Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

The Mr T trip has tired me, but I'll just rest now. I forgot to use the £5 voucher which is very annoying and shows I'm not on the ball at the moment :mad: .

Total spent on food was £81.06 which is well above budget :mad:. I didn't buy any cokes as I haven't been drinking many since I had this cold :A but DH needed razor blades which was £8 for four. I'm sure I can source these cheaper online so I need to do some research. I also got antihistamines which were £2.75 for thirty. Again I know I could get these cheaper online so I must spend some time on that.

Apart from the blades and antihistamines I'm not sure why it was so expensive. Although DH and DS1 do put things in the trolley that I wouldn't buy, like mushrooms, and DS1 wanted noodles, crisps and red lady apples which I wouldn't buy myself :mad:. He does give us £80 a month keep though so I don't like to say he can't have them.

We also spent £14 on a ten litre and an eighteen litre storage box. I'm happy to buy these as I want all the things in the void to be stored in strong plastic transparent lablelled boxes with lids. That way they will be organised, we can get to them easily, and they will be protected from damp and mice.

So the food budget has been a bit blown at £21 over budget, but I don't feel it's all in under my control .

So we have £100 left from May's budget and as I feel too unwell to want to go out for the day that should remain intact and can go into savings. Every cloud has a silver lining :T.

[Deleted User]

Sorry to hear the supermarket trip was a bit much, HH, both in being tiring and also expensive. Not too much over budget really considering the toiletry items were included. I find prices on everything keep sneaking up by a few pence every time I shop:(. As for mushrooms, I use them in most things I cook. There are always mushrooms in my basket.


Did you have a reason for not getting a home delivery this time? I can't ever get a next day delivery as we are quite a long way from the superstore where our order comes from. I've started using Asda more now and can usually get a slot the next day but one after my order. Do you have a Delivery Pass? I bought an annual Midweek one, unlimited deliveries on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for £24 a year. That's brilliant as I had an email to let me know that I've had deliveries already to the full value of the Pass and in effect the next 6 months deliveries will be 'free'. I had one last Thursday which would have been £4 if I'd paid delivery costs separately so I'm really pleased I decided to get one especially as petrol is so expensive these days and sometimes I find going round the big supermarkets really anxiety-making somehow.:o I have a delivery up to 3 times a month.

parsniphead

That's fab having money left to go to savings. I don't think I'll ever master budgeting.

Hope you feel better soon.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Noella wrote: »

Sorry to hear the supermarket trip was a bit much, HH, both in being tiring and also expensive. Not too much over budget really considering the toiletry items were included. I find prices on everything keep sneaking up by a few pence every time I shop:(. As for mushrooms, I use them in most things I cook. There are always mushrooms in my basket.


Did you have a reason for not getting a home delivery this time? I can't ever get a next day delivery as we are quite a long way from the superstore where our order comes from. I've started using Asda more now and can usually get a slot the next day but one after my order. Do you have a Delivery Pass? I bought an annual Midweek one, unlimited deliveries on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for £24 a year. That's brilliant as I had an email to let me know that I've had deliveries already to the full value of the Pass and in effect the next 6 months deliveries will be 'free'. I had one last Thursday which would have been £4 if I'd paid delivery costs separately so I'm really pleased I decided to get one especially as petrol is so expensive these days and sometimes I find going round the big supermarkets really anxiety-making somehow.:o I have a delivery up to 3 times a month.

Thanks Noella . It is hard to keep the food costs down as prices keep going up. I could do it myself but DH and DS1 keep wanting extras :mad:. But we don't buy cakes, biscuits, chocolate, desserts, alcohol, squash, or juice (apart from one carton for DS1), and we bought hardly any frozen stuff, so I don't understand why it was so expensive . We bought 1kg of pasta for 95p and 1kg rice for £2.75 which will last a while. We also got plasters for £2.20 and mouthwash for £1.25. DS1 spent £6.10 on snacks for himself. I guess it just all adds up.

I think I just thought a trip out would do me good plus I had the voucher which we can't use online but then forgot to use anyway :mad:. We should look at a Delivery Pass if Mr T do them, that's a good idea.

HairyHandofDartmoor

parsniphead wrote: »

That's fab having money left to go to savings. I don't think I'll ever master budgeting.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you Parsnip . I think I'm just very reluctant to spend money at the moment because our income is still uncertain and I'm sick to death of the insecurity of being poor.

The only way to stop being poor is to spend less and save more. My current experiment is to see how much I can save by squirreling away lots of little amounts that I would normally fritter. My theory is that this will add up to a lot at the end of the year, so money I would normally fritter, like my coin jar or survey money, is all being sent to the Christmas fund which is growing nicely .

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well after all my talk of not spending I've just spent some money .

When the weather gets warmer I'll need some sturdy comfortable sandals to wear for my lunchtime job and for walking to and from work. I found some on the M!ll3ts website which were reduced from £60 to £30 plus had a code for another 15% off, making them £25.50. So I bought them . They'll be perfect for work as they look really comfortable and strongly made but will keep my feet cool.

They are something I'm definitely going to need to do my job in the summer, so why do I feel so guilty?

beanielou

Dreich cold & very miserable here.
Had to change my socks & shoes when I got home

beanielou

Oh & hope you survived Tesco :eek:

[Deleted User]

Please don't feel guilty about buying the sandals, HH. They sound like a bargain and there's nothing worse than unsuitable or uncomfortable footwear especially when you're on your feet such a lot. I find my sandals (nicely cushioned and sturdy) are absolutely essential for about half the year and were worth every penny I spent on them as they've seen me through several summers and there's still some life in them:j

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks Noella . They were a bargain as they were £60 before they were in the sale and I was hoping to pay no more than £30 but thought I might have to pay more than that for a comfortable pair. It's just my reluctance to spend money, but if they're comfortable then they'll get worn a lot. I'll wear my smarter ones in the classroom but these will be perfect for walking and for my lunch time job .