NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Bobarella

Effby I would not consider either of those spends bad though. It's not like you can help needing a new bathmat and the dvds probably mean you stay home out of the pubs, cinemas, restaurants either so ultimately very money saving.

Bobarella

Minimalist wrote: »

I wouldn't have wanted to be her teenage kids :eek: It's also very US-orientated (not many yard sales round here! and the food measures etc are all US) but I still found it useful, even if you can't do everything she suggests.

I'm dying to buy this book after reading about it several times but you have me so curious about what the real extreme stuff was? Do tell.

Living_proof

GreyQueen wrote: »

OK, that was the plan. Home, washer on, packing, lights and washer go off. All power off.

I sympathise GC - almost nothing can be worse, particularly at this time of year. I think I would be tempted to contact the local BHF furniture and electrical shop and see what they can offer. Sometimes they are asked to do a house clearance on an elderly person's belongings if they go into care, etc. There will often be quite a new machine used just once a week and sold for just a little more than the #60 call out fee. B****r this pound sign. I got one years ago for a house we let out. It was still going strong when the house was sold 7 years later. I am not doing the festive thing myself, but if you are, I wish you a happy one!

Fmess

Can I join please?

I've read through a lot of the posts and think this could be just the thread to help me get rid of my debt in the next 12 months.

purpleshoes_2

Was pandemonium out there today, went to gym and then went to collect a tablet that had died on me the shop is around 7 miles away, was replaced, but then went into poundworld in two towns, nope, couldnt stand in the queue in either shop, was out the door, then thought I would go into farmfoods to get some mushrooms, forget it, queue out the door, then went to wilkinsons as I needed a couple of bits my mum also asked me to get her something in there as well but it was empty, got my mum and bro their xmas cards and they were selling bags of catnip and one of my cats goes mad for that but hadnt had any since last christmas, so got a couple of bags

Spent £4 in barnardos and for that I got 2 pairs of workout trousers, a fleece and a shirt

Went into argos to pick up something I had bought on ebay, it has a separate collection point thankfully as the main one was knee deep

Didnt even try and go in a supermarket, I honestly havent seen the town so busy in ages and its going to be much worse tomorrow

thriftwizard

I popped to our local supermarket early this evening; there's not much we haven't got now, and anything we haven't we can survive without. To my surprise, it was pretty empty. I will go again at the last knockings tomorrow - it's only 200 yards away - because last year they were giving away carrier bags of parsnips & carrots from about 2pm as they were well over-stocked. As I have a young vegetarian in the house, any free or YS veg are always welcome!

But I did the classic thing; when DD1 was panicking slightly that we might run out of tea in the 24 hours that there's no supermarket open, I picked up a box of teabags & popped it into the trolley - totally forgetting I already had two boxes stashed away at home.

Ah well, one less thing to run out of in January then...

allybee101

Hope you managed to get plumbing calamity sorted GQ - always awful to come home to disasters, minor or major. If you've got the wet things on the airer over the bath then hopefully the problem can be ignored whilst you enjoy a few days rest. Maybe a bit of research on common problems will identify an easy fix that will save you some cash (fingers crossed) and give you that warm glow of achievement.
Came home from work via Co-op and picked up a couple of YS bits for tea, with a bunch of roses (also YS) it came to a total £1.84. I have about a tenner in my purse that I want to see if I can make last a week. The only expected purchase is a couple of drinks in the village pub tomorrow night.

What I need to do is find a good budgeting app for my phone to keep track of available funds. I use a notebook but I've not always been very conscientious with it. Any recommendations? (Preferably free please!)

CAFCGirl

WOW!
Thanks to all for the recommendations. Id say thats my years reading done - on top of my degree work and home educating our son LOL

emslovesmickey

This thread has changed me already! Usually I'd be buying more presents, doing last minute shopping, or getting something just for the sake of it. Today, I am annoyed with myself because I HAVE to go buy something. I tore my work trousers yesterday (couldn't buy them yesterday as the shops had shut) so unless I want to show my bottom to all and sundry today, a new pair must be bought.

VJsmum

It's changed me too :T

For once I didn't have a trolley loaded up - I spent £70 in alidi, where previously I might have spent £200 in sainsbugs. The kids pressies have been scaled back a bit too - they are getting older and to buy for the sake of a "bigger pile" seemed nonsensical.

I will have to do a bit of freezer loading in January as I am away with work for two weeks so need to leave OH and DS provided for. OH is very well trained and could do it but I want to make it as easy as possible for him.