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!

Big virtul hugs to all those going through tough times.
My work week has been particularly rubbish so I was glad to have my day off today. January has been a good month for spends, but then was hit with the news today that I need to wear glasses all the time & they're going to be varifocals. Not unexpected but very costly & not really budgeted for.
Have a day on my own tomorrow and nothing planned as the boys are going to football. I can see meal planning and some sorting and organising. Need to list some items on vinted too.

I'm not sure what he wants Chile. He’s used to getting his own way and for me capitulating to him. Feel like I’m going to be steamrollered.

I’m also in Skint Corner Wolf.

Today’s spending was about £6 in Asda for lunch things tomorrow. And some chocolate milk. Looking forward to getting paid next week. Hoping tomorrow will be a no spend day as I’m walking with a packed lunch.

Picked up my tops from Uniqlo and they had the same top in a rather nice lime colour that they don’t have on the website. I was tempted but kept my hands in my pocket. And it’s the Rossignol sample sale on Sunday so I’m trying to spend nothing until then.

Ooo unis wolf. What’s he thinking?

boo verifocals are indeed ££££ I feel your pain

@Wolfcub your son is very lucky. Where is he going skiing?

@R00tat00tt00t well done for savvy shopping! I haven't noticed anything I don't think.

@northender ouch(on the glasses spend). OH is a shocker for losing/breaking his so buying from glassesdirect has been a wallet saver!

@RumBananaSundae 🌼

The opposite of a frugal weekend for me as we're going on a birthday trip! Sightseeing and lunch and dinner out. Hopefully keep it under £150. Tickets paid for already and snacks will be packed. Will need milk, fruit, and bread top up on the way home.

Spends yesterday
£18 diy
£90 cleaners

£23 on a big bag of pret goodies for plane plus a coffee and Bircher pot for breakfast. They will feed us but I never trust it will be edible. Such a long day ahead, two flights amounting to 11.5 hours in the air plus a layover.
Feeling nervous and excited 😆

SIL is going to be staying with us from Weds and I only get back from US that morning, not ideal but it’s been in the diary for months.

good luck gen and safe travels ❤️

Definitely not Skiing Chile, I think I'd need a second mortgage if he took up skiing. £3.50 parking yesterday on top of my training costs.

Considering what to make for lunch (we have our big meal Saturday lunchtime as ds works Saturday evening)

@RumBananaSundae I decided to give Too Good to Go a bash a few weeks ago and bought 2 bags from our local high-end supermarket (think Waitrose equivalent). They cost £5 each and the items included in each bag were almost bang on £15 in value. I got a bakery bag and a grocery bag. The bakery bag included a very luxurious chocolate cake which felt like a real treat plus a few more bread-type items. The grocery bag was very random and included some meat from the deli counter, blini and a slice of meat pie! I was a little bit disappointed tbh as I had visions of bags overflowing with goodies but in reality I got some good quality items that didn't particularly work together iyswim and had to be eaten (or frozen) within the next 24hr or so. I will try it again though. I'd suggest doing it the day before your weekly shop so you could see what you need to buy to bulk it out. We have a gorgeous patisserie nearby that offers a surprise bag so will try and scoop one of those next.
Let us know how you get on if you do try it.

Wolf is your Ds going to uni this year? You are generous to pay for his driving lessons, my dd has had to pay for her own. It's cost her £700 so far which I couldn't have afforded. She's now at the point where I can take her out in my car so hopefully won't need any more lessons (test is in April.)

We had a lady come round Ystd to talk about dds trust fund. There's a decent sum in there so we have to decide what to do with it now. There's government type schemes where you can put some towards saving for a mortgage so dd might put some in that pot.

I think she'll keep some towards getting a car and insurance and put the rest in savings for uni. To me that makes sense some for now, some for education and some for the future.
I'm lucky that she's sensible with money, hopefully watching my attempts at frugality have rubbed off on her!

I spent £27 in the co op on way home from work Ystd on bits we'd run out of and a pizza for dinner.

Today dds getting a haircut and I need to get some bits in town. All planned spends (hopefully!)

Girlie no he goes in 2025 but college are arranging some uni days for them so they start to think about options. I said I'd pay for the first ten hours of lessons as his birthday present but I think I'm going to have to kick in extra for him to help out as a lesson is more than he earns in a week.

Chicken and pesto casserole in the slow cooker and a Sarah's slice golden syrup cake in the oven. Need to make dumplings in a bit

Spends £20 dds haircut (which she's moaning about as the fringe isn't right apparently 🙄)
£3.20 coffee, £36 gifts for niece and nephews upcoming bdays, £7 Greggs for lunch, £4 parking, £3 cards and wrapping paper.

The Amazon stuff I ordered arrived today and I'm really pleased with it, dds going to love the bits I got for her bday.

Wolf I was lucky that dd worked loads over the summer hols so had saved enough up for lessons. It's so ridiculously expensive to learn to drive. My dds looking at uni 2025 as well, she wants to take a gap year when she finishes college this summer.

NS today, and DH has managed to mend our mower without buying any parts, he did tell me what he did to it, and I am very impressed. I also have no idea what he was talking about, but the admiration for his skills is genuine nonetheless.

I made a beef chilli for lunch, it was more veg and beans than beef, so there is enough leftover for another dinner. I normally get enough for a dinner and a lunch, so this is an extra frugal chilli. No one said anything, so this might be the way forward from now on. Had it with h/m wedges and broccoli.

I am planning ham and salad in flatbreads for tea with some crisps, but it might turn out to be cheese and ham toasties if we want something hot. I might splash out on a tin of tomato soup! Oh the decadence!

planning ham and salad in flatbreads for tea with some crisps, but it might turn out to be cheese and ham toasties if we want something hot. I might splash out on a tin of tomato soup! Oh the decadence!
💃💃 💃 💃 💃 Enjoy that indulgence!

I've had a good run of NSDs (mostly thanks to pantry stores and, like others, ignoring the purchase of fresh milk and eggs). I'm still ignoring all the heavy reductions on the food processor I want. I managed to persuade DH to take a packed lunch to work for one day. Baby steps as it was £8.95 not spent.

25.01 somebody left the tiny brush that cleans out the fridge drain in bleach for too long. It's now so bald it's twisted wire with a few whiskers so I spent £2.99 on a new one.

@Wolfcub ha! I saw sports and then skint and my tired brain must have converted it to ski!

@Gensola have a nice trip and hope the jetlag isn't too bad.
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@Girliefriendlikespuppies that's so nice you're so excited for dds bday too. ❤️

The further I get into parenting, the harder it is for me to understand my own upbringing.

@2024Hackathon are you saving that 8.25 or is not spending it needed to balance the budget iyswim?

Not as spendy as planned today. Ended up with a sick baby so had to cut the trip short. It was nice whilst it lasted 🤣

Spends
£72 out
£11 fruit/milk/bread

£100 on Tesco shop with coupons. I was pleased because I got lots of stuff that’s to help me with healthier diabetes-friendly eating, but is a bit more expensive.
girlie sounds like you’ve done really well with the trust fund for your DD
north that’s a pain about the glasses, I have varifocals too. I can pay in instalments, is that an option?
gen fingers crossed for the job
chile is your little one alright?
nellie well done your DH
hack well done resisting the food processor
wolf I also have a DS turning 18 this year and having driving lessons. Like you I paid for the first few and he’s pretty much done the rest. Dreading to think what the insurance will be when he does pass.
Speaking of insurance - I recently got a quote for renewing the house insurance which was expensive. I went onto the site, got a new quote and took out insurance at a lower level with them. The old policy was registered as cancelled on the website and I’d had an email asking me if I wanted to renew. So, I presumed I wasn’t on auto renew. Now I’ve just realised they’ve taken a payment for the old policy too! I’m like, did they not notice the new one?? Luckily it doesn’t start til 1 Feb otherwise I would be double insured which I believe is some kind of insurance fraud??

Well I think I’m about through my freezer randomness. Some pasties to eat but dh will eat them or ds.
used the last of the sweet pastry and some crinkly apples to make an apple slice.

@marthasmum thanks, she's fine. Just this dreaded bug that's being going around her sister's class. But a vomiting baby on the tube was not ideal!
No idea I'm afraid on the insurance but you should have 14days to cancel

@lifelongfrugaleer well done! Pastries sound lovely - the depths of my freezer is probably some block of mystery stew and some freezer burnt ham 🤣

Lazy day today. One of us might try and get out to do some shopping but it may need to be both hands on deck. Calpol possibly needed - Sunday trading hours can be inconvenient especially when you work FT during the week.

£71 in Asda but I needed some pans and baking trays. Fml

Chile78 - Sorry to hear about the sick child.
are you saving that 8.25 or is not spending it needed to balance the budget iyswim? The victory was in persuading DH that he should take a packed lunch and not spend the money. I've a feeling that it only worked because he was also going out that night (networking cum social thing) and I knew he'd be spending money on food etc. there. I support the networking but the lunch as well feels OTT. The 'unspent on lunch' money won't go anywhere, unfortunately, but it's shifting his mindset that is the improvement for now.

I'm waiting for a 'compatibility check' with a counsellor. I need some support because even now, I feel that I'm at a point where one unthinking action by DH and everything could disappear and we'd have debts I don't know about again etc. I feel that I can't micromanage another adult (and I can't) but I shouldn't have to and yet…

lifelong - is this the prelude to you defrosting the freezer so you can take advantage of prudent price offers?

Lovely weather here, feels like spring. Guests flew home yesterday so finally have the house back to ourselves. I will celebrate by some extra cleaning this week, knowing that it will stay ship-shape for longer! Also, getting some small DIY jobs done. And, if this weather keeps up, venturing out into the garden.

Am jealous of those who get paid the last Friday in the month. DH gets paid on the last calendar day of the month, so the joint account will get its first top on Wednesday. I don't get paid until the 7th, which feels a long way away. I have been a model of frugal food shopping this month, and mean to eke out what we have in the cupboards for the remainder of the month; but am not especially inspired by the prospect of three more days of pasta/veg/rice/canned legumes based meals.

Taking Ddad to the dentist tomorrow and, rather more exciting, conferring with the bathroom fitter, now back from his holiday, on bathroom renovation plans, costs and dates. February likely to be fairly spendy, but planned for.

We're going to the Loire! Twice! DH has booked one week in late June and 10 days in early-mid September. I find it very much easier to put up with months of pasta and DIY-based entertainment if a French trip is in the diary.

Sorry about the baby and your trip Chile. I hope baby is on the mend.

Hope you’ve arrived safely Gen. Have a great break.

Thanks R00tat. I will give it a go. Except for Aldi and Marks and Spencer the places are bakeries or restaurants.

Well done on the packed lunch convincing 2024Hack. Currently I’m channeling your ability to resist. The coat I wanted is in a one day sale but I’m holding out. Hope the ‘compatibility check’ goes as well as it can.

Whoop whoop for the Loire Big. A French trip fixes many things. I was looking this morning but am still annoyed about my points.

Sent the papers off to him and the mediator on Friday. Now ignoring my emails. Feeling under the weather and have lymph nodes the size of coconuts. Hoping it clears up quickly.

Went into town this morning for toilet roll. Managed to spend nearly £10 in Aldi and forgot toilet roll. Yesterday I spent £20.50. £12.50 on some drinks while walking. My friend drove us and I wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise. The remaining £8 was on some walking pole tips. The no spending until payday (Tuesday) went out the window. I’m blaming the toilet roll.

No the freezer is one of these frost free models. But I must go get my one from my aunties garage.
rest up rum sounds like you are fighting something and good luck with the next phase

and to you hack. It’s awful being in egg shells and having to mice manage DH

no other spend today.

Thanks all for the well wishes. Thankfully calpol not needed but washing machine on a constant cycle.

@2024Hackathon good luck on the compatibility check.

@BigSkies2022 @RumBananaSundae France trips sound just the tonic needed for a rather damp frugal January. Bon voyage! I haven't been on a sunny french trip in years - we've planned Spain this year. Don't think there's enough in the budget to do another trip, but food for thought.

NSD

I’ve never been on a family holiday to France. Might look for the summer.

Hope baby starts to pick up chilli

I'd like to join. There's so much going on atm that I have no control over and the messy finances are a huge part of that. I went to the supermarket early this morning so I could be somewhere with people and bright lights. I ended up spending approx £20 on puzzle books, biscuits, and sweets.

The first thing I want to do is get a grip on the bank statements and credit cards. Go through everything with a fine-tooth comb. Make to-do lists.

Tomorrow is the online supermarket delivery. That's usually £50 to avoid the surcharge. I'm shopping my cupboards and fridge-freezer as much as possible for myself. The teens are expensive though.