2016 Frugal Living Challenge

quidsy

I did a big online order today. 144 spent but a years worth of shower gel, toothpaste, shampoo for ds and I, cleaning products, all tesco own brand except my shampoo. Some things can't be scrimped on. I picked up a years worth of washing powder a few weeks ago when it was on offer so apart from loo roll and black sacks, that I get at costco I should be able to reduce weekly spend especially as from March it will be just ds and I in the house

bobobski

Hi all, I've been lurking for a few days but realised your frugleness has entered my brain through osmosis so I may as well join! I don't have a target, just general frugal living.

I've had a great frugal start to the year:

• I did over £50 worth of shopping on Amazon for effectively £3.60, including postage. This was due to various offers, using my £7 promo code and spending the £30 gift card I bought last month to get the promo code - I considered the £30 spent then. Even without it, it's still almost 50% off And one of the things I bought is a slow cooker, as people keep telling me slow cookers are fab and use the same amount of electricity as a lightbulb? So I'm looking forward to that arriving. I've already found a recipe for chicken bone broth as I intend to start buying cheaper cuts of meat because of the slow cooker.
• I had £12 left on a John Lewis voucher that I didn't want to forget about, so yesterday I bought some tealights (would have bought them anyway) and a pocket diary (wanted one anyway) to track my spending etc. Cost me 54p in addition to the gift card.
• I didn't blow dry my hair today, but let it dry naturally.
• I'm using the 30 minute setting on my washing machine instead of the 44 minute setting.
• I used my Amex to buy my train ticket for work, as I get 0.5% cashback on it. The ticket was nearly £600 (work will reimburse) so I'll make about £3 for the trouble.
• Exercise so far this year (pah!) has been walking and cycling - both free.
• I'm currently sitting in the dark (stupid winter) to avoid turning lights on! I'll probably regret this when I bump into something.
• I am half way through using up a 4 litre bottle of milk that's expiring tomorrow. I used it at lunch to make cauliflower cheese (to use up the cauliflower that needed eating) and Boulangere potatoes (to use up the potatoes that needed eating). I will make custard tonight and freeze what I can, although the freezer's getting pretty full.
• I cooked two pieces of chicken in the oven (one to eat as leftovers) rather than on the hob, since the oven was on anyway for the potatoes and cauliflower.
• I've had the heating a couple of degrees lower than usual for the last few days.
• I switched to GB Energy a couple of days ago but stupidly forgot to check cashback sites. So tomorrow I will cancel the switch, then do it again on Saturday and earn £24 cashback. Doing this will also push the switch over past next payday, thus saving myself a double direct debit month for energy. The switch saves me £10 from what I pay now per month, and there's no exit fee. I'm going for the 12 month fix for certainty.
• I bought a couple of pizzas from the shops yesterday for just over £1 each as they were about to go past their use by date. Stuck them in the freezer - so that's a couple of very cheap meals for when I can't be bothered to cook
• I filled out two Clubcard surveys yesterday for 25 points each and the chance to win £1,000 to spend. That'd be nice but I never win anything!!

That's all I can remember for now but I'm sure there's more. This is all stuff I probably wouldn't have done quite so frugally had it not been for you guys and the guys on the DFW "things you'll do today" threads for all the inspiration :T

FunBrum

Well done bobobski!

Another NSD for me as I've been tidying away the decorations and sorting out the cupboard that houses them.:)
I'm house sitting while my sister is away for a few days, this evening so using her gas, electric and water.....she doesn't mind. im trying to get my monthly gas and electric DD down further, so have been using my kindle to watch films on instead of turning on the tv. I've charged it up at my daughters! it £26 pm for both, but I'm sure I can get it lower.:rotfl:
Food today's has been store cupboard/fridge supplies and a free mixed salad and spitroast half chicken courtesy big sis!:j

Savvy_sewing

I have now had 6 no spend days in a row for food. But I did order a tv box to replace my sky tv. Bought via Argos and quidco. Put on my Argos/homebase card, but I paid it over immediately on NYE so technically that's still a 2015 spend.
Tomorrow I will withdraw £20 of my £25 food budget, purely as I can't withdraw £25 from an atm.
I have done my menu plan for the week.
I need to use the car tomorrow to take my mum to B & M, so I will pick up what I can from there or Aldi.
I have been on the look out for new work shoes as mine are falling apart, but so far I haven't seen what I want, so today I have covered up the damaged cloth with shoe polish.

nannygladys

Hi everyone
Done a small shop today as dd wanted to go and my job was to look after dgd.

Sorted the fridge out yesterday and tomorrow morning I will do the freezer and then I will meal plan the next couple of days.

Going to start some sorting upstairs as there's some childrens toys and books that I'm sure I can get rid of, and then I'm going to pack up some books that aren't mine and get them boxed and put into the attic out of the way. I'm determined to make the smallest bedroom into a craft room as it is used as a bedroom about once a year if that!!

Also been sorting out seeds from last year and deciding what to have a go at growing this year, hopefully that will cut down on veggie and fruit buying in the summer.
Nannyg

Wombatchops

boboski, you've just reminded me of supermarket surveys, thanks for that. The extra loyalty points will come in handy.

skint_chick

Hello, I'm back and would like to join up for the year. I started off in 2009 but have missed the last few years due to being super busy. I finished off a part time masters and started a part-time PhD, and got a fab new 3 day a week job. I've started my own consultancy business. which has taken off far quicker than expected so I'm fully booked until June already! I have some debt to repay - it's currently only £1,550 as all my kitchen appliances broke in the last couple of months and we got a new gas boiler, and toilet. So my savings are seriously depleted and I have until May to repay the credit card debt before interest kicks in.


Focus for this year is maintaining my special diet for my autoimmune conditions, I don't eat nightshade vegetables, citrus fruits, onions, bananas or gluten and it has reduced my sick time from 5 months in 2013 to 2.5days last year.


I will post my budget later as I'm still finalising it, haven't spent any money this year as we're using up the freezer contents before going to the supermarket

nellis10

Hi Everyone,

Today I am making Fennel, Onion and Salami Soup - I know, it sounds AWFUL!!! But I got the veg and salami in the reduced to clear sections of Tesco yesterday for buttons and it needs using up, so will make a huge pot of soup and freeze some of it for the rest of the week's evening meals for me.

Breakfasts and Lunches this week will consist of Shakes that I need to use up from Protein World which has the added bonus of hopefully removing the 8lbs I put on over Christmas!!!! :eek:

I'm intending to do my weekly shop on Sundays from now on so I can maximise the Reduced to Clear discounts.

I still have old Economy 7 Storage Heaters in my house and I've turned upstairs off as it was a bit too hot this morning and my son won't be back until Wednesday evening.

I'm working from home tomorrow so that will save about £5 in petrol costs as well as the temptation to go out and buy lunch!

Have a great day everyone!

BettyBoof

Hi everyone, I'd love to join you.

I am saving for a house deposit so really need to tighten our belts for the next few months. I'm also working on an emergency fund (40% of the way there) so lots of saving to be done.

I'm looking forward to reading how everyone else does it - the no spend days are such a good idea - will be adding these to my own frugal living plan.

I have done a menu plan for this week and shopped (at Aldi) for the few things we need so I'm already doing better than last week :-)

bmma

Hello,today's spends toms £1.00(6 large),celery 50p peppers 50p, carrots 79.
total for today£2.79p
yearly budget £1,920- £2.79p = £1,917.21pleft
home made meals (1)soup(6portions) ( 2)vegan savoury mince( 6portions)
home made shortbread for a friend visiting
food made with some of today's buys and store cupboard/freezer stores x