Frugal Friends Facing Forward with Fortitude

[Happierwithouthim]

Here's a friendly space for new and existing frugal friends.

We have all different types of incomes and lifestyles but with a common goal of making the best of the money we have.

Many of us have experiences of becoming debt free or being in difficulty with money for one reason or another so there's no need for embarrassment, just join in, post as little or as often as you wish.

Some record daily spends, some record only spends that are unplanned, some don't record spends at all, the choice is yours!

Hi there, do you mind if I join? I've been lurking around these boards for the past week or so since it's dawned on me just how bad I've become with money. We need to free up some spare money to upgrade the house so I'm determined to change things in 2024. I'm hoping that if I start to post regularly in this group then I will be more aware of my spending and more accountable! I'm so sick of having no money left at the end of the month, it's stressful and having just drawn up a budget, there's really no excuse for me!
Looking forward to 'meeting' everyone!

Can i join too please? Ive always had to be frugal but getting fed up with it all. No choice unfortunately.

@MissDollyMix @ssd
Both very welcome, I wanted to say to lurkers to join in too but the word just wouldn't come to me and we'd only one post left in our last thread and I didn't want to miss out on putting link in there!

@MissDollyMix have you gone through your bank statements to see what direct debits aren't being used and checked out that you're getting the best deal with your providers/mortgage rate etc?

@ssd I was feeling very fed up with saying no to myself often and started giving myself some pocket money weekly and I find this helps, and also I allocate €100 out of €280 child benefit monthly to treats like takeaway and cinema with the dc, only started the second one this year but it has taken pressure off.

Government gave us, I'm in ROI, a double child benefit payment today so €200 is in treats category and remainder went against credit card, which is at 0% and needs to be repaid by end of Jan before rate runs out. This was for our holiday in June, there's less than €2k owed on it now, but I don't want to pay it out of savings.

@Happierwithouthim thanks for the welcome! That's a good about the double child benefit! Is that a Christmas thing? I once worked with a Norwegian who told me that in Norway in December no one pays any income tax (or massively reduced income tax) as a little present from the government to it's citizens. I can't see that happening in England though!
I've just been analysing my bank statements. Not sure there's any big savings to be had on the mortgage as we're still on an old mortgage with a low interest rate (another reason why I need to get my spending in check as this low rate will expire in 12 months time!) I have a lot of credit card debt but it's all interest-free. Paying it off is an absolute priority.
@ssd I agree, being frugal all the time is exhausting. Hopefully at least we can cheer each other up (or along?) along the way.

It's a cost of living thing across the board from the government, there are also energy credits towards electricity bills 3 of €150 for next three months.

It's a quick way of helping people but it's a blanket payment, instead of putting a cap on electricity rates or means testing it, so someone earning nothing, relying on government support to the top earners in the country get the same payment.

I'm lucky I can afford my bills so I normally put these payments towards something extra

Joining in ready for the new year! I dip in and out of these threads, need to stay on really!

We are doing quite well at the moment, not wanting to blow my own trumpet, but quite pleased with our spending at the moment. Vinted has been a lifesaver both for buying and selling!

We are trying to save up as mindful that we will need a new (second hand) car in the not too distant future. It's a 7 seater but fairly compact so now my teens are a bit squashed (taller than me!) So we are mindful we will need a larger 7 seater soon . Plus ours is almost at 100k miles so quite alot. We always buy our cars outright, with a bank loan. We don't want to lease etc although I know it's popular.

Anyway, keep on keeping on!

Well done happier

welcome new joiners

£30 Christmas work meal and £12 M&S biccies.

Me too. Really depressed by it all today

Well done? Life

Christmas work party is looming but I don't know if I'm going or not yet, it costs €0 but I don't know if I'll need babysitter or not, seeing as my exh still hasn't given me a weekend roster for December

Decaff that's how I buy my cars too, I'd love to buy a 252, had a conversation about Long wave Radio Atlantic 252 recently & I thought I'd like that for a registration, it would mean though having deposit in next 18-24 months as ideally I'd like to keep my car for dd, although maybe I should wait until 2027 & buy it two years old, and just save for then.
I do have a revolut vault for new car it has €165 in it.

No not frugal at all happier and I now have 2 boxes of biccies my waist line doesn’t need

it can get quite tedious being h frugal
out of necessity rather than as a choice

we never judge and will be about to support you all

i need a new year budget as gas and electricity fixed rate ends and need to juggle a few spends

Place marking ready for new year

I was going to wait until the new year before I started to track my spending and properly cut back but I feel like on a bit of a roll at the moment and also having done my budgets yesterday, it’s already quite eye opening how much money I fritter. Was online last night and saw a top on offer that I knew DD would love but I’ve already bought all of her Christmas presents so I bought it anyway because her birthday is in March, so I’ll put it back for that. I usually buy a lot of her birthday presents in the post-Christmas sales, (never mind position in the school year, it’s a little discussed benefit of having a spring baby, that you can get all their birthday presents cheaply!) but still it was £25. Then I spent a fiver on biscuits and chocolates in the village shop as I was walking DS home from scouts and now I’m getting my nails done which is another £35. So that’s £60…. Just like that! I suppose I need to accept that Christmas is always an expensive time, but come January this is going to have to stop! I’ve got to go into the city after this to get DS Christmas present - I’ve been saving up for it, Im not sure exactly how much it will be but hopefully I’ll have enough 🤞 Fortunately as (pretty much the only!) perk I get with my job is that I get free parking in the city so I suppose that will save me a tenner!

Sometimes I post here in a thinking out loud manner, so I looked up price of two year old cars now, average price is €25k, I don't know will diesel become more expensive as they get increasing rare or what. It'll be another car that I won't have a trade in for, I am going to get dd to pay me €1k for the car, but this will be after the event at a rate of €20 per week, assuming she wants a car of her own and to drive when she's 17, I didn't and it was a regret of mine.

I think this would be a good habit for her, an accountant I know saved money every week/month from when she got her first car & the money is always there for service/tyres/insurance etc. I didn't do this, in fact I only started recently and I've been driving since 2006
So in order to have half of this by 2027 I need to save approx €120 per week for car, I think this would be good, I haven't had a car loan since 2020 so it'll be a shock to the system to be saving this amount. It's only an idea atm.

Energy credit has been applied to my electricity account €150
and my real rewards voucher from supervalu also €5
I've €155 also in my ynab category for electricity so I've the next bill covered. WWYD - leave it there and stop adding to category until next bill comes, or use the €155 in ynab towards credit card and save a reduced amount towards next bill for rest of Dec/Jan or use the €155 towards credit card and not save for rest of Dec and start again in Jan?

Life are there better rates out there for electric/gas

I posted in a Facebook group re room in my house that's very cold, a former colleague noticed it and text me to avail of SEAI grants, he also told me that they had done some of the ideas I had in his fathers house. I know I'm eligible but just figured my house is fairly cosy anyhow so didn't bother before now. This morning I checked out who are the registered installers locally and popped off an email to one re insulation and another re heating controls upgrade.

MissDolly benefit of having a November baby is you can buy sweets for their birthday party in the Halloween offers so that works for ds, dd is born around Easter so this doesn't apply to her, can't exactly replace sweets with Easter Eggs!

Checking in!

Will be back to post fully.

All welcome.

So behind for Christmas, damn you @lifelongfrugaleer 😂

Happy to do personal shopping need, for a fee obv

sorted out today into wrapping piles.

lad £1.20 bread buns

Welcome to the new people!
happier I would pay the extra bill money off the credit are.
Spent £63 in sainsburys yesterday that I had t planned to - £18 for DS2 stocking bits and the rest for charity presents (we have a collection at work). So I don’t begrudge it but it wasn’t planned. I always kind of close my eyes and spend at Xmas and then mop it up come jan…not the best approach but there you go

Oh wow, lots of familiar names here!!!

I am unsure what name I last used with the Frugaleers threads, but I will say that Cagletini recently turned 6 😁

Anyway I need to rejoin please, if you’ll have me?! Life is very different since Covid, I’m now working part time in a job I adore, and I’m doing an OU degree as well.

But the main reason I need to rejoin is DH is moving out in the new year. Well that’s the plan anyway. 😬

Sing welcome back, sorry to hear that your DH is moving out. How's is cagletini 6 already

€41.22 using 25% discount code on a lovely eyeshadow palette collection for dd comes with eyeliner lashes & mascara, I could've spent more to get free delivery but I didn't need anything badly enough.

Hey sing welcome back. 6!! Flipping heck. Sorry to hear about DH. Great news on the job and degree.

Hello everyone
Been busy as l am sure we all have been
Welcome back @SingToTheSky good to see you here
Spends Morrisons today £72 bought 2 x fresh Turkey Crowns
1xPork loin , 1x leg of lamb and 1 x beef joint
it was all on offer and selling like it was going out of fashion so l thought l would get them now
£30 cash as 2 gifts
£28 for 3 gifts through Amazon
Aldi £10
Hope everyone is ok

Thank you for the new thread Happier.

Welcome MissDolly and ssd. Welcome back Sing - sorry to hear about the husband.

I’d use it towards the credit card Happier.

Good thinking with Morrisons Mary.

Fed up and irritated today. Was starting to think about my break then an email from the mediator arrived. I had decided to deal with it tomorrow (email was ready to go in my draft folder) then forget about it until I was back but that’s now out the window. That woman. Whoever told her she’d make a good mediator was lying. I’m really not looking forward to it starting. Feel like I’m finding my way in the dark. I have no idea what I’m doing and he’s already game playing. It’s utterly impossible to relax.

Skipped work Christmas lunch today. Happy not spending the money and there’s an all staff one next week that’s free. Haven’t started Christmas shopping yet but seeing as it’s just me I’ll wait until my last office day and buy cheese when I’m in town. And spend my vouchers in Marks and Spencer.

Spending wise £8 yesterday on a bag. Was going to use it as luggage but think it’s too big. Today was a no spend day. At the office tomorrow. Think there might be an afternoon outing so am crossing my fingers it’s a cheap one.

Found a job I think I’ll apply for. The closing date isn’t until the new year so I have time. It will also give me something to distract myself with over the holidays.

Ah rum if you lived in the north east you could totally come to mine at Christmas

That was a great haul of meat Mary for some reason I feel like I can manage things when i've got a stock of meat in.

I got a lovely hamper at work today, including a €200 perx card, pity i didn't bring it to specsavers with me €226 on two for one glasses, one needed frames thinned.
€9.50 on sandwich and slice of yule log which had buttercream not fresh so ive only eaten half
€5 pizza local shop
€8.07 in dunnes didn't know there was a pizza needed then
€50 to childminder as ds wasn't fit for school, and i'd appointments booked

going to book club dinner now.

Grit your teeth & get through mediation rum it'll get worse before it gets better. I'm divorced since July 21.

@Happierwithouthim thank you for the new thread too
Yes l know what you mean re the meat being in the house because you can always have a couple of days meals off it with veg and it's such a staple.
It's also delicious & good for us too
Your hamper sounds wonderful & well deserved
@RumBananaSundae are you going to be on your own over Christmas ?
Oh lovely l am so sorry and as for the mediator she sounds an absolute pita!
Just try to gain happy times where ever you can and do things that make you happy bless you
Just had some sad news, my Mum's friend has passed away, bless him he has been so poorly this year he was 83 and had heart disease badly and was on Oxygen since April . l am not going to tell My Mum. l don't think she will ever find out and she will be so upset