2016 Frugal Living Challenge

bobobski

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

I had a problem with the of internet banking, and it was the lady on the phone that mentioned it's their 5-5-5 accounts

5% cash back ( which you lovely people gave me the heads up to)
5% interest paid monthly on funds up to £2000.
5% on their saving account when you deposit up to £250 per month for a year..

We worked it out if you have £2000. In your current account you will get approx £7 per month
The savers account if you put the Max in every month that's approx £55 interest at the end if you are a tax payer..

So will a bit of juggling think it's a win, win situation..

I like making money out of other banks money lol

Don't forget to factor in the personal savings allowance from April

bobobski

My recent frugal things:

• Slow cooker is on with meat bought today at Aldi. Got about 1.5kg beef for £10 (not super cheap but still, half the price I used to pay) and have chucked that in with some carrots, potatoes and wine (well, why not).
• Broccoli bought at Mr T as it was cheaper than at Aldi. I was going there anyway to buy wine (better selection) and because they have a free property newspaper that comes out every week, which I grab to keep me motivated.
• I switched energy supplier today - properly this time, getting cashback. It was a bit tricky as I wanted to go with GB Energy's 12 month fix, but that doesn't get you cashback so far as I can tell. So I went for Scottish Power instead (Extra Energy have an exit fee, which I'm not keen about). Still, a saving of nearly £100 a year on my current tariff and £36 cashback (which isn't anticipated until July... boo). And that knocks the new direct debit into next month so I don't have the double-hit this month. I'm hoping for a refund of something from E.on but I've been bloody cold lately and have had the heating right up so perhaps not... Will be a bonus anyway, I'm not counting on it.
• Made risotto for lunch - a double portion so I can have leftovers tomorrow. Used up some wrinkly-looking mushrooms and some butternut squash that's been in my fridge for a few too many weeks now.
• I plan to make my own bread to go with the stew in the slow cooker, although it's getting dark now (but, wahey, it's after 4pm!) so I may wait until tomorrow morning, as it feels more "bread-y" to bake in the morning.

In other news, I managed to get exactly £1 out on my YNAB cash balance. No idea how I did that. I've been tracing my spending like nobody's business and I rarely have cash (as I spend it). So I'm wondering if I'm going to find a quid rattling around my bag/pockets/under my work desk unless the cleaners found it first. Not a big deal, but annoying! Interesting though, that I wouldn't have noticed this a couple of weeks ago.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

bobobski wrote: »

Don't forget to factor in the personal savings allowance from April

????

I have so been out of touch with savings etc, as I havent had anything to save lol

bobobski

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

????

I have so been out of touch with savings etc, as I havent had anything to save lol

Long story short, from 6 April (someone correct me if the date is wrong) you can make up to £1,000 interest per year tax free if you're a 20% tax payer; £500 per year if you're a 40% tax payer (me, boo). There's a lot of info on the savings and investments board but this is the long and the short of it. So interest will be paid gross, instead of net; if you make more interest than your allowance, you need to declare it in a self-assessment, I believe.

Where you have a regular saver that matures on or after 6 April (same caveat), that interest will be paid gross. I got this wrong earlier, as I thought, since interest is calculated daily, interest earned during the current tax year would be net of tax, then the proportion afterwards would be gross. Apparently this is wrong - if the regular saver matures in the next tax year (not mine, boo), the whole interest will be paid gross.

Ches

About halfway through the month and to date I am in budget (just). I have spent £41.50 on clothes :eek: £28 hair, £18 nails, £23.67 dentist, £8 hobbies, £2.50 presents, £154.35 food/house, £4.34 local lottery, and £5.50 social (coffee with friend). I have 2 weeks to go and have spent £305.86p out of a budget of £500. Most of these are 1 off monthly payments so mainly just food/house to go until the 30th. Should just do it butI can see that most spends are self indulgent. Will try harder.

lcc86

Yesterday I spent £31 in Sainsburys, £10 in wilko, and £5.40 on coffee and lunch with a friend. Today will be a NSD, not planning to leave the house, it's far too cold and snowy!

chocolatepiggybank

2 NSDs this week, then yesterday I spent £26.50 on a bill, bus ticket, a little bit of food shopping and the days meals. Bargain of the day was a packet of sandwich thins, still well before bb date, reduced to 10p because the factory missed three out Another NSD today to end the week. Might just start the week with another one too.

Budget now at £244.02/£500.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Really pleased with ourselves today..

Was re- doing the path inside the greenhouse.. For nothing..

Had wood for free, used this for the edging..

Had a rummage ( with permission ) at a local garden centres pile of wood/ old displays etc and got some black matting , son cut that up and put that down on the path, was thing I needed gravel or chippings, but then thought about the HUGE pile of bricks that we got ( renovating the old smallholding,) .. We had sand there anyway .. Will post a PIC later...

Had to buy milk today.. Also bought a sneaky reduced trifle..

FunBrum

Good evening fellow frugalites!:hello:

I'm well inspired by you all!

My first spend day this month. I managed to get it all for £20.29 and that included clothes for my grandsons birthday. It's not until next month but they were a bargain and may not be there. They should have cost me £16, but paid £12. I also had £10 gift so I only really spent £10.29!:T

I've had another bag full of free food from my sister. She is always emptying her cupboards and with the food they would be throwing out from her restaurant, I do very well!:rotfl:

COOLTRIKERCHICK

We have 2 greenhouses joined together, this is one half done, going to do the next half in the next few days...

I know its not food or bill related, but it hasn't cost a penny, ultalizing what we got/ can get for free!!