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Have a fabulous frugal February with the fantastic frugaleers

885 replies

northender · 29/01/2014 23:33

As we filled the old thread, thought I'd start a new one for February.

OP posts:
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CremeEggThief · 29/01/2014 23:58

Thanks for starting a shiny new thread, northender Smile.

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NK5BM3 · 30/01/2014 01:10

Checking in! Thank you for all your well wishes!! Pay rise but a heck of a lot more work... Strategic stuff. Damn!!! Ok gotta sleep now. Busy day in London tomorrow. Catch you girls later!!

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AdoraBell · 30/01/2014 02:05

Signing in, will update later.

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ArtemisatBrauron · 30/01/2014 07:25

Thanks north! Ok, 26 days until payday, my goal is to spend only on essentials - food, direct debits for bills etc.

Any eBay/carboot profits to go off CC debt. Some of it has bids, I have 15 or so more things to sell.

DH has decided to sell his 4 guitars which should pay off one of his cards (he has three from before we were married which he is determined to pay off alone... Confused

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expectingnumber3 · 30/01/2014 07:52

New thread, thank you! I'm in!

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lilacclery · 30/01/2014 08:35

Definitely joining in, bank balance is in the red this morning so going to hotfoot it to the bank to lodge my self employed earnings from last night & aside from the main shop today I intend to have NSDs until this day next week. Normally self employed earnings go in a separate account but as I'm on state maternity at the moment I need it to keep my head above water.

Planning a trip to my parents tomo week & want to be able to spend a little money on lunch out en route etc so this week of NSDs will be worth it.

Saved €120 this week on my car insurance quote, €80 on hotel for my brothers wedding so happy bunny!
Child benefit in next week & that'll will clear off the wood pellet delivery we charged to dhs card in December.

February will be a better month - am better prepared for it

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Ellisisland · 30/01/2014 08:41

Congrats again NK Grin

Right did the good shop this morning and spent £70. More than normal but had to get a lot of cleaning products etc plus it's DS birthday in a few weeks so trying to spread the cost by getting a few bits each week so today it was Thomas the tank engine cake toppers! Grin

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TenCupsOfTea · 30/01/2014 08:46

Can I join in please, need encouragement to be frugal..... Am currently abroad and there are crazy sales on here, everytime I get together with my mum friends they re all buying soooo much stuff for their kids...... Mine honestly don't need anything so it's vey hard not to buy stuff for the sake of it.... Will hopefully pay off credit cards this month too. Does anyone know if closing some down would improve my credit score? I have a few with nil balances from when I have opened them for balance transfers etc

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northender · 30/01/2014 09:39

Welcome tea and lilac

tea I'm sure it helps your credit rating to close unused credit card accounts down.

OP posts:
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AdoraBell · 30/01/2014 12:07

Okay, kind of got my head around my spending over the last couple of days.

Supermarket £80, that included socks and leggings for the new school year. They need full uniform, books and materials but the money isn't there and it's too much To just absorbe it into the weekly shop. Physics books, fe, around £80 for each DD.

Also £4.80 on roads and £8 on parking. Need To Go into town again but have a Pre paíd card for the car park I need.

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shortscotty · 30/01/2014 13:46

Low supermarket spend (for me!) £56. Plus called at another local shop got eggs veg oil and 7.5kg spuds plus cater tin of tomatoes for £11.50
If it gets tight before payday next Friday we can have chip butties dribble dribble
Almost got the hang of meal planning, though waking at 3am to run through freezer to meal contents not my best idea

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Thebluedog · 30/01/2014 13:46

Ohhhh a new thread Grin shiney!!

4 quid for me on parking today but that's my lot.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 30/01/2014 15:02

NSD.

Nearly bought new bed linen but I want 1000tc Egyptian cotton sateen for about £1 because the duvet was so barginous I can't bear to spend too much on it.

I think closing credit accounts is good, it reduces the amount of debt available to you as well.

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ArtemisatBrauron · 30/01/2014 15:16

I think it can very temporarily worsen your rating (don't know why, but once when I closed one I was warned of this) but then it bounces up again quite quickly because you have less credit available.

Still waiting for news re job... I know realistically it might be 2+ weeks but every time I get an email I jump!

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ArtemisatBrauron · 30/01/2014 15:17

Am working on DH to get him to snowball his debt payments to lowest card, close it, then snowball the next one, but he has no sense of urgency and doesn't see debt as an issue at all, he is so casual about it. He thinks I am hysterical/over the top because I want to pay debt off so much

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DublinDoll · 30/01/2014 15:30

Can I join?

Really have to watch our spending, we went off the rails a bit in January. Planning on a very frugal February.

We are both paid today but mortgage, car tax, CC direct debit come out tomorrow. Spends today were €4.49 on Calpol for DS2 and €12.20 on tolls (would have €6.10 but I forgot to pay in time!).

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AdoraBell · 30/01/2014 15:30

Blush forgot To say Thank you for the new thread.

Thank you North Smile

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not2nitedarling · 30/01/2014 16:02

£5 on gas card (essential!)
£1.45 on milk (also essential
I had £15 to last me from Sat til tomorrow
still got £5.04 left!! yeah!!

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not2nitedarling · 30/01/2014 16:04

£750od personal account
£870od joint account
Owe £28,000 on mortgage
Loan 1 owe £7,000ish
LOan 2 owe £8,000ish
pay dd for loans and mortgage monthly to same bank as got overdrafts with

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clippityclop · 30/01/2014 16:09

Great idea. Thanks for the new thread.

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CremeEggThief · 30/01/2014 16:28

£3.60 on my bus fare and salad will set me back another £1.

Welcome all newbies Smile.

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TenCupsOfTea · 30/01/2014 16:36

Ooh conflicting advice on closing credit card accounts, any other ideas? We are going for a mortgage soon so would like my credit score as high as possible. Is it better to have less credit available? Will have no debt (finally Grin)

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MrsDeanAmbrose · 30/01/2014 16:36

Can I join? I drop to SMP this month so I'm trying to keep things as tight as I can. DH's wage covers the mortgage and his debts and mine pays bills and my debts. I do have some savings to supplement SMP but I'd like to make those last if I can. So, for the next few months things are being done on the cheap and ebay is getting a hammering from me to hopefully declutter the house as well.

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SpangleMaker · 30/01/2014 16:40

Thanks for the new thread north Smile

Will post January 'outturn' and February budget later.

I need to do some grocery shopping on the way home, hoping not to spend too much as I already have a few meals worth in.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 30/01/2014 17:03

Sorry North, where are my manners. Thank you for the new thread.

Ten why don't you ask your banks mortgage adviser? Our broker didn't mention dormant cards, it was active balances that he didn't like.

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