt had gone by the time I discovered it.

Sounds as though you are on track. I am 20 years older than you :eek: so you have plenty of time.

I am not ruling out getting a part time job if my business doesn't work out, or I get bored, but we will see. I wouldn't have dared to take this step if I didn't have significant savings, as our incomes will be really quite low, so an emergency back up for if the boiler dies or something is essential.

Auction starts soon, so better get on and do something as I will be stuck on the laptop for most of the day probably.

We will finish the chilli tonight and I need to make some scones at some stage to use up nasty yogurt

Right, off to get the washing on the line - it is supposed to rain later and it would be great if it dried, or even partly dried, before that!

icontinuetodream

Thank you everyone for all your encouragement and suggestions on the quitting smoking front!

I am going to join you lynnejk on Monday! (and well done on the haircut bargin!!:D ) I have felt really rubbish for the past couple of weeks due to illness (and a few other really stressful things) and I don't do being ill well!!:o

So, I have decided that stopping smoking will coincide with a general health kick....cutting down on alcohol, drinking more water and eating better....Monday is the best day for me to start because I still have fags left, can't stop when I have some and can't bring myself to get rid of what I have!!:o

I am going to use will-power alone - I have done it before very successfully, it's just the re-starting that is an issue for me...I convince myself that I 'deserve' one if I am having a bad day or some other poor excuse!!:doh::wall:Pathetic really, but I am determined to avoid that stupid way of thinking again....please feel free to give me a major cyber-kick up the a*se if I don't stick to it this time!!:D I promise that I will fess up if I mess up regardless of how harsh the cyber-beating is!!;)

Other things....I have sorted my meal plan for next week...it is heavily weighted towards vegan food to help clear out my system and I have the vast majority of it already in stock so minimum spends! Woohoo!!:j I start on my May grocery challenge next week and hope to do much better than I did in April

DawnW.....scary thought of such a major drop in income!! Must be nice to know that you will still have enough to live on though due to your careful financial planning in the past....when I was made redundant last year, I was really happy that I was living such a frugal lifestyle that we could manage on just the one income....it bothered me that I couldn't throw as much at the mortgage but I knew that I could cover bills and still live the same lifestyle...major relief!!;)

Glad to hear about the rental of the property kantankarus..must be a weight off your mind and gives you some flexibility while you wait to sell....I would get something in writing about the agreement though - just to cover yourself!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!:wave: