2016 Frugal Living Challenge

BettyBoof

I was this < > this to a NSD today but had to buy two stamps. It's funny how cross you feel when your NSD are scuppered!

Shortie

Evening all

Feeling like I can breathe a bit again. After a couple of rough budgetting months and going into my overdraft twice in a row (sometime that I really dislike) I'm back in the black as I got paid for an expenses claim. Not much back in the black but enough to make me feel happy. Going to have to remain super frugal the rest of the month to avoid going back in the red though

Was planning to crack on more with the garden this weekend but we now have to do an unplanned dash to the shops to buy some club uniform that we were told on Wednesday is needed for Monday. Sigh.. Oh and there was a cry for parent help at a cubs event on Sunday for a group my youngest just joined so that's taking up 5hours+ of Sunday...

Have a good weekend all

bmma

NSD today = 3 x

cw18

evuka wrote: »

I took my income including the money I receive for the flatshare. So far so good. Then I deducted all my expenses. Counting only my part of the rent/council tax/bills! :eek:

So I was under the impression I'm going slowly but steady and will soon be back on track. Far from it. Very faaar.

At least you've realised in the early part of the year, so you have time to adjust things before it goes really wrong

sheba

Morning my lovely Frugal Ears:hello:

Been meaning to come on since Wednesday, to update on February finances and lay out plans for March, but my gum has been playing up- I have a partially erupted wisdom tooth and every now and again the gum flares up making a yowee!

So after a frightening February for off plan spending we managed, by very frugal food shopping, (loving lidl by the way!!) to come in fairly straight. I had to steal 5.55 from my £2 pot and change pot to be straight and cover all DDs for March and my plan to increase savings and buffer fund were completely scuppered. (Part of the terror was my final British gas bill, truly an arm and a leg, resulting in many things being turned off and down)

In light of this I have revised financial plans for March and ongoing. I would love to replenish the buffer fund as soon as possible, to a total of 1K, once this is achieved I want to fund my savings upto the 25K dream (from the 2K currently in there) and also build the Emergency Fund from its current total of 5K to a more sensible 10k, as that would cover well over 6 months of expenses if life served us another curve ball a la broken hip!! The savings and EF I would probably try to build up incrementally at the same time, but we'll deal with that when we get there!

So for March ( a month of Mothers, Birthdays, and Easter!!!) plan is: live as cheaply as possible and try to get some money into our buffer fund asap. Will continue to meal plan as that really pays dividends and is very satisfying on a practical level too, and will move more percentage of my shopping from the big four supermarkets over to Lidl, not Aldi's though, can't get along with Aldi's at all?

Righty O, with my plan now laid down, I am off to run chores. Hope you all have a fab day and are working to achieving your hopes and dreams in whatever small way, as they say, every little helps!

Talk soon xxxxxx

[Deleted User]

Afternoon All. Doing ok this month although I did have a splurge yesterday and treated myself to a book and bell (both for my Buddhist practice) which I have been eyeing up for a while.

Today was my morning in my local charity shop. Lots of people coming in and picking up bits for Mother's day. I have already sorted the gifts for both MIL and my mum - I bought flowers which was more than I wanted to spend. My original plan was to bake cakes for them like I did last year but I have had a killer of a headache since Monday and really couldn't face an afternoon baking. I have given in this afternoon and taken a painkiller - I usually try to avoid them but this headache has worn me down now.

Other plans this weekend are to get some washing and Ironing done - probably tomorrow afternoon - and to get the food plan sorted for next week and the shopping in. I may head along to my local Mr T tonight as I can usually pick up a good selection of reduced stuff in the evenings there.

ancientmum

Well, it has been interesting reading all the posts so far and seeing how people are getting on. I overspent wildly on my food budget but hoping to claw some back this month. I had a hit to the car budget as got a puncture due to picking up a nail somewhere. The front tyres were worn anyway so replaced both, and had to buy a new foam repair kit so over £180 for both. Luckily I had enough to pay for it in the car fund, but it has left me short.
I have had my offer on a flat accepted, it is tenanted but I am not in a position to move in myself yet, so the income will allow me to reduce my hours at work, I will ask my manager when purchase is completed. This year is starting to look better already.
Hope everyone else is ok.

[Deleted User]

Thankfully headaches have gone and I am feeling more motivated this morning. Load of washing done and is out on the line just now - not sure it will dry completely out there but it's nice to get the clothes out in the fresh air.

Weekly shop done. Tonight's dinner will be omelette and chips and tomorrow morning I will make a lasagne to do us over Monday and Tuesday dinners. I have been making HM sweet snacks over the past few weeks like crispie cakes, carrot cake, Victoria sponge etc so I am going to give mars bar cake a go this afternoon. I haven't made it for years so hopefully it will turn out ok.

Frugaldom

Well done, ancientmumum! It is great getting to a stage that we can mould our own sources of income so that our savings and investments work for us, as well as provide rainy day emergency funds. I rented out a patch of land to fund work on my Frugaldom project and am now doing fewer hours paid work si I can be out there, turning the land into what I would love it to be.

[Deleted User]

Morning, now I know I should have asked you people first but.... I have been told to eat more fruit and veg, OK, so bought a reduced price blender to make smoothies. When I have made ont, fruit or veg, I have all the pulp on top which is not easy to drink and just cannot throw away. I did make a sort of soup with a veggie one, and added some fruit on top of my porridge, but any other frugal ideas to use this healthy vitamin packed mush? Thank you