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

Cheery_Daff

Excellent work on the radio! 

Urgh, I feel your pain with the cramps. I too suffer with such nonsense, and while naproxen has been excellent this last year or so, you do have to get in there in advance or the wait is tedious. Hope it kicks in soon x

Elisheba

Thought I'd cheer myself up by making a list of all the things I currently do which save money:

• Cut my own hair
• No longer dye my hair
• Use shampoo bars and don't condition (now I'm using £1 shampoo bars I am pretty certain this is saving money even if its probably not particularly eco)
• Deodorant crystal  
• Make all my own cleaning products (only things I buy proprietary/including plastic now are toothpaste, moisturiser and washing up liquid.  I tried plastic free toothpaste and needed a filling -may be coincidental but won't risk it, I've tried olive oil for moisturiser - it worked but I got spots, and I bulk buy Ecover washing up liquid because HM doesn't cut grease)
• Homemade toilet cloths
• Only wash stained/smelly clothes and on eco mode
• Mend all clothes as much as possible
• Don't leave things to charge all night
• Boiler on eco mode
• Everything except fridge, freezer and wifi turned off at night 
• Very little heating in winter (blankets, hotwater bottle, clothing, have bought ski pants andprobably will buy a heated hoodie as well)
• Fewer baths - I love long baths (I still shower every day - I've tried showering less but I never feel awake and my skin gets a bit weird)
• Dog has much cheaper biscuits, and cats are eating an own brand tinned food
• I cut all my bills a lot when I started the MS journey by switching
• By a lot less Kindle books and use library for books and magazines a lot more.
• Zap receipts on apps
• Do Prolific surveys
• Food plan and shop monthly where possible
• Make my own muesli, bread, pizzas (most of the time)
• I mend things, like washing racks and kettels and car radios, if at all possible and make them last longer
• Watch a lot more You Tube videos on how to do things and give them a go
• Split rail tickets manually
• Work from home - the financial saving on travel is enormous
• Use the radio on my computer when I am working instead of a separate radio - this seems to save a bit on leccie
• Lights turned off as I leave a room and only one bulb on at a time
• No subscriptions anymore.  I do share Prime with my ex but he pays for it.  His choice.
• I buy a lot less unplanned things - even charity shop buys add up
• I've minimised a fair bit 
• NHS prescription certificate
• Menstrual cup
• I do a lot more walking since I got my dog.  The dog isn't moneysaving but walking is a good, cheap hobby.
• Water down milk
• I buy UHT milk - not technically cheaper but I use less, and go to the shops less so does save me money
• I have a kettle that boils one cup now, but previously made a big flask of tea for the day in the morning
• I use loose tea - it does seem to end up cheaper

That's all I can think of for now. I might make a list soon of all the things I know I could still be doing to save money and live frugally.  There are some things I have considered and discarded, like getting rid of the car, or the TV. They are not necessary for me to scrap financially speaking, and bring enough enjoyments to pay for themselves in quality of life.

Elisheba

Afternoon, all 

I have been thinking of ways I can save money going forward.  You get to a certain point and its easy just to do the same old, same old isn't it?

• My main area to tackle is my allowance aka my going out budget.  I normally budget £100 pcm, and have been routinely going massively over that.  Now, its fair enough on a month where I have planned a few expensive things and know I'll be going over.  However, its the 'have a few drinks and frugality goes to the wind' sort of nights out I really need to clamp down on.  I'll have to think more on that as short of becoming teetotal I'm not sure what to do, and I don't really want to become teetotal.  I enjoy nights out, I'm just rubbish at moderating on them.

• I could probably cut my food budget a bit.  I budget £100pcm which is about right, but there are a fair amount of wants not needs in that.  I'm not going to focus on that right now though.  If I cut back too much on my food budget I know I end up feeling rather deprived and that can lead to spending elsewhere, so I'll keep that for now.

• I can buy giftcards through work that give me 4% back at T£sco (sadly not on petrol).  Now my main shop is Lidl or Aldi, but Tesco is a lot closer so I do buy things there including pet food.  I've been saving my points this year and currently have almost £10, which means I spent £1000 or close to that this year (depends on how much was on petrol, only half points on that).  Which means buying these gift cards would be an investment.  Once I am back from holiday and when I have a bit of cash behind me again I'll buy a £200 giftcard (on the first one you need to pay for postage for the card and then its £0.25 a top up so won't it pay for itself annoyingly).  Not sure if I buy a £200 giftcard if it appears for £208, or how it works but will see. With 1% back on points as well that is a 5% discount on most things there which is rather nice.

• Seriously considering getting a Amex cashback credit card. I think my credit rating is good enough now to be accepted.  I'd pay it off at the end of every month, which would also mean less OD charges throughout the month as well on my main banlaccount. Its 0.5% cashback if you spend over £3000 a year, and as L!dl and T£sco (my main supermarkets) both accept it, and my combined food/allowance/petfood/petrol budget a year is more than £3k  I think I would get that extra 0.5%.  I mean that's only £15 altogether cashback, but its free money and it all counts doesn't it? I won't bother until I am back from holiday.

• I need to make paper logs again with all my recycling card and paper.  This would save a bit of money on fuel for the fire.

• My friend can give me free wood from his work.  I just need to drive 70 miles to collect it, and cut it when I'm back.  Should probably build a wood store as well. The petrol for 140 miles is a lot less than the wood would cost to buy, as is a saw, axe and thing to hold the wood when I saw it - is it called a vice?. I'll need to look up how to build wood stores as well as no way am I paying £80 plus. It;'s no good for this winter as it won't be seasoned, but will be good the winter 23/24

• I do need to actually get organised and start to sell some things.  Have quite a few nice dresses and a wedding dress and that would all be some extra money in the bank and less room taken up in my house.  

• Do more Prolific surveys.  I find them dull so have stopped doing them so much and they are a good little earner

• Put up some draught excluding curtain in front of back door, and door to kitchen.  I have retractable spring poles so just need to pick up some full length curtains from a charity shop. That should keep in some heat and save on heating in winter.

That's all I can think off hand , but its something to be getting on with 

Jellytotts

If you look on your local FB market place you’ll find people selling seasoned logs, we get small split ones for our log burner, around £50/£60 for a tonne bulk bag of £110 for a tipper full.  We store them in wooden crates (that patio slabs come in) that we picked up via free cycle, just stacked together with a bit of pond liner on top to keep them dry.

Cutting the wood yourself could be harder than you think depending on the wood and you’d need an electric saw and some sort of splitter/big axe to split them to size.   I have a chainsaw and it still takes hours to cut and split a load of logs, I’m happy to do it on the stuff we can cut down from the garden but I normally buy at least a tonne bag a year of split stuff for ease.  Pallets split down make excellent kindling if you want to spend time on it. A decent crowbar to get the slats off, an axe and basic saw will get you going (but axes go blunt very quickly so worth learning how to sharpen them)

Elisheba

Thanks @Jellytotts I may well buy a big bag or two of split wood for this winter. I really don't care for smokeless coal, which is all I can get now. Just don't get the sane amount of heat or light as with normal coal, an it's more expensive. I suppose its better for the environment though. Only problem with wood is it burns really fast in an open fire 

Regarding cutting wood, I used to have to do it at my Gran's when I was a lot younger. Not exactly looking forward to doing it again as its exhausting! Not sure about the expense of a chainsaw though. At some point it would just be cheaper to use the central heating, if much less cosy. 

Elisheba

Morning all, 

I am off today and supposed to be getting organised for driving to Scotland later. So of course I've faffed around all morning and am now having a bath    

Things I still need to do - 
Dishes 
Empty bins
Pack clothes (with any still damp packed separately) 
Buy catfood and litter
Library (not essential) 
Bank (not essential) 
Drop off present (not essential) 
Pick up pottery 
Empty car 
Pack condiments
Hoover
Buy petrol 
Empty fridge 
Have lunch 
Make dinner for car 

That's what I remember anyway, so a fair bit to be getting on with. 

All the bills came out today, but I'm paid tomorrow so the bank won't be bare for long. 

I'm feeling super invested in frugality right now. I had a look at my finances, and the debt should be gone at some point next year. And then in 3-5 years I should have enough for a deposit. Hopefully interest rates will have dropped or at least stabilised by then. Although I'll be buying at the bottom of my budget so can afford it if rate go up. It certainly wouldn't be ideal though! 

I'm really looking forward to my holiday. Hopefully I can get some relaxing reading in, walks on the beach, sea swimming, charity shop raids, see lots of interesting places. Most of my family, although somewhat frugal by necessity, aren't frugal in the lifestyle sense. They would never consider UHT milk or toilet cloths for instance, and money never seems to stay long in their bank. I try not to judge as I earn a lot more than them and don't have kids, and it's not like I've been great with money in the past. Its going to be interesting seeing where we differ in our spending this holiday though! I'm all for some nice treats on holiday, but I'm not going to be eating out and buying coffees everyday when I can pack a picnic, for example. 

Hope you all have fabulous days! I better start actually getting on with things! 
E

Cheery_Daff

That's a mightily impressive list of things you're doing already, well done!

Elisheba

Hello all from not that sunny Scotland  ,

I've been keeping note of all my spending and am easily within budget. It's very comforting to know exactly where you are with you finances! 

I treated myself yesterday to some books from The Bookshop in Wigtown, and an expensive pretty Wigtown teatowel as a souvenir. I'm sure it was someone on here who said they bought teatowels when they were away. I've previously bought magnets, but have become fed up with them on my fridge so thought I would change things and tea towels are very practical.

We have a lovely holiday cottage and it's huge. Lots of room in the garden for the dogs, an extra outdoor loo which wasn't advertised but which is very convenient. Having lots of people and children and dogs around is very chaotic, and I'm not used to it, so am taking quite a bit of me time in my room. Rather like being a teenager again!

Unfortunately none of my family have put much money aside, which means there are activities I know they would like to do and I don't feel that I can go off and do on my own even though I can afford them. Another little annoyance is that the bin collections here don't suit a holiday let at all. The main rubbish wheelie bin was half full when we arrived and the plastic and metal bin completely full and neither are being emptied while we are here. I think I'll have to do a run to the recycling centre, and as this is technically commercial waste I'm not even sure if it will be allowed. 

Those issues aside it is lovely. Great to spend time with my nieces. The 5 year old seems to be have an aversion to trousers right now and the 12 year old spends a lot of time online. It's good to renew the family bonds with them, but it does make me very glad I never opted for children  .

WinterWarrior

Enjoy your holiday. Trousers are over rated, especially when you are 5 😁

missymoo81

Have a great holiday!