2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Frugaldom

Hello everyone!

I haven't had time to read the posts yet, but I'm off to play a game of 'tenner shop'. Only place open is the supermarket, so I can't exactly buy anything else today Catch you all later with an update.

Penny2myName

Needed change for DD's bus fare, so called in Asda and got garden gang bananas' reduced to 20p, lambs kidney reduced to 30p(need to find a recipe for these), british spring greens reduced to 25p(no idea what to do these with, so going to try an actual spring veg soup and boil rest of them to make a stock. Also bought the 70p variety of weetabix, so total of £1.45 for start of my spending diary week.

juliejay

Wornoutmumoftwo – good idea with the school uniform but only buy the bits with badges on and the tie if you need one there. The other bits, shirts, trousers, skirts are much cheaper in Asda etc. You can get the shirts or polos for about £1 each, which is much cheaper. You can also get as many jumpers, ties etc as you want from the lost property at the end of term if you’re not too fussy. All unclaimed stuff goes in the bin at the end of term but with a good wash most of its fine and its free!

And its a NSD weekend for us which I wouldn’t have thought possible but just goes to show. The weather has helped cos cant be bothered getting all wrapped up and the breadmakings coming on really well (thanks Mrs Macawber)so am going to have a toasty afternoon in with the telly and then Lark Rise is on tonight.

Not going to update my sig til the end of the month. Hope it will all balance out by then.

Cheers all :coffee:

slowlyfading

Well I spent £1.67 at the Spar shop on campus for my toothpaste and milk updated the sig accordingly!
sf x

redglass_2

Hello, everybody. An NSD today! Sunday used to be a day for impulse spending (wine mostly) - must be a reformed character! :rotfl:
I've just started using Topcashback and need some advice from more experienced frugalists. If I fill in the no-purchase surveys, does that mean I'll get loads of spam? And is it the same with Pigsback (which I haven't used yet?)

bails

Ellidee wrote: »

Hope I didn't come across as patronising or 'know all' -just that I used to work for a bank and my dh still does.

Not at all Ellidee, I thought as much and am just very grateful for your help x
Been at my parents for my mum's 60th so just off to catch up on the rest of the posts!

Frugaldom

Well, I did my 'tenner shop' after hitching a lift to the supermarket and taking accompanying male around store with me as a mental calculator. I shopped, he counted and, when the total reached £9.70, I dashed off back up the aisle to grab a 30p frozen family size Yorkie pudding. Now, however, the lady on the checkout thinks I'm nuts!.

This came about from my standing there, packing the items into my reuseable 'green' shopping bag and eagerly awaiting the till to register £10.
IT DIDN'T!! :eek: :eek: :eek: It registered £10.85!!
Boy, was I mad at finding out said accompanying male was not number perfect in his mental arithmetic! And I said as much, right there at the check-out. "Your arithmetic is CR**", I spouted at by now embarrassed looking accompanying male. To rub salt into the wound, checkout lady proceeded to comment on how much I had managed to get for a tenner, so she got it next -

"It isn't good for a tenner when it comes to £10.85 and what if I only have a tenner on me?!"

Fortunately, accompanying male did not have to suffer the indignity of seeing me trawl through the items returning 85p worth of goods, but he has accepted all blame as it was he who wanted the 4 pints of milk rather than finish off the two cartons in the fridge and then get more! MEN!

Here's the list:

Washing up liquid - 14p
2 x 1.5kg plain flour @ 38p - 76p
500g brand name margarine - 68p
2 x tins baked beans @ 21p - 42p
Pk of 4 low fat youghurt - 34p
Family size Yorkshire pudding - 30p
1kg long grain rice - 51p
500g pasta - 20p
400g minced beef (reduced to clear) 52p
Box of brand name oatcakes (special offer) - 55p
Saver digestive biscuits - 26p
3 x peppers (1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red) - £1.50
Onions - 5-p
Carrots - 47p
2 x 500g spaghetti @ 17p - 34p
400g strong cheddar cheese (half price) £1.80
4 pints whole milk - £1.34
Total spend for day = £10.85

NYK's WACKY HINTS & TIPS - NEVER TRUST SOMEONE ELSE TO DO YOUR COUNTING. Where finances are concerned, ALWAYS keep control of your own.

PS: Going to use the pepper seeds for some homegrowns as I've had some success growing red peppers in the past :T

Frugaldom

redglass wrote: »

Hello, everybody. An NSD today! Sunday used to be a day for impulse spending (wine mostly) - must be a reformed character! :rotfl:
I've just started using Topcashback and need some advice from more experienced frugalists. If I fill in the no-purchase surveys, does that mean I'll get loads of spam? And is it the same with Pigsback (which I haven't used yet?)

Well done on the NSD :beer:

When doing your surveys, there's usually boxes to tick or untick depending if you want further offers sent. Just make sure you tick or untick in the right places and you should be OK

bails

nykmedia wrote: »

Hi Bails, you don't actually mean that you have paid a total of £22.71 over the past 6 months for electricity, do you? That's the weekly amount, right? Try taking a meter reading at the same time every day (& night if you are on Economy 7/White meter) and that way you can work out how much, exactly, you are using. Rake out all your bills - if you're like me and moved in within last 6 months then there should only be one bill plus the initial one from the first day meter reading. That way you can see what payment plan you are on and how much each unit is costing. I just HOPE you haven't fallen into the same trap I did - fingers crossed for you!

Going to catch up with all the posts from you little frugal busy bees and then I'll be back. Today = NSD

I do mean that's what we've paid in the last 6 months Nyk. We were on DD, have now left that supplier and got that refund cheque of £37 something! Surely there can be no comeback from that, can there? Maybe I should phone up and double double check, although when I was speaking to them about the gas last week they mentioned the electricity was 'sorted'. I will do some meter readings from now on though.

Frugaldom

bails wrote: »

I do mean that's what we've paid in the last 6 months Nyk. We were on DD, have now left that supplier and got that refund cheque of £37 something! Surely there can be no comeback from that, can there? Maybe I should phone up and double double check, although when I was speaking to them about the gas last week they mentioned the electricity was 'sorted'. I will do some meter readings from now on though.

Me totally confused but if they say it's right then file their paperwork for future proof. Maybe your direct debits were way over for previous months and that's it all finally caught up and they owed you! Bank the cheque, I say. :T :T :T