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No-spend January/Frugal February - the no-spend challenge continues

981 replies

roguepixie · 19/01/2012 19:41

OK - am attempting to start the second thread ... hope this works.

OP posts:
duchesse · 22/01/2012 22:35

Yes, she is lovely- like a giant dog carpet. She's a Bernese Mountain Dog. Pics on my profile. She's 8 months old, but was born in France so due to rabies regs wasn't able to come and live with us until the beginning of January. So honestly she might not have understood the paws off the chickens rule until she got told off.

TheSecondComing · 22/01/2012 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fishpond · 23/01/2012 03:14

Unforeseen $5 spend on DVD writable discs as my laptop has been the victim of a virus and needs complete overhaul. Sad

Went out for lunch with sister and her twins, she was planning to pay but they overcooked our steaks and we didn't have time to wait for another due to children being tired, so manager paid our whole meal Grin

Grandma stable, she goes up and down really due to chemo she's on. She probably won't be around much longer - she raised me, so like my mum really Sad

Cutting short - tornado watch out tonight, strong storms coming in. Don't expect any spend tomorrow, my money is dwindling dangerously low and still no work in sight. Car really needs an oil change, after that I'll only have $75 to my name. Hope thongs don't get too desperate that I need to borrow from family, makes me feel a scrounge.

Fishpond · 23/01/2012 03:15

*hope things don't get too desperate, not thongs. Grin

Lexilicious · 23/01/2012 10:08

Well good morning. Am back in work and have printed off the checklists. Had a great family weekend - two paid-for activities with DS (cinema and swimming) and one free (out on the bike with daddy). Good cheap meals and no unplanned spending. I even went to the supermarket and bought LESS than the whole list - mainly because it was nearly Sunday closing time and I had to concentrate on what we actually needed.

DH holed himself up in the study a lot of the weekend and got a good piece of work done which should mean he has a little downtime in the bag for when he needs it.

Loaded up 16 items on Ebay and most of them have watchers. The musical potty (which I frequently came close to smashing up, the songs are so tedious!) already has bids, which is great. We bought it off a friend at DH's work for £10 so we'll probably break even on it. Some of the other things are a bit niche or on the old side so ho-hum, we'll see.

Hope some work appears soon fishpond and that your grandma is on the mend. I've always had safe jobs but DH has been a consultant/contractor and in the times when he is out of work or nearing the end of a fixed term contract, I've seen how that pulls his whole self-confidence and belief down, and makes every step five times as hard to take. Best of luck.

Enjoying all the doggy stories!! God I'd love a dog but we're both out for 9 hours of the day, it's too long to leave one on their own. Must do some work now

Lexilicious · 23/01/2012 10:20

Oh Oh and and... the supermarket was Tesco (yes evil I know) and I had a voucher. Interesting tactic - I went in last weekend and bought a few bits, and at the till along with the receipt out came a voucher with a week's validity for £6 off £40 spend.

So, I wrote my list, enough that would definitely come over £40, and loosely linked to a meal plan and a bit of re-stocking. Came to £60 after the voucher, so they got a good result from that bit of suckering me in.

Then the receipt comes out... and another voucher! same tactic, valid till sunday - but this time I only get £5 off £40 by next Sunday. I bet if I was to go use it I'd get 50p for the next time!

Mackrelmint · 23/01/2012 11:01

oh fishpond, so sorry about your grandma. And I hope no tornadoes coming your way! Scary stuff...

peggy - good tip on code, but I'm a bit gutted as I just used Waitrose for the first time the other week and couldn't find any codes to use then!

Saw a code in the Metro this morning for £10 off £40 Tesco clothes shop - TREAT12 I think. Need a load of bigger clothes for DD and think Tesco kids clothes are pretty good so may have a look later. Not sure I need £40 worth of clothes though... Was trying to find some ebay bargains but not found much that suits what I am looking for.

LadyHarrietDeSpook · 23/01/2012 11:19

Not a particularly good spending weekend.

Burns Night dinner party Sat night which DH shopped for - had to get four small haggis- ended up with one extra Angry which is a pain (waste but not particularly healthy to eat, hence demotivating me to 'eat what's in the fridge').

DID however take packed lunch to meet friends for walk in the park.

Counteracted by cakes and coffee in a cafe - spendy and food very underwhelming (but at least it was warm!!) Seriously - why do cakes in cafes invariably disappoint??? My c chip cookie a poor show, DH's choc and zucchini cake v v dry.

Spent quite a bit in Waitrose on the way home (only store open when we were driving back) for soup ingredients but DH is packing his lunch and at least the food is all really healthy.

Sigh. There is an international supermarket near us and the veg is really really cheap. Like ten beets for a pound sort of cheap. Plus a market stall type place, but it's never open when I'm home from work during the week.
I should make more of an effort to get there though...

spewgloriousspew · 23/01/2012 12:10

A bit annoyed here. Just posted back the ebay dungarees that were incorrectly advertised (wrong size). Seller says he will refund original P&P costs, but surely he should refund the money I sent posting them back. Yes, it's only £1.96, but it's the principle. Or am I being really tight? Also, that £1.96 should have been less, but the bloody dour-faced woman at the PO point blank refused to accept that the package would go through a letterbox (despite pushing it most of the way through her little example slot thing - another little shove and it would have been through). Grrr. So, I'll end up being out of pocket for something that wasn't as advertised.

peggyblackett · 23/01/2012 13:42

spew, challenge the selller. The one time I had a return I refunded the full price + original P and P + their returns P + P. Agree that you shouldn't be out of pocket if it was their mistake. Surely it can't be worth negative feedback for the seller - I do pretty much anything to keep my feedback 100% positive.

spewgloriousspew · 23/01/2012 14:33

He's cancelled the transaction, so I can't leave feedback, Peggy. It was my fault for agreeing to cancel before the refund had been given. I don't like to make a fuss, but I think I might try to make a point!

spewgloriousspew · 23/01/2012 14:42

I have sent a polite, yet firm, message to request he reimburses me for the costs incurred. It was an error on his part, so I feel this is fair. Now waiting to see if he plays game.

peggyblackett · 23/01/2012 18:23

Fingers crossed spew. Bad eBay experiences always leave a bad taste in my mouth. Hope his conscience gets pricked :).

ilikeyoursleeves · 23/01/2012 19:57

I had a good day today but a bad one spending wise! I took the ds's to ikea today & spent £8 on lunch, £56 on a child table & chairs, storage bits & bobs, mixing bowls, lightbulbs & cake cases, then £13 on 2 pairs of slippers (ds2's dont even fit so they'll be going back!) &£5 on passport photos for ds nursery.

Probably could have done without most of that really &dh wasnt happy I'd spent so much in ikea! But the table is fab in the boys room& it will last for years :o

Fishpond · 23/01/2012 20:59

Just got word that I've gotten a job at the bank Smile - its even full time which I wasn't expecting, will help so much to save up before baby is born. Not spent yet but may have a $3-4 celebratory treat for myself later.

roguepixie · 23/01/2012 21:08

Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo. Congratulations fishy ... what brilliant news. Well done to you. GrinGrinGrin

Seeing as you can't have any Wine, have some Thanks instead and make yourself a nice Brew.

OP posts:
Leilandri · 23/01/2012 21:22

Well done Fishpond that's great news Grin
I'll have some Wine for you!!

Mackrelmint · 23/01/2012 21:41

congrats fishpond! brilliant news Grin

maypole1 · 23/01/2012 21:47

Ins been so cold and my bills have been so high just finished watching super scrimpers and decided to put foil behind all my rads

I brought frozen sardines and an going to do sardines on toast with avacardo salad and new potatoes

My issue is oh always seems to be hungry around 9 and we can't afford for him wanting to open a pack of chicken

Filling Snacks any one can think of

reckoner · 23/01/2012 21:59

Oh fish that's wonderful news! I'm so chuffed for you!

Bossybritches22 · 23/01/2012 22:17

Well done fishy !!

Haven't been around much, trying to keep off MN whimper & Get Stuff Done. Also has been DD1's birthday w/e so budgets has gone out the window. Sad

But my Mum came up for the w/e & paid for our birthday meal out, so I only had to pay for the cinema treat as requested.

We saw " War Horse" sob not as good as the play but beautiful scenery, lovely heartbreaking horses and (if he's your thing) Benedict Cumberbatch in uniform ! For DD1 that was the best bit!

dinkystinky · 23/01/2012 22:19

Hurray Fish - so pleased for you!

Maypole - chickpeas and beans are a good protein source - perhaps make a huge vat of veggie chilli and make sure he tucks into that instead?

IamMummyhearmeROAR · 23/01/2012 22:29

Great news Fishpond

Debs75 · 23/01/2012 23:01

Good news on the job Fishy, must be lovely to have regular money coming back in.

Hardly any spend for me today.YAY,
£30 paying mum back
£10.70 buying chip shop tea for 7 of us.
Got £61.50 off Dsis to pay for mums bday present
Have had an alarming weekend with DD's and SO's and my money has more than halved since Friday so we are being tight belted. I have already bought for the 2 bdays in February so that is a help. Just need to not have any meals out this week or next

Posted more on Ebay aond on here and on the Cloth Nappy Tree so hopefully they will sell soon

duchesse · 23/01/2012 23:01

Hooray Fishpond for your new job!