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

An expensive day, cat litter, an extension lead and pritt sticks, £53!

I'm popping to Tesco to buy a plant and some chocolate for a friend who is having a very hard mental health time. We were meant to meet today and she couldn't face it and has taken herself off to the GP instead. So I want to make her smile, so I think it's a good use of money.

(DW agrees. After my declaration of not buying anything else in Jan I'm running things by her first, she's far more sensible than me.)

£12.75 on some bags that you suck the air out of, I can't remember what they are called. I want to keep the guest room towels and bedding in them to save space in the airing cupboard.

£60 on weekly shop, dreadful as I forgot mayonnaise, apples, cucumber and didn't get enough spuds. This means I will be nipping down the co-op to pay over the odds for the bits I forgot. First world problems I know, none of them are essential food groups, apart from the potatoes.

Afternoon.

I'm dreadful for forgetting stuff I need too Nellie.

That's a nice gesture Nessa.

£20 on a bulk delivery of Oat Milk but that'll be the total spend today.

Well done on the Bingo Rainbow!

I second whether they can be returned. Even if it just gives you a credit note for future "needs not wants" it might be some useful behaviour change?

I'm having to look at travel options for an event for which I am expected to purchase the travel and have to reclaim it. Organisers are mandating that it has to be by train/ferry not plane (for the purposes of this, although I technically live outside Europe I don't think it counts here).

The plane is less than half the price, much less time, and would save a night's accommodation for them and booking an overnight carer for me to cover my responsibilities at home. I'm going to try and work through the carbon trade-off to see if my preferred travel and reduced stay works out for what I want or what they'd prefer.

I loathe these arrangements. I'm cumulatively been left in the position where I'm owed almost £5K altogether and I've been left waiting up to a year for the money to be returned. It is taken from my savings and I lose not only the liquidity but the mortgage offset.

Nessa that's lovely of you . Been missing a few days as away at the weekend then recovering (tired from late nights rather than alcohol thankfully!) but am determined to try and keep up for accountability. All of the money from my book sales has been paid (just short of £50) and am determined to tackle the Vinted pile this week and get a refund from a cancelled train sorted out - approx £80 there. Unfortunately the end of January/early February is expensive as DH and my best friend have birthdays on the 31st and DSis plus two of her kids have birthdays in February - at least this year it will mainly be paid for by money already there (hopefully).
£1.50 yesterday on a paper for DDad as he's picked up a bug, and £1.79 today for casserole vegetables, that will be it until Thursday when I'll have to pay for parking for the office. Payday Friday so the month will start again............

£1 on loads of marked down french bread yesterday which went very well with some tomato soup.

and a NSD today so not a bad start to the week

I don't use any money apps, I tried once but couldn't get on with them so I prefer to make my own big fat complicated spreadsheets which works well for me anyway.
I like making my own as i can make it more personal and specific for exactly what i need and change it about if I need to. It does help focus mine and dh's minds as to where all our money goes.

Oh bugger, the online shop has just turned up. I was busy MNetting and completely forgot 😂Not NSD then.

@2025Hackathon Is that a work event?. Thats shocking to be out of pocket that much for so long!

Gave DS money for lunch as usual. I don't count that in my daily frugal totals, as it's just life with a teen, but I ask him to try and keep it to a fiver a day which he generally does.

At midday he went and collected 2 'too good to go' bags from the sushi counter inside Sainsbury's for £10 (£5 I gave him, £5 from his pocket money) and got over £50 worth of sushi, he's absolutely buzzing! All today's date so he's going to be eating like a king for lunch and dinner.

Teach em young nessa

Anyone have contact with em wonder how she's getting on with treatment?

I hate it when work expect you to pay and expense. Cost us hundreds and took ages to get payback as well.
can you say no. Can’t afford so they will have to pay?

I went to do a small top up shop for 4 items at Booths (think Waitrose type supermarket). I obviously hit prime yellow label time so got apples, Clementines, sausages (lots of!), lamb mince, lamb burgers, posh eggs, double cream, yoghurt all at half price or less which I'm really happy with. Just need some Aldi freezer bags now to portion the meat into.
Emergency diet coke purchase at work was my only other spend today.

Was tempted by a takeaway tonight but eating beans on toast instead.
Small shop for nappies and food £20 yesterday
£2.75 over night oats from m and s - frigging rank!
£3.6 meal deal yesterday but spread the food out two lunches 😆

£5.15 Lidl essential top up only

£8.40 in really super fancy nice coffee shop today on a really
super nice coffee and an almond croissant to take to my LAST chemo session with me.

bosh. Did it. Chemo - completed it mate.

Congrats, em.

That's great em I was only asking about you earlier.

That's good news Em

Great news em.

€5.99 on FreePrints I need photos to help someone in their recovery so needed to increase size to 7x5 which is not free & neither is postage but I'm time poor so this was a good solution
€93 ikea because it dawned on me they didn't forget the doors for lobby storage, they were never in my basket €15 delivery charge to a Tesco carpark 50 mins away vs €60 to deliver to my house.
This is all before I get out of bed!

Great news em.

approx €20 spent on food yesterday. Had to attend a funeral so this was lunch and dinner on the road.

Great news @ememem84 !

happier

im so pleased that I’m done with that stage.

next steps are haircut (tomorrow) to even up the fluffy mess u currently have. I have been lucky and not lost 100% of my hair due to chemo. But a lot has snapped and the re growth is insane!

then holiday on 7feb. Tenerife all inclusive. Hoorah.

then surgery 25 feb. Single mastectomy and node clearance and reconstruction.

this will be my first ever surgery.

£3.40 coffee. DH went to Pilates this morning and as I was up and about anyway I went with him and hung out in coffee shop nearby and read my book for an hour. Nice.

Congrats em, brilliant news that you're through that stage, and I'm glad to hear you have a holiday to look forward to before surgery.

Great news em. Enjoy the haircut! A friend of mine said good skincare products helped her bounce back after chemo as well - Caudalie was a particular favourite. Lovely winter sunshine to look forward to as well.

Back at home after a couple of days helping out at DPs. DM's cataract op was straightforward and she is experiencing better eyesight right away.

Succumbed to getting a Netflix sub again, after a long break. DPs have it, and I began watching One Day. So yesterday I shelled out a whole £4.99 per month. I think you can use 4 devices simultaneously, even on the cheapest deal, so that should choke off complaints about Skinflint Subscriber from DS!