Judicious January - Long may the credit crunching continue

[roguepixie]

So, the credit crunching team are into Year 2013. Happy New Year everyone.

Let's continue our cost-cutting, , money saving,penny and pound pinching, NSD ways.

It's the fast action stuff that comes in little foil sachets. Have posted in the food thread to see if anyone over there can help. My other thought is I could just use the dough setting and then bung said dough in the oven in a tin.

Try that and then if it won't work buy the panny.

If you go through easygiving.co.uk you can support a charity for free too. Doesn't work if you want to go through quidco etc.

North That thought that "next year will be better without the debts" is what keeps me going too. Every month is a struggle at the moment, but I'd rather rip the bandaid off quickly and get the debts gone with one miserable year, than have several pretty tough years instead!
Hope they get to the bottom of the car problem too.

economy I used to have a bread machine years ago gave it away on freecycle and now heartily regret it was a morphy richards one. Found it made the loaves heavy in the middle no matter what I did. I did your second suggestion of using it as a dough machine, and baked the loaves myself, and they improved greatly.

Spends today -
£10.38 on home-brew stuff for DH, but he found a tenner on way home from work, so only really 38p.
£2.34 in Card factory. 10 cards for £1, wrapping paper, and a valentines card for DH.
£2 in Primark, some mittens for DS2 to lose at nursery, and some lightning mcqueen boxer shots for DS1!!
£2.48 in PDSA on 2 pairs of gloves for DS1 as he has lost his others and Primark had sold out.
£4.63 in Morrisons on sausage rolls, doughnuts and milk
£3 in Hawkins Bazaar on Bday pressy for DS1's friend.

I agree Storm it doesn't seem like much when spending a bit here and a bit there, but £15 today in total, gone just like that!!

Righty, that's what I'll do. Not sure why I didn't think of just using it for dough before! I have made pizza dough in it, with success, so it should be fine. Fed up of just getting half a loaf out of this machine, with a full loaf's worth of ingredients.

How is your son's teething, Leilandri? We've just had a week of canines erupting, but thankfully they're now all through. No fun, so I sympathise.

He's struggling through bless him, though I could currently take out shares in Calpol! He likes to be efficient it seems and doesn't cut one tooth at a time. Last time it was 7! This time appears to be 3 - 2 canines and a molar
He's usually such a happy, cheeky little chap that to see him so miserable is really tough. Still nursery tomorrow, which he loves, so we get a much needed break from each other!

I keep having to remind my OH to ask for generic drugs here, it can make the difference of hundreds of ££s on just a couple of prescriptions

Yesterday I spent £60 on groceries and today £20 on nice vino for OH's birthday gift, £3 on roads and £10 on snacks with DDs. DD2 spent £7 on cloth, zips and ribbons.

I have the Panasonic bread machine that won the Good Housekeeping Award several years in a row and it's fantastic. I've had it for about 7 years. Mine has the compartment in the lid for automatically adding fruit during the programmes. I love my breadmaker!!

I find the flour varies throughout the year so odd months it won't be so good. Apparently our bread flour is mostly from Canada and the US and is affected by their rainfall and droughts. I was advised to mix flours if that happened and do half white half whole meal as they're likely to have been harvested at different times.

If I get a heavy loaf I usually find it better to add 10-20 mls more water.

Have you tried a packet mix in it? Sometimes they can be ok. Aldi ones are cheap.

Got sidetracked and should have said that yesterday was a NSD. Today should be too as I'm making bread using up some stir cupboard spelt flour we bought from a windmill on holiday last year rather than buying it.

Wow, this thread is motoring ... I looked earlier and thought I'd caught up but no....masses to read!!

Economy, I have a Panasonic bread maker. However, DH bought it for me about 12 years ago so it is quite old now and has been absolutely hammered ...sometimes 2 loaves a day!!! It is an amazing machine and is only now beginning to show signs of unreliability and I am starting to think that a new one is on the horizon. I really really couldn't live without it - it does bread in 2 hours, it does pizza dough, all sorts. I love it.

Can I ask how old your machine is? I ask only because, as mentioned above, my now ancient machine is showing signs of unreliability - that usually manifests itself as sunken loaves. I thought as first it was the yeast but I think it is actually the machine.

Breadmakers are expensive but I would recommend getting a really good one - the Panasonic has been top for years - it really makes a difference, not only to the programmes available but also the quality of the bake. Try mixing flours, just making dough etc and see if you like it (with your model now) - if you do, get a betterone.

Good morning to everyone. Spendy day yesterday. Bought new underwear, a new dress (beautiful red one) and a new pair of t-bar dolly shoes (for me)- I love them, they are beeeeeeeeeea-utiful.

NSD today ... I pinky swear.

ecenomy - I have a Panasonic. Mine is about 3 years old, my Mum bought it for me one Christmas. I love it and have never had a bad loaf except once when the yeast had just died.

rogue - fabulous spends, it all sounds lovely!

Not a NSD yesterday, ended up taking the DCs to Macdonald's and having something myself - too knackered after the hell that is swimming lesson to cook anything quickly enough!
Today I am going to do my top up shop and try to stick to £20. And I have just put £4 in an envelope for DS1's school trip.

I have left it right until the last moment to do my tax return - tried last night and the online system wouldn't let me on - panic!! Rang and spoke to a v.helpful HMRC person this morning and now all is working, but I need to wait 24hours apparently to let the system accept my user ID?? So that really is going to be cutting it fine.... On the plus side, I don't think I will actually have any tax to pay, and maybe even a teeny rebate due!

Morning everybody. Haven't really had time to read through everything, but hope everybody is well & being frugal

Ali I also still have to file my tax return & won't have to pay anything either, I imagine, but I can't remember where I put my username & password ! Am sure it is probably in my filing cabinet, but not at home so can't check. So sat here panicking!

Yesterday only spent £1, 50p on class money for DS1, 50p on toddler group. But made total fool of myself by blubbing my way through toddler group (mixture of everything that has been going on, PMT & speaking to someone about my concerns about DS2's speech), don't know what people must think of me

Today should be NSD, at work & don't need to buy anything today.

I bloody hate the user ID system for HMRC - I end up having to reset it every time i use it as can never remember it and my password.

Thanks for the bread maker advice. Perhaps I should use some of my first batch of maternity allowance to buy a Panasonic. The bread this machine makes is not exactly great. I do mix flours (I tend to make a light wholemeal, so brown and white flours) and follow all the instructions. Maybe it is just a bit old - no idea how old though!

jen - from next year I am going to get our accountant to do it. They would have done it this year, at no extra cost over the retainer we pay for them doing our business accounts monthly - if I had sent the information to them before the 30th September. My brain didn't get a grip on that fact, so when I asked them a few weeks ago they said 'sure Mrs Alibaba, please pay £90+VAT and we will go right ahead.'. So seeing as DH didn't have a job at that stage I thought 'how hard can it be' and decided to do it myself. Error It certainly bloody will be if I bugger it up and get a penalty!

£1440.00 in accountancy fees. Feel a bit sick, but that could be all the Bourbon biscuits I ate for lunch.

£20.00 on the nose for petrol.

The good thing about pannys is the big loaf tin, some of them do teeny tiny loaves that just aren't practical at all. I use this yeast which lasts for ages. I'm sure there is a way to grow your own yeast but I don't know if its suitable for bread makers.

Tomorrow ought to be a NSD.

Worthwhile though, eh Fluffy?

Still haven't splashed out on a new tv, as I haven't got the energy for further research, with this nasty cold/flu. Today's total was £4.20 on busfares and £4.15 on Lemsip and milk, so £8.35.

Jen, you have been through a lot lately and I'm sure all your pals at toddler group were happy to be there for you .

Rogue, loving the sound of the sound of the new dress and shoes :).

Rogue purchases so lovely :)
economy all this talk of breadmakers is making me want to add one to my Xmas pressy wishlist!

Spent 70p today on a can of boot polish for DH.

Fluffy, I spent £900 on extra tax and accountancy fees this month. I am running on empty now.

Haven't been on for a while and have done some naughty spending. Took a look at account today and I think we will be over my budget by about £100 this month. Better then last month by miles but still rather depressing. Luckily we are in the happy position of having no debts and an OK sum of savings so can afford a bit of over spend for a month or two. I am determined to do better next month though!

Wow busy thread, I have lurked on and off since last year but not posted much although going to try & get better this year! waves to everyone

We are trying to be frugal because we owe my parents shitloads a significant sum of money they lent us as a desposit to buy our house because we couldn't sell our old one (which we now rent out). The plan was originally to pay them back when we sold our old house when the market picks up. However, I have a new job now which is a bit more £ and we think if we save like mad we can pay them back in 2-3 years without selling our old house, at least then we might have some sort of pension/retirement pot in our old house.

Two train-related offers from me today...

www.bitecard.co.uk - free card that offers 20% off at food outlets that are found at stations e.g. The Pasty Shop, Camden Food Co. Millie's Cookies (12 mixed box came down to £5.90 today ). Not sure if it works in branches that aren't at stations but worth it if you need to buy food at the station (obviously packed lunch, etc is more frugal)

www.londonmidland.com/greatescape/great-escape/ - if you are in London Midland train network area offers are for £15 adult, £5 child (£9.90/£2 with railcard) for a day return from 9th-24th Feb so covers half term. There are some restrictions but good value.

Can you tell I've been to London on the train for work today?

Tried to book car in today, it got a tiny scrape in OH's office car park, they can't do it yet.

So, roads -£2.40
Top up shopping -£12
Yet more undies for DD1 -£30 I'm going to stop feeding that kid unless she stops bleeding well growing

Bite card is brilliant. If you work a long day, humping around loads of food with you like a frugal tourist is not always practical. For example I was held up last night and needed to get supper at the station, and 20% off is brilliant. Also cappuccinos cost £1.76 with it less another 1/6 making it around £1,50 as there is a coffee loyalty card too, right down from £2,20. The new card is apparently going to give loyalty points as well - even better.

Aldi voucher in the mirror tomorrow for a £40 spend. Finally one on my week to buy the food.

Free £5 off voucher for lidl in their facebook page.

Ooh thanks for the tip about the Aldi voucher fluffy. I'm due to go tomorrow or Friday so I'll have sacrifice my principles and buy a Mirror.

Managed NSD yesterday and planning one for today too. The bread I made yesterday with the spelt flour was amazing so doing another loaf today - saves a visit to the shops. I was going to buy a dessert for tonight but we have some leftover stale bread so bread and butter pudding it is then!!

Need to start shopping around for contents insurance. This year I'll go through a cashback site - would never have known to do that if I hadn't "met" you lovely lot of credit crunchers!

Another job application going in today and two more this week to do. Hopefully I'll find something soon.

Oh dear now Ive started spending again I can't stop.

Did a big shop in Aldi yesterday as we were running out of fresh food almost entirely and needed various other things - £48.15 - got to till to discover no debit card in wallet. cue massive panic, rushed home without shopping thankfully found card came back and paid. Aldi were great and left it to one side in trolly so at least I did'nt have to pick it all up again.

Then went out with friend for coffee this morning £6.50 later.

Popped into co-op for the bread I forgot in Aldi yesterday and spent nearly £13 but did get big pack of mince mince, 2 packs of meat balls, a duck crown and small joint of beef all yellow stickered so that stocked up my depleted freezer nicely

So £70 in 2 days but now going to aim for some NSDs and have a well stocked fridge cupboard and freezer again. I think excluding bread, fruit and milk we have enough food for 2-3 weeks now so aiming for a low spending month in February.

Am determined tomorrow will be a NSD so have worked out my expenditure for the month excluding direct debits and any other PLANNED bills of which there are a couple. It was £800.71. However that includes £435 house and contents insurance to last until next January so if I take that off it comes to £365.71 for the whole month. I know its a lot but for me its incredible.

Sorry epic post

NSD yesterday (first in ages!) Today won't be - off to Edward Bear shortly, so 50p fees for that, plus need to get DS1 a 'treat' from the 10p box in the charity shop, as he stayed in bed this morning when he awoke, as asked, and I promised him a reward for doing this (shameless bribery )

At least I have now filed my self-assessment tax return & confirmed my figures to Tax Credits, so relieved about that (always feel nervous for these things!)

Will come back later & read through thread.