Dusty's Frugal Fortnights

dustydigger

Adjusted signature for the new month,and recorded it to see how I am progressing

SPC 2018 # 012 - £2 Savers 2018 #19 £62 Tesco Xmas Savers £7.73
House & Home Fund 2018 - £112 (plus £174 from 2017 = £286)
SW loss - 3 st 11 lb/ AF April 0/24 Books read 0/12 Prolific £9.19
SW Spring challenge 0/6 lbs

dustydigger

I never got round to posting the Ninja Saving Turtles' March challenge and I'm sure that contributed to my poor month in at least part!. I dont participate on that thread but I findthe challenge formula helpful and fun. So here's April's challenge,and hopefully I can get back on later to see what I can do this month

Welcome to NST April 2018, the April Fool's challenge.

Aim for at least 15 NSDs. Usual exceptions apply, you won't lose a NSD for ys items, petrol or medical expenses.
Pay to your debt or savings first and live off the rest.
Report in every day. The daily support from this thread will keep you on track
Interests - is there any hobbies that you'd like to take up or perhaps an old hobby that you'd like to start again. This is the month to do it, let us know what you plan to do
Love yourself, do something to make yourself feel fab - wear a bright scarf, get your eyebrows done, have a bath, put on your fave perfume.

Find time to get outside. Lighter nights are now here so get out in the garden, go for a walk. Fresh air is good for everyone
Overpay - aim to pay 20% extra to your debt or savings. It's up to you how you do this - overtime at work, saving money on the food bill, selling items.
Organise your month. Check your cupboards, make a meal plan and stick to your food budget. Plan any social events and budget for them, ideally come up with free alternatives.
Lose one bad habit. Mine's is a food related one but it can be anything you like.
Sign off your daily post with a list of gratitudes.

apple_muncher

Oooh, dusty - you're a secret turtle!! Go girl!!

dustydigger

apple_muncher wrote: »

Oooh, dusty - you're a secret turtle!! Go girl!!

:rotfl: Yep! I would formally join the challenge,Apple, but am not sure if i could do all of it because of so many commitments elsewhere,but I love the principles and the cute way you come up with the monthly layouts,and shamelessly pinch useful bits:D:D

dustydigger

Looking at the Turtles' April challenge,I cant do the NSD . Mr Dusty and me put the household budget money in cash into a box at the beginning of each fortnight. I usually take out £50 or so for my spends at Her*n and Ald!,(there are certain items I prefer to buy at those shops though my main shop is Asd@) ,window cleaner and odd shopping. Mr Dusty goes out almost daily getting fresh bread,milk,meat or fish,and fresh bakery stuff.He just takes the money out of the box,so there are very few NSD in a month,mostly Sundays.All change goes into the Sealed Pot,and at the end of the fortnight any notes left in the box are saved for my hairdresser,or for any little items. Money left at fortnight's end can vary from a couple of quid in my DD heavy time,to £26 this fortnight.
''Pay to your savings first''. I always do this. Arrange the generous household cash budget,and produce a zero sum budget with a savings component. Did well this last fortnight (£90 sent to bank immediately),the one starting tomorrow is extremely tight.probably the only savings will be coins to the Sealed Pot.

dustydigger

''Find time to get outside.'' Must get out walking more now that the knees are improving.I managed a 30 minute walk this p.m. Quite fast downhill first half,uphill and a bit wobbly coming back but I did it!:j
I am going to do Body Magic,try for 30 mins exercise 3 days a week to start,and try to build up. I have muscles like wet noodles after years indoors so it may take a while to get up to speed We'll see At least thats 1/12 sessions done:D

dustydigger

In the matter of hobbies I really must sort out my genealogy notes etc. I am going to open the first file I see in the caseful I collected last week,and just work through it quickly either just sorting or chucking things out.I intended to do a lot of this at the family history group,but I have a mammogram next week,the dreaded diabetic appointment on 11th,and the hairdresser the following week.Nothing else all the other days of the week,would you believe,but for some reason Wednesday is the holy grail for everybody!:eek::rotfl:
As for organising cupboards ,I cant be sure what to do yet.
And ''lose one bad habit''?Definitely got to cut out the roast potatoes. For months virtuously avoided them,then bit by bit started with a nibble and graduated to peeling extra which of course I eat. So,peel less potatoes and be mindful about picking!I'm sure at least one of the 2 pounds put on last month was from the potatoes:rotfl:
OK,I'm off now to check through at least one file,then its off to make supper. I have veg soup left off dinner,Mr Dusty wants salmon,so I'd better get cracking.
I'll see if I can get back on after supper to add my ''gratitudes:):)

dustydigger

Last night I did a little tidying in one family line papers,and also sorted a bulging folder of my son's,dating back years and years,Paynotes from 2009-2012 for instance!.I managed to chuck out about 2/3 of the paper,and now there is room to put in a lot of stuff from another folder from 2012-2015. DS2 definitely takes after his father in keeping everything,but thats mostly because he cant be bothered to read or deal with paperwork. He still gets a lot of mail here,and he reads it and chucks it on top of the tall china cabinet.I keep going through it to chuck away excess and have put another small box up there to put stuff I think he should really keep. SOOO not happy with a pile of paper decorating the cabinet:D:DNow at least some older stuff can fit in that once bulging folder:rotfl:
Cant throw papers out yet. Our shredder has given up the ghost,so I have the tedious task of blotting out all bank details etc But its progress:)
Off now to hoover,and clean kitchen cabinet doors,before starting the dinner. Salmon. Already put on a beef casserole to simmer all day Mr Dusty will have that for supper,and two meals tomorrow. I still have a bowl of soup. Have put frozen blackberries out to defrost,will have them with yoghurt for tea..Only thing I ever buy from Farmf**ds is their 3 for £5 frozen fruit. I used to get 3-4 servings from a packet,have now practiced frugality by just reducing a few berries from each serving,so am getting 5 servings per pack.Gone from 55p to 34p per serving.:)
Be back later to post a budget etc

dustydigger

Morning! Wont say ''good'' because we are blanketed in fog,but it is a bit warmer.Yesterday was 4 C,but said to feel like -4C ,so 8 C feels like the height of summer in comparison .But still not able to try out my new Spring jacket:(
Also not a good morning because Mr Dusty and I have spent ages searching for his bank card to go for our fortnight's''pay''.He's trotted off carrying passport and ID to get his money.We have searched every inch of the house to no avail Now he will have the hassle of waiting for a new card to come.:(
So relieved that new frugal me has a ''float'' in my CA as I have a lot of online outgoings coming up .
I had already decided anyway that I want to try to use up stuff in the freezer,so I will do without a Asd@ full shop this fortnight,will use the little Tesc* shop 10mins away,combining walking and shopping:D.My supposedly frost free freezer is icing up a lot at the back,I need to get stuff used up so I can remove the ice. I have at least a week supply of my frozen veg in there so I'll be well vegged up this week.Probably 10 portions a day!:rotfl:I am probably packing the freezer too full,and thats why its icing up?
Anyhoo, here's Frugal Fortnight #6 budget
total income - £354
outgoings : £200,as follows:
duel fuel - £81
phone+broadband - £28
insurance - £20
water rates - £36
Asda delivery pass charge - £5
birthday fund - £20
passport fund - £10(now £40)

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household budget in cash - £154

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this is the tighter month,no savings to bank,any savings will have to come as coins in change for the Sealed Pot,and at the end of the fortnight from the purse emptying.:)

dustydigger

Never had time to breathe this morning because of Mr Dusty kerfuffle,completely out of schedule. To start with this morning was really cold,I didnt want to get out of bed at 6 a.m. and I ended up dozing off again till 8.10.I hate that,I feel woolly headed and tired for hours afterward. I have put on the potatoes for dinner,and will make broccoli as veg for Mr Dusty with his beef casserole. Still 2 or even 3 meals there,so no big cooking effort today:D
But the only household stuff I've done is bring in the recycling bin and boxand sweep the kitchen floor!
So for shame's sake I am off now to wash down the stairs and wash the bedroom doors on the landing before cooking.
Tasks today - get out and get potatoes,milk,bread and eggs at Tesc*.If it stops drizzling that is.
I need to go to the library to return a book I couldnt renew. And I promise not to look at the shelves and get more books out.I have at least 24 books out from that library,so I need to get some read. How do I have so many? I use my son and daughter's cards as well as my own :rotfl:
Tuesday is my designated family history search and declutterday.More later on that.
Get some reading done.
Get stuff ready for hospital visit tomorrow for mammogram.