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2014 Frugal Living Challenge

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  • kb_soma
    kb_soma Posts: 270 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Hello everyone,

    I had a bit of a frugal downfall last month, too many birthdays, outing etc.

    But, what do we do if we fall of the wagon? We get back on.

    Back to the frugalling for me now! Apologies for having been so absent for the last month or two. x
    LBM: NOVEMBER 2011 || debt free date:30/06/15 || The Fighting Debt Army: #442 || Frugal Living Challenge 2018 || January 2018 Grocery £1.22/£100 ||
  • Failed miserably on the smoking and health kick front!!:(:o

    Absolutely mental few days at work - not an excuse or a reason but buying fags and wine was just how I dealt with it :mad:....however, tomorrow is another day and I have four days of peace before I am back to the grindstone so hopefully will have broken the worst of the habit by then :o It was total stupidity and I deserve and accept all the cyber-boots coming my way!!:wall:

    I have had no internet access for the past few days either:mad:...very annoying, but it has meant that I have started catching up on some of the sleep I lost over the past couple of weeks when I have been ill (to be honest, its a combination of no internet and my dh's love of snooker!!;)) so I am starting to feel a bit more human and in control!:D

    The other plus is that I have stuck to the meal plans, not spent too much and despite the fall-out, have also caught up with almost everything at work which are all positives....and we must focus on the positives when we have messed up so badly!!:rotfl:

    Just in case I lose internet connection again....hope you all have a fab bank holiday weekend and hope that your first official day of retirement is going great DawnW!!:D
    Mortgage 12.12.12 £55842 12.12.13 £42716 14.12.14 £28837 13.12.15 £25913
    Mortgage OP £50/£600 House Fund £420/£5000
  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,141 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ^^^^^^^^^
    TUT!

    Never mind .

    Have a good weekend.
    x
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • mummy2threeboys
    mummy2threeboys Posts: 1,009 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    kb_soma wrote: »
    Hello everyone,

    I had a bit of a frugal downfall last month, too many birthdays, outing etc.

    But, what do we do if we fall of the wagon? We get back on.

    Back to the frugalling for me now! Apologies for having been so absent for the last month or two. x

    Myself too, BUt hey it was fun, now i just have 3 birthdays to pay for and a holiday..all this month eeek.

    On the plus side whilst my debt hasnt defalted as much as id hoped it would have by now, its now at 56% paid off ..i think i could get it to 65% by the end of year i hope!..Keep on trucking as they say .
    Compers challenge 27/70
    £1805/2018
  • kb_soma
    kb_soma Posts: 270 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    As they say :) And, yes it was a lot of fun. I have a hen party this weekend, but must keep it cheap!

    I've been in touch with with our local food co-op and have been buying regular fresh veg. Amazing value for money, and means we're healthier:

    This is the Wales site: http://www.foodcoopswales.org.uk/
    LBM: NOVEMBER 2011 || debt free date:30/06/15 || The Fighting Debt Army: #442 || Frugal Living Challenge 2018 || January 2018 Grocery £1.22/£100 ||
  • DawnW
    DawnW Posts: 7,760 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well, first day of retirement, and it just felt like a day off really - loads of things to catch up with.

    I was a bit sad yesterday, and will miss my lovely colleagues :((but will keep in touch for social things :)). And I know I have made the right decision. I am absolutely shattered, have a lingering headache that I have had for a couple of days - a bit stressed from my last few days and my car being hit by the bus I expect, so will head off for a bath and bed in a minute.

    I spent the morning stocking up our new unit, or at least starting to. Then did a little bit of shopping at Lidls and went back intending to get a second load. But DD had turned up with baby GD, so I spent the afternoon with them. Then got more stuff ready for the unit in the morning, and made Keema Matar (lamb and pea) curry for supper. It is a lovely gentle curry, just right for if you are feeling a bit fragile, and there is enough for tomorrow as well :) Quite frugal too, as it uses just minced lamb, onions, garlic, a chilli, spices, and peas of course.

    Dog walked, washing up done, and that is me done for the day I think.

    I must get motivated to add up my April spends ..... and clean the house, weed the front garden, clean the chickens out, do a freezer and larder inventory, get more items ready for the unit :eek:

    How did I ever have time to work for 50 or so hours a week :rotfl:

    My car was collected for repair today and I will have to pay the excess when it is done :mad: Hopefully the insurance company will be able to get it back from the bus company :(
  • DawnW - congratulations on your retirement xx
    NSd for me, had a very nah sort of day. This here live below the line is getting to me! All I want is chocolate cake! And coffee..maybe both together!
    Gonna try for £1 per person per day for the month, just for food.
    And yes, I have budgeted for cake!
    x
    2013 NSD 100. CC2014CC- £31.50/£135
    2014 NSD 86 so far - May 20/21
    2014 G/C spend £741.55 so far May £107.99/£91
    Debt Free - 30.05.13 Emergency tin - £1000
    June 23 - 9NSD
  • sparrer
    sparrer Posts: 7,548 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Not much going on today, nsd/npd
    Organised two filing systems for different groups, and shredded two black sacks of paper for pet bedding for DD's 6 dogs
    Used up the last portion of turkey & veg curry, mild enough that I didn't need 'added extras', rice/naan etc
    Made a loaf and put half in the freezer. My bm makes tall loaves so I cut each slice in half to make 2 slices iyswim, otherwise it's be eaten in no time!
    The rain has filled up the water butt, watering can and two buckets I put out.
    That's all folks :)
  • lynnejk
    lynnejk Posts: 5,732 Forumite
    Rampant Recycler Debt-free and Proud!
    Failed miserably on the smoking and health kick front!!:(:o

    Absolutely mental few days at work - not an excuse or a reason but buying fags and wine was just how I dealt with it :mad:....
    I have had no internet access for the past few days either:mad:
    The other plus is that I have stuck to the meal plans, not spent too much and despite the fall-out, have also caught up with almost everything at work which are all positives....and we must focus on the positives when we have messed up so badly!!:rotfl:
    Aw shucks. Never mind - you sound like you were not in the right place to go forward. Sending you some calm and gentle vibes and hope you get there soon :)
    NSd for me, had a very nah sort of day. This here live below the line is getting to me! All I want is chocolate cake! And coffee..maybe both together! Gonna try for £1 per person per day for the month, just for food. And yes, I have budgeted for cake! x
    Gosh - how you going to do this :eek: I couldn't manage for fruit and veg at those levels. I really wish you luck :)


    Now - a moral dilemma here. We keep getting all this junk mail -promising this, that and the other. Some were letters from one of the insurance co's for over 50's and I was getting fed up with, and was a bit sceptical of, their promises of free gifts for signing up to their 'pay every month until you die and we will cover your funeral expenses' lines. I showed them to DH and we decided to take them at their word and applied, paying £4 each a month.


    I did it online - free - and within a week we were enrolled. They stated that the first month was free and then they would start to take the £8 each month from our account. We received all the relevant documentation from them regarding the policies. They phoned me after they took the first payment to see if everything was okay and, when I asked, they said the free gifts would be sent in the next two weeks.


    Today two envelopes arrived - one each. Inside mine was £75 in MnS vouchers (undated) and in DH's was a prepaid card loaded with £75 for H**mb**e. So for a payment of £8 we now have £150. There doesn't appear to be anything in their policies to stop us cancelling them whenever we want and the next payment isn't due for 12 days !!! Seems too good to be true eh.


    Hope you all have a fantastic Friday
    Lx
    £10day.2014=3213/2015=3421/2016=3238/2017=2702/2018=498..APR=12.03/300
    GrocC.2014=2162/2015=2083/2016=218/2017=1996/2018=450..APR=17.13/200
    Bulk buy.......APR=233.76
    GC.NSD..2015=216/2016=213/2017=229/2018=39..APR=03/15
    SPC130:staradminx61..2014=1178/2015=1287/2016=4616/2017=3843
    OS WL= -2/8 ......CC =00......Savings = £13,140
  • Dawn a huge congratulations on your retirement. I am sooooo jealous. I have wished myself 20 years older several times in the last few months so that I too could retire.

    Not been keeping up wiht the forum recently. Work and workload very hectic so when I come home at night I have just been collapsing onto the couch and not doing much else. This has got to stop as the house is not a tip.

    I have a long weekend this weekend so going to use some time to set some new goals, get the house in order and get out in the fresh air.
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