Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Frugal January, everyone welcome.

999 replies

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/12/2014 16:55

Useful links.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

Happy New Year Everyone!

OP posts:
peasepuddinghot · 06/01/2015 08:05

Thank you Six. I'm trying to make a real effort this month. January really does need to be frugal if we're going to get through it without resorting to a pay day loan. (We have on occasion had to get them from our credit union, costs £10 to borrow £200).

DinksMum · 06/01/2015 08:11

I hope your dishwasher keeps going for you lil. I'm loving this thread so much, yesterday I went to shops and nearly started to load unnecessary things into trolley but stopped when I remembered I'd have to report back!
Yesterday I spent about £20 on a months worth of ceasers dog food, a giant bag of frozen chips and bread.

Today was a NSD, which means I've had 3 so far!

peasepuddinghot · 06/01/2015 08:12

AuditAngel - re Chinese takeaway. Shock Have you tried Maysan Curry Paste? It's about £1.50 for a block and it tastes quite takeaway-ish . Maysan, chicken or Quorn, an onion and some mushrooms if you like them and a bag of boil in the bag rice is fairly cheap and everyone will eat it in this house (a rarity).

northender · 06/01/2015 08:42

Doing well so far this week, the thread is moving so fast I haven't managed to read all posts. I've meal planned up to Sunday so far and only need a few bits to be able to make all the meals.

M. Spaghetti with sausage meat balls and tomato sauce
T. Nachos
W. Turkey curry
Th. Veggie meal with filo pastry (any recipes welcome!)
F. Sausage casserole
Sat. Cottage pie
Sun. Tortilla wraps with Turkey and peppers

That's using up as much of the leftovers as possible and doing minimal food shopping.
Have had dinner money to pay this week for both dc, cricket training fees £25 for ds and drama classes for dd £60 so need to be very frugal with everything else.

Passthecake30 · 06/01/2015 08:47

fuzzpig have you tried the toothbrush heads from amazon? We have oral B electric toothbrushes and notice no difference, was annoyed for not discovering them sooner than last year!

audit that's expensive! For how many people? ?!

First day back at work. Train fare increased by 50pSad. Got a list of bits I need to find in the pound shop at lunchtime, we don't have those shops where I live (probably a good thing as I'd spend too much on "bargains")

Got my interview tomorrow, will find out if I'm being made redundant tomorrow eve (eeeeekShock). If it happens I'll live. ....but my pride might not!

colliewobbles83 · 06/01/2015 09:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ememem84 · 06/01/2015 09:41

Jet lag Sunday nsd. Leftovers from dm's fake Boxing Day party brought home.
Jet lag Monday - £19 spent at waitrose (closest shop). Lots if yummy fresh fruit and washing powder so I could continue washing dirty suitcase clothes.

Today have spent £15 on a huge organic veggie box from local farm shop. Should last a couple of weeks.

Need to do store cupboard restock today. Planning on spending £50 max.

lilacclery · 06/01/2015 09:48

dinks it works all the time but is hit and miss whether everything is clean especially glasses. Sometimes end up washing all contents by hand which is frustrating.

northender what ingredients do you have in to go with filo? Cheese & tomato would be really simple

Pointlessfan · 06/01/2015 11:36

I've done one or two small things since joining this thread.
I went on my internet banking last night and cancelled two direct debits and also did coin sweeping. I scraped over 2 quid from various accounts! Going to try and do this weekly.
Also audited the freezer last night to see what we can eat up. We did this not long ago but it seems to have filled up again over Christmas.
Today I have spent 40p on some paracetamol. Annoyed as they would have been cheaper at the supermarket but my head hurt and I could only face going to the local shop. At least I walked so I didn't use any petrol! No plans to spend any more money today.

lilacclery · 06/01/2015 12:15

We've a Christmas club at work I'm going to sign up this year as have a weekend away planned at end of April & hope to have lost a substantial amount of weight by then so this will be shopping money.
Save & borrow loan will be available to Me at beg of March €1700 Tesco credit card is currently €1950 so going to use this loan to clear it, it will then be repaid within year @ €150 monthly

Other credit card is €1450 will aim for €100 monthly at that & transfer it to interest free one with my bank when eligible.

needastrongone · 06/01/2015 12:22

laska - the red dragon pie sounds lovely. I have lots of spuds to use up, I am going to try it.

collie - I once had eczema on my eye, for which my GP prescribed hydrocortizone (sp) cream. I know it's not supposed to be for near sensitive areas such as eyes, but it did clear up very quickly. If it flares up, I lie to the chemist at Boots and tell him it's for a sore patch of skin at the back of my knee, or similar, as they once refused me it when I told the truth, and I am not paying prescription fees for a small tube of cream.

Getting the car washed today as it's minging from the farm, that will be £5 well spent to be fair, but that's it spending wise.

Veggie curry already in the slow cooker.

ememem - I get a delivery of fruit and veg from the market, I can't begin to describe how much you get!! It's saved a fortune for me in the last few months.

lila - our dishwasher is the same, are you sure the parts at the bottom (filter etc) are fully screwed down? If we clean ours out, and we leave them loose at all, the sludge doesn't rinse away fully and everything is dirty.

audit - how much?!!! A takeaway for the four of us (basically 4 adults) is about £25 tops.

pease that must be very hard.

Just done my BMI (curious!), which is 21 and slap bang in the middle of healthy, must be all the vegetables and meat pies, much to DH's disgust. Wondering if Dry January will change my weight, I am very static in this regard.

HeyheyheyGoodbye · 06/01/2015 12:29

Went through our books and gathered two 60-litre boxes full that we don't want anymore. We very rarely go through books, and have shelves and shelves of them, so this was a surprise to us both! Just been through them on Zapper - they don't want most but will give us £15 for a few of the textbooks. Result! DH will schlep the rest to tbe charity bookshop in the village Grin

fuzzpig · 06/01/2015 13:16

I didn't even think of amazon for toothbrush heads, thanks! :)

sportinguista · 06/01/2015 13:52

Two quite spendy days around £20 yesterday for some bits of cleaning stuff, toiletries and chocolate for pack ups.

Today £10 for new purse from John Lewis, £10 again from John Lewis for some socks and a pair of jeans for DS to replace outgrown ones, they are age 6 so will last around 2 and a half years as he's skinny and doesn't seem to grow very quickly. £6.45 for dehumidifier crystals and other random bits n wilkos. £20 cash, £10 of which is required for DS milk at school. £24 card and voucher for BIL birthday. Some wine on offer £13 for 3 bottles which will tide us over until our friend can get another lot from Portugal. All other purchases were on gift cards (got a new blender and half towards the purse which is a good one and hopefully will last!) Hoping to be NSD or LSD tomorrow and Wednesday though.

Need to be quite disciplined about cash going forward as need to get through until I get a contract this month...

avocadotoast · 06/01/2015 13:56

£4.54 spent this morning in Superdrug on Gaviscon and tissues (really must speak to midwife at next appt to try and get some Gaviscon on prescription). Also got some Lucozade and a flapjack as had a funny turn on the bus this morning and needed some sugar - but used Boots points for those so that's ok.

Then spent £3.50 on a wrap for lunch as had to nip out on an errand so wouldn't have had time to heat and eat my soup at work.

One thing that has struck me while I've been trying to bring packed lunches etc is just how expensive food on the go really is. The wrap I just had was ok, and not something I'd have made myself anyway, but £3.50! I'm cursing myself for all the crappy meal deals I've bought over the years. Lazy.

sportinguista · 06/01/2015 13:59

But had a free ride home on the bus as the coin hopper on it wasn't working!

So a frugal win there!! Grin

clippityclop · 06/01/2015 14:40

Thank you for the reminder to book smear test. Nsd! Steak pie from the freezer for dinner, bolognese tomorrow, sausages tomorrow and fish and homemade wedges on Friday. Have to go to town later with daughter who wants to invest some Christmas money in a little Anna doll. I will not go near the White Stuff sale...

SpottyTeacakes · 06/01/2015 14:46

£32 top up in tesco which makes our total spend for food this week £47 out of our £75 budget Smile

I'm off to southampton tomorrow too but because dd has a hospital appt. no reimbursement for us!

JoanGalt · 06/01/2015 15:01

Today should have been a NSD, again, but I thought I'd check out a local farmers' market.

Spent £8.80 on shellfish Blush
Then went into Sainsburys for carrots and ended up spending £20.23. Did get 5 jars of mincemeat which were 5p each and bb 2017 so that's mince pies sorted for the next two years Grin

SpottyTeacakes · 06/01/2015 15:02

I always end up spending loads in sainsburys. I shouldn't be allowed in there unsupervised Grin

nocutsnobuttsnococonuts · 06/01/2015 15:45

LSD today Grin

spent 3.50 on New PE top for dd1 hers was way too small!!

tomorrow should be nsd if I don't catch the bus to playschool.

Thursday will be quite spendy, got to go food shopping, top up toiletries and its the Lego shop minibuild so will buy girls McDonalds for dinner (once a month treat)

Friday should be nsd.

JoanGalt · 06/01/2015 15:55

Last year I was saving Nectar points towards Christmas, which was how I justified ridiculous shops in Sainsburys.

This year I'm doing our main shop in Lidl with top-ups where needed.

Only took me 6 days to fail that resolution.

fuzzpig · 06/01/2015 15:57

Hurrah, I checked again on eBay and found a new listing for the Mario game at a much better price. It was an eBay premium seller so happier to buy used from them. :o

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 06/01/2015 16:01

NSD today, phew! Am ambitiously setting out for NSDs Weds, Thurs, Fri this week as back at work and after 7 weeks off for surgery etc I need to be on it like a bonnet, hoping to keep super busy and spend no money until weekend at least.

Fluffycloudland77 · 06/01/2015 16:11

NSD.

OP posts: