2015 Frugal Living Challenge

Skinnylatte

Wombatchops wrote: »

Good afternoon all.

Not been posting much due to almost endless breastfeeding, and after almost five weeks (DD2 will be five weeks old tomorrow) I have decided to give her formula overnight. I am starting to get really worn down by breastfeeding continuously until sometimes 5:00 am or 6:00 am. I wanted to express and ordered a pump online, but didn't realise I hadn't changed my address from when we moved last year, and I am struggling to get the new owner of our old house to either be available so I can arrange for it to be picked up, or for him to drop it off at the estate agent, and I'm now too desperate to hold out any longer. So that's a massive frugal failure.

However, on the frugal success front, made pitta pizzas last night for dinners for the rest of us in the family with teeth and who can eat solids, using YS pittas and stuff that needed using up. And MIL has made an extra lasagna which will feed us tonight and tomorrow.

Got to dash now, the baby wants feeding again. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, whether sleep deprived like me, or otherwise.

Oh I feel for you, those days are tough, look after yourself. It's not a frugal failure, the worst thing you can do is run your self into the ground, so do what ever it takes to keep sane. x

DawnW

Skinnylatte wrote: »

Oh I feel for you, those days are tough, look after yourself. It's not a frugal failure, the worst thing you can do is run your self into the ground, so do what ever it takes to keep sane. x

Agreed. I hate it when new mums see themselves as 'failing' My children are grown up now, and in my view, just surviving those early weeks, especially if you have other children to look after as well, is a huge success in itself. You just do whatever you need to to get by :T

optimistic-mummy

Wombatchops wrote: »

Good afternoon all.

Not been posting much due to almost endless breastfeeding, and after almost five weeks (DD2 will be five weeks old tomorrow) I have decided to give her formula overnight. I am starting to get really worn down by breastfeeding continuously until sometimes 5:00 am or 6:00 am. I wanted to express and ordered a pump online, but didn't realise I hadn't changed my address from when we moved last year, and I am struggling to get the new owner of our old house to either be available so I can arrange for it to be picked up, or for him to drop it off at the estate agent, and I'm now too desperate to hold out any longer. So that's a massive frugal failure.

However, on the frugal success front, made pitta pizzas last night for dinners for the rest of us in the family with teeth and who can eat solids, using YS pittas and stuff that needed using up. And MIL has made an extra lasagna which will feed us tonight and tomorrow.

Got to dash now, the baby wants feeding again. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, whether sleep deprived like me, or otherwise.

I have to agree with skinnylatte and dawnW
you have done great to get this far. well done :T your making the right decision by the sounds of it. you need rest to look after you and baby yes formula isn't the cheapest option but you will still save money by breastfeeding during the day (I assume you are planning to still feed in the day due to saying formula for night time sorry if im incorrect)

your doing great keep up the good work. you sound like an amazing mummy and making the best decisions for you and baby enjoy your little bundle of joy and congrats x

nannygladys

Hello everyone

I really feel for you wombatchops, my dd had a baby dd three weeks ago and is breastfeeding and is getting so tired as well but it does get better as the little one gets use to this world. Her husband took paternity leave and annual holiday and as he works shifts it has worked out that he will have been at home for nearly6 weeks!!!! So that has been a big help. Just look after yourself and don't beat yourself up all babies are different and we have choices that can make it a bit easier.

Well this is day three that I haven't been out and I'm running out of milk but I do have some dried milk so I will make some of that up later on. I've had my dinner at dinnertime today, so I will just have beans on toast tonight followed by some leftover cake.

Nannyg

optimistic-mummy

baked potatoes for me in the oven. DP Isnt hungry so said he will have something later and he doesn't like baked potato
kids have been fed. egg spaghetti hoops and toast by ds1's request
ive been trying to put off a food shop but think its about time I did one this week the poor fridge is looking bare


I have a meal plan well I say meal plan its a list of meals and just going to cross off each one as we have it. if I do set menu as such I get moaned at by one of the family


I desperately need to go through my freezer though its fit too burst and to be honest I don't have a clue whats in there

got another interview at college although im not sure what its about as ive already taken a maths and English test there a few weeks ago and had a letter offering me a place on the course which I gladly accepted

with both of us soon to be at college and only one income to achieve out targets over the next few years we need to pull the rains in ... im so glad for this thread it makes me feel that im not alone when trying to live as frugal as possible, after all. living frugally is the only way at the moment to be able to save for our future.

im not doing well with the whole decluttering thing though. 13 items listed on ebay since the weekend I need to get into gear after all the more I sell the more that will be sat in my savings pot.

anyway that's enough rambling from me. I hope you all have a lovely evening

im off to get the kiddies sorted and to bed then the challenge for tonight is to see how much I can get listed before 10pm

Frugaldom

Wombatchops I think you are doing a fabulous job and are most certainly NOT a frugal failure. The mere fact that you are still within that first couple of month of post-giving-birth' & managing to mention ys pitta pizza in the same post was brilliant. I am probably not alone in being proud to have read that by a frugaldom challenger. You go, girl! You're winning in my opinion.

Wombatchops

Frugaldom wrote: »

Wombatchops I think you are doing a fabulous job and are most certainly NOT a frugal failure. The mere fact that you are still within that first couple of month of post-giving-birth' & managing to mention ys pitta pizza in the same post was brilliant. I am probably not alone in being proud to have read that by a frugaldom challenger. You go, girl! You're winning in my opinion.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I really appreciate them. And I just had to quote you, Frugaldom, cos your post totally made me laugh out loud.

nannygladys

Well I've made lunch and dinner from my cupboards, but I'll have to get some milk later as I've run out (made up dried milk but preferr real), off out babysitting for dd tonight so I'll call in tesc@ on the way back and have a look for some ys.

Been cleaning and sorting the front room, there's not a lot in there but there's even less now!!! Makes me feel good and the cs benefits.

Nannyg

optimistic-mummy

hi hope everyone is well.


had a LSW This week which is good


sowed some seeds with ds1 tonight so will transplant them out side in around 6ish weeks. tomatoes, cucumber, hot peppers, leaks, sprouts, and beetroot
hope to buy a bell pepper plant this year and a few mini fruit trees along with more strawberry plants and what ever else I can think of that wont take up a lot of room. any suggestions are much appreciated also hope to get some herb plants too

Frugaldom

Hope everyone is doing OK, sticking to the plan and making the most of whatever they can. February in the Frugaldom household is very much a use-it-up month and the 28-day kickstart to summer fitness, so I have been eating everything, wasting nothing and reducing my overall food consumption at the same time to shift the extra weight I always gain over the festive season.


What's next? Well, as many of you know, this entire challenge began as a way to steer completely clear of debt, save to buy a fixy-up and then live the frugal good life mortgage & rent free. Last year, the savings bought us a bit of land, now known as the Frugaldom Project (www.frugaldom.com for anyone who wasn't aware of how long this challenge has been going) and we have now started planting up our community woodland. I can now tell you we have been awarded a further 420 free trees by the Woodland Trust, following on from the 420 we received in October, as part of the World War I commemorative woodlands project. We are expecting them to arrive next week and will be tree planting during the weekend of 7th & 8th, if anyone is nearby and wants to join us. Just get in contact.


Back on the home front bargain budget, now that we have the joys of Asda deliveries, have been trying to work in a small order once a month to help with the newly reduced grocery budget - I've cut it to £5 per person per week for all meals. I'm making the most of everything I have in stock and just buying the minimum necessary, but it does seem to be going OK, especially with supermarket prices being so ridiculously cheap in comparison to village store. We don't live anywhere near a supermarket, the home delivery trial is purely for online ordering but with delivery slots from £1, it's cheaper to order from here than arrange transport into town.