Keeping our Fru Year Resolutions! Frugal January thread two (already) - all welcome!

[Cagliostro]

Eeek so the other thread filled up fast. January 10th must be some kind of record!

Just had a sneaky taste of the sauce for tonight’s baked feta - mmmm I see a cheese and bread fest coming on. It’s definitely frugal though, all store cupboard ingredients.

DHs cooking saved this NSD. I started a new role (in same organisation) today, ended up having a very busy, long day and was starving when I left. Was prepared to abandon all my good intentions and pick up a curry on the way home when DH rang to check my ETA as food was almost done. It was delicious too - chicken in a garlic, herb and tomato sauce with cheese, rice and veg.

I am currently battling the urge to buy clothes. I don't need anything and don't have room for more but still. Sigh.

I have to say, I'm surprised (in a good way) about the spends listed on here. I was worried the thread would be lots of posts about you all spending nothing day after day and knew I'd never be able to do that.

PS, very jealous of whichever poster is having a massage. I haven't had one since our holiday in August and my back is aching at the moment. Would love one.

Spends today £3 on a meal deal lunch. Getting DH off on his holiday today and 3DC out to school meant no time to prep my lunch. Will try harder tomorrow.

Got the girls panto money today, and my money for helping about. About half what I was expecting. But the girls money will pay their fees for this term, and I'll give them the remaining £5 each as pocket money.

My money will give me Spending money for the next stuff we need. Hopefully a couple of weeks.

£10 for dd to do choir at school and £11 for her travel to young voices in two weeks (anyone else's dc doing it?).

Ooh .... another £21.30 d from various little purchases has landed in my Quidco account.. I had £54 off them last week also (for last years holiday car hire) ..

So according to them I have received £1106.48 in Quidco cashback since I joined ( that was 2009 though )

Who'd have thought it eh?

The odd thing is sometimes companies still pay out for things I have sent back!

Checking in. Real life getting in the way of properly keeping up with everyone, so apologies.

NSD today and yesterday.

Ocado delivery was on Saturday and came in at less than £60 which I was pleased with again. All meals and snacks sorted for the week (apart from DD's lunches which she gets at school).

Season ticket and parking need renewing tomorrow (ouch) but that's all planned spending.

Have re-looked at my credit card spreadsheet of doom after having been listening to loads of Dave Ramsey podcasts. Will chuck all spare cash at the smallest one first but rather than setting the rest to minimum payments, will use TiP's advice of a standing order (albeit just above the minimum.....but every little helps I guess).

Feeling a bit more in control now that I have a proper plan and have stopped being an ostrich about our finances.

snoop yes Tip really does know her stuff .. if anyone else here is paying down credit cards do go and look at her advice on paying debt the money board ( TiP is Talkinpeace)

Spends
£4.20 bus (getting forms for bus pass at the library this week fluffy I promise! 😳)
£8 train
£2 Coop

Just got to do Tesco order now. Easy is the name of the game this week, busy busy

I am going to hold you to that Cag, I have to set myself targets to get shit done.

I'm a reformed procrastinator.

Cag Do you qualify for this www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk

I've just gone actually full-on crazy and booked a holiday. Check me out.

In fairness it's a holiday going to visit a medical professional who might be able to fix me so LED lights don't give me a headache, but we're staying for four days, and I hear they have a castle AND and zoo. What could be more splendid?

Cost an arm and a leg. £404

Sounds good sunny that wouldn't be the zoo with the Pandas would it? Fab things, they do nothing but my dd2 is obsessed.

Ooo! I'm not sure actually Lonely. It's colchester zoo if that helps any.

I do indeed fluffy but all journeys I go on currently I can use the family railcard anyway so haven’t worked out if I’d make my money back on it (basically it’d have to be peak time journeys which I don’t usually do). But it’s on the ‘possible’ list :)

I hate filling in forms. Ugh.

Tesco ordered. Just realised I forgot stuff. Back I go.

I kept my shopping the same (high) amount by taking out some wipes. I don’t need that many yet as we have approximately two million packs already open in various places. Plus if I do run out midweek I can pick up a pack anywhere really.

Exciting about the holiday sunny you deserve a break, and hopefully this medical person will help.

Money no we are definitely not non-spending IYSWIM. I think of it like a diet, if you really restrict yourself, it’s not sustainable. So it’s more that we are trying to reduce it and make the best use of our money rather than just not spending anything. We all gotta eat etc.

Incidentally autocorrect tried telling me we have to make the best use of our monkey. 🙊

I’ve been in the coop the last couple of days but I think I’ve saved about £30 on a normal week from randomly picking up snacks/easy food, more if I’d have ended up with a takeaway. So it’s been a good week, a little planning (but not a rigid plan as I tend to rebel 😳) has gone a long way. Yay!

Up to date to here

Shattered this morning. Had a scout leader meeting so didn't get to bed until 10.30 which is too late for me.

I spent £12 in Morrison's yesterday on birthday flowers, melons and wheatabix. My DC are in awe that there are other brands than Aldi blue box.

Today should be nsd. Ds is having his last lot of vaccinations (free) then we’re heading home.

Although I may have to buy milk. Not sure what the date on ours is. Hm.

I like bear use of our monkey 🐵 Cag. Up early and travelling again today so it will be spendy, need to buy coffee for a colleague (my turn) and will probably need some lunch at some point. Can’t reclaim those spends but will be able to reclaim extortionate parking charges. Loving all the baby, cat and kitchen pictures.

Broke my personal NSJanuary up to now any spends has been planned last year €100 on bootcamp classes

Feeling alive after first session
Instructor told me I can start earlier to get more complete session & if I can attend extra sessions I'm welcome

Lifelong at other brands my dc are often like that when we go to my parents. Granny ours are in a different packet at home

Will be nsd here as we have no money until pay day

The family railcard looks better Cag, avoiding peak times is surely a good thing.

10:30pm would be too late for me too.

Where are you off to Sunny? Only place I can think of with a zoo and a castle is Dudley!

Have cocked up tax free childcare. Massively. I need to phone them today to sort. How many hours do you think I'll be on the phone??

Worked out last night that more than half our shopping bill is nappies, formula and cat food. We don't actually eat that much!

When is that wreck?

snuggly

Mammy it's the 30th jan