Join the Fantastic Frugaleers for a February full of frugality

[northender]

Shiny new thread ready for Sunday. Newbies very welcome. This is a wonderful thread full of encouragement and support

Good morning, I'm going for a NSD here. I have one dishwasher tablet left, so will need to pop to the shops tomorrow but hopefully not spending anything today.

I introduced a savings jar to the DCs yesterday and we're going to try and aim to save 2 euros a day. My lovely brother paid for us all to visit him in Australia this Christmas and we want to go back, I don't think our 2 euros a day will cut the mustard, but it is teaching my DCs that they need to save for the things they want. I have a huge fear of debt. When my XH left me he went crazy with the credit cards, overdraft and equity in our flat he lived in, and spent 20K in about six months on having a good time. He then applied for bankruptcy a year later. Even though I had no debt and we were separated he was still tied to me and the fear of someone coming to take my home is still with me. There is still a £1600 overdraft with the bank on the joint account that he was supposed to pay off in the Consent Order for the divorce. He's just walked away from it - I'm terrified the bank will come after me (I only have 1000 euros a month - including child maintenance). If I teach my DCs anything while they're growing up, I hope it will be to budget, save and don't buy it if you can't afford to pay for it.

brittany I can understand your fear. It must be awful having your own 'destiny' (so to speak) tied up with someone else's actions.

Good luck em for the new job.

LSD today. I need coffee and sudocrem and a stamp!

Hoping to take some time owed this week and just work 2 days if possible and then crack on with clearing some stuff out and various chores. DH is away all week from tomorrow until Saturday with work. We also have a less hectic weekend with the pony coming up too.

Thanks all.

Have already failed my nsd and am sitting in coffee shop near new work having a tea. £1.45 for an early grey.

Sigh.

Sold the dc old book case for £10 on fb

I too sympathise, Brittany. My DH was left with thousands in debt because his ex took everything out in his name while they were married - catalogues, store cards etc. She still does it now according to DSD (who frequently rants about it, because of course it is affecting her).

I think a cup of early grey is most deserved on your first day, emem! :o

Really aiming for as few spends as possible this week, although I must order DD's brownies uniform!

I'm looking around my living room thinking UUUURRRRGGGGHHHH. I think the biggest thing we need to do to help us be frugal is... decluttering. Honestly I dread to think of the amount of money we've wasted because we are so messy - games/toys that are scattered around the house without ever being properly played with (really not the DCs' fault at all!), things we buy again because we can't find the original, things that get poorly stored and damaged, food that goes to waste because the kitchen is too messy to cook... :(

This is going to be the big challenge. I am in a better frame of mind now (books like KonMarie helped!) but physically it is incredibly hard. Even when I'm well enough to work, I'm not able to do much above essentials because I get dizzy/achy/exhausted and I can't risk being off sick even more!

Sorry, end rant. Feeling rather unpleasantly overwhelmed today.

Hello MissA how are you feeling now? Hope everything has settled down?

fuzz I know exactly what you mean about clutter, I have to be really strict about what we keep as only live in a small flat but find it hard to keep on top of everything.

I am back to the drs later as still not feeling great, think going to be off work for a bit longer. Hard to know if it is all anxiety related or if something else is going on

Need to do a morrisons shop today as run out of lots of stuff.

Brittany break the dishwasher tab in half. You won't notice the difference.

girlie I'm ok thanks, have been having some pain for past week or so, it's mild but persistent, hoping that it settles. Have made an appointment to see specialist on 12th feb but hoping to cancel it if everything settles on its own.

Good luck this week everyone and for everyone who's feeling unwell/stressed/anxious. I think taking care of what I need is hard to remember to do when I'm focussed on being frugal - don't get enough sleep because sometimes doing things the frugal way takes longer, sweat the small stuff, prioritise any spare money on the rest of the family rather than myself. Maybe it's the same for other people?

So I missed the intro too.

It's me, DP and DS (3). We bought our first home late last year as part of a "Good Life" experiment to live a bit more slowly and gently, but had to spend our savings putting things right - nothing fun, asbestos removal, plastering, plumber, electrician, etc. So all our assets are in the house (we're completely in love with our home and the village we live in so no regrets). But we're both self-employed part-time, looking after DS part-time between us. I'm being frugal because we have no money now if either of us is unable to work from illness, or if we need to replace any of the essential equipment we need for our work (quite possible), or to pay for any unexpected bills (car, etc.). had to borrow from family to pay my tax bill this year, which I hate.

fuzz I completely agree with you there, my kids have lots of toys but only play with paper/scissors/sellotape. I think its because they are boy/girl so that ds won't play with barbies, dd won't play with cars, so they play together with paper. Seems a waste of money on the cars and barbies however!

Just bought lunch as a treat. .. £9 and travel to a course £14. Found a parking spot so saved £5, woo hoo. Also so stuffed that'll save on dinner

peonies and unescorted I'm in awe of the debt you both have cleared.

I hope that to be me next year!

I call my spreadsheet the Road to Being Debt Free as I like to think of it as my map towards the final destination.

With my weight loss journey I'm working towards my target one lb at a time, and with my debt journey it's one € at a time but every little helps like tesco says.

Have a hen party at end of March and money is due in for it by 1st March €110(A reduction of €20 as I'm driving myself rather than getting the bus, this is not to save money but because it's more practical for me) I need to put away €25 weekly to save for this as well as my other commitments. This money covers activity, hotel, dinner and breakfast so my spends will be lunch both days, drink that night and fuel.

Hi all can I join? It's me and DH both 31 and we have two DS aged almost 3 (birthday next month) and 5 weeks

We cleared all debts a few years ago by selling up in London and moving to be nearer my family in Bath. Having kids and changing jobs meant we currently rent but really want to buy a proper family home so it's saving time ! Aim is to save around £600 a month but we have weddings coming up most of which are abroad and then I also want to start saving for things like MOTs and christmas as well.

Had a massive clear out a few months ago and sold loads of stuff on eBay. Made around £400 and plan to sell youngest DS stuff as he grows out of it as he is definitely our last baby so no need to hang onto anything.

Todays spends £13.80 in wilko's on light bulbs, new toilet seat and some colouring books for DS to have over half term.
£29 Sainsburys on nappies and bits I forgot from the online shop

Robin, I like the mascara but not as much as the 'they're real' one. It does curl and lift your lashes but doesn't thicken them I already have long curly lashes so I suppose it depends what you're after. Lasts really well though. I think if you have short lashes it would be for you.

Pass my two are pen and paper fiends too! :o They do have toys they play with, but they are everywhere, so when I add stuff (I've got better at not doing that) it just isn't worth it.

Anyway, I feel slightly better as this morning I filled a bin bag with random crap to throw out. It makes absolutely no difference to the look of the living room, but still an achievement. I then rested as I'm off to work in a bit.

I also watched Eat Well For Less on iplayer - hmm, not impressed really. Had thought it'd be about eating healthily on a budget rather than just the down-branding challenge!

I was disappointed too fuzz. I was hoping for some tips but I KNOW I could have reduced their shopping (and made it healthier) buy £150 a week

Wow this thread is fast moving too.

My intro, I'm 43, live with dh, ds (13) and dd (10). We have a good joint income but live frugally to fund home improvements and holidays. Our income should be plenty but we have some debt from our pre frugal life. It's gradually being paid off and is all on either 0% cc or low cost loan. I was brought up in a v low income house so frugal living comes fairly easily to me but this thread is great for support and encouragement.

Oh man I am getting excited! Looking forward to buying my yoghurt and bread on wed! :)

I ate all dh's chocolate bars for work so he's got to buy more now

Hello, can I join in? Was on the threads early last year but fell off with a bump. Need to be frugal this year and hoping this thread will help me focus a bit.

Intro: I'm Expecting, I'm 37 and our household is me, DH, DD1 8yrs, DD2 5 yrs (6 next month), DS 4yrs and DD3 3 weeks. I'm a SAHM, which I love, but have had a hard time adjusting to living on one salary and as a result DH and I have a CC at £4k and I slip into my overdraft every month. Its just overspending, I love shopping and buying stuff for the kids, which they don't need and just clutters up the house, and I don't need more cloths, shoes, lipstick etc erc, it has to stop! We are also trying to buy a new house as we need more room for the rapidly growing DC's, hoping to move in early summer. Just want to stop spending and get some savings behind us really. DH is fully on board and way better at saving than me!

LSD today, £11.34 in co-op on fruit, milk, washing powder and treats for DD1's class as it was her birthday yesterday. Also booked DD1's birthday treat, cinema with 2 friends and tea at Pizza Express. All paid for with vouchers and club card points, hurrah!

I missed the intro bit as well, I am 36yo and have one dd who is nearly 9yo, I work p/t as a community nurse. Money is always tight and I like this thread as it keeps me on the straight and narrow!! Am currently off work with anxiety and related symptoms, hopefully on the mend now though!

Today have spent £37 in Morrisons, got quite a bit for that. Not sure on meal plan for this week but think tonight sausages are on the menu, maybe toad in the hole....

Also spent £2.15 on a tuna sandwich and bag of crisps in Greggs!!

Oh and also got my dds bday card on Moonpig umm think it was £3.60.

No other spends planned.

Spendy weekend here -£174 for dd2's stagecoach fees, I didn't realise that you could pay in installments! £17 on chaps for dd1 who had a dressage test yesterday.

Forgot introduction in first post, so here it is. There's me (sahm/carer to dh), dh and 2 dd's. We are being frugal this month as we are trying to pay off all debt, we have tenants moving in who are paying 6m rent up front which will clear 2 loans and then dh is selling a car to clear another loan then we will be debt free but it means that we won't have a rent income for 6m so need to live off his pension so every penny counts!

We were at toddlers this morning - £1, which includes a snack and drink for DS and coffee / biscuits for the adults! We like to get out and about daily generally, great value for £1 :) then had lunch at MILs and now home so not anticipating any more spends today x

Hello, I'm kind of a newbie, but I did actually used to post here years ago!
We're a family of 5 (3 little ones) paid off £1.5k debt last year and really pushing to clear the last £3.3k over the next 18mths!
I don't know why but being debt free suddenly seems in reach and really want it after years of it following us around.
we spend £64 a month on interest and fees and when we're debt free I'm going to save that up and take the kids on holiday for the first time. :)

£11.74 in the supermarket on wrapping paper for kids party this weekend and food we couldn't get at Tesco on Saturday. Not planning on spending any other money today.

sausage and bean stew in the slowcooker for dinner tonight.