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

Thanks for new thread
have name changed
i have a fairly ambitious savings target for this year

Updated my name.

31 Dec 2024 was fairly expensive because of DH's procedure (travel, overnight stay, and takeaway).

For 2025, it turned out that DH's had a very early recurrence and needed more growths removed after only 4 months. So he'll need monitoring and another procedure in a few months. This is something for which we'll need to start its own budget item as it looks like we'll need to do this several times a year for the next 2yrs (assuming the problem doesn't progress and need more radical treatment).

We may also need to budget for weight loss coaching and personal training for him. He's doing OK with the Peloton but he needs some additional support to get back into weight training. And, weight loss would help his overall health. He's lost 20lbs but he's been stalled for a while.

We are heavily past due for some home maintenance and it's too risky not to do the external work this year.

The above costs will probably mean we can't save this year but it's important. Retirement is some way ahead of us both and we need to be healthy enough to work up until that and beyond. And we're starting to get some external wood rot that we can't allow to progress.

I still need to get DH to have the budget conversation to agree to some items and more widely. (People who followed this from the 2024 thread might recall that DH is so stressed by some conversations that he shakes and literally can't talk. This has been true for years.) But, as always, we have to find a way around this.

I have the horrors about the prospect of not being able to save. But, I'm hanging onto what we did manage to achieve last year. And how far we've come from the awful day in 2020 that I accidentally discovered the amount of debt we were in. We've paid that off and, in addition, saved enough to cover the entire mortgage when it comes due.

Brunchy sort of lunch with a friend in Shoreditch, DH paid for my share, so the only personal expense today was the fares. However, I earned £7 on Prolific, which cancels out my expenditure, leaving me with an NSD. Yess! Walked back through The Ned on Moorgate - super-glam, definitely a place to bookmark for a cocktail when funds permit and someone has a birthday. Then, by way of contrast, walked past some poor sod shooting up on the stairs at Moorgate underpass.

God it was wet out, but we're home with the curtains drawn, the heating and the fairy lights on. I will make a lentil soup in a bit but first, another mince pie.

As for advice/tips on frugality - well, I find writing down my goals for the year and breaking them down into monthly/quarterly actions helps. And then automating those actions where I can. So if I have a 0% interest debt of £1k to pay off by 8 April, I know I have to pay it back in 4 lots of £250 and I set up a SO/DD accordingly. Ditto for savings goals - holiday balance by June requires £325 pcm, building emergency funds back by year end requires £350 pcm, £x000 in investment pots over 10 years needs £y00 pcm.

Paying yourself first (pensions, savings, investments, debt repayment), understanding your essential outgoings, and having a sum allocated for guilt-free spending (mine has fluctuated from £20 per month to £2000, according to my funds and goals at the time) so that you know you can treat yourself, even in the midst of a tight stretch - these are the things that have helped me stay motivated around financial goals.

Thinking about useful tips, back in 2024, somebody posted something I found very sobering. I'm paraphrasing but:

If we spend £5 a day on Starbucks/whatever, that's almost £2,000 a year (£1825).
If we spend £27.40 a day (which seems to be an average amount of 'mindless' spending), it's just over £10,000 a year.

Imagine what we could do with that £2,000 or £10,000 a year that we weren't aware we're spending. That's the difference mindful spending could make to savings, overpaying a mortgage, being able to budget for a holiday etc. Mindless spending here is (say) a takeaway, a cheap toy for a child, a magazine, a coffee and cake etc.

To be fair, I've also read this although I'm not clear that it takes taxation etc into account but I take the point:

Spending $5 a day on Starbucks will cost you $1,825 per year.
But a $1/hr raise will pay you an extra $2,080 per year.
The lesson?
Buy the coffee if it makes you happy.
And figure out how to increase your income.

NS day, no nothing day tbh, both feeling under the weather, so we have not left the house. January is use it up month. February and March are spend the council tax on something else months, this year the dogs teeth and car servicing is planned. April is annual review month when all the bills go up, but income probably stays the same, 😀

This year we have some biggish house spends coming up, the flat roof needs repairing, DH is optimistic it can be patched. I bloody hate flat roofs, they never really work.

What will become our bedroom downstairs has been plastered, it now needs painting, curtains and carpet. It already has a nice en-suite, but with a bath. Thinking long term, a level access shower will be more sensible, but we shall see how much the roof is before making any commitments.

Sales spends planned, I am after a pair of very supportive slippers, or trainers I can use as slippers, that will help my gammy feet. My vionic trainers I currently wear in the house have more or less died, but in fairness they are 3 years old so they have been good value. DH wants a leaf blower for next autumn, he found it hard going raking them up this year, hoping they will have some reduced.

Found you 😁
Happy New year everyone 😁
I tried to not shop in the sales but they had some excellent bargains on Wax Lyrical candles and l succumbed but only £22 and that bought me 8 large Wax Lyrical candles from George .
So l am excusing myself that one🤣

Thanks for the new thread @Happierwithouthim

The diaries and planners for 2025 are now written up.
First washing machine load of the year is on!! And we have loads - 2 x bedding as DHs' son was here for a week plus all the washing not done since 23rd Dec! Tea was using up wraps filled with chicken, salad, spicy mix fried onions and peppers topped with mayo and the dregs of grated cheese with chips! Was nice to eat something light with fresh salad. Had to use up the bucks fizz too 😜Still have Xmas pudding and mince pies to use up and plenty of fruit.

Hi all,

would love to join. Have followed on and of with interest over the last year and have found these threads inspiring and motivating!

So our sitch - 2 year old child, one income, after a series of very unfortunate events over the last 3 years which we had very little control over we find ourselves in £11,000 of debt. All on 0% til mid 2026 now so going to really go for it this year.

i’ve reviewed finances and it was sobering. Disposable income is small but i am guilty of a posh coffee as a pick me up and definitely can do some work reducing the food shop. Organisation is key for me. Also have a lot to sell on vinted but not sure now is the right time of year for kids clothes and toys?

So - have kicked off 2025 being rather spendy with a £95 food shop as had guests round for New Years Day lunch today. Rest should last us 10 days ish. Also petrol £25 and sons swimming lessons for Jan £46 🫤 but all necessary. Swimming cost non negotiable for me as I think it’s a really important skill and my son absolutely loves his lessons. Hoping not to have to spend anything for the rest of the week 🤞🏻

Hi everyone, I’m new to the frugaleers. 👋 I have (a lot of) debt which I want to have cleared by the end of the year. I also need to increase my income and start budgeting properly - rather than spending impulsively and then having cash flow nightmares on a regular basis.

Didn’t spend any money today. Planned spend other than ongoing bills this month is £150 which I will put in a separate account once I get paid.

I am a big believer in having a small treat to take the sting out of having to make cuts elsewhere. I take a coffee to work with me (very early start) and then choose to buy another one in my break. However if I do 1 hour overtime a week that covers it. I have cut down massively on other stuff like books and magazines. Clothes are bought from Vinted. So I figure it’s ok to have the nice coffee.

It has really helped to sit down with DH and work out what our goals are for the next few years so I know what I’m aiming for. But I need all the help I can get so looking forward to finding out your top tips!

Still eating up the Christmas left overs here
Pork pies ✅
Gammon ✅
Sausage rolls ✅
Tick means all gone 😂
Mince pies only 1 box left
M&S fruitcake started and won't last long it's delicious 😋😁
Yule log needs tackling and the cheese and crackers 🧀😋
I know what l am eating tomorrow 🤣

Thanks for the new thread Happierwithouthim
Happy New Year!
I’m paying off £23,000 debt (all on 0%, down from £31,000 one year ago). The complicating factor is I’m expecting my first child in May so will have a drop in income for six months. So aim is to pay off as much I as I can in the first eight months of this year. I have also just moved house so that’s throwing up a few unexpected expenses too.

Current strategy:
Have increased monthly credit card payments above the minimum. Colour in a square on my 10x10 grid every time I pay off 1%.

Use up all beauty products I have, no new ones when there’s still half a jar of something left. Then essentials only - basic moisturiser, sunscreen, avoid the fancy expensive ones I normally go for

book train tickets through uber - get 10% credit I can use for future bookings. Helpful as I sometimes need expensive peak trains for work.

have cancelled a flight had booked in March - got a refund of full fee except for £35 admin charge, and will avoid two weeks of accommodation and food (even in a cheap destination this adds up)

using Vinted for maternity and baby clothes

save a bit monthly toward annual costs eg insurance, car mot, etc

maintain a £2000 emergency fund

pause adding to my LISA until debt cleared

earning extra bits from YouGov and vouchers from biscuit, need to find the motivation to restart data annotation

cashback by using Chase account

Hack you did phenomenally well last year. Did you ever get through your random cupboard inheritance?
sorry dh needs more treatment again and regular.

swimming was a non negotiable for us too

hey new and returning frugaleers 🙌

Those of you who move money into different pots do you have a special bank account that let's you do this?

I have a spendaholic DH and it's taken me years to be able to accept that this means we can't have joint money, so i feel like I'm finally in control now and there is £10k of debt that I need to sort out and I'd quite like to have an emergency fund/safety net as I'm fed up with ending up close to the end of the month and needing car repairs that I can't afford

I'm sorry to hear about your DH hack. The NHS I believe offer advice re weight loss. There's a plethora of good podcasts too, to pad out any spending on a coach etc. I fully understand and support working and even spending money (if available) on health and wellness for sure.

Sorry you're under the weather nellie

Really love the colour a square idea!

Welcome Betsy. Agree - small indulgences make the budgeting manageable. Life is to be enjoyed, it's a balance.

Sorry to hear about the life events Agirl.

Welcome also anyone I have forgotten.

I use Chase waffling, Martin Lewis often mentions this account. It's got a good interest rate and offers cash back on spending etc. You can't go overdrawn though. It's super user friendly. There's Starling too, I find this slightly less easy but still a better offering than the more mainstream banks.

@2025Hackathon sorry to hear about your DH. I'm very overweight (BMI 40) and Ive been given otlistat from the doctor but I was too afraid to use it due to the side effects. But would that be an option for DH? Our gp also offers free gym membership on referral but we already have paid for gym membership.

We spent just over £100 on uniform and shoes today. Managed to find 1 DC shoes on vinted this afternoon after me saying this morning there was nothing there 😂

@Agirlhasnoname95 we are also on one income and have been for a number of years in a full time carer for DC but hopefully getting a part time job this year! I sell regularly on vinted, kids clothes sell really well I find. I upload most days just one or 2 items a day and probably sell about 4 items a week or so. Some weeks are quieter of course !

Result!! Forgot about my Topcashback account and there is £32.29 there. Transferred out to pay off against a debt in a few days!! 🤗

Hi all, joining you as am affected by cost of living and need ideas to make money stretch further and actually be able to do stuff. Made £200 selling unworn clothes on Vinted before Christmas so will see if I can sell more to help with bills later this month. Shop at Aldi and Lidl. Use Plum savings but switched off rainy days so just rounding up and have automatic payday deposit of £25 each month. Trying to do no spend January and just using up what we have. Will need to pay for weekly shop and also for petrol and work lunches (will buy at start of each week and make at work). Will definitely use my gym membership too as it's only £15 on intro offer for next quarter but didn't use for last two months.

Spent £62 today on a Google camera (20% off).

Will need to pick up some bits from the shop in the next few days, the last bits from Xmas are practically gone (except the roses, bought too many 😬)

Here's hoping 2025 is a good year for us all 🤞

Can I join please

Jan plan is to eat out the freezers and try to do very very minimal food shops. I have a £1900 tax bill to pay by the end of the month so trying to stretch what we can. I have withdrawn £500 from the energy account (I was £650 in credit). I will replace it to make sure we go back into credit but I need that money this month to pay hmrc.

I use YNAB a budgeting app to manage my money and have done for years. Even if you never use it reading about zero based budgeting is worthwhile
If anyone wants a referral link where you get a free months trial just pm me. If you sign up I'll get a free month, but I pay my membership willingly because I like the reports and functionality of the app

A couple of weeks ago something happened in my life which has caused my diesel and eating out expenses to shoot up, I was able to handle that easily thanks to being a frugaleer. I also took a pay cut last year and knew I could afford to because of here

I thought some of you all may have an idea of this..
I'm a student so I get x amount every four months student finance, I take off what I need for the four months and the rest I am going to start saving. This means there will be around £2-£3 thousand to be saved every four months.

I am awful at dipping into savings so I have been looking at saving accounts that don't allow this. I currently bank with Halifax and they offer accounts like this (limited withdrawal) but really I've no idea what I'm looking for. I understand interest rates I just need an account I am able to manage online (or branch even better!), eventually transfer this for my home deposit and won't require me to open with a silly £500 deposit or something so I can do it sooner rather than later.

Thank you !!

@wholenutcadburys have a look at MoneySavingExpert.com