Have a fabulous frugal February with the fantastic frugaleers

[northender]

As we filled the old thread, thought I'd start a new one for February.

Spotty 14mo DS did pretty much the exact same thing last night too! It's just going to get worse, isn't it...

Off to update my spreadsheet now Off work through illness and not entirely sure what to do with myself, other than squish DS constantly (hahaha! He's not used to me being around like this!)

theonly hope tonight goes well!

expecting ouch! I cancelled my private dental care in order to save money and then immediately needed dental help. Typical.

4.15 on a few bits in Aldi, mainly baking stuff. Got a loaf on the go now and thinking of muffins when DS wakes up from his nap.

£3.46 on contact lens fluid.

number3 Try farm shops & markets. I travel through the countryside to get to work & a few farms sell potatoes in big sacks for not very much money.

It's no use to just dh & I but for a family it's ideal. The supermarkets are having our pants down with the cost of potatoes

Ours come dirty and I peel them before washing. It saves time and water.

Day off work today n had friends over for playdate n then after lunch walked 1.5miles each way to aldi glad we kept puschair for 3.5yr old was good to get fresh air didn't buy more than could fit under puschair n free excercise n no petrol used today.

Roast chicken in the oven half tonight n other half will be marinated in piri piri n had with wedges tommorow then any bits left for sandwiches for rest of wk or frozen for a pie at some point

£1.10 on my bus fare.

I'll read through later.

Co-Op bank are offering £100 for switching accounts if you pay in £800 in the first 31 days.

They'll also give £25 to charity.

hickory still giggling at hamster ladders!! Low spend day - just 3.50 on breakfast and coffee at the cafe I do work from sometimes (for free wifi and quiet from DP and DS). Also got another invoice in which I'm very happy about.

Annoyed though - got text from Halifax to say I was overdrawn - quickly transferred money over but might mean no fiver for me this month.

Nsd complete. Now I'm off to bed as I'm ill with a stupid virus and start work at 6:45 tomorrow

NSD!

Would have been NSD today but I ended up at the eye hospital with an eye infection and ended up buying two bundles of baby clothes for £15 total because I was bored in the waiting room.

Made about £20 on ebay today selling tat, so I guess it's swings and roundabouts.

NSD - 2/28!

3 frugal things: still adjusting childcare vouchers, have increased to maximum so hope to save on £40 tax at the end of the month; have sold 3 items on fb = £16 to Christmas fund; resisted opening wine bought for postponed dinner over the weekend!

Hi there although its been another spend day it's only because I have been bargain shopping.......honest.

£2.00 for three tubes of Colgate in poundshop. I would have normally bought this with my monthly shop for £1.00 for one tube.
Also in the poundshop dog poo bags aka nappy sacks. Two boxes for £1. Still in the poundshop 2 pots of porridge, bet ya can't guess how much for. I love them pots of porridge and take them to work. They are my guilty pleasure.

Just done my online shop which I budget for so I wouldn't normally include it but it usually costs me anywhere between £70 and £80. I only spent £55.00. Very pleased with that. I just resisted putting treats in my basket. The kids will be very disappointed when it gets delivered, they love the asda man delivery.

At this moment in time I can't decide whether I am being frugal or tight

NSD, needed it after yesterday. I feel calmer now.

Have decided that instead of saving for next Christmas I'm going to save for the next year's school materials, in case we don't sell the house. Off on holiday soon but going back to where we were last year, so I won't be buying any souvenirs. Although if the little tea room has Lindt Chilli chocolate I'll get a few bars this time as can't find it in the capital and it's DD2's absolute favorite. She's the kind of person who can make a 100g bar of chocolate last a fortnight. I like it too.

BAH. Thought I was going to be £40 a month better off in new job however on reading the fine print I have discovered as it's a big employer they're the first for auto enrollment into the pension scheme where I have to contribute 6% of my salary which means that I will be coming out with exactly the same as I get now (I know it's better in the long term) BUT then I get a letter from the Inland Revenue saying I have underpaid tax so my tax code is reducing next year so I'll lose a tenner a month all-in-all. I can't remember the last time I had a normal tax code.

DS2's 11th birthday tomorrow but we're busy so we celebrated this evening. I said we could go out for tea but he said he would rather have a takeaway so this saved us about £20. He wanted an x-box game (£22) and some bits for his i-pod (£16) so not too expensive. I had to buy a cake, cards, wrapping paper and some sweets for him to take into school, also needed some batteries - spent about £10.

DH went to pay for his tyres today and it was £168, not £188 but I'm already in the red on my 'everyday' money. I will have to break into the 'emergency money' whether I like it or not.

Ordered new carpet (£295) from bonus money to be fitted on 21st Feb, and sofa is being delivered on 27th Feb.

Praise the lord that Feb is a short month and March is also double child benefit month (woo).

My double child benefit falls in August but that's very, very useful when entertaining the children through the holidays. We plan cheap/free activities but it's still dearer than school.

Have listed a couple of things on ebay that didn't sell on fb but I was sure would go and they're both being watched so I'm hopeful that I'll get £30.

Adora that is an amazing school bill. I moaned about school shoes for £28 and 2 tops for £2.50 from Asda!

Dosey We are using up all the tolitries in our house as we've got loads that I've bought on multi buys to save money! We haven't got a dog but Sainsbury's do 100 nappy sacks for 13p which might be cheaper still. Also have a look at A Girl Called Jack's site for recipes for homemade instant porridge pots for pennies.

claret you can opt out of the pension scheme if you want. They have to enrol you but you can decline to be enrolled if you want. Although if you can afford not to, you're probably better off sticking with it as it's free money from work that you won't get otherwise.

In fact, you're definitely better off going with the pension as you are already used to that level of income. I'm not employed anymore but would definitely take a work pension if offered. Annoying though when you expect to have more disposable income.

I'll definitely pay into the pension scheme as (apart from 5 months) I haven't paid into a pension scheme in over 3 years and DH doesn't have one at all yet. The thought does terrify me somewhat even though he will have another 26 years of work ahead of him

Hey all, have NC, was Artemis before.

I'd pay into the pension - I already worry about mine because I stayed on to do a Masters and PhD and thus only started contributing when I was 27, missing about 6 years of NI contributions for basic state pension and missing the same for any work based one.

My tax code will change as I underpaid tax by about £240 in 2012-2013, and will need to pay it back. I will be paying it in a lump sum next time to avoid them messing with my tax code.

Slightly spendy day yesterday- stepdad has offered to lend me £400 towards my car. I don't really want to borrow but I need transport. Currently hunting out people carriers on eBay!

Going to pick up a second hand school jumper for DD (£2) on way to dentist then it should be a NSD.

Ooh thanks for the Sainsbury's nappy sacks tip! I buy doggie poo bags from home bargains but that's loads cheaper.

It will be a slightly spendy day here, £24.95 on a haircut, other than that I shoupdnt need to buy anything else.

Can I ask a stupid question? How do you make your budgets and stick to them? Do you say X amount on food, then write down when you've spent anything on food, and so on? I am so bloody disorganised, it is harder as I'm self employed so have drips and drabs coming in over the month rather than one big pay day but even so, I need to pull my finger out really

Can I ask a stupid question, well want to check something really.... If my electricity account is in credit, who owes who money?!

Tencups- if your account is in credit you can either ask them to refund you or you can leave it there for when you may have the electricity on more.
If I am in credit in the summer then I leave it as it means I can have the heat on a bit more in the winter but once it gets to April if I am in credit I get a refund as I know as we come into summer I won't be using it as much

HTH

Next week i will do my shopping, bills etc and try to spend not a penny after that day...for 7 days. Im excited haha, went in tesco for coffee with it being on offer and spent 23 fucking quid

Thanks Ellis, we have moved house though and they are no longer out supplier. Have been on the phone for ages to talk to someone but in a queue.... Can't log onto account online either as they must have closed it..... Grrrrrr....