Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

Elisheba

Oh, I'm glad my financial fumblings are helping you a bit @SuzeQStan 😁. I think for me it's a combination of the budget s/s I've always had but generally used to ignore, and all the frugal living YT videos I've been watching. It really seems to have come together, this year particularly. I'm finding having budgeted for all the things that might happen this year really useful - not just car stuff or things like that, but everything I can think of that I'll need to pay for. Feels so much more secure especially with the increased costs this year of the new house.

Regarding the water meter @MeandO and @SuzeQStan, I suppose I really should ask my LL. They don't tend to be keen though as meters are off-putting for some potential renters, especially families, and once you have one the next occupier can't get it removed. There's of a part me that's not keen either - the part that likes just being able to run a bath and top it up as many times as I want, or run the tap when I'm brushing my teeth, or flush the loo as many times as I want 😂. If I got a meter I know myself, and I'd be watching water use like a hawk, and it's sort of nice not having to worry about it just now, even if that's not very eco. In the past when I ran the figures it would never save enough to be worth it, but it could very well save me hundreds now with the massive water bill, so I probably should do something about it.

Just made a lovely cheese and mushroom pasta dish, and had it with a tomato and cucumber salad and hm salad dressing. Think I should have at least 3 portions to freeze when it has cooled as well. I was reading Jack Munro's Thrifty Kitchen book, and it prompted me to actually think about what I had in the fridge that needed using up.

I was also reading about their food organisation system which they call the Quarterhack where they list everything they have in the house under either protein, carb, fruit and veg, or snack. Then they meal plan and try to incorporate one or two of each category (maybe not snack 😁). Then they can also add things to the shopping list if they are low in any category. The YT channel Under the Median have a very similar system which their videos explain very well. Jack also has it on their Twitter that I saw a year or two ago and forgot about. I'll need to give it a proper try out and see if it helps me be a bit more inventive and healthier with my cooking. 

beanielou

Maybe worth asking the LL? 

SuzeQStan

Happy weekend Elisheba x hope the work journey not too onerous today xx

Elisheba

How do, frugalettes 😁,

Very happy with Scotland's rugby win today - alway good to brighten a dreary February when they play well in the Six Nations. And we do so love to win the Calcutta Cup 😆.

Thanks @SuzeQStan. The journey wasn't that bad really. One train was cancelled on the way home, so I didn't get in until about 8ish, but I was just reading my book so it wasn't stressful at all. I bought some chocolate and haribo to ease my pain 😂. Had an early night when I got it so I wasn't too tired today.

I took folks advice and asked my LL if I can have a water meter and he said that was fine 😁. So I've logged a request with Welsh Water. They said it can take 3 months normally but they have a backlog so who knows how long it will take, or if it's even possible in this property 🤷🏼. I won't be counting on seeing any savings this year 😆.

I did my big monthly shop for March in the nearest big town today. I'd run all my stocks low this month so it  really was a big shop, and came to £91.75 for food, and £31.04 for the monkeys which includes £3.98 on toys for my dog. I also treated myself to 2 Belgian buns that had 30% off, which made the whole experience much more bearable. The shopping haul should last until the end of March though, apart from I might need some more dog food at some point. Totally forgot to pick up my repaired glasses when I was in town though - doh. They'll have to wait until next time I'm there.

The grand totals for February are in -
Food and toiletries - £73.07 out of £100 budget. That includes £12 odd on rechargable batteries which I could have taken out of the annual household pot, but I knew my monthly pot had a lot of credit so just took it out of that.
Pet food, litter etc - £21.51 out of £34.43 budget

Travel and diesel - £142.42 out of £205 budget (main saving there was not having to go into the office one day due to a train strike)
Pocket money - £76.03 out of £100 budget (technically this one won't be closed until the actual end of the month, but I don't see me spending anything before then).

So all in all a very good month sticking to my budget! All the extra cash is getting put towards a day out with a friend next weekend as I don't need it for anything else. So a little reward to myself for being good! If there is anything left over after that then I can decide where to allocate it to.

I did my first washing with chopped up ivy today and it turned out very well, and smelled really nice. So that looks like a viable alternative to buying liquid soap going forward 😁. Good for the environment and only costs a tablespoon of washing soda to do a washing.

I've lit the fire tonight as a treat to myself tonight. I'm running low on wood and really can't be bothered having to move a massive pile to the woodshed if I buy more, so I've been rationing myself and using the central heating instead when it's chilly. So the plan is to curl up by it tonight and read a book.

No idea what I'm doing tomorrow. Got church first thing and then a dog walk. I think the forecast is wet so it might be an afternoon in front of the fire. There was a frost this morning which made me glad I haven't planted out my summer bulbs yet - they aren't hardy, so it would have done for them.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a lovely weekend 😊

WinterWarrior

That’s some brilliant budgeting. I am in awe at the low pet costs as I can’t get mine under £300 a month! 

Elisheba

I'm finding having moved to the countryside and all the shops being a trek is saving me loads on unplanned spends @WinterWarrior.
With the pet budget, I've only got one cat and one dog now, so that's cheaper than before when I had 3 cats. Silly dog gets a little meat, but mainly shop's own brand kibble. I've had him on more expensive brands but they often upset his tummy, and as he is a picture of good health I'm not not too worried about it not being fancy food. I slowly managed to wean black cat off more expensive tinned food when the prices skyrocketed a few years ago, and she now gets shop's own tins all mashed up, and biscuits to snack on. I never buy sachets as they work out much more expensive and it's all single use plastic.

slm6002

Our 2 cats have been enjoying a life of luxury recently as we were gifted 80 pouches of fe!ix cat food from an owner who no longer needed it.  I have been spacing them out as I don't want them getting used to them - once they are gone there will be no more lol

SuzeQStan

Brill news re water meter Elisheba - reckon you gonna save a fortune & have all the baths you want to.  🛁🫧🛀🏻

Double check your toilet doesn't have a leak once the meter is in tho (we saved over £200 a year off our water bill with a £6 part we bought off auction site to stop the leak) 

also you might mention to the meter installers that you work from home so are able to accommodate short notice installations.  Except Fridays 😉

Hope you enjoyed the fire and are having a lovely weekend xx

Makingabobor2

Good news on being able to have a meter. I went onto our water provider website and answered their questions, but it seems they don't think we would save much money as I do more than 2 washes a week and we have more than 2 showers a week.  

SuzeQStan

It depends on how many you have in household. If you have more bedrooms than people then would likely save with a meter