2014 Frugal Living Challenge

TattyG

Just checking in

I have been reading along but Christmas has taken up so much of everything this year

Have started making a few changes - including a huge declutter and house clean. Found loads of 'misplaced' items whilst sorting out which will save money - loads of loo rolls, presents that had been put away "safe" and toiletries that will come in handy. Also found some loose change that has gone into my sealed pot Son's room has provided enough socks and undies that he won't need anymore this year >.< Teenage boys are so yucky !! lol

We also called in to supermarket today and picked up loads of reduced Christmas sets so got a few more birthday presents sorted out and also bought ourselves some so we have some 'posh' smellies for through the year. We did have a look on the internet sales too and got some bargains for ourselves and also another couple of birthday presents - think I have most of Jan, Feb and March sorted now as I have had some great wins in December too

Tomorrow will be sorting the kitchen, freezer inventory (x2) and meal planning because we have a huge amount of food left!

Hope everyone has had a great Christmas - ready t bring on 2014

Tx

tokicat

Soworried wrote: »

I have been keeping a rolling freezer inventory since November, it helps keep the spending down a lot.
It helps you see what meals you can make without buying any more items.

Thanks for this tip. Other than buying milk I am not shopping. Just pulled out some meat from freezer. I think it's pork loin steaks but am not entirely sure :cool:

KazLA

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

Kazla, I would still cut them up, they might be useful for main presents or you could make some cards out of them!

Thanks all, ok that's my job for tomorrow am, cuppa & a pile of cards to cut up! You're right, cut them anyway, they will come in useful for something - and thinking about it, I asked my sister in law the other day where she bought all the Xmas stickers my niece used to make her cards, now I will hv a pile of free ones that the children (and I) can use next year.

Buffythedebtslayer

My Frugal aims for January,


Cut down my SM shopping and make very
cheap lunches from the "store cupboard"


Have two cheap evenings out! Prezzo vouchers ago go. Am really trying to keep in touch with my friends. Have lost a few this year due to being depressed and not wanting to go out so want to avoid that but still try to be frugal if that makes sense.


I also want to start to be sold pile to make extra cash.


will have a better plan when I have made more notes.


xxx

Frugalsod

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Thanks Frugalsod, is that for a lb loaf?


I am slowly de-cluttering, and I am in a right pickle.... I want to get back to cooking as much as I can from scratch, and not buying cakes and packs of biscwits from the supermarkets, which really does eat into your budget etc... I used to cook/bake a lot when the kids were small, but with working, got out of the habbit etc...I am cleaning out/de-cluttering my cupboards and my old kenwood mixer is leaking oil/grease from where you put the attachment blades in... it is old, my mother bought it in the early 80's .. I will get hubby to strip it down later to have a look, but I am thinking about buying something similar and ALOT cheaper. and I am trying to justify to myself the money I would spend on it... I am sure over time it will pay for itself in the amount of money I would save by not buying stuff in the supermarket and baking myself...


decisions, decisions..

I am not sure what the size of loaf is. It uses 500gm of flour and 300 gm of water so probably a 1lb loaf. It costs about 47p for flour sugar and yeast. I make one every three days or so.

If you think that you will be making more food then it sensible to opt for another Kenwood Chef. You should be able to use your existing accessories. Even getting a top of the range will pay for itself within a few years if you use it enough. If you got something a lot cheaper that did not do what you needed it would be a false economy. It is also a lot easier to get accessories for Kenwood than say any other brand.

Shortie

Urgh... I went to bed tired over 3 hours ago but couldn't sleep so I gave in and came back downstairs to have a 'net browse.

I can't seem to switch off and I suspect the main cause is that on Friday I found out that 3 contractors in our team were given notice either Monday/Tuesday (I was working from home with the travel disruptions so I don't know exactly when) as our budgets have been cut. My direct boss has been o holiday since the beginning of the month and isn't back until a little way into next month so I have no idea if this is the first wave of a series of staff cuts or a one off.

Which kicks my head into overdrive mode. If there is a second round, I'm worried I'll be next to go - my role has changed significantly with business re-orgs this year, turning me from a one man band supporting an important application, to someone jointly running a team of 5 people covering it (they cover other things too). Some of the work we cover is going to another team (and as it goes, it's only right we don't do this particular bit of work on the system) and I've been pigeon-holed into an admin, documentation, team running role this year. Which I know if push comes to shove is very expendable and I'm no longer business critical and I don't see how I can make myself indispensable either.

I was made redundant from my old job 2 years ago, and it's kicked off the whole 'Damocles Sword' feeling that we all ended up with at the last place... So now I'm flapping about a redundancy that may never come knowing I'm the only one working (a family choice) and I have no savings. Mind you, we did manage to become debt free (minus £2k bank of Mum and Dad loan) last month so that's a huge repayment that I won't need to worry about.

But still - I'm worrying how I'll pay the basics if the worst does happen

Sorry for the waffle-a-thon, I needed to write this down somewhere and get it out of my head. I think what isn't helping is that I can't speak to my boss to see if there is more to come and I'm a total worrier when something is unknown

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Shortie..... Its hard in this economic climate... and things can change over night....Just supposing the worst came to the worsed and you were laid off, when would be the earliest this would happen???..


easier enough said than done, but worrying isn't going to change any outcome, whether it is good or bad news.... Are you the type of person who can turn that worrying into a positive thing??


I know when something happens with me. my stress levels go up and up,and then I go into total meltdown... for a few hours... like its all come to a head, and I release the stress etc... THEN after this point I start thinking straight again, and start getting constructive....and working out a plan, or doing something about it..


If the worse case sinario happened, and lets say you have 2 months of work left, I would start seeing what food stock I had, and get more in... also as you were made redundant 2 years ago.. I would see if there was something I could do part time etc, to bring money in, which did not rely on other people to a certain extent... Ebay??? window cleaning?? selling/doing certain crafts etc..


Hopefully you are worrying over nothing, But I am a firm believer in prepping... for all sorts of things...

PicklePickle80

Completely new to the forums and challenge but would love to join. Major birthdays this year and want to be debt free by end of the year....thanks

tatabubbly

hey guys, going to try and work out a budget. Unfortunately, where I live it is slightly higher in food costs and there are no reduced prices on anything other than the M&S which is overpriced as its in a different country!

I really want to get me and my OH savings up as we want to pay for our wedding and also, save for a deposit/pay off a flat back home! He thinks I'm mad trying to save so much and is of the opinion that we need to live! Its a tough life!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

tatabubbly wrote: »

hey guys, going to try and work out a budget. Unfortunately, where I live it is slightly higher in food costs and there are no reduced prices on anything other than the M&S which is overpriced as its in a different country!

I really want to get me and my OH savings up as we want to pay for our wedding and also, save for a deposit/pay off a flat back home! He thinks I'm mad trying to save so much and is of the opinion that we need to live! Its a tough life!

where do you live???


Sounds silly, BUT is it worth you travelling maybe once every 2 - 3 months to somewhere, where there is a noticeable diff in the food prices and doing a mega/huge/ mammouth shop, so then you only got to buy the fresh/basic stuff locally??


I know you will have the travelling costs etc, BUT if you try and save, and do a huge shop, and cost everything up, I am sure you would be quids up by doing this...