2014 Frugal Living Challenge

[Deleted User]

Finally geting myself in gear for living more frugally again. It feels so much better than flying by the seat of my pants and spending like its going out of fashion. Dinners and lunches all orgainsed for the month, washing up to date and I have managed to get myself a wee second job doing massage on Saturdays - details still need to be finalised.

Tonight I will have to pay for a course I have booked which I am really looking forward to - Massage for people living with cancer. It's at the end of June and I have wanted to do this for ages.

Well the sun has just come out so hoping it stays out for the rest of the day so I can head out for some fresh air at lunch time.

DawnW

Frugal things today:

Checked banks - I still have some of my last month's salary left. My first works pension payment should turn up at some point soon :eek:

Made sure that electrical things that aren't strictly necessary are turned off.

Walked to Lidls with my trusty shopping trolley (instead of using the car - if I don't have too much to get / carry it is frankly easier, as well as cheaper and more environmentally friendly). It also makes me do a bit of exercise OH roused himself from his sick bed - he has had a bad attack of man-flu, and he and the dog came along as well Bought only potatoes and salad veg. Spent £6.56, but shouldn't need anything else for a few days, except chicken food at some point. Now we will need to get the car out for that!

No need for other spends today

Washing on line to dry

Will finish off leftovers of cooked chicken and spinach pie today, with jacket potatoes and salad, before thinking about cooking anything else.

I did the pile of ironing that has been hanging around for weeks last night in front of the telly. Not frugal I know, but at least organised!

Other niggling job I keep putting off is to sort out mine and OH's tax returns and books etc and contact the accountant to do her bit. I shan't do it this morning as I have a slight headache (and that would certainly make it worse :rotfl:). Now this would actually qualify for being frugal as I am pretty certain we are both due a tax rebate A focus for next week perhaps!

alja

I'm having a great wardrobe clearout this weekend, thrown out a few worn out bits and have done a spot of "make do and mend" on some items to get more wear out of them ...it's also made me realise how much "stuff" I really do have!!

Today is a NSD and I have just checked my savings, I'm very pleased to have hit a big target and have just set my next one to reach by the end of the year if possible...now I'm off to do some survey sites to help me reach it! Fingers crossed!

Shortie

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

I'd love the recipe please, would be very handy for lunches when we run out of bread!

I tried this recipe tonight, TONNES better:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-tortillas

DawnW

Thanks for sharing the results of your experiments with tortillas Shortie

I must get around to trying this one out.

TM6

I'm getting closer to catching up :rotfl:

I'm now on page 173 / 176 :j

TM6

going_nowhere_fast wrote: »

Thanks Lynne.

What I've found is that everyone seems to be living a 'better', materialistcally that is, life than us.

They all have sky tv, all have broadband, all are able to buy clothes whenever they want, all go on holiday, all go on nights out. I know some will be doing it via credit but it does make me feel like i'm the odd one out. I'm the only one not buying clothes, not going abroad, not got sky, not got the lastest gadgets yet I'm still no better off.

With me it's all the small reductions that are going to make a difference to my finances, I know that just finding it hard to get going.

i have come to believe that budgeting is a skill that some of us have to learn because it just doesn't come naturally.

You are SO right there!

Until I really knuckled down and with help from MSE and particularly this thread, money used to burn a hole in my pocket.

My top tip is to keep a daily diary of EVERYTHING that you buy - it is an eye opener :eek:

Good luck with your budgeting

Ken68

I remind myself now and again, that I can drink tea/coffee or wine/whisky or....................... water. Gets me back to basic.

kb_soma

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi Dizzy Lizzie, I bought some Almond milk too and it is much creamier than the rice milk, tried it this morning in my tea. I will try a few - I think there is soya milk too and see which one I prefer.

Allie, watch out for soya milk, a lot of people that have lactose intolerances are also allergic to soya.

Glad you woke up without a headache today

Frizzle_2

I found this thread about 4 weeks ago and have just finished reading it!
Would love you join you all. I started being a little more frugal at the start of the year although I gave always been a bit of a bargain hunter for presents! Usually this would also mean buying more to compensate!!
I now meal plan and have cut my food bill drastically. Still a lot more I can do. My mission is to pay off our second car loan. We paid off the first one last month (about a year early) and have about three years on the second one! We were paying about £400 a month on car loans so this will really help with the savings!
Anyway catch up soon when the hour is not so late!