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

£12 on a new dog lead, I cleaned out under the utility sink and discovered that the clip on the spare lead had fused together and was unusable. I think it was when we went on holiday and dear hound went in the sea still wearing it, the salt has corroded it into a horrid rusty lump. Note to self to rinse the dog lead and harness following salt water dips.

£8 on a pack of 10 microfibre cloths, in jolly cheering colours. Anything to make housework more appealing.

Oh I forgot, £4.75 on a parcel for DD of the things she left here after Christmas.

NSD today. Am just about to spend £30 to join a running club but this is covered by the sale of some tickets I no longer need - so I’m claiming that as a net gain!

Getting back out running again will be brilliant for my health (which isn’t great) and joining a club will make sure that I actually get out the door! Overnight oats and lunch prepped for next two days at work (not very keen on overnight oats but needs must!)

Just £6 on sausages for tonights tea.
If i can keep this up i'm looking forward to stashing away some savings at the end of the month

@Happierwithouthim also in Ireland. Are we the only 2 Irish on the thread?

another NSD, was at a conference so food and drink provided, made the menu planned dinner and now eating some if my Christmas treats.

last night I added a replacement drink bottle cap to my Amazon cart, however won’t check out until Friday. I can already see myself saving some of the items in my cart for later. Just not necessary immediately.

unfortunately the OH who normally doesn’t spend money, spent €70 yesterday on window cleaning supplies! Still that’s probably his main purchase for the next 3 months nut means I probably won’t buy my paint or wardrobe fixings until next month

I think it's a nsd,I did spend £125 on a training course but that will come back on expenses.

Fat fighting frugaleers 2025 thread http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weightlosss_chat/5253206-fat-fighting-frugaleers-2025-thread

If anyone is on a weight loss or fitness journey and wants to join us for some support head on over

Pistachios there was another poster but she doesn't seem to be back yet this year

€3 parking
€200 ikea online, I think this is my final order for renovation, there were bits that have been out of stock for weeks.

BetsyBanana joining a running club was one of the best things I did for myself since changing jobs. The support and camaraderie is like nothing I've experienced before. I've found my tribe.

Love this! We start properly next week. Really looking forward to it. Everyone was so lovely at the registration event. Glad you found a really welcoming club too Happierwithouthim 👍 community is so important

Bit of a spendy day today - have just booked a holiday plus insurance - they were both booked via Topcashback so will see something come back from those in the future. The holiday came in cheaper because we could be flexible on when we can go - so saved a fair bit there too just by moving our dates back.
I could get a bigger discount through my account for car parking (rather than TCB) so not exactly frugal but have been careful. But still something to look forward to. 😎

ahhh lovely rainbow, when do you go ?

I've been a little spendy today too.

£11 in toiletries needed but still a spend.
£7 on vinted for my daughter
£3.6 lunch

NSD so far today and i can't see it changing. I will need petrol for the car but will try and send DH for it tomorrow when he drops off at childminder. He will need to get cash out to pay child minder anyway.

Dinner will be turkey taco boats i had frozen since Christmas, made of leftover turkey. I'll add rice and some guacamole.

Almost bought new storage boxes but did some re organising and managed to fit the most necessary stuff into what i have and decided extra ones are not currently necessary. tomorrow is my amazon checkout day. I wonder how many of he items in my cart i will actually buy.

Mmm, holidays - very nice way to spend money, Rainbow. Reminds me that I need to book Eurotunnel and find dog-friendly stopovers on the way down to the south of France and back again. The drive from Calais is just too long for one day.

£18 in Aldi, £17 in Sainsbury's. Boeuf bourgignon tonight, beef from the Christmas haul in the freezer - DS and GF will have theirs with mash, DH and I will stick with green veg on the side.

£14 from Prolific surveys - I've earned £30 this month. Zara coat refund came in, and to make up for my coatless state, I've booked tickets for A Real Pain on Saturday. With the booking fee, they're just shy of £17 each! Ridiculous - nearly 3 times the price of tickets at the local fleapit (sadly not showing the movie). Oh well.

DS sold a bathroom sink that had been sitting in our garage following the bathroom reno last summer. Got £65 for it, which he is promptly taken off to the Selfridges jeans department. I've no doubt he'll spend significantly more than that (I would probably get 2 pairs from Zara, or one pair from Massimo Dutti if I was feeling really flash) because he's a denim snob.

Paid balance of my tax bill. The monthly DD to cover the next payment on account will reduce by £85 from next month, and I made the last payment on my course yesterday, which will free up another £80 per month.

Will catch up on thread later
€22.50 on lunch out
€5 petrol for garage car before it goes back
Service to pay for also

€205 for full service and wipers of course I hadn't enough in that pot so will have to pull from elsewhere

Last two days have been spendy. DS birthday this weekend and family party planned. He's 19 so not that bothered but it's a mid Jan family tradition to regroup after Christmas.

Wed
£12 Eyebrow thread
£23.98 TK Maxx
£16.50 M&S
£1.69 Boots
£15.05 Lidl

Thurs
£7.95 M&S
Plus an Asda delivery £71

Last night I took drinks to my DD activity and didn't go in the cafe for first time in a while.

Shopping last night £20 M&S not some of that off for mil. £80 Aldi. Plus £70 for over priced meal box I have now cancelled

€53.11 diesel
€9.75 Inc. 60c return deposit on 4 cans of my favourite monster flavour that I haven't seen in ages.

Yesterday was a NSD for me and today is looking like another one. I'm continuing with sending DH for one off groceries as he only buys what he's asked whereas i "stock up" so its not like no money is being spent.

Next week i'll be spending again. i need to get my eyebrows one and get my BIAB nails removed and i've a night out planned. so that will use up all the money i didnt spend this week.

I've been very unfrugal today and spent over £100 on cross stitch bits and pieces for a few projects I want to do. I'm justifying it because it was my birthday and I never get presents, except from DW, so I am treating myself.

I've got around 6-8 weeks before I return to work after a long time out so I'm going to make the most of my leisurely days crafting before then, which for me means lots of audiobooks and cross stitch, my current special interest.

Spendy day yesterday, office so £6 for parking, then same again for lunch. Booked my trip to see DSis so £43 train and £71 for tickets to see the Tim Burton exhibition at the Design Museum (will get £26 of that back for DSis-s ticket). Today has been £57 for the food shop although £30 was a gift for the retirement party we're going to tomorrow night, and had £27 in from selling books so slightly offset.
New energy deal comes in today which is slightly less than before with the same supplier but we're in debit for winter at the moment so won't see much benefit!
Quiet evening as we're off early in the morning.........

NSD here today. Been bolstering my frugality mojo by listening to a podcast 'Afford Anything' by Paula Pant (actual name) while doing my YouTube workouts. The episode from 3 January is The Compound Effect of 52 Tiny Changes, and gives you 52 little tasks to do for each week of the year that help your motivation on all matters financial! I have a Moleskin diary with one week per double spread - days of the week on the left hand, lined page on the right hand - so I use it a lot for notes and lists. So far I've entered the first five weeks tasks/objectives and I'm working my way through the podcast bit by bit. It's a goodie!

DS took his earnings from the Gumtree sale of the bathroom sink to the Selfridges denim department, and came home with a nice pair of APC jeans which he got for £110 reduced from £240.

Thanks for the podcast recommendation BigSkies2022 will have a listen.

So frustrated today. Just had a message about an unpaid bill from last year. Which of course I thought I had paid but obviously didn’t.

Have signed up to do some overtime tomorrow which will cover about a third of the extra bill so will look for some more money making opportunities over the weekend!

Anyone else here have ADHD or being assessed? I’m on the waiting list and money management is one of my biggest challenges!!