Review your January 2015

good_advice

Saturday 31st January and the last day of the month.
Time to review/ reflect on how your January went?

:money:Did you manage to cut any bills?
Make any savings? :j
Start a new hobby?
Complete any crafts?
Cut down on the grocery bill?

I managed to cut my gas and electric bill by changing tariffs with SP. Saving 6% £47
Saved on house and content insurance by listening to MSE good advice(posted on diffrent thread).

Make any savings = £40 completing surveys.
Small amount using Quidco.
Shopping with coupons.

New hobby = No, just the same ones.

Completed crafts/hobbies = Sewing - Little zipped bags, drawstring bags and peg bags.
Photo's taken and printed from the computer
Reading FREE books from Kindle.

How MSE was your January?

phizzimum

My goals for the new month centred around decluttering. I discovered the Konmarie thread and that's really helped me. As part of my declutter I've been using things up from the freezer and trying out some of the many recipes I have cut out of magazines. My goal is to try 2 new recipes a month.

WantToBeSE

Oh I love this idea


My January was focused on 2 things- Eating less and Saving more money.


I managed to save £500, and lost 3lbs, so not bad going!

good_advice

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Oh I love this idea


My January was focused on 2 things- Eating less and Saving more money.


I managed to save £500, and lost 3lbs, so not bad going!

Please tell us how you managed to save £500 and WELL DONE YOU! :T

Rainy-Days

Hummmm well a few

1. Uswitched the utility bills yesterday from Npower to Ovo they recon a £341.00 per year saving based on the Kwh figures that I put in! Lets see and the monthly direct debit will drop by £30.00!

2. Kondoed the house and mainly the wardrobes, quite a bit hoofed off to the CS but pleased with the overall result and I haven't missed the crap!

3. Cleaned the car today and found I need to get some Castrol Edge engine oil as it is well down - total outlay for that will be £34.99 but there will be some left over for topping up

4. Started shopping again at Tesco! Still pick bits up from Aldi and Lidl but Tesco are getting better on their pricing again and the store at Kingston Park has a £land next to it as well.

5. Made a firm decision to make sure I use body lotion (Bodyshop Argan body butter to be exact) on my skin after each shower/bath. My skin needs it and since doing this my skin feels way better for it. It's a little treat for me and it makes me feel better

6. Noticing the much lighter nights now and Spring is not too far away :T

7. Ohh need to mention this been loving Celebrity BB what a howler during the dark days of January! Lifted me no end :rotfl:

asparagus1968

Productive January for me.:T


I also KonMari'd , have two extra drawers now, and hardly any clothes, but at least they are clothes I actually like and wear.


Re-newed house insurance for £70 less than last year.


Looked at Martins energy club thingy and should save over £200 a year apparently.


Weeded and tidied the garden so it will be easier to get cracking once spring is here, really want to grow more food this year.


Done budget for Feb and started envelopes off as need to factor in a girlie weekend away, which I didn't think I could afford, but as long as I stick to plan, should be ok.

CT19720

My goal for this month was to save regularly and build up my savings for a rainy day. I managed to save £500 out of Decembers pay, because we were away for 2 weeks and the whole of christmas ie present was saved for last year and paid before we went away. I also have spent very little this month, and never went near the sales.


I've just got a bonus from work, which I will add to my savings pot for January so my total is almost £1,000 which I am really happy with as it usually takes me a while for me to save that amount of money.


Haven't managed to change and bills, but we are on really good deals anyway.


I to have discovered kondoing, so have managed to sort out some of my clothes drawers that were driving my nuts. Want to declutter too, so that we can do more decorating.


I need to make more of an effort to regularly clear up and get things put away because when it is done the house looks good, convincing my OH and 2 kids to do the same may be a struggle but I can only try.


Want to find time to try new recipes so will do this once a week on a saturday so tonight we have falafel, something that we all liked on holiday in Egypt at Christmas.

mrsscattercushion

A really mixed month for us.

Positives
1. Hubby gets confirmation of new job following redundancy, so starts in Feb :j
2. Switched tariffs with npower and saved approx £250 a year
3. Cancelled all our "extra" expenditure, such as pointless insurances, charity donations and lottery
4. Cooked more at home.
5. Car got through MOT and service without a problem
6. Finally settled on a figure with the 1st woodburning stove company after fiasco, saving £500. NB New stove fitting and <lush>

Negatives
1. Confirmation that I need to take a career break to regain my health, so handed notice in at work...so back to one salary.
2. Took a 4 day break away for us both to relax and take stock...got fab late deal, but meant eating out every night
3. House renovations continue and although necessary, does mean spending!! Trying to make sure all are "useful" purchases rather than just frivolous.

So overall, could do better and plan to do next month!

[Deleted User]

January achievement were for me

Stocktake of food in cupboards (more than enough I think to get me through best part of february

Re-arranged my freezer stocks and re-done my list on the outside of the door (also still have lots of stuff for February)

Best of all was asking on the techy forum about why my computer kept giving me error notices and thinking that it was clapped out.Lovely chap on there said
Chap 'had the clock stopped working on my 'puter ?'
Me Yes why ?
Chap 'go and buy a new battery and replace the one in there'

This I did, cost me £2.00 .My son-in-law replaced it for me this afternoon
Result one computer that is working well again, saved bundles as I was toying with buying a new 'puter :):),even thinking of getting a Mac.
I can't thank this guy enough.:):):)

Started to gradually declutter some of my kitchen drawers which are full of junk really.Doing my best to minimilise the clutter indoors:):)

All bills paid including this years holiday and I'm still solvent :) very happy old woman at the moment
Also spoke with Virgin this morning and got my monthly tv/b/band and phone sorted out at £29.99 until Feb 2016.
T.Mobile also fixed, but for two years at £11. 22 with 100 minutes phone time and unlimited texts .My moby does just what I need the odd phone call, and the unlimited texts are great as texts are what I use more anyway and I can keep in touch with my DGS Ben at Uni for better.

Very little food shopping to buy in February so I am more than happy, plus just got a nice recipe via a fellow MSE'er for sardine pate which looks good
:):) JackieO :):)

Fiasco55

I've had a busy month too.

1. Swapped energy tariff saving £160 per year
2. Donated over 25 bags of stuff to charity shop
3. Work began on my new ensuite - managed to save £500 by waiting until the sales
4. Joined the credit union through my work and set up a regular amount to save each month to use on mortgage overpayments/holidays £80 a month.
5. Cooking more from scratch and tried out four new recipes this month. Mixed success - never again a shiitake mushroom risotto.
6. Reorganised my spare room and did some major decluttering. It now looks like a bedroom.
7. Best friend came for a visit from Russia and got engaged to her lovely fella. Me and my fella had a great time celebrating with them.
8. Also now making a real effort to bring food in for lunch/dinner at work. Mixing it up a bit so I don't get bored. Saving quite a bit of cash.

Rainy-Days

Oh yes - forgot to add one thing I am really angry about is Whittards!

I hope someone from Whittards reads this as well and flipping well explains why it is okay to reduce your Hot Chocolate range from 375grams down to 300grams, change the packaging in an attempt to try and fool us and then charge us 50 pence extra for the final insult of it. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I was so annoyed when I purchased a new can last week. Thing is I really like their 70% cocoa tub of chocolate which I mix one part with two parts Cadbury's hot chocolate. Okay I don;t use a huge amount of it in a year but even so that is one big chuffin swizz :mad::mad: