Familiar Friends in Frugality(Feb 24>)

[Happierwithouthim]

Frugal Friends Facing Forward with Fortitude http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/costoff_living/4957140-frugal-friends-facing-forward-with-fortitude

New thread

Can I join? How does this work?

I don't work. I'm on disability benefits. Husband works full time.

Trying to save every penny for a house. I have an irrational fear of being homeless again and I hate spending.

Thanks for the new thread Happier

Welcome @Spencer0220

@Nellieinthebarn it's a good feeling!

No money left in the bank over here. Think I need to adjust kid's activities higher - yes it was half term, but with 6 holidays (3half terms, 3end of terms) that means that they don't just happen, they actually happen every other month and so should be factored in to monthly spend.

Spends
60p library
£9 cleaning products
£7 toiletries

Did avoid buying lunch though at least.

Welcome @Spencer0220
How it works is you can ask for advice on cost cutting exercises or debt management or anything at all
You can post your spends or frugal things you've done or not
You can track NSDs no spend days if you wish
You can post unplanned expenses or all expenses
Use the thread as much or as little as you want, we're a friendly bunch

Hi wolf 😁

Thank you @Happierwithouthim

I'm quite a frugal person. Before I met DH I had only my benefits to live on, so I'm used to living frugally.

I had a no spend day, although I ordered tomorrow's food shopping. We're trying to switch to more frozen vegetables for both nutrition and cost.

DH had unexpected spend because his Bluetooth headphones broke and he needed a second pair for work.

Happy birthday to your DC girlie

some on here may remember me under a chalet school related user name - I’ve started selling my large collection of chalet books and have made £200 this week, which is going into the “moving to USA” fund.

You'll fit right in so spencer

It's my birthday next Tues, I've long since coveted postal brownies from a shop in a town near my brothers but I neither need the brownies or the expense. I called the dc in last night for a minute, and they asked were they in trouble or had someone died, that usually when I call them in like that that's the reason, I said no it's my birthday next Tues and I don't want a cake, so we'll pick a box of brownies. We selected a bit of everything with 8 different brownies for €27.99 + postage.

Our local restaurant is very good and does very good brownies but they're now €7.50 a portion, I long since banned ordering them and said we'll make a batch at home to have in freezer, so this is a real treat for all of us!

Must pay €90 to local repair guy, who came to see my oven last month and told me it wasn't worth fixing. This is a call out charge. He's very good and has kept my 16 year old washing machine in perfect nick so I'm happy to pay this charge. I've got a double oven and airfryer so I'm not going to replace/repair thermostat.

Hopefully my window damaged in storm Isha will be replaced next week €170 balance due there. I have a repairs & appliance category but I don't fund it, I need to start doing this

I'm buying myself a Garmin for my birthday, must see what I have in one4all cards & order shop and scan vouchers too.

Well done Gensola! I take it you liked your final offer so that move is underway.

Spencer there are many good reasons for sharing financial experiences with others. Sometimes somebody says something that is something you feel that you already knew but you've never truly realised before. For me, it was people posting reflections on a coffee a day and normal spends that we don't notice that really brought it home to me.

£5 a day in Starbucks/wherever for a coffee is almost £2000 a year.

People can easily spend £29.70 a day without thinking about it. A coffee, a book, a treat for the family. That's just about £10,000 a year that we probably never even realised we had.

Realising that can prompt some very different choices. Particularly when you think about the difference £10,000 a year could make to mortgage payments long-term if you overpaid that. Or you might not have had a holiday in decades, and it might pay for that. Or reasonable savings to reduce our vulnerability to financial shocks.

Alongside all the positive stories it's been very financially sobering to think these things through. And I do more than I ever did because I come here to be accountable.

Afternoon.

Thanks @Girliefriendlikespuppies. It's very odd, I still don't feel like we own the house, even though we now do! Your DD's birthday celebrations sound fantastic, you put so much effort in, lucky person that she is.

Hooray for money in the bank @Nellieinthebarn

Hello @Spencer0220. Lovely to have you join. Use the thread as you want to, totally up to you. Frozen veg are my latest discovery too .

What Garmin @Happierwithouthim. I've got a very old one in a cupboard that I'm happy to mail you but it probably won't track all the latest things the new ones can.

School activities cost a fortune don't they @Chile1978

That's a great post @2024Hackathon, I agree.

Spends have been very minimal other than the direct debits etc (budgeted obviously) and I found a 50 Euro note in a drawer that one of the guys at work has 'bought' from me for £40. Probably worth a couple of quid more but feels like a free win and he's hardly fleeced me!

@2024Hackathon I know just what you mean. DH was terrible for buying breakfast on way to work, and lunch at work when we met.

I understand it because he struggles with disability and a brain injury, but I nipped that in the bud when we moved in together.

I can't eat ultra processed food, it doesn't agree with me. So that's pretty much put an end to takeaway. We've also both found out we're coeliac, so we have to be far more careful with food. I just wish bread wasn't so bloody expensive!!

@needastrongoneagain it's brilliant isn't it? We always had a pack for emergencies, but now we're going to use it more often.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to handle my DM? She's coming over on Sunday for dinner for DH's birthday. She is very anti frozen vegetables. I suspect by Sunday the fresh stuff will have pretty much run out and our next shop is Monday. Of course, DH might grab some yellow sticker items, but otherwise it will all be frozen.

We're ruthless with our yellow sticker shopping. I stay at home with WiFi and a calculator and work out if the deal is worth it before he buys. Quite often it's not.

Spend today, £46.23 on food shopping and household items to last until Monday for 2. Don't expect anything more today.

@Spencer0220 . My DH had a stroke 2 years ago, I understand re brain injuries.

Re frozen veg, I'm doing egg fried rice tonight, already cooked the rice (just basmati) and will add frozen peas, sweetcorn, (not frozen) carrots, and (if we have any in the freezer) edamame for a cheap meal, plus lots of ginger, garlic (both frozen) and spices. Edamame optional of course as more costly but still a lot cheaper than a meat dish.

Re your DM, could you stretch to a pack of carrots and a broccoli and then frozen peas? Does anyone eat anything other than frozen peas - who has fresh other than occasionally?

@needastrongoneagain I hope your DH is recovering well.

Yes, we could stretch to fresh. But why won't she accept the nutritional labels that say it's better?

Unexpected spend on Amazon just now. £25.70. We needed some more Pyrex bowls. We only had 1. And another bed sheet

Add others say use this thread as you wish Spencer. We are all at different points in our frugal journey.
bounce ideas, vent, report spends and wins. However you want.

there is still snobbery re frozen food I think. But tbh some of it is grim. What are you cooking?
And can you make bread though gf floor is still ££

Hi @lifelongfrugaleer

We're doing gluten free breaded fish and chips with vegetables on the side.

Lovely. You only really need peas then and who doesn’t like frozen peas

@Spencer0220 another suggestion for next time might be a dish with blended vegetables where you couldn't possibly tell it was frozen- so scallops with cauliflower puree, colcannon, garlic spinach etc.etc.

Brownies sound yum @Happierwithouthim

Can't face the gym tonight, more work to do anyway so might as well crack on

Spends
£2 milk
50p banana (breakfast on the go)
£3.50 lunch - I had actually packed one but ended up in back to backs so had to grab on the go.

DH just got back from Tesco.

Huge yellow sticker haul. Our first in 10 days.

8 boxes of matchmakers orange, 2 sushi platters and one loaf GF bread.

All for a grand total of £3.66.

Amazing. Reduced from £17.70.

But on the flip side, DH has just informed me his jacket that is god knows how many years old, has a rip in it. So I shall scour Vinted tonight and hopefully use the Tesco savings to find him a new coat.

It never ends does it?

Hello all! I’ve not posted for a while and I see exciting things have been happening. Sorry I can’t catch up with everyone’s news but I see gen has a fab new job, girlie has an adult DD and need has had some well
deserved time off!!
I’ve partly not posted because I’m cross with myself about over spending. I have been talking to a friend who has a charity shop obsession ( mine is the food shop) and it’s definitely a dopamine thing. I’m also trying to claw back Xmas and other spends eg DP and I had a night away which was great, but I just paid for a hotel
even though we didn’t have it saved. Though… we did agree it has taken us 20 years from first having kids to being able to go away overnight and leave them on their own!
Like em I have also had a big anxiety rush. I don’t know how yours presents em but mine is always tied to work stuff and I think related to this new role. But since I’ve been running regularly it’s been better than it was for years. I am also trying to get my BP under control and try different meds so maybe that’s related. DSis was telling me today about BP and anxiety being menopause related. I think you’re a bit young for that em but maybe worth looking into re perimenopause??

The coat was £5.09 from Vinted. Looked in very good condition. £15 new!!!

Sorry meant to say welcome spencer good news on the coat! My teens love vinted.

https://mrshawkinshouse.com/chocolate-fudge-brownie-recipe/ Recipe
https://2210patisserie.ie/shop/tray-bakes/abit-of-everything/ Birthday Treat

Need I appreciate the offer, but I'm looking forward to treating myself to it, going to get the Garmin Vivoactive 5. It's €299. I bought my Fitbit in Dec 2019 for €120 so it has served me well, Fitbit did replace it in the interim.

€10.60 Centra

Welcome spencer, sounds like you are doing a great job frugal wise. We can all learn off each other!

Welcome back martha

Frugal win-£50 credit in from my robo investment. I’ve now closed the account, it looks like I will get all of the original £50 investment back too.

Yesterday was £42 in Tesco.

I noticed that I was about to be charged for prime earlier, as I’d forgotten to cancel after a free trial. Managed to get it cancelled.

Great news on the mortgage need, living the dream 🙂 Glad you had a good break away too.

I’ve started back on the job hunt again this week. I still haven’t recovered from the mortification of my last interview, two years ago 🤣 Autumn would be the ideal time to move though for a number of reasons, so just casually looking.

They look lovely happier. Mmmm brownies

Well done on the win @Timetoswitch

I chose yesterday as despatch day as was afraid if I chose Mon I wouldn't have them for Tues, they've been delivered today
I've got a meeting on Tues eve also so might make Sun eve my birthday celebration with dc.

€5.70 on lunch
€40 on childcare
I think I'm going to stop morning childcare after Easter, freeing up €25 a week & start a savings plan for dd for college with that.