2014 Frugal Living Challenge

miss_try_to_save

please may I join this challenge for Jan 2015 i already do the grocery challenge and would love to give this a try

natnat13

Well I went out for my meal and had a lovely evening. I had known it was coming up and budgeted for it and managed to get a lift home so saved taxi fare. It was 5 courses and drinks so actually very reasonable and having been very down and had a tough year really cheered me up as I love eating out and being social but have said no to a lot of things this year for one reason or another. I don't smoke, rarely drink, don't have gym membership, new clothes, magazines, holidays and enjoyed an evening with good friends. Then come on here to negative comments on a usually supportive forum, merry Christmas!

cw18

My comments weren't meant to be negative - but your post did make it sound like you'd been pressured into going out for a meal when you'd have preferred not to. It appears that wasn't the case, and as such I'm pleased for you that you went.

macwah97

icontinuetodream wrote: »

My frugal living is going to be taking on a new meaning very shortly as I have just quit my job!! :eek:

Time to batten down the hatches and account for every penny.....

I know how you feel. I have had another run-in with my line manager this weekend. I was due to reduce my hours in the New Year anyway to accommodate claiming Carer's for my husband but I really cannot hack the hassle and am seriously considering jacking it all in.:undecided

lynnejk

natnat13 wrote: »

Well I went out for my meal and had a lovely evening. I had known it was coming up and budgeted for it and managed to get a lift home so saved taxi fare. It was 5 courses and drinks so actually very reasonable and having been very down and had a tough year really cheered me up as I love eating out and being social but have said no to a lot of things this year for one reason or another. I don't smoke, rarely drink, don't have gym membership, new clothes, magazines, holidays and enjoyed an evening with good friends. Then come on here to negative comments on a usually supportive forum, merry Christmas!

I think that we all do things in our own way to be as frugal as we want to be in our own lives and do not all, thank goodness, think in the same way. To be honest, I too did worry that it sounded like you felt pressurized into participating when you didn't really want to do so.


However, I'm sooo pleased for you that you had a lovely meal with good companions and hope you plan to do so again when the opportunity arises. Such an event is one to be looked forward to, enjoyed whilst there and the memory to be savoured afterwards.


I am the same, love going out to eat with good company and feel fortunate that I can do so, albeit at the 'cost' of not spending my money in other ways. I think we only pass this way the once and should each live our lives as we wish.


I have found most of the threads on this site very supportive, although occasional mis-understandings are bound to happen I don't think there is genuinely any negative feelings meant.


I hope everyone is ready for the 'Big Day' and enjoys the final three days before.
Lx


:xmassign:

cw18

lynnejk wrote: »

I hope everyone is ready for the 'Big Day' and enjoys the final three days before.

Business as normal here.

OH will spend Thursday at his sister's with her, their Mum, his niece, his younger nephew and his sister's OH. Older nephew will bob over to join them with his OH and their daughter late afternoon/early evening. (If I didn't have anyone else at my home and/or showed even the vaguest interst in joining them an official invitation would be extended my way.) How long he can stay there will depend on whether his bosses have finally cancelled the requirement for him to go to work on the night of the 25th - he's a contractor in a workplace where there'll be no permanent staff that night, and he fixes machines that break down while they're running them so there's not going to be any break downs. If he's not at work that night he'll then spend Boxing Day at the home of one of his Auntie's with her family, his Mum, and his other Auntie and family.

DS1 is working night shift Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday - and is then off until 3rd January. Everyone has to work either Christmas or New Year, and he likes to go out on NYE so always asks to work Christmas - which I guess will go down well with those who have children at home

So on Thursday DS1 will be in bed for most of the day, leaving me to veg out and do what I want (apart from going to the gym or shopping as they'll be closed). He'll then take a ready meal (possibly a home made one) to work while I cook just for me. A couple of years ago I had steak and chips, but don't think I can be bothered washing all the pots this year. I do have a huge stack of pizzas in the freezer which is one possibility But I might make chicken supreme that day so I can have some here and send some to work with DS1. Need to decide tomorrow so I can get any veg I'll need for Thur & Fri in before the store sell out of everything (I don't plan to shop on Wednesday!)

DS2 is coming up (very) late on Saturday 27th and going home on the afternoon of NYE.

My only majorly different day will be on 29th when DS1, DS2 and I head up to visit DD and GDs (to swap pressies with the 4 youngsters), and then call in to see my parents to give them their pressies - and also give my Dad his birthday pressies (28th). And then OH is coming over on the morning of NYE (straight from night shift at work, so I'll get a cuppa in bed which is a very rare event) and staying until he has to be back in at 10pm on New Years Day - so that's also a bit different for me as he rarely comes over mid-week

Wrote cards for the neighbours today, so need to drop those off tomorrow. Also wrote cards for my GDs, OH and niece today. So just cards for my parents, DD, DS1 and DS2 to write now. And pressies for all 4 GDs to wrap (pick up the last tomorrow - ordered for instore pickup), along with the few bits I've got for my parents. May well do all that on Thursday while watching a couple of DVDs, which would be earlier than normal as it's much more usual for me to do it on the morning of the day I'm dropping it all off

I'd love to say that's the way I like it - but I'd much rather drop all the card exchanging as well. And I wish I could get my parents to join my kids and I with the 'no presents for adults' rule we've brought in this year as none of us know what to get them - especially since we've been told they're minimalising their home and "don't want any more clutter".

Yep - I'm a right "Bah! Humbug" about the whole thing
I have put the cards I've received (all 7 of them) up on shelves though, and will probably leave them there until NYE. And I do enjoy the music, making sure my MP3 player is loaded with Christmas music from 1st Dec until 1st Jan.

apple_muncher

cw18, I'm exhausted just reading your plans for the next few days!!

There will just be the 3 of us here this year, all v peaceful and enjoyable. We'll be off to church on Christmas day - mainly because dh is doing the PA. Usually we just all snuggle up in bed reading!

Becky_2

:santa2: I am wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Thanks for all your support and motivation during 2014.

I will be going away for Christmas this year and then working so I will back on this thread just before New Year.

:xmassign:

his_missus

Oh my word, my frugal attempts failed at the last hurdle! I'm glad I'm using a spending diary but I almost had a heart attack when I totted up my spends on Saturday! Far too much spent on food for Christmas, most of my budgeted grocery spends for the month but I am hoping we'll get 3 weeks worth out of it...we may be eating turkey leftovers and gammon until mid January! I really thought I'd reined in it this Christmas but...

Picklepot

macwah97 wrote: »

I know how you feel. I have had another run-in with my line manager this weekend. I was due to reduce my hours in the New Year anyway to accommodate claiming Carer's for my husband but I really cannot hack the hassle and am seriously considering jacking it all in.:undecided

(( hugs)) I know how horrible this feels. My new manager who I have only met once rang me last week and was so unpleasant I was speechless, I'm still replaying the conversation in my head a week later at the injustice of it.


Remember at the end of the day you and your husband are the most important. I hope you are able to put it aside and not let it get to you.




shhh.. the reason I am on this thread is to learn to live on less so I don't have to stay in a job like this