2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Kerry_Woman

PennyGrabber - Congratulations on your engagement. Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday. I hope you have recovered from your fall.

shish100

Congratulations PennyGrabber!

FrankieM

Morning

Congratulations Pennygrabber

You're right frugaldom I think I can easily get into the habit of thinking that I've got to own all the things I want to use so that they are right there when I need them. When in reality it's no real inconvenience to pop in and pick them up when I need them.

Another day at work (think of the money, think of the money) I've got a tub of chilli and rice from the freezer for lunch and I've been invited to my DD1's for a bbq tonight. I've marinaded some chicken thighs and I'll be taking those.

I washed my bedlinen last night and that's now on the line. It's supposed to be good weather the next few days so I'm going to try to make the most of it.

My DD3 brought home my easter egg last night...lol...better late then never but now that's going to shout at me until I eat it.

I'm currently up to 12 NSD's this month. I've never made note of them before but I've started using a note book and I'm enjoying see them mount up.
I've got just over £23 to last me until the 27th so I think I'm going to do okay. I'm hoping it'll focus me a little more on the areas that are still easy to tweek.

Hope you all have a good day

cw18

I'm off work now until next Thursday, and it was looking to be an expensive weekend in terms of groceries - but I've put my frugal head on (mainly because I've already spent this months grocery budget thanks to a food festival on 1st :T ) and I think I'm going to get away with not spending much at all

OH and I are heading to London tomorrow as I'm doing the marathon on Sunday. We've got a self catering apartment and we've found a Mr T within walking distance (looks to be a good sized one from the pics on G00gle maps), but having to buy small portions of meat etc was still making me shudder.

So I've meal-planned, and we're taking most of it with us. I'm taking my dairy free spread (a part tub so it doesn't matter as much if I dump some down there) so I know I have what I'm used to, and also a jar of marmalade (means I have one I like which isn't a Mr T one) for breakfasts, and just need to buy a loaf of bread to cover breakfasts. Also taking some of my milk, as I have one brand of soya milk I use all the time and I won't be able to get it there (but not taking a full litre - plan to decant some into a screw top bottle). Teabags, coffee, sugar and coffee whitener are also going into tubs and into the luggage.

Lunch on Friday and Monday is included (we got discounted 1st class rail travel), so need something to make butties for both of us on Saturday and for him on Sunday (thinking rolls, ham and possibly cheese, all of which I think we'll buy down there).

Evening meals will be meatballs, pasta and sauce on Friday, chicken risotto on Saturday, and soup and butties on Sunday (I never fancy eating a great deal after a lot of exercise, but am also taking some 'munchies').

I've asked OH to bring his small cool bag which should fit in my large backpack (using that rather than a suitcase - not that I have a suitcase anyway ), and as we're about to walk out the door tomorrow I'll be dragging meatballs, chicken and freezer blocks out of my freezer. Bus, train and underground takes about 3.5 hours door-to-door, so we've decided it's safe enough to do this - and then put straight into fridge on arrival. Also taking all the other makings of the risotto apart from mushrooms and peas/corn (may well end up with tinned peas/corn - not a big fan but needs must), and the part bag of pasta needed for the meatballs (so just need to get a jar of sauce, unless we take an onion, some garlic, and a tin of chopped tomatoes).

Only other thing we need to buy is bottled water - just hoping the Mr T has their value one as we'll need at least 2 (probably 3) 2 litre bottles. I know a lot of people would say this isn't essential, but changing water provider areas upsets my stomach for several days and the cost of bottled water is worth losing that problem

So it now looks like the weekend spend on transport in the capital is going to faaaaar outweigh the cost of groceries, but we can't cut back on that as I'm not walking the distances we need to cover on Saturday (to get my timing chip and race number) or to get to the start of the race on Sunday.

datlex

Any one else like the feeling when they realise they have forgotten to go to the bank so check their purse and have a few pennies over right amount of money to cover what they need due to money that had been allocated but for what ever reason not spent before they will next be passing a cash point? I do it makes me feel better off.

Frugaldom

FrankieM I am so pleased that you seem to be making good progress on the frugal route to sustainable singledom (as I like to call it) and stepped away from the idea of needing to buy your own tools when borrowing is possible. Well done! I hope your £23 lasts the next week with change left over for the following week.

CW18 If I don't 'see' you before the weeken, have a fabulous time and do us all proud in the marathon. It seems to have come around really quickly - I was quite surprised to read that it is this weekend! Good luck, enjoy and make the most of your tme away in the big city.

Datex - we have no bank or cashline within easy reach of here so I am definitely a 'plastic gal' and virtual banker. I only count coins as the hen & duck eggs sell. Cash withdrawals are normally via cash machine in the village store a few miles away and only when it hasn't run out of cash, otherwise it's a case of waiting until first time I am in town, which does not happen very often. I do, however, celebrate if the CC bill is lower than expected, as absolutely everything goes on that and then it's cleared every month while accruing a little bit of cashback.

FrankieM

Morning everyone

cw18 I feel like I missed this important piece of information! I hope you do well and have an enjoyable time. All the best.

Another load of washing hung out on the line before work I hope this weather lasts!

I've got my meals planned, using up the stuff that I have as much as possible. I'm going to try to see how far I can eak things out before a shop is needed. I think it'll be toilet roll that goes first but I may just pick some up on my Friday spending excursions.
I've 'borrowed' some money from my savings for my DD's head shots (she's wanting to do musical theatre) and I'd quite like to pay that back this month if I can.

One of my work colleagues is doing a body building show in August and to support her the rest of the office have decided to do no snacks for the month of May so I'm hoping to use that as a kick start. I seem to have spent the year so far losing and gaining the same 5 or so lbs and I need to get focused and stop messing about.

I feel a bit of a plan coming on.

Have a good day

Pipsmum

Congratulations Pennygrabber!


Wishing you luck on Sunday CW18 - I hope you have a great time.

Kerry_Woman

cw18 - All the best for Sunday.

LittleGingerFox

Congratulations PennyGrabber!

I'm sorry I have been so quiet - been busy working and now I have a 'Dave job' (local pub and no transport costs, nice and sociable too). Debt slowly getting cleared but I've had a lot of repair work to do on the house I own and was renting out. It's going on the market next month so that finish off my debt payments and will also give me a head start on fully funded emergency fund. I'm sorry if my dave ramsey talk is not right for this forum...? I'm just so fired for a debt free and sustainable life I hope everyone is doing fun free stuff in the sun x