Frugaleers Flying into the New Year All Welcome on the January Thread

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread hopefully someone can add some old links?

[babsmam]

Thanks spotty. If no one else does I will boot up the desktop later and do it.

[Ememem84]

Shopping list is nearly complete. I'm guessing we'll spend about £80 at the co-op. But will fill freezer for this. Have ordered a veggie box from local farm shop too. £17.

Meal plans for this week are:

Monday - Singapore style noodles
Tues- Jamie Oliver pea and panchetta pasta
Weds- veggie red Thai curry
Thurs- take away with friends
Friday - Prawn and spinach risotto
Sat - homemade pizzas
Sunday - squash feta and spinach lasagne.

[colliepirate]

This is the Eat 4 Cheap campaign by the NHS. I've seen the chunky booklet that they've released & its surprisingly good (it was in a waiting room). No idea how to get my own booklet but here's the link for the campaign in general.

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/eat4cheap/Pages/save-money-and-eat-a-healthy-diet.aspx

[colliepirate]

PS thanks Spotty! :)

[Allgunsblazing]

Thank you for the new thread!

[Ursulatodd]

Collie that link is great - thank you! I love the breakdown of how you can achieve your 5-a-day for 50p and some of the 100-cal snacks are a great idea (I've just discovered the joy of peanut butter and apple! hated pb before!)

The new year is about getting back to basics and food shopping is somewhere that we can be really in control of what we spend.

[Pointlessfan]

Found you! Thanks for new thread, I'm looking forward to getting back to frugality in the new year.
It's a year since I joined you all. The biggest changes I've made are actually small things that add up eg I've stopped straightening my hair (and had loads of compliments so it's a double win!); only using the pound shop to buy things like toothpaste; sweeping every day and hoovering less often.
Next year's aims are to use YNAB or at least improve my spreadsheet and record every spend so I've got a better handle on it all. We want to start trying for baby #2 so we need to save up a lot for mat leave. We also need to do some decorating and we'd like to buy a roof box for camping so quite a lot of aims to save for.
DH has had a pay rise of about £150 a month after tax so that will help massively.
We also were given enough beer, chocolate and toiletries for Xmas to last until about Easter so we're sorted for treats!

[SpottyTeacakes]

Our aim is to:

keep plowing away at the credit card and buy nothing on credit.
I need to pay the dc back any money I owe them (it's not loads).
Eat cheap but healthy maybe less meat (dh won't be happy with that)
Have a set budget/cash saved for our trip to the IOW in May and all school holidays.
Have a Christmas fund and car fund.

I think that's enough to keep me going.

[northender]

Thanks for the new thread spotty

[Ememem84]

£100.17 at co-op so slightly over spent. But. Freezer is now full and store cupboards are stocked. Plus we bought a bread knife. £8.50. Not sure how we've lasted this long without one.

Great link collie have bookmarked so I can read it later.

My cheapest spend today was £0.15 on celery. It was reduced and reduced and reduced. It's being chopped now for freezing.

I find it frustrating that my only supermarket choices here are co-op m&s waitrose or Iceland.

We have a local store which does sell tesco products. But it's difficult to do a big shop in. As its middle of town and no parking nearby.

[northender]

I've just looked back to find I've been on the threads for exactly 3 years now. I think it is a fantastic way to get motivated and keep motivated and is so supportive. My feeling is that the thread doesn't really need to change, different posters use it in different ways and it has evolved a lot over the years. Some post much more than others, some like to post daily spends, that's fine but has never really been my thing so I tend to prefer to post frugal chat. Sometimes the chat that is not specifically about money or frugality, however, I think that when you're down, or stressed, upset, etc, to chat on here can help to get you through it and back focussing again. I've posted on more specific threads before eg meal planning, budgetting but they never seem to keep going for long.

As always at the start of a New Year there will be more newbies than usual, let's hope we can carry on being a welcoming place for anyone wanting or having to live more frugally. Cheers fellow frugaleers!

[Ememem84]

north I like the chat and actually think this is a super supportive place. I've been here for almost a year. Although for a bit I was lurking and sort of fell off the frugal wagon. So it definetly helps me.

Actually mn as a whole has helped me. The stately homes thread helped, the beauty product hoard thread helped me realise I'm a spender

[CremeEggThief]

Found you all! Thanks for our shiny new thread, Spotty. I am child free and exhausted after a day in the city yesterday, so literally just up and had tea and toast. I am having a PJ and telly day today and doing nothing except meals and whatever washing up comes with them, so definitely another NSD.
I like the chatting, but I would like if if people tally up their daily spends or state if it's an NSD too, to keep the financial focus.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Oh I have a rough meal plan for this week too

Pizza 
Spag Bol 
Chicken Caesar salad 
Beef casserole 

Won't need anything Friday as we're out to lunch and then food shopping again Saturday.

Really want to try and eat healthier though, so hard with young fussy dc who won't touch salad and have a fear of veg

[CremeEggThief]

I am seeing how far I can get into the week without shopping. I have more in than it appears by my almost empty fridge, so I should be alright for a few days. Here's my meal plan.
Today: toast/ M&S reduced salads/ fried egg, beans, waffles and Quorn sausages.
Tuesday: granola/lunch out with my friend/ pasta bake (frozen leftovers).
Wednesday: porridge/ possible lunch out with another friend/fried egg, beans, Quorn sausages and waffles.
Thursday: porridge/homemade vegetable soup/cheese from Christmas cheeseboard and crackers.
Friday: same as Thursday.
Saturday: porridge/ lunch out with friend #3/soup.
Sunday: porridge/pizza out with DS, after I collect him from the airport (I have Pizza Express vouchers through my Tesco clubcard)/veggie hotdogs. So I might get away with just bread and milk for this week.

Without this thread,I would have automatically done a full weekly shop. I know some people might say lunches with friends are a waste of money, but they are a real lifeline for me, especially as I had to cancel my plan to go away for a few days for an old friend's wedding, and with my DS being away for a whole week.

[AJFsmummy]

agghhh we are so bloody skint its untrue,

I've not had my clients pay invoices on time, my DP hasn't taken a wage home yet since he opened his business in November.....

Anyhoo, its my 29th bday on Friday and we are staying in for NYE, can anyone think of a yummy, slightly special but on the cheap side recipe I can do for a birthday meal?

[SpottyTeacakes]

How about fajitas or some kind of Mexican? Or stuffed peppers with salad and nice garlic bread. You could go steak as tesco do a nice steak for about £3 each.

[northender]

Dh has taken the dc down to see his parents in Devon. They set off this morning and will be back on Wednesday night. I'm supposed to be working tomorrow but my chest is getting worse again since finishing the antibiotics. I'm still managing quite happily on food we already have in. I had turkey & veg soup for lunch and then the last of the bubble & squeak. The rest of the turkey is going to go into a pie and a curry, both to be frozen and used when dh & dc are back. I shouldn't need to grocery shop until the weekend at the earliest. Everything is going to be used up!

We haven't drunk much of the alcohol we bought in so I'm going to take some of it back and get the money back.

[babsmam]

£8 for a family swim, 50p parking, £5 post swim ice cream

[Girlfriend36]

Hello thanks for the shiney new thread Spotty

I'm at work but its actually not been too busy today for a change!

My 2016 goals are to continue to save wherever possible £200 a month, no new clothes unless absolutely necessary (this goes for dd as well) and no impulse buying on Amazon!

Am really hoping to move next year so thats my incentive to save save save!

Today filled the car up for £39 (loving the price of petrol at the minute!) 80p on milk. Going to see Star Wars tonight so that will probably be about a tenner!

[needastrongone]

Stuffed peppers work well. Adding a dash of balsamic vinegar makes any dish a little bit more special. Thai curry, with prawns if you can stretch?

Or M&S meal for 2 for £10 is very good value and feels like a treat?

[needastrongone]

I'll read back later, but thanks for the thread. I have just come back from exchanging some Christmas gifts so catching up with chores.

[AJFsmummy]

Ahh yes needastrongone I forgot about M&S dine for £10 xx

[bantamgirl]

Afternoon all. I did try to post on the last thread this morning but by the time I had finished typing three people had beaten me to it and the thread was closed. I didn't want to start a new one in case someone else was already doing it so I went off to the sales instead :-)

I have loads of food in the freezer which I bought before Christmas and took advantage of DS1's 20% Xmas discount from Lidl (it's back to 10% now) so I won't need any main meal stuff until probably the week of pay-day. Tonight's evening meal is winter spiced roast chicken with salad and savoury rice.

Not working today so no packed lunch needed - I'll have to throw one together for tomorrow though.

The numbers...
Days to Payday; 17
My personal spends:£75.11
Grocery / fuel: £249.66 (should need £80 in petrol)
Everything else money: £277.85
Savings: £1867.40 + £215 to come from DS1 on NYE (this will reduce over the month to around the £800 mark due to stuff to payout.

Spends today
£1.00 on pepsi max for work tomorrow
£7.00 on some half-price Soap & Glory eyeliners from Boots
£12.67 on cold sore treatment.

I also spent £10+ in Paperchase (my favourite store) on two pretty storage boxes and some other stationary. But this was on my debit card so it will probably come out tomorrow.

I'm hiring a skip (£110 for a midi - eek!!!) which is coming on Wednesday. No wonder people fly-tip!
Project for 2016 is Operation Conservatory

• to paint walls.
  
• Need a carpet (is very cold)
  
• Get a door fitted (chap is going to come to quote next week)
  
• Research cheapest way to replace mould-ridden blinds. Possibly get handyman who is giving me a quote for the doors to put a long curtain rail around and get curtains instead? Maybe voile panels? Pretty sure I can't stretch to blind prices.
  
• Declutter (can't do above until we have done this)
  
• Declutter the very tall bookshelf
  
• Clean all UPVC
  
• get rid of Treadmill. I'm going to advertise this on Facebook and see if there are any local takers.
  
• take unread books and donate to library.
  
• move dining room table in there (it's only a 2-seater) and turn into a study space for DS1 (uni student) / colouring corner for me
  
• Clear out pantry and create space for DS1's running / training paraphernalia.
  
• Buy a couple of comfortable chairs.
  
• Get oil filled radiator from out of car to try and warm the room up a bit.
  

So this should keep us busy for a while.

[Ursulatodd]

£8.62 in Aldi getting a few bits for the next few days - bubble&squeak with bacon and egg and lentil and bacon soup. We're away from Thursday - Saturday.

Resolutions so far:

• order on-line shop for delivery if we've been away to avoid impulse shopping.
  
• save £100pm to our '6 months income' pot (which will probably take 6 years to save up!!)
  
  Il keep adding as I think of them.
  
  We've had a lovely walk and trip to the park where I saw loads of people with flasks of tea and snacks from home! Now watching the new Cinderella whilst playing DDs xmas hungry hippos game - bliss!