2014 Frugal Living Challenge

littleskintdragon

Coulddobetter wrote: »

Hi

I did my degree whilst working full time with 2 small children, it took 5 years but it was worth it. I was able to leave a job I didn't like but which paid well to go to a much more interesting job. That one lasted for 5 years and was wonderful until it was closed due to public funding. What the degree did do is give me more confidence when looking for a job. My OH was wonderful and had the children entertained on a Saturday whilst I studied. The good thing was we all benefitted even the children who saw Mum as a real go getter and someone to look up to. Real social mobility at work.

Did you do your degree through open university? Ive been looking into this recently, but it seemed a bit impossible without quitting my job or them being flexible in work (which they wouldnt!) also financing was an issue, student loans etc.

I havent posted in a while but catch up every day.
One of the reasons is that i've been on maternity leave and weve been paying out more than was coming in. Luckily we had savings to cover some of this, and im back in work this month. We also had to use the cc and the over draft sadly now has a balance. It's upset me that we've ended up like this but that was the cost of us having a baby, with me being the main earner. My work have only paid me statutory maternity pay.

My head is now totally unburied and ive started looking at balances and paying off that little extra.

There has been some great advice on here the past few days, which has not only been good for the new people but also new ideas for the regulars 2.

his_missus

going_nowhere_fast wrote: »

Wow you are all so friendly!! Well I'm going to start.
I think the first thing to do is buy some envelopes tomorrow (spending on my first day at this frugality lark!!!) so I can start allocating myself some money each week. It's too easy to swipe that card. In future I must leave cards at home and take cash!!!

All the pennies that you dont spend i.e. that one magazine, that one bar of chocolate - do you think it really helps to reduce the debts over a period of time?

I need to get in the mindset - every little helps..

Definitely! I'm debt free now but everytime I check my bank online I transfer into a savings account a few pounds and pence to round it to the nearest £10 (a challenge on here - virtual pot challenge). I don't miss those small amounts but have saved over £200 so far this year by doing it

Teacher2b wrote: »

Thanks for the welcomes! I tend to buy fresh ingredients eg I currently have a bag of spinach waiting to go and the amount of unused chicken I let go past it's use by is shocking. I don't like defrosting chicken in the freezer but should really get doing this as then I can defrost exactly what I know I'm going to need rather an defrosting twice as much then not using it and obviously it's not safe to keep for very ling after that. I'm good at cooking from scratch through I'm happy to turn cheap ingredients into yummy meals it's just getting the quantity right that's an issue. You lot seem to be full of amazing advice :j

I often bulk buy meat from the butchers when he has an offer on and bag it into meal portions to freeze. So instead of freezing a pack of 4 chicken breasts, I make up two bags of 2 breasts. Defrost overnight in the fridge and use that day and you'll be fine. You can freeze spinach too, takes less room in freezer if it's cooked first.

Shortie

Afternoon all

Today is my 'round up' of the month as tomorrow is my payday. I have lots of savings pots to top back up as I've borrowed from them which 'irks' me somewhat as I can't refill them all in one month but I haven't had to go into debt for what we've spent on and the savings accounts have really proven their benefit to me this month

So, a warts and all round up of the month:

- I have spent lots on getting the garden sorted. There is still more to go but the rest should be cheap/free - the expensive stuff has been dealt with now.
- I have spent a disgusting amount on takeout food and lunches at the weekend. I'm truly embarrassed at myself. This is changing. Like, right now.
- We bought a trampoline and car tax x2 which we largish spends (1 of the tax's was saved, the other was for a new addition to the household which I hadn't planned at the beginning of the year but I've changed the budgets to save for this one too)
- I bought a car which I paid for outright, bought a stereo for it and had to drive a fairly long way to buy so had quite high petrol spends. Glad I've got her though - she's a gem (just have to re-learn how to drive an old car with a manual choke, lol :rotfl:)

This month has felt financially manic. I still have savings I can shore up but I need to refill some pots as I have borrowed money across the course of the month for the car and the garden work etc...

This coming month current plans:
- refill most of the holiday fund pot I have borrowed from during the month. Rest will have to be topped up the month after (I'll have to start repaying my sa tax savings for the car I just bought too the month after)
- 2 lots of car insurance due out - one was budgetted for the otehr is the 'new' car. The 'new' car insurance is budgetted for next year but that's eaten into my ability to top back up my savings this month.
- I've just paid my friend £20 for a dishwasher that they cannot use in their new home (no space at the mo for it) - ours broke last year and while we've missed it I didn't see the point of replacing it yet when we might get an integrated on after the building work is done.. so that was great

We have a absolute tonne of chicken and pork in at the mo - we haven't started on the family freezer pack we bought last month and then on Friday ou friend's Dad picked up a load of super cheap meat for us too - he doesn't go very often so we grabbed the opportunity for some cheap meat even though we had lost in already! I've paid her back for that today and I expect to see a reduced shopping bill this month as we should need hardly any meat - only mince and maybe sausages?

Shortie

Oohh I forgot to add - this coming pay month I'm also planning to do the following to help reduce my spends:

- I have budgetted £60 personal monthly spends. I'll draw it out as £15 cash a week and make it last. I want to spend very little of it if possible (I do need to buy milk for tea at work and the most part I spend at the weekend when I'm out with the kids so it will cover that too)
- I need to take cash out tomorrow for food shopping, petrol and my first weekly 'personal spends' but other than that, I'm going to leave my bank cards at home

cw18

Shortie wrote: »

(just have to re-learn how to drive an old car with a manual choke, lol :rotfl:)

wow! that brings back memories

My first car (which I had from 1985 until 1989) had one, but none since have.

sparrer

Am well on track, in fact just ahead of my race, this month I've had 12 nsd/npd's so far and my weekly shop in @dli (allow £15 a week) came in at £10.61 yesterday.
Big concern is my treadmill aka Mr Walker died on Friday. Have advertised on freecycle, scoured the bay of e etc., and will keep trying as I can't afford to buy new. It's an essential as it helps improve lung capacity (copd).
No other major expenses coming up, have bought for DM's birthday next week, I've paid for and have the spending money for my holiday next month and two weekends away later in the year paid up as well.
Haven't had a take away for ages so when my friend comes over on Monday we're going to treat ourselves. Naughty but nice

Shortie

cw18 wrote: »

wow! that brings back memories

My first car (which I had from 1985 until 1989) had one, but none since have.

Lol - yep, same here - my frist car (a Fiat Uno which I had from 1997 - 1999-ish) had a manual choke but all the rest have had automatic ones.

I have patience to re-learn but am so self critical that when I stalled her yesterday as she needed some choke that i didn't give her, I got myself in a flap as I tell myself as I "should know better than that", lol :rotfl:

DawnW

Just popping in quickly as I have to tidy the house a bit. We have friends coming to dinner, so I ought to make an effort

Went to Lidls this morning to buy the few bits I need for the meal I am cooking, but as it is a budget meal for which I had most things in, it wasn't much

We are having chilli con carne with jacket spuds, dressed up a bit with some creme fraiche and coriander, and corn chips on the side, and pear and blackberry crumble and cream for pudding. The pears were going a bit soft in the fruit bowl, and there are tons of blackberries in the freezer I only bought the creme fraiche, cream and corn chips - plus a bunch of sweet williams for the table - as I had all the rest of the ingredients. That should fill them up

Right, off to try to make it look presentable in here :eek:

alja

The MSE demotivator is a great tool to get an idea of how all these little spends add up here's a link to it...
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/demotivator/


I have a friend who spends all if not more than what she earns and her dad has always done the same. They're always eating out places (several times a week sometimes), have the latest phones/gadgets and they go on expensive holidays too etc. - even though her dad hasn't got another "proper" job at the moment, they're still spending money like there's no tomorrow.


I just worry that if something major was to happen, where would they find the money to sort something out?


I probably buy more clothes than I need do, but I never buy expensive branded clothes like a few of my friends do. Thing is, the branded clothing they usually buy doesn't even display the brand that obviously on the clothing, so the clothes could be from anywhere! So I just think... what's the point? £30 for one item, for which I could probably get 5!
Most of my clothes are from cheap stores, sales and charity shops, but I make a point of checking quality and trying to only buy things I'll definitely wear.


When I'm in a frugal frame of mind and I talk myself out of buying something, no matter how small, I feel like saying "I win! You didn't make me buy you!"

Just_be_2

Struggling on. Keeping frugal