2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Morning Everyone

Personally I'm glad it's not just me who is wondering if they are getting this frugal thing. I guess life just likes to throw stuff at you.
At least you have the savings buffy I think that's definitely the frugal way.

frugalish I feel your pain regarding trying make income. I have a Monday to Friday job but also do extra work at the weekends but I'm starting to wonder if I'll have to drop them because I'm just getting so tired. If I do then it means trying to find an extra £300 a month from somewhere else, which doesn't sound much but still needs to be found. I'm not working this weekend or the weekend after so I'm going to spend some time looking for ways to make money as well as seeing if I can get my self in a better place tiredness wise!

Another NSD yesterday for me. I had a tub from my batch cooking in the freezer for tea.

I'm trying to decide whether it's time to turn the heating off yet? Has anyone made the big decision?

Still plodding along here too, making small changes: latest is dog biscuits/treats, ( you may not think that these are a necessity but I have two hounds who would disagree!), I now buy them from the local pet shop - two scoops out of the bulk bin straight into my own bag, about 250g for 88p which lasts about a month. No plastic and saves money, win win!
Haircut tomorrow, I have gone from 6 week to 8 week between cuts and have the junior, therefore cheapest stylist. I started having her cut my hair when she was training so it was only £10, up to £25 now she is qualified but still loads cheaper than the others and I still get to go to a swanky salon!
Budgets are more or less on track, and I find this thread really helps keep me on the straightish and narrowish, so thanks to everyone who posts.

Still here, still plodding along.

Trying to make at least one overpayment to the CC every week and paid nealry £700 since end of Jan as well as adding to all of my savings pots and emergency fund. Very happy with that. Minimum debt repayments have already dropped by about £40 per month.

Heating is firmly off at the monent as DH has a nasty habit of clicking it on "just for an hour" but he's doing it all the time when, in my opinion its not really cold or When he's wandering around in his short PJs. I'm already dreading the quarterly bill which is due any day (last one was £700 :eek:) that said I reserve the right to put it back on if it turns cold again - wont have my babies freezing if it genuinely is cold.

Meal planning and shopping to a list is going ok - i tend to buy a lot of ys thats not on the list but only if its stuff we'll use so thats fine. Shopping regularly coming in under budget (£15 last week) and managing at least 2 NSDs each week too which really helps with keeping costs down

Laundry gloop has been our biggest saving. Made a 3 litre batch about 6 weeks ago which we've nearly used and it's saved us so much money - cost 30p vs £6-8 for my normal stuff - not noticed any difference in the cleaning power either so thats a massive win.

FrankieM thank you, it's really hard when the income just isn't there. I hope you find a way to make £300 pm that leaves you with more energy. That's a big chunk of cash to find!

With the heating, we're the same as cw 18 - we never turn it off, just set the thermostat where we want it. It does sometimes get turned up in the evening if it's chilly, but otherwise it stays at around 18.5 degrees. So when the house is warmer than that, it doesn't come on. We've just had a new super-duper efficient and money-saving boiler installed courtesy of the landlady (very reluctantly - we were 5 weeks without heat or hot water during the coldest winter for years!! :eek:) so we're hoping to have lower gas bills to make up for the extortionate amount we spent on electricity while the boiler was out of action!

cw18 wrote: »

I love their chicken nuggets and family sized pies, and tend to get some dusted fishes when they're on multi buy - but I always shop in store as I almost never spend more than £8 in a single transaction (and I only spend that much when they're doing a 'spend £x however many times to get £y free). The normal reward for loading the card if £1 for every £20, but they periodically offer an additional £1 per £10 (meaning £3 per £20). When they do that I load a good chunk of money onto my card - show me a bank that pays that kind of interest rate on such a small investment with instant access to it, and I shall let them have my money to look after instead

I find a £35 online shop every few months can really stock up the freezer withthings like chicken mince, fish and veg. I like their ready meals as they actually have options without onions.....

cw18 wrote: »

I never turn mine off.
The system has a thermostat that I leave at a set temperature all year (although I up it once in a while for a short time if I'm feeling cold even in the warmest room whilst well wrapped up and under my 'snuggle rug'). If the natural temp is that or higher the system doesn't kick in, If we get a cold snap it does, and I don't get up / come home to a freezing cold house.

Personally I have the heating set to come on twice a day, in the morning for half hour whilst getting ready. Then half hour in evening before bed, am usually out in the evenings so don't need it rest of time. On the few days am home all evening I put on if needed.

shish100 wrote: »

I'm still participating in the frugal challenge.

Trying to change some habits and to re-enforce others.

I know what you mean about trying to change spending habits. Even though I am not in debt and have savings now. I want to try and grow my savings.