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.

Aldi is a good 25min drive for me and diesel is already so much of my spend. I find shopping online at Ocado means I can really control what I spend and I try to buy my regular items when on special offer and freeze or store cupboard so I almost never spend the full price on anything. Meal planning for me is usually based around 2/3 things in the freezer that I've bought cheap. I do a shop at Costco every 3 months or so for basics - canned goods, pasta etc. too

I really enjoyed what I've seen so far. Thanks, Boffinmum.

Boffin is your book available on iTunes? I'm all Apple here and I can't find you. I do like what I read on the Amazon preview and I don't mind paying for it.

economy hope you get that cable sorted, good thing your friend has Internet, eh?

NSD here, DD1 is happy splashing around at home and DD2's friend is close, so no roads. Tomorrow I hope to pick up a few things in the sale as I have gift cards. I also don't like paying full price and the summer things will be on sale, with another 3 months of hot weather still to go. I'm looking for whatever linen items are reduced. Thankfully nothing big needs to be paid for until about March, when car tax/insurance is due.

Ali hope your tax bill is mangeable, even though it's annoying.

No, because it's exclusive to Amazon for 3 months, but the download is supposed to be Mac/iPhone/Ipad compatible if you download some special software.

Northender glad you have your new kitchen back. Mine needs a sort out but I'm reluctant (ishoos) so I only do 1 cupboard every few months.

Bit of a spendy day today. But I managed not to buy anything at full price. DS1 got a new coat from John Lewis, £19.60, only 3.3 year old I know in an age 6 coat! New diary £4, calendar £3.49, presents for my DM's birthday on Monday £25, cards £5, card for the DC to make Thank you cards £2.33, A Jamie Oliver Recipe card tin for DSIL bargain, should have been £18.99 but got for £4.49 for her birthday in February :) Guitar plectrums and plectrum holder for DH's birthday at end of the month £5. Tomorrow I have to do the food shop but Saturday I'm going to aim for a NSD :)

Adora, download the kindle app and then you can get it.

Thanks Boffin I'll have another look at it.

There are other books in the top 100 free books that people on here might like as well. For example I have just downloaded a Victoria Hislop short story and a book on decluttering.

Another downloader here Boffin Thank you

Spent £2.70 yesterday on milk, and £4 today on bread for the freezer. Also spent £1.56 over past 2 days in staff canteen will take sandwiches from tomorrow.
My sarnies will have to stay in my locker for 2-3 hours - what fillings are good when non-refridgerated? So far all I have is cheese and pickle :(

Have meal planned til the end of next week, so apart from milk and fruit, shouldn't need to spend anymore...

Oh I forgot, I spent £4.50 in mothercare on some reduced Xmas mugs as gifts, forward planning already!
Also £10 (also in mothercare) on some super tiny babygro's for a new baby gift for friends. Got me all broody again for a moment!!!

So I will have some outlay on postage over next few days too

I've downloaded the book too Boffin. Will read over the next few days, can only do a bit at a time as it's on my PC not a kindle.

The very dodgy dried fruit seems to have gone ok into a teabread but dh is going to test it shortly so fingers crossed!

Blimey this thread is moving quickly!

Leilandri have you got a little cool bag and freezerpak to use for your lunch? Then for 2-3 hours you could get away with all kinds of things. Ham, egg salad, tuna mayo. Peanut butter would be fine not kept cool.

Spendy day here, but no frittering and got some bargains.

£17 on presents for the children of friends who we are staying with this weekend - all much reduced in The Entertainer.
£6.92 on books in Waterstones, that was topping up a £40 voucher which my grandma gave the boys for Christmas, so we have got a lovely pile of new things to read.
80p - library fine
£6.27 - milk, salad, nappy sacks and a couple of other bits in Sainsbury's
£18 - new shoes for DS2, should have been £36 so a good deal!

Also spent about £40 on nappies, wine and food. Most of the food and drink was to take with us to visit family for a NY get together and meal yesterday which was lovely.

NSD tomorrow I think.

Just tried we buy books and moomox, grabbed 5 random books I had to see what they offered. They would only buy 1 at 52p

Just downloaded your book Boffin :). Cheers. I'll have a gander and bung a review on later.

Boffinmum...it won't let me review it! (Weeps) will try and add a review later.

Just downloaded boffinmum thank you!
Am also interested in the planning v's hoping NSD? I could probably plan not to spend the days I am at work but that is not really a challenge!

I downloaded Boffinmum's book onto my iphone earlier and it's great. Will review it when I've finished it and I've got the laptop out.

It's been a NSD for me today, fingers crossed for another one tomorrow. I've got some stuff on eBay which ends on Sunday so hoping at least some sells. I'm selling my iPod as I need the money so I'm hoping it sells. I actually sold it before Christmas but they buyer never paid so I had to open an unpaid item case and mess about re-listing it .

Morning all. Lots of people trying to sell stuff at the moment, I see, something I need to get onto myself once DS1 back at school & Christmas all packed away!

I am lucky as there is a dress agency across the road from where I work who take clothes from H&M upwards, which took a bag of 2 coats, 2 skirts & 2 tops for £12 before Christmas, which is not bad for little effort. They have a sister shop doing children's clothes on the same road. For other items I like Gumtree - no listing fee, can get people to pick up as it's local & can set price, so nothing goes for 1p!

Got DSes some 'new' clothes down from loft the other day & sorted them yesterday (90% of DS1's are at least third-hand, from my SIL & her SIL, then will go to DS2, then my DSis if she has a boy, then back to me for hopeful future DSes ). A pretty good collection but need long-sleeved T-shirts for DS1 as only about 6, and thick jumpers for DS2 as only about 2 that aren't very bobbly. So can't wait to visit ILs again as can go to year-round car boot sale there (it pains me to pay more than 50p/item unless special occasion stuff when I know what bargains there are to be had!)

Busy & possibly spendy day today. Friend's house shortly, must pop to B&Q for oven glass sealant & Tesco for bread, milk & butter on way. Then this afternoon will go to local library to take back books, send MIL's glasses that she left here (have jiffy bag & stamps already) plus browse in charity shop. Also got to make a spag bol at some point. Getting really stuck for ideas for stove-top meals until oven mended, any ideas gratefully received!

BorntoFolk will definitely look at SwagBucks, thanks! I love surveys as you can do them whenever you have a spare 10 mins or so

Hope you all have a good day.

Badvoc, any more luck with the reviews? A total of 1500 people downloaded it for free yesterday, btw!

It's rather oddly on at £3.08 currently, but I have asked them to make it £2.99 including the electronic delivery fee, so the price will change later today probably. I hope people want to actually pay for the thing now - I have only actually made something like £12 so far ... this epublishing thing is so tricky!

Meanwhile I am wondering whether DS1 will notice if I flog his Naruto books ...

Incidentally, I don't know if I have mentioned it on here but clothesforcash.co.uk Clothes for Cash buy old clothes in reasonable condition by weight, for resale in Eastern Europe. They collect them as well. I am going to get all the 'Grade 2' children's clothes I have been hoarding in the loft and flog them this way. You get about £18 a bag.

ClothesforCash

Fuck it, one day I'll get the sodding link right.

www.clothesforcash.com

Have you used the clothes for cash people before boffinmum as just looking at what they don't accept suggest the clothes have to be pretty much imaculate (and there's an awful lot they don't accept) so I would imagine you'd get a better price on ebay (unless you have lots of babygros / vests which have weight but but very little value...).

ps I found this thread yesterday and it's spuring me on to do my budget, and try and get moving on some decluttering / reusing etc.