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!

Which one has the next highest interest rate?. Knowing why you spends very important.

That money show years ago used to have a psychologist on, the subjects would be crying by the end of it when they realised why they acted how they did. Cannot remember that programs name.

I think Next has Fluffy but Simply Be is the lowest in terms of balance. Quite tempted to nuke Simply Be next month - I think psychologically that's the best path for me, but will run the numbers to see if there's a material difference.

It's taken me a long time to admit to myself (and now others) why I spend. I feel much calmer and happier though having taken back a bit of control, despite it only being early days.

Ah well, onwards and upwards.

Fluffy I've never had a store card but probably because they're not really a thing in Ireland
Meadow not being able to get a store card is probably a blessing but can't you get a report to check your credit score because you might want to correct things on it now if it would affect your ability to get a mortgage in the future
North very worrying tines for you with your ds this week, glad to hear he's on the mend

Morning all! Jumping back in and will attempt to catch up properly later. It's been a busy few days.
A minor miracle happened today as nobody woke up until 6.10. I feel like I've had the best night's sleep ever!

He's cute Em. Look at his little red cheeks. Hope he's slept and isn't too uncomfortable with his teeth.

Today should be NSD. Much needed after a spendy week.

So cute em!

Shoop I think lots of us are emotional spenders.

Wow snuggly good sleep! Ds had me up at five

We're going to Winchester science centre today. Excited it should be fun although it's going to be busy and I hate other people.

Shopping of you can clear one and close it then do it especially if that keeps you motivated. Are you able to move the rest into a 0% credit card?

Not doing much today. Booked in from spinning but not sure I cba. Feel a bit grotty from sleeping with ds who still has a head ache. Easy day today. Dd wants to go swimming. The house is a bomb site.

Spending day yesterday but I felt in control all the same.
£200 train tickets
£60 birthday present
£44 cinema tickets

DP owes me £140 of the above and I have a cheque my Mum gave me at Christmas for £100 to pay in also, so not so bad. In the 5+ years DP and I have been together we have never been to the cinema. So I have booked for tickets for two films.

Frugal win on jam at the Coop! They were selling off their posh strawberry conserve dated best before 2019 at 69p. Perhaps they are to redesign the jar or something. I bought two. DP is partial to strawbo.

Hoping for a low spend day today. Day off so household jobs then relax.

Fucking phone. That should be shoop if ..

When you budget for the big spend days, it does feel better duchess

shoop I think I would pay off the card that can be paid in full first next month, mainly for the satisfaction of doing it (and closing it). Then onto Next! No need to be embarrassed, that is kind of the point of the thread. Pay off debts, spend sensibly.

I need to pop to Tesco mainly for some white vinegar to de limescale the kettle, but I may just put up with limescale tea for another day 🤢

Thinking about it I have a store card. Our local department store does them. I got it last year when we planned to move. Never used it though - we get discounts per department (so 10% fashion and beauty, 15% bedding and Home 20% furniture) and my limit is £1000 the plan was to use it for new house things - bedding/glasses/plates/furniture etc. Then pay it off.

Nsd today. Am hoping my eBay things sell. If not I’ll relist and will update the listings to make them more sellable.

Took some decongestant stuff last night before bed. Slept really really well. Still full of snot and feeling rough but feel a million times better than yesterday.

Woken up at 7 by catface. So have made vitamin c drink, cup of tea, refilled my water bottle and made ds’ bottle for when he wakes up. And am back in bed.

Laundry to do today and need to change bedding.

I lost a long post last night... grr. I’ll try to remember...

Thanks for the knitting compliments Lonely, means a lot coming from you! I want to see pictures of your craft room when it’s done, I am

Cag a coat is a necessity, I love my Seasalt one as it is warm and also completely properly waterproof. Very useful when pushing a buggy and no chance of wresting with an umbrella.

North that sounds very worrying, hope he gets better soon

Need the sleep consultant came yesterday, thanks for asking. She was lovely and seemed very knowledgeable. It was really helpful to talk through all the feeding stuff too. She’s going to send a plan and we are going to start this week, probably Wednesday. Fingers crossed for us all as it will be fairly distressing all round to get it underway but worth it for good sleep all round!

Meadow it sounds as though your work are being lovely (as they should be!)

Get well soon to all the poorly frugaleers.

Yesterday DH did a tiny top up shop - a newspaper and bananas. Then we spent £24 on two bottles of Chablis to take to a friend’s house for dinner. This friend is a complete foodie and also rather a man of excess. He cooked an amazing Japanese meal for us - there were only 6 of us but he had used two whole chickens, a huge pile of veg, a massive tray of fancy mushrooms, rice sticks that he had brought back from Japan, some special herb/veg thing that he grew from seed under a lamp he bought for the purpose... you get the idea. It was cooked at the table on a burner thing, huge fun. It took 4 hours to eat it all and much beer, wine and sake was consumed. We rolled home fairly merry... dcs were pretty good for my mum though so all was well. I was up with dd st 6.15 (less than 5 hours after going to bed) and she’s been in the most delightful chatty mood. Am Currently making blueberry pancakes for everyone. Have a lovely Sunday all!

Sat on a spinning bike waiting for the class.

Sea which seasalt coat do you have? Love the knitting btw.

The sleep pain will be worth it though.

Happy Sunday people. Ds’s rugby match cancelled so no standing in the cold for me. Dh and I both need to sort out our packing as we are away with work on opposite days all week. fluffy I can’t switch to 0% at the moment as I’ve just moved two other cards so can’t apply for anything new really. I need to wait and see if one of my existing dormant cards comes up with a deal in time. If not I can probably switch it later in the year.

Em your ds is gorgeous, love that photo.
I sat yesterday and worked out what money was left for food until payday and I stopped myself from making a big impulse purchase so I’m quite pleased with myself on that front.

Interesting games Cag I have a couple of those but will have a look into some of the others as they aren’t familiar and are therefore very interesting

Shoop If it will help psychologically then do the simply b card next. As you pay them off then ask them to be shut down & a letter/email sent to confirm it. Then throw everything at Next.

Cag You up for the firm today? It will stop me nagging. You can tell me to fuck off then . I'll print out some vouchers I've been procrastinating over in solidarity.

Thanks All - yep Fluffy, I emailed Very straight away asking them to close the account and have had confirmation that that process has now started.

Simply Be....I'm coming to get you

Crikey we slept late! I was wanting to be at screwfix for 10... I am getting belt sanding things to do my floor, no point fixing up the room without finishing the floor first. I'll also grab bagels or something similar for the dc's lunch. Half leg of lamb for tea. Right, on with the day.

Where can I check my credit rating?

Duchess I can't believe you've not been the cinema together in 5 years! Aw. Tbh DH and I go probably only about twice a year although he often goes another one or two times with friends or his family. I would go more if it weren't so expensive though. We really want to see Pad Man which I think is out soon.

It's just started snowing here though I'd be surprised if it stuck. We rarely get snow here.

Ooh we have snow. I’m over it already 😂😂😂

I’ve never had a store card but that’s mainly as mum used to have too many when I was young. She now has just Debenhams and Marks but uses them to her advantage and pays off in full etc.

What do people use to check credit rating? I’ve never done it as they used to charge for it but it’s free now isn’t it. One of my aims is to become organised enough to use CC and pay off instantly to improve my rating. And to shop around for different cards to get deals, cash back etc.

Lovely photo em 💕

I used Credit Expert Meadow
I like it as its really clear and I get alerts if thete are any searches/changes .
My credit rating is 99/100 😇
Haha Cag yes Heelies not Wheelies -glad its not only me that thinks they are awful.
Snowing like mad here -Dcat has had lots of fun chasing snowflakes but then got fed up and came bombing back in.
Will do some baking and knitting later .

em DS is gorgeous -sweet little red cheeks -they always have this slightly" I may cry "look when teething and "Mummy do something " poor babies

It’s snowing here too. I’m not impressed as there’s no work in at home for me next week and our street and town are a pig to get out of in bad weather

No snow here just loads of rain, imagine we might get some localised flooding as its rained pretty much non stop for 24 hours!!

Gorgeous pic Em can you feel any teeth yet? Looking at those cheeks it def looks like teething!

I have never had a store card or a credit card thats mostly due to my anxiety around debt though.

Have had a nice lie in this morning and very lazy morning watching crap telly, don't think we will be leaving the house today.

Going to make a start sorting dds bedroom out, am going to try and sell her midi bed and look to get her a standard single bed. Also need to pack up some stuff so can paint the walls... this will be a job for half term I think.

Complained at the gym as the hours class ended up being 30 mins and my bike was broken so no tension. Looking into the one next door now.

No snow here but it's forecast for this afternoon.

Martin money saver has a bit on checking your credit score and how to improve it.

Snow?? Just pissing rain here for the second day running. I’ve sent DH off out to the forest with DS to run some of his energy off while I stay nice and warm and dry My turtle door mat has been hung over the front Garden wall for days trying to dry out but it keeps getting soaked.

Life I’ve got the plant hunter coat. Nicer irl than it looks (whereas I previously tried the Janelle and found the opposite). It’s not too thick and padded as it’s not very cold in London generally and I walk a lot so get quite warm. I like a grey coat as I can then wear any gaudy accessories with it

Dd really enjoyed the blueberry pancakes but the mess..... I have managed to clean her up but the inside of her ear is still purple.

Lovely relaxing day planned. Still need to do a bit of laundry and tidying the play room but the house looks decent, there’s a lovely potato and celeriac dauphinoise in the oven (to have with yummy sea bream and broccoli) and I am going to do some knitting and holiday planning. probably my ideal Sunday! Just trying to think of a storecupboard pudding as I wasn’t planning one but now feel our nice lunch needs one