2020 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

Nsd again �� thats 3 in a row! I did browse eBay and clicked off.
I need to do a little shopping tomorrow as I’ve run out of coffee. Going to use my Tesco vouchers.

Frugalistamama well done on your nsd.

Missywissy

Hi,

I have this exact same problem. I now get my milk from the milkman and that has made a difference.

:heart

Finstickle

Lessonslearned

No offence I don't think. My post was just from my own experience. I have a refill shop locally, try and get a few bits to avoid single use plastic, support local businesses, know where food comes from etc.

Like the poster looking for pasta/porridge etc, it seems that often being green is the privilege of a few! And for those of us trying to be more frugal it is a very difficult balance

Frugaldom

lessonlearned wrote: »

I'm sorry if my post gave offence. I was not trying to make anyone feeling guilty about not shopping locally...

I don't think anyone was offended so don't worry about that. We've had endless debates on this subject over the years and we mostly agree that being on a tight budget means doing what's right for clearing debt. 😊 There is seldom room for brand loyalty when sticking single-mindedly to a plan for financial freedom. Apart from that shopping locally could now mean online, as that is keeping local delivery drivers in jobs. Every penny counts. 😁

CJRyder

I have found a refill shop and did try the milkman. However, at a hefty price of 85p/pint, I simply could not afford it despite it tasting better. I used to buy one or two bottles of gold top once a week to treat myself. But this would be drunk straight, not put into tea, cereal or the like.

The other issue was that they went from a Direct Debit system to a pay in advance one. Whilst not problematic cost wise, it did mean that I lost an active DD from my bank account.

Frugalistamama

Second NSD today! I really really wanted to go to the supermarket as I needed some bread. But held firm and got my old breadmaker out that hasn't been used in a year. Kids love it! X

Tanya12345

Hi All, seems like everyone's working incredibly well !
My frugal life is on a back to basics stage at the moment. Jan was going well but then it all went t***s up, I always seem to be one step away from trouble !! So, back to the drawing board, have to massage the numbers to squeeze a little more for groceries. The garden will have to work much harder this year !
First jobs are to search for more competitive deal on BB, and look through all my outgoings and prune them. Then menu plan. Then with an honest mind I need to revisit last month and work out what caused the devastation of the grand plan.......
Still, life is never mundane......
Xx

nannygladys

Hi everyone
Still trying to be frugal, but it sure isn't easy.
Not been too bad but as I haven't been on the boards for a couple of weeks I seem to have fallen by the wayside a little, so lesson learned - keep coming on here!!!
One thing Im going to do this year is to try to use more of my crafty bits up, I seem to have quite a few kits and stuff bought for specific things and not got around to doing them, so Im thinking if I don't want them for myself I will make them and give them away for Xmas!!! that's only if I think they will be suitable for that person!
Another thing Im doing is clearing 20 items out a month, not selling them but donating to CS so they can have the dosh!
And Im getting my money spending under control, I don't spend a lot as I only get a state pension, but Im sure I can save enough to visit dd2 next year (she lives abroad) if I try - so that's one of my goals. I already have a spare savings account so I will try to slowly fill it up a bit! (or a lot, as it wont be cheap)
Anyway, off to get on with some knitting, baby things for dd3 and nearly finished
Nannyg

willow_loulou

Hello ��
Really pleased to have paid a bit more off my target having withdrawn my needs money and will now leave my debit card at home. Have enveloped my monies for different thing Shopping etc so I will take only what I need and a £5 buffer (that’s a coffee treat if not spent by payday)
Popped to Tesco as I had vouchers in the post. Got the months coffee and some veg which was reduced. Also got hot cross buns!

Shopping budget is £25 this week as I still have food. I’m compiling a list as the week goes on so I only buy what has been used.

cw18

In the last week I've had a letter from work with details of how to log into a system that shows extra benefits we can get. I knew we could buy additional annual leave, do salary sacrifice for a lease car, and also use the bike to work scheme as well as buy private health care and such, but had never bothered getting information on logging in as none of those interested me.


As they sent the info (because they've changed the system slightly - I suspect a change of company providing the service) I logged in out of interest, and discovered we can get cashback on various websites (much like the normal cashback sites, but with no minimum cash-out balance), and also get discounts on various payment cards (including a L0ve to shop one that can be used in a number of stores I use) and vouchers.


Ordered a L2S one on Sunday with a minimal opening balance (which I got a 7% discount on) which arrived today. As I'm planning on spending in a few of the shops in the next week I went to put a small top-up on it this evening (after activating it) and they're offering a special 9% discount today! Whilst it's not a huge saving (and I'll need to work out roughly what I'm likely to spend when) it's one way of making my money stretch a little bit further

I can also get for some of the big supermarkets. Mr T works out as a 4% discount by loading a card that only works in their stores (ordered tonight with a small balance as there's a store right across the road from the office), Mr A works out as 4% by vouchers that get emailed when I purchase (so don't have to work far ahead on that one), and Mr S is 5% by either card or voucher (I'd go voucher as I rarely shop there). Icel@nd use the card I received today, and 7% discount loading that is marginally better than the £1 for every £20 you load onto their own card which is how I've shopped there for the last couple of years.


Just a shame there's nothing for A!di or Her0n/B'n'M or Costc0, as those establishments get most of my grocery money (probably in that order these days).








Shopping locally in my town means Her0n, B'n'M, A!di, P0undstretchers and Icel@nd. The only independants are pubs, hairdressers/barbers, nail salons, take-aways, a card shop (I use this a couple of times a year), a newsagent (used to get Amazon parcels delivered there, but they no longer operate that service), a pet shop, a couple of dog grooming parlours, a couple of chemists (also have one that belongs to a chain), a hardware store (nip in once in a while when I need something small or obscure), a craft shop, a model (airfix and trains) shop, a couple of tattoo studios, a couple of carpet shops, a framing shop, a small (and very pricey) clothes shop, a school uniform shop, a couple of charity shops, a double glazing supplier/fitter, and a new bathroom shop. We also have a couple of bookies and an off-licence (all big chains), and a couple of pie shops (smaller local chains I think).


There is a green grocer in the town I work in which I keep meaning to take a look at (but I'll be limited in use, as I can't carry a bag of fruit and veg when I'm running home!), and a butcher at the opposite end of that town which looks expensive (never any prices on display, so I may have to go in and ask whilst being prepared to gulp and walk out empty handed). My closest fishmonger is in a market which is a 6 mile round trip walk/cycle.


This means I don't have the same dilema as many of you when it comes to supporting local versus giving my money to chains, purely because I can't go that far to do regular shops when they're open.