2015 Frugal Living Challenge

nannygladys

Made lunches and dinners for the next few days from stocks, so pleased about that, but the yogurt cake looks a bit suspect (not tried it before) I'll have custard with it I think!!!!

Not been shopping today, but I have been to see an old friend and started to knit a tea cosy, so been busy but back to work tomorrow for the weekend so made the most of a couple of days off.

I will add up my figures on Sunday to see if I'm still on track and then adjust up or down.
Nannyg

optimistic-mummy

hi everyone. hope your all well and hugs to all that need or want one.


tonight we have expanded our family in the fluffy sort. (a 10 week old pup) and I can honestly say I now feel complete. 2 kids a cat and a puppy I always thought id have more children at some point but I feel so complete now it doesn't feel like there is a gap anymore ... anyway I know its not very frugal but I promise I will be good the rest of this year and try my very hardest

COOLTRIKERCHICK

morning all,


haven't reported in for a while..
slip a bit this month, so need to get back on track.. its been a busy month in work, and with everything..


been an expensive month too, with fencing being done, and then getting them to sort out part of the land around the ranch to start growing more stuff..


its a huge area...


so going to do some sort of planning, but the bottom corner of the land is crying out for a poly tunnel.. and I have 2 voices in my head, one saying you need one, and it will pay for itself over time, and the other one saying, do you really need it lol...

adrisco

Have been working extra hours so have more cash .. BUT .. car insurance due, new grandchild next month, several March birthdays, Mothers Day, Easter .. presents for granddaughters and my half of summer holiday to pay for. PANIC!!! Some overtime to work until end of March which will help, but I will have to go to Plan B .. and I have no idea what that is. Have not bought any clothes so far this year, borrowing books from library and entering lots of competitions. Need to lower supermarket spending .. OH is absolutely no help here! Will scour these boards for ideas.

lynnejk

adrisco wrote: »

...... Need to lower supermarket spending .. OH is absolutely no help here! Will scour these boards for ideas.

Just wondered if you'd seen this thread

March 2015 Grocery Challenge


It might be able to help with your sm spending - I find it great and it also has loads of cheap meals and links to os savings.


I will have to have a reckie and see how on target we are for the end of Feb and post back later.
Lx

Kerry_Woman

Have finally came on the thread to declare my totals for the challenge. It will be the same totals for 2014, £9000 - general spending, eg travel, bills and food/household - £1800. My Mum lives with me and pays for food, cleaning products etc. In 2014 I managed to save £223.54 on the food/household budget compared to 2013. So I am heading in the right direction there hopefully.


Our oven decided to go on us, so had to buy a new cooker, my Mum kindly paid for that and I paid some extra insurance for parts and labour for 3 years. Trying to get used to the new electric cooker and we had the last cooker for 16 and a half years.


Still trying to declutter and resist buying more things to be brought into the flat. Had to buy a new work handbag, so used vouchers to buy that. Am trying to use up the many toiletries in the flat, so made a list of what I have and when I used them, crossing them off on the list. Took some bits to the recycling centre this week and got binned some other bits yesterday. Got a bag of things to take to the cs hopefully soon. Am hoping to get to a good state of mind with the clutter and a near clutter free flat this year.


Am doing a few trips to various places in London this year, eg The Shard and the O2 for the Elvis Presley exhibition. Have put a list of places I want to see and have already managed to cross a few places off(did 3 things last year and 2 places this year so far). Do not go away on holiday as I care for my Mum. As soon as we get details about a day trip, am planning to take my Mum there as we can get picked up from the flat to the seaside and back. My Mum is now sadly housebound and needs a wheelchair to go out. Do take her to the local park when the weather is good and we usually spend an hour there and bring a flask so that we can have a coffee. Hopefully there will be another day trip out that I can take her to. We do go to sister's who lives nearby.

macwah97

Hi everybody, hope you are all doing well.

Been absent for a while but later on today I leave all employment, big decision, long time thinking, short time decision.

This last week has been the icing on the cake. DS in hospital for biopsies, DH has eventually agreed to seek counselling for his PTSD and all the ramifications and fall out in the offing and my fibromyalgia has kicked in big time with all the stress, and really trying to go to work even for three days a week and worrying about the remainder of the family is not possible, plus lack of sleep!!!

At the minute I can just about see a flicker at the end of the tunnel and that's a positive.

So the only income I bring in is carer's, however I really should apply for DLA for myself and DS. DS will be having therapy for the forseeable future and I have never claimed for Fibro despite having it for 10 years.

Hey ho - gripe over. I have been batch cooking and big shopping and we as a family are enjoying this - just need to get back into the gardening. Being at home will not only permit me to look after DH better but to get all the little things repaired etc that have fallen by the wayside - you never know I may even manage to get a bubbly bath without the phone ringing or someone looking something - wot about 3am.

Off now to read all 33 pages on here and catch up. Nearly spring time and I have potatoes to chit and plant.

xxxxx

optimistic-mummy

Hi all, ds1's seeds are starting to sprout pup is very well behaved and settling in, he's also found his voice.


ill be off to bed shortly. I've decided to send partner on his own to vets tomorrow as its located in a pet shop and I know ill end up spending money on non essentials, all I need him to buy is a flea collar ready for when pup is old enough to wear one hopefully he wont come home with loads of extras


night all see you tomorrow

cw18

I've never used a flea collar on a dog (owned 3 over the years), but I did use Fr0ntline at regular intervals. My cats (4 over the years) alll had Fr0ntline and flea collars though.

In the latter years of ownership I bought all worming and flea treatments on-line - saved me a small fortune, and often found the cheapest site was also on a cashback site which made it win-win

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hi all,


cant sleep, I am like we willie winkie around the place..


I won a £40 freezer meat pack on FB from a local butcher that rears their own meat.. I did laugh though as most of it is pork... and we have a freezer full of our own lol. but I am not complaining.. its free, plus I know this butcher is having rave reviews, so they will prob have gained a customer even if I don't buy their pork in the future ..


so well worth entering cometitions, even on FB... I have also won a pair of oven gloves with 'I love pork' on them. and our eldest won a bike form the usa,( that was just about to be on sale in the uk) that was worth well over £1000...


I have signed up to shopitise and checkoutsmart on my mobile, to make use of money off things via using my phone...


so fingers crossed I will be able to make/save a few pennies there..


are there any other apps that people use to save/cash in on deals etc??