August Frugaleers Part II

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

Thought I would start a new one since the old one is full!

Welcome John it does sound like you're unknowingly spending lots on groceries. Good idea to try to sort that first it's usually the biggest expense (apart from rent/mortgage).

Hi John how about reducing the coffees to every other day? I also work from home and it can be lonely. Libraries and university buildings are good places for being similar to cafes but with the bonus of being able to take your own food and drink in with you.

Our library has a costa in the same building and a big terrace over looking a pond

Oh yes a joint account saved us. We use it as a 'bill account' and only put enough in for all the bills including food and petrol.

Welcome John, if you like your coffees , have you considered a Tassimo or Dolce Gusto machine for home. Apart from the initial outlay, they are a fraction of the price that you would pay for a coffee out somewhere.

NSD for me yesterday, and hoping for another today.

Can you take the drip tray out? mine's detachable.

The ONLY problem with Tassimo is that you get a taste for coffee and start loitering in John Lewis electrical department telling your husband that £1200 for a bean to cup machine is actually quite reasonable.

Welcome John. Do a cupboard and freezer audit before you shop again. Spotty is quite right that food is the biggest expense after mortgage/council tax.

I knew a couple where the dh paid the mortgage and the dw paid the food bill and he couldnt understand that she was paying out more on food than he was on the house when she complained how little spare money she had.

Nespresso machine's work out the cheapest wrt to pods because they are out of Patent.

Ebay will have lots of pod coffee machines because people buy them on a whim and then dont use it as much as they thought they would.

Hi everyone! Hoping all the hacker trouble is over, I lost 3 posts yesterday!

john welcome! The coffees out we're my biggest downfall too, have cut them down to once a week and find I really enjoy them now! But it's a hard habit to break, especially working from home!

candy welcome to the thread. It's hard being so low on funds when the kids are at home. You want them to have a great time, but everything is so expensive!

Haven't much to report, spent €7 yesterday on the last few copy books and covers for ds 1. He still needs a few pencils and a few folders, will get them at the weekend.
Spent another €8 on n cafe, €13 on top up groceries, and €5 on a top for myself n tesco.

Weather s miserable today. Had intended to take the boys to a really big playground a few miles away, it's by the water and you can see loads of boats. I'm really hoping the weather clears later, it was the best idea I'd had for an activity in ages! And free!

Will be a spendy day in London and I don't care it's our big day out for the holidays and the sun is shining. Have a nice day everyone

The thing is I could go without the actual coffee quite happily. It's just getting out of the house and having other people around me - you're right myturnnow, it is lonely and that's why I go out. we have a little cafetiere and I never use it - never drink coffee at home.
Once every other day is a good idea. But am going to stick to none for the rest of this week though!
We do have a library locally but can't bring food in.
collie so that's about £50-£60 pw then. Looks like £50 pw isn't a bad starting point in that case...
fluffy - yes, it's scary how much you can spend on food. I want to stat shopping at the market for fruit and veg because it is way cheaper, even though it is £4 on the bus there and back.

We have sunshine! Not sure why as it's supposed to be the other way around according to the radio (sun in east, rain in west)...

Collie I love your bucket list idea and will steal it. That's such a good idea, it helps planning and nice to have things to look forward to.

Collie, I was exactly the same although most of our money went on kids and kitchen gadgets for me ????.
DH is the one who brings the money in yet all he gets is a monthly subscription to Octane magazine!

Intrigued to know whether you Frugaleers have separate bank accounts or joint ones. We have always had a joint one (stemming back from when I was also working full time) and it generally works for us ( good job really as I'd be screwed if we had seperate accounts!)

Joint account and I'm the spender in the family.

We have a joint account, and dh has a personal account, but tbh, we use that as a holding account for money that has been allocated. I have access to it from the online banking, but not from debit card, so I like it!
I'm the spender too, dh will occasionally buy something if he wants it. But in general, I buy everything. I'm a sahm so I have more time, and no income, so it makes sense for us. We've never had it any other way.

Could I join please? I have been reading this thread for the past month or so but never got round to posting. I have recently separated from 'D'H and finding money/budgeting etc very very stressful.

Could anyone let me in on a few really important tips that I need to know? I have got into a habit of only buying meat/fish/bread when its reduced in the supermarket and putting it in the freezer for another day. The only problem is that I do not seem to have a budget for food and so I have no idea what I am actually spending.Plus if there isn't any food reduced I stress big time that I am going to run out of food and not be able to feed my 3DC healthily.

Thanks in advance

I'm single now, but I have a current account, a bills account and an online savers' account. When I was married, I didn't want a joint account, as my XH is mind-boggingly awful with money and I didn't want to be financially linked to him.

NSD.