Frugaleers chatting and saving into August...

[ipsogenix]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

Useful links copied from last year:

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.

Question to those who separate designated 'budget' areas (e.g. food, petrol etc):

We currently have x3 acounts, in theory for 1 for monthly bills/spends (food, disposable etc), 1 for annual bills e.g. Car tax/MOT, Christmas etc and one for any 'extra' savings.

The reality is that it is so easy to transfer that I end up with none in twork and most in the 1 that day to day things come out of

We're off to a NT place, so we'll have an NSD or an LSD . We've had lots of use from our membership, it's been great.

Sounds like you aren't sticking to your budget amounts or your budget amounts are wrong. You need to track the budget and take away spending and when it's gone stop spending.

Sorry-posted too soon...

So when annual bills come around, there is little/not enough left. I have done a budget and should have enough but still end up in overdraft sometimes. So...

Those who have separate budget sections e.g. car/ presents etc, do you have loads of bank accounts (can you even do that, it would surely mean having about 15?) or do you physically take the money out and put it in a pot/envelope or whatever?

Yes, defo spending more than budget on unseen things e.g coffees, haircuts etc. Thinking that if I physically take money out for things we bI'd get for and keep them in an envelope, it would reduce temptation/ability to overspend and just have an account sole for direct debits, 1 for our disposable and 1 for savings. Thst is theor at the moment but just overspending and then really easy to just transfer £150 or whatever from other account and think i'll put it back in (except I don't).

I use YNAB so that's a virtual envelope system. You have to be honest and stick to your budgets and not steal from yourselves. YNAB has a method where you can set a goal for s date. I pay house insurance annually in May so I know how much I have to put in. If I take from that account it will calculate how much I need to put in next month to make up for it.

I do have different pots but YNAB doesn't really care where I put it as long as I track it.

Morning gang.
All the tips that have been shared so far are very helpful, thank you.

Martin Lewis Money saving guy said if you are at the cash machine take out £10 less than you originally planned. I think it does work if I remember to do it
Stuck to budget yesterday, DS had his haircut and went off to his dad for 2 weeks. DD doesn't see him anymore so she went out with friends all day. DP and I took the dogs on a 9 mile walk around a beautiful reservoir and he treated me to dinner out last night. I think I spent £24 all day including giving DD money.

Aldi shop today and I completely agree with the meal planning advice.

There are 2 things, one is saving money on not popping to the shops all the time and the second is knowing the evening meal is all sorted makes me enjoy the days out more, I'm relaxed on the way home not thinking "what can we get in mini tesco"

You could do cash and leave card at home until you get used to budgeting and sticking to it. It does help, I just don't like having a lot of cash at home and would accidentally use my card so it wouldn't work for me.

Do you have a good handle on what you are spending? I budget for haircuts as they happen every 8 weeks and it adds up. I didn't before and thought I would just go longer or borrow from the grocery budget. I had a hole in my budget.

me

Ring your current supplier, ask how much you've used in kWh for the last 12 months. Ignore their spiel because they'll try and get you to stay.

Then register with moneysavingexpert energy club.

Put your current details in & it will check supplier uswitch won't tell you about. Also check prices for having a different gas/electric supplier rather than dual fuel.

If you switch check your old supplier doesn't owe you money.

I could save pil £600 a year but they won't switch from bg.

What's YNAB? Sounds like a good way to have lots of different accounts but without worry of keeping lots of cash in the house.

There are defo things we spend that I don't budget for, for example realised eldest is getting to age where school trips are £££.

I think issue is that (for example) friend mentioned day out recently and just said yes as knew money was in account. Yet afterwards realised it was a waste of £££. I think if I'd have had to hand cash over (rather than just pay on card) I would have thought twice and declined/ suggested heaped alternative. Likewise ice creams on day out recently.

Also awkward if hubby is spending (acounts are joint) to keep track of both.

Thank you fluffy.

We only have electric as we have oil nit gas but will follow your advice and let you know. Thank you again.

We had an eventful night and went out for breakfast £17 for the family to get over it.

The £17 has been taken out of our "pocket money" fund.

Also only have £56 Inc nappies for weekly shops for the rest of the month... I think I can manage.

You need a budget. You can do a thirty day free trial to get the feel of it.

You do have to get into the habit of budgeting and realising where your money goes. So at the moment I have say £2k in my current account. But. I have £190 in my grocery budget. The rest is allocate elsewhere. I can see that I don't really have £2k to spend on what I like. It took me years and years to realise my bank account balance was not what as available to spend. If you have a budget where you have a job for each pound you can see quickly whether you can afford the theme park or not. You can do it with a spreadsheet and s column for each budget area and take away from the total each time you spend. I find YNAB easier now I've got into it.

Are you ok collie?

Must've been bad collie. I hope you had waffles & syrup.

Me Look up chop cloc, it's meant to be particularly effective for oil. If the waters oil heated check the tank stat is 55-60c not 70 and see how long you can get away with heating it for.

I've just had ours on for 20 minutes because the boiler is 18kw. As opposed to heating it with electric which would be 3kw.

Planning for a thrifty week today. DH just left to walk DDog to next village along the beach and pick up my car (I had a migraine last shift so got dropped off on the way home). Defrosted a HUGE leg of pork so going to slow cook later - gave DH a very sparse shopping list with strict instructions not to go 'off road' with it!
Dinner tonight at friends, then two days off with DS2 (DS 1 at cadet camp) - will do dog walking, picnics and cycling.
I do need to buy a cycle rack before we go away in a fortnight, needs to take 4 bikes - has anyone got any suggestions for a good deal/make?

Look on eBay, it's the sort of thing people often sell on.

Thanks what. Just had a quick look and found a 4 bike Thule towbar carrier for £100. £70 cheaper than Halfords!

Excellent, it is so good for these things. I've bought one from eBay in the past.

There's extra nectar points on eBay this weekend. Check the nectar website.

Where's everyone buying fleece for lining curtains from?.

MM Try gumtree too, local pick ups and you might get the benefit of previous owners fitting advice.

My NSD didn't happen. My dp wanted to go a run in the car so we went to Matalan and got my dd school clothes which were budgeted for and I had 15% off voucher so although I spent £85 it cost £72 and that's all her uniform sorted now.

Before we would have gone a run in car , got something to eat and spent money on things we don't need so although it's not a NSD i got what I needed instead of wasting money.

Brilliant, sounds like a good start and budgeted money is guilt free, such a nice feeling.

Hope you are ok Collie?
I need to redo my budgets, they've gone to pot lately and we need to save up for maternity leave.
Just realised we have slightly less than £500 for the month and we just spent £18 in Asda on a few essentials until I do the big shop on Tues. Luckily all the big bills have already gone out but we have 4 family birthdays this month plus a funeral for which we need to either order flowers or donate to charity. Think we need to curb our summer holidays treats!

What's up Collie?

(mmmm waffles and syrup - I had that with bacon the other day, I was skeptical but YUM! DD loved it too)

Oooh Em I love steampunk! I'm going to look up Oddsocks.

NSD for me today, staying in. DD seems to be coming down with something and we're all knackered.