2014 Frugal Living Challenge

alja

Well today was a NSD, tomorrow should be and so should Friday! So that's a good start

I checked my toiletries today to see if there's anything I will need to buy anytime soon, but I seem to be well stocked on most things. I definitely won't need any body wash or body lotion. Once I've run out of shaving gel I will start to use the mass of body lotion I have instead.

I've got quite a bit of shampoo and conditioner, so it would be great if this can last me the whole year! My toiletries stash is quite big really, as I usually start one product, but then start on another one instead. So I've written a list of which ones to use up first to ensure I go through them properly.

The only things I can think of at the moment that I may have to buy are new shavers/shaver heads, toothpaste and possibly a deodorant or two. But I will use my B*ots & S*perdrug points for anything needed throughout the year!

Looks like I'm quite set for the year really, I just need to keep myself away from the shops!!

Shortie

Feeling really antsy this evening. I suspect it's because I have lost all track of routine - I worked from home the Mon & Tues before Christmas with the bad weather, then had Christmas and Boxing Day off. In work for one day and then hit the weekend. In for two days, off today for one day, back in for the next two days before we hit the weekend. I'm not really sure what is up and down at the moment..

I think I need to do something crafty to refocus my head but I ran out of wool for my crochet blanket, so I'm thinking of staring my cross stitch kit that I bought a couple of years ago

Mr Shortie bought quite a lot of bits in for NYE, for us and a family on our road. He sold some car stereo stuff yesterday so treated us all out of that money. We now have even more leftovers hanging around now. After Christmas, I like to see everything packed away and gone - the tree (still up at the mo) and the leftovers eaten up, frozen or redistributed. We have masses of odd left overs at the mo - lots of cheeses that Mr Shortie will eat (but never seems to fancy), and we now have cheesecake, doughnuts and cookies to finish off - aahh well.. diet another day eh?



Right, kicking myself up the bum - going to put some more washing on, dish up some chilli for lunch tomorrow, munch a doughnut, turn off the Chrimbo tree lights and see if I can find my cross stitch kit. Might tackle a menu plan with Mr Shortie too to help me feel more organised

Feeling antsy if awful for a control freak :eek::rotfl:

Penny2myName

All I can do in the mean time, is learn to live on a fairly strict budget. Checking toiletries and we have 5 bottles of shampoo, 2 half bars of soap, and a full tube of toothpaste (not too worried over that as kids get a very high fluoride one on prescription, when the chemist have it in). plus a toiletry gift set I got for Xmas.

Cleaning products
3 cans of polish, enough cistern bloo tabs for about 3 years, 1 bottle of toilet cleaner, 2 bottles of wooden floor cleaner and 3 bathroom sprays. All this is from when I bulk bought at beginning of 2013 for cleaning. Guess I over bought slightly. Oh and 1 bottle of washing up liquid, one large box of wash powder and a large bottle of comfort.

summertea

Well made a small frugal start, spent 44p on milk today and that's it.

Also chopped up a load of veg that needed using up and froze it in bags to make soup with later on.

LionessInWinter

TattyG wrote: »

Evening everyone and a happy new year

Have a HM Leek and Potato Soup in the SC for tomorrow lunch - found the potatoes in the bottom of the larder and they were starting to sprout so used them quick! the Leeks were YS to 50p a pack for 4 large leeks in Iceland yesterday so used 6 and have saved 2 so we can have buttered leek with our next roast

Hi there, do you have a recipe? TIA

Mrs_Cheshire

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

BUT I really do want to buy some of those 3kg plastic sweet jars of the bay, to put my flour, pasta and rice etc in...

Could I have the link to these, really want some decent storage for all my packet stuff!

Mrs_Cheshire

ALJA wrote: »

Well the first text I received this morning was asking me to spend money! My lovely friend wants us girls to go for a meal this weekend, probably to a local curry place. I usually have a lamb dish with pilau rice and a coke, but I hardly eat much of the rice as I can't eat much in one go.

So to make it a tiny bit cheaper I might as well just go for the boiled rice and ask for tap water. I've realised lately how much better my skin has been since I've upped my water intake. So tap water is definitely the way forward for me cheap and healthy!

You could always suggest sharing a portion with a friend!

hollieinbloom

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

I think I am going to have to review my thought on just trying to spend £5 a day on shopping...
Just went to Asda to get milk, an they had these selection boxes reduced to 50p each. that works out at approx. 8.5p per item.
so I bought 21 boxes... at that price I just couldn't help myself.... they would be great for lunch boxes...

This made me laugh out loud! it's the sort of thing I would do :rotfl:
Even penguin bars are £1 when on offer for a packet so you definitely got yourself a bargain so I think it deserved the spend

I'm keeping some money in the bank for bulk buying like that so whenever I need it, it's there! My next item I need to bulk buy on if I spot a bargain is washing powder and conditioner. I'm almost out!


I'm almost out of coffee too and that is a MUST in this house! i can't survive without it. I'm a coffeeholic.

Night all! Going bed now as we're shattered from having colds and it means we can turn the heating off too! lol. xx

alja

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

You could always suggest sharing a portion with a friend!

My mum said about doing that too and I'm happy to do so as long as one of my friend's is happy to shall check with them! (They're not really the frugal type so they probably wouldn't even think about doing so!)

Mrs_Cheshire

pm2326 wrote: »

Evening and Happy New Year

Had my 1st NSD of the year, cooked roast beef dinner and rhubarb crumble for pud using freezer & cupboard stores. Have a large piece of beef left over which I'm going to portion up and freeze for another day :T

I don't do resolutions as such but want to put some plans in place, so I've ordered a new pin & card for a dormant current account, once it arrives I'm going to move money for food shopping into it each month so I can control the spending better.

I'm also going to give myself £10 pocket money each monday, this will cover any emergency chocolate or alcohol cravings etc :rotfl: but if I spend it its tough, I have to wait for the following Monday before I get anymore.

Like some others on here I have no friends outside of work. All my work friends live miles away so if I don't go out with them straight from work, it's too costly for me to go back and forth. So once I come home that's it, just me and the cat.

It's been known for me to take a week off work and not actually speak to anyone the whole time. Now this doesn't really bother me but I do feel I'm missing out on a lot. So this year I'm going to try and find things to do/places to go on weekends, days off etc that will get me out of the house meeting people but are also free or a real bargain.

Where do you live, we might be able to give you some suggestions! I have a friend in the North East that does the same thing!