January Frugaleers thread brings no judgment just friendly banter & advice for like minded folk

[Happierwithouthim]

A place where all are welcome regardless of income, level of debt or reason for being in debt or debt free.

We're friendly, full of good advice and open to new ideas where to shave off expense and how to live your best life on the income you have.

Over the years we've celebrated debt payoffs, babies, leaving jobs, getting different jobs, bonuses, and we've been there for each other through difficult times.

New posters welcome always & I hope posters who have fallen off thread will rejoin too

Day three of not buying my lunch at work - a lot healthier and £15 saved, isn't it absolutely rediculous when you see the numbers? Do you want three sandwiches/packs of sushi or £15 hmm.
Decided when I bring lunch from home to sink the costs into the household food budget and consider the money saved.

Last night was almost a takeaway night but we ate from the depressing freezer. We don't tend to buy much freezer stuff so it's quite a battle!

Day three of not buying my lunch at work - a lot healthier and £15 saved, isn't it absolutely rediculous when you see the numbers? Do you want three sandwiches/packs of sushi or £15 hmm.
Decided when I bring lunch from home to sink the costs into the household food budget and consider the money saved.

Last night was almost a takeaway night but we ate from the depressing freezer. We don't tend to buy much freezer stuff so it's quite a battle!

8.1 rebooked massage today so £37.90 including transport. I'm determined to avoid spending anything else today! Total YTD £89.55, which averages at £11.19/day. I might make a YTD daily target 🤔

&5 primark on hair brush & bobbles for gym bag

that’s it

£50 shopping today at mainly Aldi (few bits Tesco) and it seems I hardly bought anything. Nothing off list though except 2 fridge organisers from The Middle Aisle that I couldn't seem to resist. I absolutely didn't need them.

I did buy DW a cute r2d2 christmas ornament to hang in her office, heavily reduced to £5 at a garden centre today. I'm not cutting out everything, little treats is important and I like giving gifts!

Agree re cost of lunches. There's about 3 of us at work that are pretty health conscious and so always bring our own food in. I'm often astounded at just how much the others spend on food that they could easily make at home!

Continuing here with low spends
£7 gym to use the treadmill. I'm not good if I don't run. I haven't run since Sunday because of the snow and nice here. Will just have to suck that cost up for a few days as the forecast isn't changing soon and I really don't need an annual or even monthly membership, I much prefer being outside.
£8 oat milk bulk buy.
£32 dog coats. The boys are freezing. They've never had coats because they are mad loopy spaniels who charge about a lot but at 12 and 11 years old, I've caved. I have a pot for canine expenses though.

It is so fab to see so many people on the thread.

Need it just feels like 451 years. Although catface must be 451 years old by now.

Making lunches is such a big saving.. I write down any interesting filling ideas I am tempted by in the posh sandwich shops. Then choose a couple of fillings to make ready to slap into a wrap / on a bun in the morning. This week is houmous with crunchy vege and cashews in tarragon dressing. The other is coronation chicken from roast leftovers. Ps wraps wrap more easily if you blast them for 30 sec in the microwave.

I have been experimenting with toasted nuts in the airfryer... My current fav coating is table spoon of maple syrup, table spoon of oil, sugar, salt (more of both than you think is reasonable), dash of liquid smoke and a spice mix of choice ( fajita, piri piri etal) ... Mix well coat nuts of choice and put in the airfryer for about 5- 10 minute at 200. They turn quickly so keep looking and shaking every couple of minutes. The shop bought ones cost us a fortune so it has been a huge saving.

I have had 3 nsd on the bounce because I have the hideous lurgy. That will change tomorrow because I am enrolling in a pattern drafting course at my local college. £75 for 11 x 2 hour sessions. I hope by the end I won't have to spend so much on patterns that never quite fit. And I can draft copies of clothes I like but can't afford.

Ah, need, spaniels...yes, mad energy, but massively loveable. Ours is being driven mad by the foxes in the garden at present - I finally planted the tulip bulbs today, and blocked up some of the fox runs under the fences. Maybe this will slow their passage through our garden somewhat, and reduce the torment experienced by poor Ddog.

DS passed his driving theory today! So, with luck, he'll be able to book a test for the summer, and cram lots of practice/lessons in beforehand, to romp home (this worked for me, 35 years ago, so...). He's extremely unlikely to own a car for years, if ever, but at least he won't be the useless BF always being driven by GF.

£10 on a nice big chicken, which is currently sitting in the oven on a bed of all the root veg I could round up in the fridge. I have onions, garlic, fennel, lots of spices and chutneys, coconut milk, lentils, yoghurt - maybe there will be enough leftovers to curry?

£61 on DDog's food order.

I also am taking lunches to work, I could easily drop £10 in a shop at lunch for food plus bits.

No spend day today, cleaner is coming tomorrow. She is £40 to do my kitchen and bathrooms and is well worth it.

I have managed to stay off Amazon for several days now, which is so good for me.

Definitely attempting to have one day only for discretionary spending.

Aldi shopping on Saturday and we are planning a Nando's style feast for Saturday and then something I can leave to cook itself Sunday as we want into for a nice long walk and the weather here is not snowy.

I also am taking lunches to work, I could easily drop £10 in a shop at lunch for food plus bits.

Yes!

DH was spending about £20+ a day at work a while back. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and coffees. He denied it was that much, even when we were both looking at the payments in the bank statement.

With things like that, I think it's so helpful if you can agree with yourself that you'll observe what you do, rather than judge yourself, IYSWIM. Because then you can see the opportunities and practical openings for savings rather than launching in with self-criticism and doing it from a place of resentment. (This might just be me.)

£58 on Ocado order, using my 30% off. Very pleased with that, it should see us through the week at least. I aim for £60 a week on groceries, so on budget, and didn't have to drive to Aldi.

Frugal wins - Used up half a sad butternut squash and a leathery pepper in a veggie and lentil pasta bake for dinner, and using up the last of the christmas cream in a mushroom stroganoff tomorrow. Christmas cheese and crackers for tea, and homemade fridge gravel soup planned for tomorrow's tea.

Still not sent the parcel!! 🙄But did get milk - so low spend day at £1.30
Tea was everything from the freezer - cocktail sausages, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower (with cheese sauce frozen from making too much at Christmas) Yorkshire puddings, Onion rings and gravy!!
Can make the trifle at long last tomorrow - so DH can enjoy it at least - as I'm out to the Theatre in the evening. So possibly a spendy day coming up for tea and car parking but looking forward to it.

Not fully caught up, I'm really tired. Had a busy day, half working from home, half not, this is second time I've done this because of weather and I was also exhausted that day.

House is dechristmassed, ds had a school friend who lives on our road over, his parents called in for tea too which was lovely. Did laundry, showered and blow dried hair, some life admin, talked/listened to my mother who is currently staying with us.

€15.35 local shop - butter(both dc baked today), mi wadi, two packs of knorr dried pasta carbonara(used to make this in college and it's a guilty pleasure dd loves it too!)

@2025Hackathon, I've actually put separate categories in my budget for both work food and fast food bought because of bad planning/time crunches. I used to have a restaurants category but all the money in it went on the above two things. The original idea was just for observation but it's definitely having a restraining effect just knowing the categories are there.

Rainbow, I would like your tea please.

Happierwithouthim - I had to google mi wadi! My DD would live on those pasta things if she could. That and super noodles anyway.

Had to buy a towel at the gym as forgot mine £10 fml

Yesterday was a NSD. Mainly because of the snow day. Hoping today will be the same. Very grateful for the milkman who delivered milk and eggs.

@2025Hackathon I do agree that just accounting for purchases can really help with behaviour. I think this year I’m going to track my Amazon spend as it’s too handy for me. Having to acknowledge the numbers might help me stop clicking buy.

we still have plenty of food in the house though running a little low on fresh fruit. I know if I go to the grocery store that I’ll stock up again so hoping to wait until Saturday when I will need to get some stuff for school lunches. I will see if i can do a minimal shop to get me through the week.

Not much to report here, which I expect is a blessing really.

Moved monthly savings pots, and filled up with petrol. Need to move some money for gifts again today.

Reorder my clothing order as it reduced again. £40 difference so was worth doing.

DH still not saying what he wants for his birthday next week.

Ok, so revising yesterday's daily food budget - DH's meal plan from the PT has come through, and it's going to require A Big Shop today. Will update later but it's gonna be a lot more than £12! But it will result in full cupboards and fridge/freezer again, so - if we stick to the plan - may not require lots more shopping again soon. Going to be lots of weighing and recording of food over the next few months, but hopefully it will become easier.

Quick check in as busy week.

Yesterday was £46 Lidl - had a £10 voucher on the Lidl Plus App and a free bag of carrots. £9.30 lipstick which is about to run out.

Today so far has been £59 new heater for DHs allotment hut. He didn't tell me he's been sitting in the freezing cold. Also £1.25 for a drink in IKEA where I am doing some admin. Cheaper than running the heating at home as it's too cold to go without ❄️ minus 3 here today!

Will keep to low costs spends and try to check in properly at the weekend.

Shop at Sainsbury's came to £125, better than I expected - basically the next 10 days' budget. I didn't fancy the supermarket chicken or salmon though, so will be spending a bit more later in the week to get those items. DH also needs to buy his protein powder. The meal plans aren't a million miles from what we already eat, except reducing the carbs and the dairy. As the whole world knows, fats are what make food taste really good, and DS is already mournfully asking after cottage pie/macaroni cheese/dauphinoise potatoes, so we'll see how we go.

Good luck to your DH @BigSkies!

£4.50 for my Starbucks today (pistachio oat latte- YUM) which is ridiculously expensive but it's my weekly treat after my gym session. Which was hard going today after 3 weeks off!

And £8.30 on an embroidery hoop so I can make a new cross stitch- I've been wanting to do this one for a while, and sorted out all my thread and realised I have enough for the pattern, so just needed the hoop. And had to get a nice one as it'll be displayed in it!

Well today has been unexpectedly expensive. The car broke down on the way to Scotland shire. Had it recovered back home and it is a simple fix.... Coolant tube became disconnected. The expensive part is the van hire and purchase of snow chains because they were on the way to an event and were carrying all the camping, heating and cooking gear for 11 people. Bikes were going separately and 3 people flying in with just the clothes on their backs. They couldn't not go...
But it has wiped out a chunk of savings.

It will be beans on toast for the rest of the month.