NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

katkin

My condolences thriftish, take good care x

This is one of my most expensive months of the year but between bartering and spending some time on the phone hub and me have managed to reduce phone / internet / boiler insurance and car breakdown services by £200 odd this year. WIN!

Alas my big kitty Joe ramped up a vet bill of £65 tonight but I keep a budget line for cat vaccinations, vet bills etc so there was money there for that.

A social on Friday worked out not too bad, there was ticket costs but it was all going to a good cause and I managed to makeover an under dress and a vintage sari with a packet of Dylon - about £2.99 haha, it looked good and I can honestly say no one in that room of 300 party people had the same outfit on as me! Felt great

Apart from that there's been odds and ends of expensive, plus a few surprises like the fence blowing down (fingers crossed the roof tiles last out this winter).

To compensate I've ramped down the household and food bill and I'm actually finding we are really enjoying eating a more vegetable heavy diet and smaller portions.

Hubby has an interview coming up that means he'll have to make up a Limited Company (this may also be handy for me as I'm keen to start an Etsy shop etc) - so I'm research that next so we don't have to pay an accountant to do it for us. Hopefully he gets something as ill health means I'm likely to be unable to go back to work after April, redundancy or not.

Counting every penny!

Keep up the good work Ship Mates :cool:

RicardaRacoon

Ahoi shipmates!

Big hugs go out to debtmess and thriftish for your sad news.

Vulpix, oh dear, that sounds like family trouble. HOpe you - or your other half - can sort things out.

1.10 for 400 ml of soup? That is insane! I just calculated that I can make about 4 servings of veggi and barley soup with that money or 3 servings when some bacon or ham goes in as well. And that it calculated with normal supermarket prices without @ldi, offers, ys and so on, so might as well do it a lot cheaper. And I bet it tastes better than a can of Scotch Broth.

Thanks for the information on tonic yeast! I hope it tasted better than marmite...
Greenbee, I'll think of the nails when I take my iron tablet tonight...

atypicalblonde, your plan sounds good! And should you not reach your goal in that time you will still be better off mortgage-wise and as we all know; every little helps.

I bought chicken today for the first time this year. Don't really eat much meat at the moment and most of it is ham, so was almost strange to head to the meat-aisle.

Need a very early night today. Went to bed ways too late yesterday -after midnight - and then first fell asleep round half past one but woke up in 10-15 minutes interval until at least half past three because it was too hot, too cold, cats where running over me and so on....Tomorrow is my long day at work and that is very annoying when I'm tired.

have a nice evening everyone!

rosiepup2000

Thriftish and Debtmess, sorry to hear your news.


Some things seem ridiculously expensive, considering what's in them. I mean, a tin of soup is mostly water. Mouthwash must be the biggest rip-off. Heading towards £4 for a 500ml bottle! What could possibly be in mouthwash to justify that price? Not that I'd ever pay that much, I stocked up when it was much cheaper and once the stocks have gone I'll try the Aldi one.


Had a spendy day today, topped up the car with petrol (108.9p here compared to 105.6p when I last put some in...and interesting to think that mouthwash costs almost 8 times more per litre than petrol!), stocked up on 6 weeks' worth of cat food while it's still on offer, and then treated myself to a trip to the cinema to see The Theory of Everything.

edwink

Thriftish (((((HUG))))) for you x


Debtmess (((((HUG))))) for you x


Thinking of you both!!!


Edwink x

grunnie

edwink wrote: »

Thriftish (((((HUG))))) for you x


Debtmess (((((HUG))))) for you x


Thinking of you both!!!


Edwink x

same here -sending some hugs

grunnie

Resisted the Baxters soup when in Sainsbuds today. When I was a kid a neighbour worked at Baxters and staff were allowed the products really cheap. You used to get a case of tins with no labels for a few old pennies. We had great fun opening them trying to guess what was in them. Tinned strawberries were my favourite. Royal game my least favourite. We used to laugh at the consome which was clear soup with 1 pea in it if you were lucky. :rotfl:

Ches

edwink wrote: »

Thriftish (((((HUG))))) for you x


Debtmess (((((HUG))))) for you x


Thinking of you both!!!


Edwink x

Same from me.

Lynplatinum

thriftish - very sorry to hear your news but it is great that you can get a positive out of it - even in these dire circumstances - that you had an emergency fund ready and waiting. was that due to MSE?
debtmess - life dont half throw stuff @ us sometimes!

sending good vibes to you both.

totally agree with you - i went to mr T cos Lid!l didnt sell what needed and thought 'oh I only need a few bits - weather is foul - cant b bothered to walk onward to Lid!l I'll get them here ' what mistake over all paid at least 1/3rd extra!

Am not buying this week - an expensive meal out - I nearly got persuaded by some acquaintances to go out - but I dont know them that well and it really was money that I didnt have. So I pleaded a lot of work to catch up on and got out of it. My real friends are happy with HM cake and cuppa or a quiet, cheap pint! Cant be doing anymore with folk who need to look important! Im just happy being me! :j

vulpix

Thriftish,sorry to hear your news.

debtmess sorry to hear about your Grandad.

Lyn thanks for the garlic info I will definitely try it.

Was it on here there was a recipe for bathroom cleaner?have armed myself with pen n paper and can't find it now.

Today my plans were thwarted.Got plenty done this morning then about 2pm laid low with a gall stone attack.Still rough now.Mr V phoned the hospital as I had my pre op last December.Was told all ops were cancelled at Xmas as they had no beds,might get called in March.:(

Whilst I was retching into the kitchen sink the Estate Agent phoned to arrange a house viewing.She is lovely and wanted a chat!

I am at hospital tomorrow for a check up with boobs.

Whilst out n about tomorrow I will get some food shopping and I want to see if I can buy a mount for a picture I have bought for my sons birthday,I already have an old oak frame.It will suit it as its an old print of an etching? is that right?Anyhow its a black and white drawing.

RicardaRacoon,thanks for your concern.Yes MIL is very difficult.She upset me massively last year and I have carried on as if nothing has happened for my husbands sake.She will not ever change.She is the sort of person who enjoys upsetting people.anybody and everybody.Nothing is ever good enough,no one can please her.She is a bully really.

sorry to off load,nothing to do with not spending is it?

Vx

PenguinOfDeath

I may have learnt a lesson on Not Buying what looks like a good impulse purchase...

Nipped into tesco as they had something specific on offer, whilst there I spotted a new GU pudding 'half price', maple and pecan cheesecake, sounded yum!

We had them after tea tonight, and they were horrible! Tasted like neither pecans nor maple nor cheesecake, more like a weird salty creamy crumble, so disappointing