Summer savings support - be frugal

[ememem84]

Running out of space on the old thread so here’s the new one. Everyone welcome.

for background this is a slice to share your No spend days, your big spend days your savings your situation. We all help each other out with advice and tips etc. but it’s mostly for friendly accountability.

Bread and bits got yesterday £10, need a run out shop today so will go tonight

icky doggo now fgs. Good job it’s sunny to clean sofa.

One of my dogs was sick the other day too life, the other one ate it before I got there🤢.

Done an early morning survey for £1.43. They are boring but it's only 20 minutes a day.

Hoping just parking today.

It’s a joy isn’t it.

did you get no where with the permit? That’s a shame if you didn’t but worth an ask.
those £1.43s will soon add up

I've had a plan where, at the end of each day, I go into online banking and transfer small amounts into savings -basically I round down to the nearest fiver. (Stops me blowing small amounts of cash constantly on takeaway sandwiches, chocolate bars and coffees etc.) Saved an extra £70 last month from doing this, which has been offset against the cost of DS's new school uniform.

Also have bought some of DS's next school trousers from Vinted. (New with tags but only half the normal price.)

Am also going through cupboards and looking for Clothes to Vint. Have found boys wedding outfit from last summer - waistcoat, tie, brogues etc all only worn once. Also kids waterproof jacket , now too small and a couple of pairs of heels that I can no longer wear (foot injury.)

NC

I'm going away with friends late August, we are going to Spain for a week. We have each agreed to take £600 spending money. This has to cover foods, taxis, drinks and anything we want to buy.

Could I manage to only spend three quarters of this (or less) without the others noticing ? It's been really hard for me to save the £600 and taken a long time. I was in a different place financially when I signed up to go and paid for the hotel and airfares via a package deal. I'm thinking I don't need to buy any stuff over there (which will be hard if the others are treating themselves), I could not have starters when we go for dinner, have a smaller breakfast with just 1 coffee and not 2, skip lunch (which will be a very light snack, if that) have the cheaper meal on the menu type of thing. Is this going to be doable ?

mines this is putting me off getting a dog 😱 did you manage to find out about a parking permit at all? At our hospital it's £20 for a week and you can come and go as often as you like.

flying that's great about the rounding down for savings, and great about vinted

M and s have their uniform deal on now I think it's 20% off until the 25th of July? We always buy school trousers there so will stock up and we also get the Sen uniform they do which costs more than the mainstream uniform and winds me up

em im off to mountain warehouse tomorrow we also need rash vests, water shoes etc. Got the DC some sale wetsuits from there a few weeks ago so am pleased with that.

Haircut and colour this morning. Price seems to be creeping up, but there's always a complicated set of discounts applied for loyalty points, repeat bookings. It's an essential boost to self-esteem though, and I won't be giving it up anytime soon, (although I have reduced from every 6 weeks to every 8, and push it along with root touch-up powder).

The search for a good strapless bra continues. The one I ordered from M&S proved a padded nightmare, so that's £20 I will be getting back.

Minions was sweet, and had a great disco soundtrack (it's set in 1976) and some good lines ('and where did they get so much denim?', Gru wonders when they turn up) but not a classic, I'd venture.

Hello namechangeeee. If the deal is everyone is taking the same sort of spending money in order to be able to do the same sort of things, and pay for themselves as they go along, i.e. not going into a central pot, I really can't see the problem in ordering the cheaper items/reducing the courses you order/cutting down on coffees/booze. I doubt anyone would even notice, and if they say anything, you can say something like you want to return from your holiday feeling healthier and more rested.
I'd try and find out in advance if there are things people want to do, and plan around those so you don't miss out. e.g. any excursions/cultural visits/a particular club people want to try out. Budget for those, and (again, if anyone even asks) you can say you're prioritising your spending for these things, because that's what you've most been looking forward to. If browsing and shopping form a big part of your holidays usually, try and target something within budget and focus your searches on that, so you're not tempted by random purchases. Like a local brand of make-up/toiletries rather than clothing, for example.

they are your friends, they will respect you for budgeting and planning, surely? Much better than someone running out of money halfway, or looking stressed and miserable because they're spending money they can't afford.

Spent 16 in Aldi on bits and bobs today 👍
Going to delay sorting out Gas heating boiler ins , BG want over £300 for a service and fallout and have to pay the first 60 .
I am waiting for them to crack and offer me it cheaper fingers crossed 😜

Dentist £28
Dog food has gone up £10 which is a bit scary
Need to buy df a birthday present as I have neglected this
Accidentally spent £178 on some clothes that I wouldn't boil to death at work in
Did manage to resist an air fryer and an echo dot to replace my broken one in prime day though

I agree with big skies , if it’s not going into a pot do as they say. If they are good enough friends to go on holiday with they should be good enough to tell about change in finances and be ok with it

Let's just write off today in the frugaleering quest for the decaff house 😱

Re holiday....I agree with what others have said just be honest and say you are on a budget. Recently lots of people are talking about the cost of living etc there's no stigma. You have some good ideas eg just one drink, for food I often get 2 starters Instead of a main it's a bit cheaper. And still a good variety of food.

Morning.

Yep, dogs are grim, but fabulous too. Every day is happy day in a loved dogs life!

DH has recently moved from hospital to a specialist centre, so I'll ask about parking there, as he will be there a long time.

Spends today will be parking and probably buying a bottle of Friday night wine.

Definitely agree with what has already been said re the holiday. There's no shame in saying that you are financially a bit tighter than in recent months and trying to rein things in. Perhaps you could take some cereal bars or similar in your luggage, to snack on? And make sure you've got all your toiletries etc with you.

Oh £18 on a Hush jumper on a Facebook site.

This week has been so bloody BORING. Not spending money/watching what you spend, not going out, not buying a bottle of wine to relax with in the eves, not buying anything except essentials and bits the DC need. I'm struggling. I would usually go to the gym in the eve but I have cancelled that to save costs. Going for long walks instead. On the plus side the frugalling and eating less has seen me lose a pound in less than a week. I'm off to the start of my lose 3 stone journey. In the week I'm living off toast, beans/scrambled egg on toast, cereal and fruit. TBH I feel full from that lot. I get a decent meal once a week at my mums house and we have splash out a little on a BBQ most weekends. I don't need any more than that.

Thefroglover I've 4stone to lose

This week I'd Covid, I spent a grand total of €78.98 on an 8' pool and a slider for dc, that's it.

@Happierwithouthim you've got this re the weight loss. I was supposed to lose mine for this summer but due to mental health issues I have failed and instead put weight on. I have something special coming up early next year and I will be losing all the weight for that. I am more driven now than I ever have been. Every time I reach for DC snacks & treats I think of my goal and the money I am wasting having to replace what I am eating.

Sorry to hear you have covid, hope you are not feeling too poorly. Great work on the low spend week

Hello, can I join please? I am currently trying to be very frugal, as my husband recently graduated and he's looking for a new job which might take a while (apparently lots of people are on annual leave now, so not possible to train new staff). He's self employed, but summer is the worst time for him money wise, so our budget is really tight this summer. I am still managing to save money, but my cash flow is affected.

welcome @xogossipgirlxo

Have you tried joining a library, once you do you can get free audiobooks through BorrowBox app and it makes going for a walk so much more enjoyable.

Welcome gossip

nsd today

Welcome gossip
spends have been all over the place this week buying and returning dresses for dd graduation plus paid for £70 for her hair colour and cut mine is being done tomorrow

waiting for a £250 tax rebate to go in and dd deposit to be returned from the university house as she handed the keys in yesterday

well after 2 years of hell she’s finally done it she’s dumped knobhead and I think she means it this time there is no drama no tears she text him and blocked him and changed her Facebook picture and status unlike last time. She said she feels happy and relieved it’s over. He then contacted my dsister about the 2 cats saying he didn’t want them so we have arranged for them go to a rescue centre tomorrow I feel awful doing that but think if we had them it would be a constant reminder of the relationship for dd. Dh is picking them up tomorrow literally opening the boot of the car for him to put them in and a witness is going with him then dsister can block him as well as he has been trying to discuss things with her and she’s ignored him

the boyfriend is now messaging dd few friends she had left saying she’s been awful to him for 2 years unsupportive so he needs to block them which they aren’t arsed as only tolerated him for dd. They have messaged dd to check she’s ok as unlike him she’s not putting it all over social media she says she is and this is a reminder of why she’s left him

Alfie that is just wonderful news for you 💐
Such a shame about the cats but he might even use them to keep contact with your Daughter so l think it's for the best .
NSD for me at last 😃

That's really great news Alfie

That’s great alfie and long may it last. I think it’s the right decision about the cats