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

Elisheba

Well, today has been good and bad in the money saving front. 

I'll start with the bad, so then I can finish on a positive. I looked online to see how long my library books had until they needed renewed and it turned out they were a week overdue  . Now I owe the library a fiver. It's so frustrating when I'm being so careful with pennies to just throw away a fiver like that. I swear I haven't seen an email, but they must have sent one. Think I'll start putting the return dates in my Google calendar so this can't happen again.

In good news though, it's been a NSD. I've also found a pair of boots hidden away I never much cared and only wire a couple of times - I bought them in a Groupon deal I think. Anyway it turns out they are waterproof and insulated, and have a grip. So even though they are a bit odd looking (they lace up and have a tongue, yet they are mid calf, and also have a zip on the back, so a bit bizarre) they will be great for this winter.

The hiking boots I bought last year are already letting in water and I have been pondering what to do, as I'm out on two dog walks a day and getting wet feet all the time is a bit of a problem.  So as long as these boots hold together (and they do seem pretty good quality for all that they are odd) that's me saved myself a fair bit of money.

To the person who recommended Heatholder slipper socks, thank you. I had a pair I got for Xmas, and when I wear them with my slippers my feet are very cosy. So that should save me from buying a new pair of slipper this winter, which I was minded to do as my current slippers are too big, and my ankles get cold as well. 

I'm continuing to read The Tightwad Gazette. As Amy says to save money you need to either pay less, make it last longer or use less of it. So I need to look at everything I spend money on and see if any of those 3 can apply.

It's so hard to take a step back from commercialism. Like with my winter boots. I have a perfectly good pair I'd forgotten about because they didn't quite fit the aesthetic I like. But they are for walking the dog in the rain and mud. Who cares about the aesthetic?

And that is a real gift that I've gotten from the pandemic actually. Although I was never particularly vain, I did buy nice clothes for work, and dye my hair and wear makeup most days. Now I don't bother with any of that. I've been in the office twice in 18 months, I work from home and am out twice a day walking a mad dog. Most of the time it's a miracle I'm showered and dressed! If I need to go into the office I'll be smart, and if I'm put at a party or whatever I'll put on some make up, but most of the time I can't be bothered now.

So by being less commercialised, I can spend less because I have found an alternative pair of boot I already owned. When I bought drying racks I bought wooden ones which means I'm able to fix any problems and they will last much longer. By watering down milk I'm using less of it, same with not turning on the heating for as long as possible and thus using less energy. It's just little things, but they all add up don't they, and I'm doing my bit for the planet as well as my finances.

Oh, in other good news my landlord sent a joiner out today and I have a lovely, shiny new bath panel to replace an old rotten one, and a few other niggly bits have been fixed as well.

It's also been incredibly mild, if a bit wet. I don't even need a blanket on my lap this evening.

I've also been amusing myself by watching my smart meter (oh, what a rock and roll lifestyle). It tells me how many Watts of electricity I'm using at any given time. It's currently going between 100 and 200 Watts. Since I've got 2 low energy table lamps on, and my fridge and freezer, I am very confused about why the wattage keeps changing. Its a mystery! 

Elisheba

I was just reading in The Tightwad Gazette about how money saving dried milk is.

I've done a few sums, and that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Maybe things were different in the 90s, or supermarkets selling milk as a lost leader evens things out here.

Anyway, the sums are below. Using T3sco own brand dried milk as the standard, all own brand whole milk is cheaper by pint. It maybe that economies of scale apply and if you bulk buy milk powder it is cheaper. I doubt it will be a massive saving per pint though. So I'll stick to whole milk, and try and make some room to freeze it so I don't have to go out and buy it so often. 

Milk Maths 

Tesco dried milk - £2/6 pints from a 340g tub (33.3p/pint)

Whole milk £1.15/4 pints (28.75p/pint)

Whole milk £1.60/6 pints (26.6p/pint)

Edited to add - I saw a 25kg bag of Arla dried milk online for £84.50. Assuming you need 57g to make up a pint, as you do with the Tesco dried milk, that works out at 25p/pint.

So if I drink 12 pints a week, that's 624 pints a year. 
Fresh £162.24 pa
Dried £156.00 pa

So £6.24 saving per annum. You'd have to be super keen, that's all I'm saying 

WinterWarrior

I think (but I’m not certain and could be making it up..) that freezers power up intermittently to keep the temperature on a level. If I’m right then that would explain the fluctuation in watts? 

I stopped dying my hair…even though I only did it at home it still saves. I’m quite liking my long witchy stripes and I’ll fit right in at Halloween! It’s been about 18 months now, but I suspect it will be years before it’s all grown out. As my hair is long I can get away with cutting it myself following YouTube tutorials. I used to love heels, but like you I’m stomping through mud with dog or I’m at my desk in my socks now. 

I don’t think it’s worth trying to save on milk 😬 

Elisheba

Yes @winterWarrior I only dyed my hair at home as well, but as you say it's still a saving. My hair is quite short so all the dye has grown out now, and surprisingly you can't see much grey unless you look closely as my hair is fairly light anyway. I have discovered I have a Mallen streak though, which I'm delighted about even if it's hard to see. 

I'm also cutting my hair from YouTube videos. It's quite wavy so it hides a lot of sins  

Elisheba

Good morning all and happy Tuesday. Looks like another grey and wet day where I am. This isn't bad news though, as grey days are also fairly mild days which means it's a lot easier to keep the heating off. And I now have waterproof boots so walking will be fine.

I have a 1-1 in work today so need to get prepped for that. I think that's all on terms of planned activities though. I do need to sort some dishes and do a few house things before I relax this evening.

Meal plan for the day is home made soup and bread for lunch, and veggie sausage and mash for dinner. I have celery, carrots and mushrooms in the fridge that need using, so possibly sweetcorn and mushroom soup?

It should be a NSD. I need to update a few things on my financial spread sheet, but nothing major. All in all, hopefully a quiet, spend free day 

Elisheba

Evening, all.

It hasn't rained here nearly as much as predicted and its still very mild. I'm not complaining at all. The cold weather will come, and at some point winter will feel neverending, so I'm happy to hold off on it as long as possible.

I remember last year and the year before, feeling much more connected to the seasons as I'd just gotten my dog and was outside a lot more. I was also cutting back on heating, so instead of wandering around in T shirts I was having to layer up more and really feel the weather.

It brought back some wonderful childhood memories of my grandmother's 250 year old farmhouse. It didn't get oil heating till around 2000, so when I was a child water was heated by the back burner on the main fire place, and in the morning windows would have ice inside. Electric blankets and/or hot water bottles were essential on winter nights, and the first thing to be done in the morning was to light the fire.

As a child I loved it. I would huddle by the fire, too hot on one side and freezing on the other, getting red marks on my legs from heat and poking and prodding at the flames. As an adult I still remember it fondly but perhaps realise quite how much extra work and energy living like that requires. Bringing in coal, lighting and keeping fires stoked, cold bathrooms and bedrooms. It's a lot to do with no back if you aren't feeling up to it.

So I still like to light the fire, and I never heat my bedroom, but I am glad to have hot water on demand and central heating whenever I want it as well. So really, unless it's very wet and dreary outside and I just constantly seem to be getting soaked, I don't really mind winter at all. Snuggling under blankets, dark nights where I can read to my heart's content without feeling guilty, sitting by a fire, lots of soups, and stews, and cocoa. I take vitamin D supplements and I'm lucky that despite suffering from depression at times it never seems to be triggered by winter. The dark nights and short days never really bother me.

In actual money saving news, I have gone through my predicted spending for the next couple of months and cut it back to the bone. I'm feeling quite hard done by, having cancelled a few things I quite fancied and ruling out alcohol on other things I am doing, for budgetary reasons. 

It's not that I'm cancelling all social spending though, it's just that in both months I've organised a super expensive event which is where most of the cash is going. If I wasn't doing the expensive thing then I'd be able to do a lot more cheaper things. I'm budgeting £100/month pocket money, and both months I'm going over that a bit. I'll just have to remember come January that if I do these big things then I'm going to feel hard done by elsewhere.

I've also messaged the people I normally give Xmas gifts to, and said that with the exception of children everyone is just getting a token gift this year. Saving for a house has to take priority. Two people have already gotten back to say that is fine, but I do hope no-one is too disappointed when they unwrap a bar of nice soap, or a calendar Now I just need to decide what to do about Xmas cards. I do normally send them, but I haven't actually budgeted for them this year. Should I make the effort and take the financial hit, or not bother and save the pennies? Bit of a dilemma. 

Other than that, it's been a NSD. I made soup for lunch, and will need to make more bread tomorrow. Not very hungry for dinner after I made a mug cake about 4pm! Might have a banana later if I get peckish. Daily dishes are done, and I'm generally feeling on top of things. 

WinterWarrior

I also remember the excitement of seeing that Jack Frost had been decorating the inside of the bedroom windows. Such a pretty marvel that today’s children know nothing about! We had a miser bar fire that did much the same thing, burning one side while the other was freezing. We did move to a house with central heating, but it didn’t get put on first thing, or very often, and double glazing didn’t happen until after I’d left home. 

Pocket money is very hard, I’m still struggling with it. I think it’s because when you are young pocket money can only go so far and you completely understand when it’s gone it’s gone, but as an adult you have other money you could fall back on, but shouldn’t! 

Elisheba

WinterWarrior said:

Pocket money is very hard, I’m still struggling with it. I think it’s because when you are young pocket money can only go so far and you completely understand when it’s gone it’s gone, but as an adult you have other money you could fall back on, but shouldn’t! 

That's it, isn't it.  Of course i know that I could technically afford to do some of the things I've cancelled, so the part of me that is used to doing what ever I want if in a huff.  It going to take a while to get to the point where being disciplined with money isn't a massive effort.

Elisheba

Morning, all.  I woke up to thunder and lightening here  - it very exciting.  And then as I started work there was a full rainbow - I'm sure that must be lucky.

I've just seen that through a work discount scheme I can save 4% if I buy a gift card for Mr T's (and some other supermarkets).  They don''t work on fuel or the kiosk, but it might be worth while to buy say a £50 or £100 one and just use it like I would use cash.  I presume they would just add on the saving, so it would be a £52, or £104 balance.  I couldn't see a time limit for use on the T+C's, and club points are still collectible.  Are Clubpoints 1%? I think so, so that would be a saving of 5% altogether. Its not massive of course, but I do use Mr T's for the veggie stuff I can't get at L!dl so a saving is a saving.  I think there is a postage charge for the card, and then a 25p top up charge but it still seems worthwhile.  Annoying they don't do e-cards, but I suppose its some moneymaking ploy.

Today I must remember to put on the breadmaker and to bake some brownies (for a social event tomorrow night).  Other than that I don't think there is very much to do today.  It should be a NSD, and I'll need to walk my dog of course .  Hope it dries up a bit later for that. I might give everything a quick hoover if I get a chance but that will be the extent of my efforts I think.

I mixed up the scrag ends of soap in a plastic dish with a dash of water and heated them in the microwave yesterday, then stirred a lot.  So hopefully today I will have made a new piece of soap out of them all.  Just need to get it out of the tub it set in and that will save me opening a new bar for the bathroom.

I hope everyone has a marvelous day and fabulous things happen for you!

WinterWarrior

Our work has that kind of scheme, but I like Mr T to deliver to me and the cards only seem to work in store.
I hope you have had a lucky day after the rainbow.