My new years resolution is to be more frugal. Anyone else?

[PublicEnemyNumeroUno]

I need to stop frittering money away on crap. I'd like to have some savings, one day I'd like to be able to take my children to Florida but struggle to save.

So in the new year I'm going to be a superscrimper.

I used to meal plan and was very good at it. But then when I passed my driving test and started actually going to the supermarket rather than doing my shopping online my food bills doubled!

So I'm going back to meal planning and would like to get my food bill down to £40 a week. Even less if I can.

I will be buying all clothes from eBay and charity shops OR just making do with what I've already got.

Cook and bake everything from scratch

I also plan to bulk buy some stuff in January and have a bit of a stock pile, things like rice, pasta, washing powder etc

Is anyone else planning to save/be more frugal in 2014?

I've also been lurking on the money saving expert forums for tips.

And yesterday, instead of chucking some rather soft black bananas in the bin I made banana and white choc chip muffins out of them using ingredients I already had :)

Ohhelponoitsa thanks - and your joke made me laugh!!

I am trying to save too

I meal plan but it's complicated as we run a nursery from home & DH, DD & I eat 'leftovers'

My biggest food expense is DD's packed lunches & teas; she is 16 and eats a LOT!! & has packed lunches 7 days a week and teas 5 or 6 nights

I am selling stuff (have been advised to do it on Facebook - but the group hasn't responded yet) that DD is sorted out for me & my brother is selling DH's tandem on a special site

I could do with saving about £7k by next December (falls over laughing) but I did pay off (& cut up) 3 credit cards this last month; but whatever I save means I have to borrow less

Can I join in too? Am on maternity leave until June, so am trying to not spend so that my savings last for as long as possible (supplimenting SMP). I have about £6000 debt as well, in the form of a loan and a credit card.

I have a kitchen full of food (packet stuff from approved food) so I'm on a mission to use it all up. I need to find a "1001 creative ways with couscous" website. Or create my own and make my fortune that way.

The Mortgage Free in Three website/blog has lots of great recipes- Elaine uses AF too ...

Thanks for the app tip - will check that out!

Did actually have a great frugal meal just now (was so excited to try it that I actually had the energy to cook after my late shift rather than collapsing on the sofa) - chorizo in a tomato/onion sauce, then fried eggs in the mixture. Really yummy. Read it on another thread when I searched 'budget meal plan' :o

I've been reading the December budget thread I've joined and can't wait to get stuck into January's!

Just getting this back on threads I'm on as I have been away and it has dropped off. Lots of reading tomorrow to catch up for the new year!

I got the free app which has "classic recipes". There are other sections to it you have to pay for so will stick to the free one!

Yep this is one of my resolutions too, I'm in.

Indeed todo this I desperately want to leave my (well paid) job but can't afford it although may have to due to health & finances, or lack of, scare me. In going to turn the heating down, menu plan & not just randomly buy stuff on amazon

I need to use food we have in the cupboard & not but more til all the tins are used up.

And I want to have a big clear out, maybe do a car boot sale in the spring. I've never done one before.

Here my menu plan for January.

01/01/2014 WED Roast Beef & Trimmings
02/01/2014 THU Cold Beef and mash, Veg
03/01/2014 FRI Chicken Burgers, Chips and salad
04/01/2014 SAT Pasta
05/01/2014 SUN Roast Chicken & Trimmings
06/01/2014 MON Lemon sauce/Sweet and sour Chicken /stir fry
07/01/2014 TUE Chicken & veg Soup / Homemade Bread
08/01/2014 WED Spag Bol
09/01/2014 THU Fish fingers Mash & Peas
10/01/2014 FRI Fettuccine with Peas, onion and Bacon
11/01/2014 SAT Cottage Pie & Veg
12/01/2014 SUN Turkey and Leek Pie & Veg
13/01/2014 MON Pan Haggerty
14/01/2014 TUE Storecupboard pancakes, bacon and Tomatoes
15/01/2014 WED Onion Soup and Homemade Rolls.
16/01/2014 THU Egg on toast & toasties
17/01/2014 FRI Burgers & Chips
18/01/2014 SAT Sausage and Mash
19/01/2014 SUN Roast Pork
20/01/2014 MON Macaroni cheese/Cold Pork
21/01/2014 TUE Sticky Pork Bites and rice
22/01/2014 WED Lasagne/spinach ricotta pasta
23/01/2014 THU Baked beans on toast/Jacket Pots
24/01/2014 FRI Meatballs/Hot Balls
25/01/2014 SAT Not Pot Noodles - Chicken, Noodles and veg
26/01/2014 SUN Birthday
27/01/2014 MON Pasties (made with mince & potatoes) & Veg
28/01/2014 TUE Chicken Cacciatore (chicken cooked in Tomatoes)
29/01/2014 WED Toasties / Egg on toast
30/01/2014 THU Hot Sausages in Crunchy Bread
31/01/2014 FRI Pizza & Curly fries

Most of which I have in either my freezer/cupboard. Also the beef I'm cooking tomorrow will have lots of leftovers which I will use for either roast dinners or for sandwiches (mum has a meat slicer and will cut it up for me).

When I was in Asda on Saturday I picked up one of their massive pork joints for £15 I have cut it up and have got 5 roasting joints from it.

OK so I done my online shop for my week starting Wednesday, my aim was £35, I spent (including delivery) was £33.91 :)

Like I said, some things I already had in anyway, but heres what I bought..

Batter mix (x2)
Bread (x2)
Bananas
Rolls
Ham
Crisps
Yogurts
Big bag raisins
Baked beans (x2)
Soft cheese
Pita bread
Mushrooms
Garlic bread (x3)
Sausages
Mince (x2)
Pies
Pizza
Custard (x2)
Syrup
Butter
Ice cream
Coke
Plain flour (x2)
Self raising flour (x2)

I've also took an old quality street tub, cut a slit into it, and completely sellotaped it shut. I will be adding any loose change that I can to it, I won't be opening it until November and that money will be counted up and used for Christmas.

Really glad to see people joining! Welcome everyone :)

Clatterbug thanks for posting your meal plan, I will have to pinch some ideas!

Meal plans look fab, will be stealing some ideas too!

Can I join, I had a £1,500 (all in) tax fine towards the end of last year, long story but I managed to miss filling in a Tax Return due to moving house, appealed but know unlikely to have any joy. Very ashamed of myself for making stupid mistake, luckily managed to pay it out of savings, have £1,000 to put back. Work doing market research and earn a reasonable amount, just trying to be very frugal. Have ebayed some stuff, may try and sell some books, planning to restart doing surveys etc in the evenings. Since I have had more regular work have got quite lazy (well as lazy as you can be with two boys who don't go to bed) in the evening, but plan to change this just to bring in some more money - have also got (although don't know full amount yet) - big bill coming due to storm damage to our fences. Have started by resolving to eat everything in the cupboards/freezer - means lots of rice and supernoodles, shopping daily in the evenings in reduced section. Will get there