2015 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

Wombatchops wrote: »

My improvisation? She is wearing white tights, a plain white vest, and my white t-shirt, fastened with a safety pin. Luckily I'm rather small, and she is tall, but it still drowns her, hence the safety pin. And, if the school don't like it, given that I suggested an alternative and asked for their help, but they didn't deliver, they can kiss my a***. Does that make me sound awful? I hope it doesn't sound like some form of child abuse.

Personally, I applaude you :T In my opinion schools expect far too much outlay from parents (outfits for events such as this, wellies / waterproof coats for days out, and of course the contributions for coaches and entrance fees for days out), especially in recent years whilst finances have been tight for so many people!

My kids had a white polo shirt as part of their PE kit (until the last few years of me dealing with primary school, when they changed to a crew neck T-shirt with the school logo printed onto it), so I'd have probably used that. But I'd have been stumped for trousers/leggings, as I never bought white for the same staining reason you mention.

Goldiegirl

jess444 wrote: »

Hi all, Just catching up with this thread and would like to join in next year if that if OK.

Currently having a nightmare of a time in work and really want to take early retirement from Sept 2016 when I will be 57. This will mean my pension being reduced quite a bit, but really feel that the job is making me ill at the minute, so have to go.

After essential bills are paid we will have £700 a month left for food, petrol, clothes and genera living expenses (myself and OH) So the plan is to live on this amount from Jan to Sept to test the waters and save a bit of an emergency fund.

I have already cut right down on presents, magazine subscriptions, etc, and we are planning to sell one car in Sept as it will not be needed. I will also look for a part time job once I retire, but it would be nice to know that we can manage if we have to.

Hi, that's exactly the approach I took in the year before we retired. I worked out our retirement income, did some adjustments to take into account the petrol we used to drive to work and the running costs of the second car, and then lived on our projected retirement income.

It really worked, so we were confident that we'd be able to manage after we stopped working.

We finished work this time last year, and it has been a fantastic year, and we feel we've lived within our income, and have lived well. We sold our second car in January, and had trimmed a few other expenses. We're so pleased at how it's turned out.

Good luck with your plans.

Wombatchops

Thank you lynnejk and cw18. I refuse to buy clothes just because of a school event. In April they had a pirate day so almost all parents went online to buy a costume, and most of the kids looked like a cross between Disney's Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow. My DD instead was dressed as a cabin boy, in her old black leggings that were slightly too small, her navy and white striped top, and I drew "tattoos" on her forearms using eye liner. She looked completely original. And again with this Christmas play, a lot of the mums have ended up having to buy something. For me, no chance.

Goldiegirl, congratulations on early retirement. At the moment, my state retirement age is 35 years away, but I would love to retire much earlier than that. Particularly since my DH will retire five years before me, and I will completely resent having to go to work when he gets to have a lie in. I know, I'm mean. But your trial run retirement budget is a brilliant idea. I hope I remember that in the years to come.

crazy_cat_lady

My ds had to dress up as a 'Victorian child' this year. The letter said that parents weren't to spend a lot of money on costumes. He went to school in an old shirt and a pair of trousers that were too small for him... No cap (like all the other boys), no fancy dress outfit. I completely agree - it should be doable without a big spend. I hate some of the school time competitiveness that seems to happen on a fairly regular basis...

Siebrie

My girls were invited to a halloween party last month, rather last-minute. All the other kids' mums seemed to have gone out and bought something at alllddi. Whoever designed those kids' costumes and thought 'sexy witch' was a good look for a six year old? Mine were dressed as ghost (with a sheet from the ragbag) and Wicky the Viking (from a set someone gave me a few years ago).

In general, their schools seem to be reasonable with their requests, luckily. Only last week there was a request for 'buttons - do not buy new' .

Wombatchops

Can my kids go to your kids' school please, Siebrie? But I find that I also resent the pressure to wear something new as an adult for a night out, but especially for a wedding. Men get it a bit easier in my opinion, cos they can wear the same suit and change the tie.

I have to say, I don't care who's at the wedding, I will wear the same thing each time. I got married in 2011, but I wore a normal, purple dress which I'd picked up from the previous Christmas sales for £30, and I've been to five weddings since. The first one, I wore my "wedding" dress. For the second one, I'd had my son only three months earlier and was a dress size bigger, and since my purple dress is a bit tight and cleavage-y, I bought a new dress from N3w L00k using vouchers. The following two weddings I was pregnant (again), and I had no dresses, so I had to buy something, but I wore it to both weddings. Then, the wedding this year, I got out my "wedding" dress again. But, for most of these weddings, the same group of people have been there, and they have worn something different each time. Why?

The thing that particularly annoys me about my friends, even though I do truly love them, is that they all spend much more money than me, they have numerous foreign holidays each year (I don't even have one), and go to the outrageously expensive hen dos which I have to cry off from. They don't pay down their debts like I do when I can, and yet they are all in a better financial position to me. I know this is a rant, and I'm being grass is always greener-y, but (in my best childish whining voice), It's. Not. Fair.

Full disclosure, they all either earn more than me, or their husbands do, and most of them don't even have one kid, let alone three like me. But they always seem to land on their feet, whereas in the last three years, my husband was redundant for five months when I was pregnant, I have to keep reducing my work hours with each child or childcare is too expensive, and now he's off work with his back for who knows how long.

I know I'm being unreasonable, and you'll probably all give me a ticking off, but this is stuff I can never share with anyone and say out loud, so this is like a bit of therapy for me. Thanks for reading.

parsniphead

Not a ticking off wombatchops.

Your friends may have lots of foriegn holidays but how much debt are they in?

It's so hard struggling for money, I'm with you there BUT you are aware of issues and are trying to deal with them. Lots of people who on the surface seem well off just don't want to face up to what money they owe.

Rant on here as much as you want. If you can't do it here where can you. We are all here for each other.

If that not enough give those three beautiful children a kiss. You landed on your feet there.

Oh and regarding wearing the same clothes to events. I have a funeral dress I have been using for the past 18 years. It's getting a bit snug now though.

Wombatchops

Thank you parsniphead. I'm feeling a bit low, that's all. And my kids are brilliant. Little terrors, like the rest of them, but they are my favourite people.

I thankfully haven't had to attend too many funerals, but a funeral dress is a great idea. Think I might steal that one.

jess444_2

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Have spent the week transferring all direct debits into what will now be our new 'Bills account'. I am hoping my pension and a top up of about £150 a month from my lump sum will eventually cover these when I retire.
This means our other account, which my husbands pension goes into, will be for our living expenses. This will be £750 a month for food, petrol and day to day expenses. It will also have to cover one offs like holidays and Christmas, but we know they will have to be cut.
Feels very scary when written down, but I know lots of people manage on less. Also going to start keeping a spending diary. I am sure there used to be a good one online, but I can't seem to find it now. Any recommendations?

Rosetherunner

Could I join in the 2016 challenge please. I really need to save more money!