2015 Frugal Living Challenge

Mrs_Cheshire

viv0147 wrote: »

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year to you all! Just to tell you a little about myself I am a divorced male and I am retired on a state pension so as you can imagine I have to be careful regarding spending. I have recently got myself a cat for some company
I would like to join this forum please
I started using coupons and voucher’s 2 years ago and prior to doing that the amount of cash I had left by my next pension day would only be a few pounds so my car had to go plus other things
I have a free bus pass and plenty of time to go to most of the supermarkets so I basically follow the bargains and coupons free samples etc. Providing I have use for them.

I bought a large chest freezer to go with my split fridge freezer to enable me to batch cook meals and buy some items in bulk and freeze sometimes I find bread reduced to 19p so I will by 5 loaves or milk reduced and freeze them so at the moment they are both full.

The amount of money I have saved over the past 2 years has amazed me I now have no debt and a few thousand in savings what a turn around! And the bonus is on top of that is I am eating like a King and trying loads of different types of food.

When I go shopping I will go to a supermarket with a list and armed with my coupons etc. Making sure I only get what I went for unless I come across some Woopsies! So quite often I may only spend £5 or on times less but I will do this in a number of places Lidl, Aldi, Morrison’s, Tesco, Sainsbury, as I said I have a bus pass and time.

I have now turned this into a hobby and I just love it when I get some things for free or for pence using cashback sites etc. There have been times when I am at the checkout and have 2 bags of shopping for a few pounds it’s just amazing if I had done this throughout my life I would be a very rich man now.
So thank you all for the tips I have already received and if anyone can give me some more tips please do so, as they say in Tesco every little helps
A few months ago I bought myself a cheap car out of money saved and the insurance and tax all cash upfront not just the savings from food but all other household expenses as well because I tend to buy in bulk carrying the bags to the bus stop and then to the house I was finding quite a strain so it’s nice to have a car again although there are still some journeys I take using my bus pass
I will be doing very little shopping for the next few months It’s time to run my stocks down I’ve been doing a weekly menu on my computer then printing it out and sticking it on my fridge then by doing so I will only buy what I need to complete my meals. Sorry if I rambled on a bit but I get so excited lol.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things to live frugally :T

COOLTRIKERCHICK

VIVO.... would be fab if you could give us the heads up with the vouchers,


I used to be an avid couponer, back in the days when Mr T used to accept any moc. as long as they stocked it... I went through a phase where I used to get £70 - £80 worth of shopping for 2p- 10p I wish those days were still here lol... when they stopped all that, I sort of lost interest then, as you say it was like a 'hobby' lol..


I like the coupons where, if the supermarket has it on offer, by the time you use the voucher, you have it for free!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I am going to start doing 'free to collector' searches again on ebay.. ok most of it is building rubble etc. but there is the odd good thing..


it doesn't cost anything to search, plus you might find something useful.


if anything is given away free on the selling pages on FB its gone within seconds...lol..

his_missus

Hi all,


I like the idea of Use-Up January - I'm definitely giving this a go. The freezer is full (mostly with turkey and gammon leftovers!) as in the stock cupboard. I also got plenty of toiletries for Xmas (are people hinting that I smell?) so should only need to buy shampoo in the near future.


Now, if only I can get the cats to join in and eat the cat food they've suddenly decided they don't like anymore...

Frugaldom

Good grief! 6 pages into the 2015 thread and I haven't caught up with the 2014 thread on here. LOL


Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and is all set for Hogmanay/New Year celebrations.


Lovely photo of piglets, CTC


CW18 - Card Warehouse - do they have a site online for ordering direct for those of us without access to shops? If cards are x amount for £1 then I'd be cheaper buying and having them sent out by the dozen or whatever, rather than making my own, as inks and toners are so expensive nowadays. (I'll ask in the frugalforums if anyone lives near one and could send me some.)

miss_try_to_save

today I got my love to shop vouchers from s e so decided to do my shopping I needed for the week and not a penny from the bank spent I also got dd2 some hair curlers she wanted using the vouchers they were reduced to £7.50 so got a reduced Nivea set to make up the £10 voucher amount got loads of stuff which didn't cost a penny all in all a very good day

quidsy

Made a batch of turkey burritos for dinner.

Prepped it all last night & stuck it in the oven with a tub of left over Christmas salsa & some grated cheese tonight.

I used a ys pack of wraps, left over diced turkey, a packet of quick chicken flavour super rice, half a tin of value sweetcorn and a tin of value kidney beans. Added a bunch of herbs like coriander, celery salt, cumin to the diced turkey, rice & bean mix, filled the wraps, put them in a glass baking dish, topped it all with salsa, cheese & some dollops of cream cheese & baked for 20 mins, this has given me & ds dinner plus will provide lunch for us all tomorrow. Total price for the 6 burritos was about £3.

adrisco

Just been offered a few extra hours at work. Will only be for a few weeks .. but hope to put it into savings. Bought new boots with money my mum gave me for Christmas, but otherwise keeping away from shops .. even the sales. Watching lots of television and reading (library) books. Now have to think of ways to spend less in the supermarket .. not easy when OH is with me .. he only has to see the word "New" on a packet and it's in the trolley!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I went across the road to Asda to get milk, and ended up spending £13 odd.


but in my defence... I did buy another pack of toilet rolls, they are on offer


16 'velvet comfort' for £5..


I know I am going to have a VERY tight few months financially, so while I have some spare cash, I am investing it into must have essentials..
also bought 10 packs of parsnips that were reduced down to 8p a pack..


also bought a couple more tins of 35p peaches.. for when hubby wants something sweet after his tea..

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

CW18 - Card Warehouse - do they have a site online for ordering direct for those of us without access to shops?

Not that I'm aware of. I used to only have access to a store when I went to the City Centre (hence stock up last January of enough for 2014 and 2015), but in recent months a store has opened in the shopping centre by the gym I use (which also holds the large Mr T I visit every couple of months - plus a fairly large B'n'M and a good sized Home B@rgains) which is good news for me moving forwards