2020 Frugal Living Challenge

mumtoomany

We usually visit Aldi and Lidl first thing, as soon as they open, on Christmas eve. I buy lots of mince, stewing steak, fish cakes, etc. All the non seasonal stuff. Because they both close for two days, rather than the one that the other supermarkets do, there are more bargains. Only 25% reduction, but worth stocking up. I don't go back down for the later reductions. Town is eight miles away. A long way to go if nothing is available. Mumtoomany.

MazzieD

That's a really good point @Frugalistamama.  I've been away at Christmas for years but used to go and grab the reduced bargains for my late parents.  This year I'll be local so like @cw18 it depends on what time I finish work (never gets officially confirmed until 23 Dec!!) and store closing times but in previous years I've been lucky enough to stop work at lunchtime.  Depending on where you go it can be really worth the effort.  Thanks for the reminder, I'll definitely try to.

Frugaldom

I'm glad some folks on here are able to make the most of discounted items in nearby stores. It isn't something I can do from here but when we lived near a Co-op I would often visit at end of day to check for reduced items. When you are prioritising your spends to the Nth degree, every penny counts. This year, however, I have not been in a shop since March but have had  few home deliveries. Olio is my only opportunity to sample new things or stuff I wouldn't normally buy. 

Frugalistamama

mumtoomany said:

We usually visit Aldi and Lidl first thing, as soon as they open, on Christmas eve. I buy lots of mince, stewing steak, fish cakes, etc. All the non seasonal stuff. Because they both close for two days, rather than the one that the other supermarkets do, there are more bargains. Only 25% reduction, but worth stocking up. 

Oh thanks this is a great idea. Lidl is my usual shop so i might just do that in the morning. Once the duck and Turkey are out of the freezer that'll be a bit of space x

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

I usually avoid the shops on Christmas Eve, mainly because there is so much temptation to spend on things I don't need.  I have been planning my Asd@ delivery to come on Monday, there will be extras, but it wont be excessive.

DS2 is home from Uni.  He has a girlfriend who he has been seeing for nearly a year but because of Covid we have only met her briefly three times.  DS did go and stay with her family for three weeks in the summer.  I havent bought her anything for Christmas, instead I got some posh hot chocolate and mugs with initials on for her and DS to share.  DS has turned up with a big bag full of presents from her family to him and now I feel stingy.  I have spent more on DS1s GF but she spends a lot of time with us and has done for nearly 4 years.  This is what I hate about Christmas, I need to resist the temptation to buy anything else.

MazzieD

Sorry I should have mentioned it would only be veg or things that I would normally use like sausages/meat.  It takes a lot of discipline but there is no guarantee that it's reduced on Christmas Eve.  I also look between Christmas, New Year and early January as quite often there are reduced frozen Turkeys or other Christmas food.  I don't buy much extra before Christmas as I don't have a sweet tooth so it's all about the main course and savoury food.  My indulgence is a pre-frozen turkey, I've always bought one full price and a reduced one to keep in the freezer even when I've been away as I'll eat it at any time of the year and the use  by dates mean I could use it for the following Christmas (just thought of that).

willow_loulou

I’m very relieved that my shopping delivery had everything I wanted in it. All I should need over the next week is bread and milk. Oh and cream as I forgot to order it 😂 but I think that’s because I was rushing to do the order last night after deciding that as I could get a delivery I’ll ditch the idea of actually shopping. 

I spent £64! Way over budget but I got a very good amount of tins delivered so I’ll knock that out of future budgets and with any luck I’ve enough food in for 3 weeks. I will do a Christmas Eve yellow sticker check, I will have a bit of freezer space by then. But I will only get what I know we or my parents will use unlike the freebie stuff I hope to get tomorrow. 

I’m so tired, I’ve just written my - when to defrost/cook/chop list and I think it’s in gibberish 😂

FrankieM

I'm not having to cook a Christmas dinner for myself and I'm working normal hours up to Christmas Day so not much extra is needed for me...thankfully.

Yesterday was annual leave so I have been drinking my alcohol cupboard dry and will need to restock that but hey...it's Christmas!

I got the council tax bill for the new house so I now know what my monthly bills will be and can plan for 2021 accordingly.

Other than that, I'm plodding along, thinking about the things I'd like to achieve next year and trying to make the best of my current situation.

MazzieD

Missed the No 10 announcement yesterday but caught up pretty quickly.

So sad that millions will be cancelling Christmas arrangements or scaling back.  Hope it hasn't had too much impact on everyone on here, the big surprise was that we are still Tier 2 here (so far) despite being in the South East, it seems to be selected cities are Tier 4 in the same county.  Had already cancelled Christmas plans earlier in the year as a precaution, my sister lives some distance away and we've been in different tiers for a while.

Life goes on and so does being frugal.  Getting some ridiculously cheap veg later in the week and might re-consider buying a second turkey.  It's never guaranteed that there are any reduced ones. 

Didn't get the email from Olio about Tesc* at Christmas @Frugaldom.  Emails seem to be a bit hit and miss from them.  I quite often get notifications after food has gone as well.

Frugaldom

I hope everyone is/was prepared for the latest 'lockdown' measures and sudden change of rules to help fight  the war against the viral invader. Personally, I'm saddened by the amount of negativity and downright stubbornness in those who simply refuse outright to follow guidelines. As a result, we now have so many living in fear for their jobs, their family, their sanity and their lives. This is a viral war, we should all be fighting on the same side to bring about full control of this disease and enable those in power to do their jobs, making the most of whatever scientific facts come their way in an attempt to protect the  vast majority of the public, those responsible for their care and the entire financial network that props up so much more than just our emergency services. In lieu of all of this, we all need to adapt and take on our share of responsibility. It is sad that so many may not yet have found their way back into frugal living or some level of preparedness but there is always time to help those in need.

If ANYONE is in dire need of anything that I can offer or provide, please feel free to private message me here, email me, message me via Facebook or Twitter, or contact me via the Frugaldom website or pages. Don't suffer in silence; we've all been there and it just isn't worth it. It may take me best part of the day to respond but that's only because animals still need to be fed and cared for, regardless of what is going on in the world around them.