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

@lifelongfrugaleer yes after the first set of tests they said do them again due to the fluctuations but the second set were the same. I do have the results on the app though so maybe I'll ask for a review although getting a doctor appointment is like winning the lottery around here!

@BigSkies2022 Glad you enjoyed the podcast, he does explain the logic and psychology behind behaviors really well. I feel like my habits and goals are clicking into place nicely with his guidance.

@MaryGreenhill I didn't know Costco did personalised cake, I hear that generally their big cakes are fabulous so I imagine not only does it look beautiful, it will likely taste divine too.

Yesterday was almost a NSD, but I was sent a 20% discount code, so reordered the clothes I bought last week, which will save me just over £30 once the other order is sent back. Plus £26 cashback. A worthwhile saving for the hassle.

Today wasn't a NSD. It's a spend money to make money day, took up an offer on topcashback, which will give me £25 profit. Also had a Quidco offer for £20 additional cashback on any spend, bought a valentines gift for DH, Today's total spend £37 but gained £45

I'm self employed and January usually is dreadful, and I was really worried how financially things would pan out this year, but luckily January has been good. I've planned February's budget and will get all my necessity spends done Monday. I do need a few clothing items and I should be able to budget but I too have a list of wants and want to carefully consider any purchases from that list before committing.

Fresh new month tomorrrow!

Thank you for all the cake love ❤️❤️❤️😁
We love going to Costco & nosing at everything not to mention the cafe at the end of the visit 😋
Spends today Tesco £79
Aldi £43
Filled up on toilet rolls , peanut butter, soap, toothpaste , kitchen rolls, shampoo, hand soap and Paracetamols.

Decaffe - GPs are not necessarily very well trained in menopause. You might want to be referred to a menopause clinic. I also had an ovary and fallopian tube removed, which I think accelerated symptoms that had already begun. I mean, you'd need to take proper advice, but the increase in risk for breast cancer with HRT is about the same increase in risk as being overweight, or drinking two glasses of wine a day, according to the big studies.

I too have fallen off the thread! Has good intentions but I have picked up my PhD again (after dad died in Sept) alongside work and it’s a bit crazy. Still if I’m not going out I’m not spending I suppose.

Sorry to hear of those who’ve had bad news on the thread mary I am glad to hear you speak of your DM - I didn’t like to ask how she was but glad she is going strong.

We have a date for dad’s memorial now so need to start planning which I’m not looking forward to.

Financially, up and down - been better with food shopping which is my nemesis but I’m going to Costco tomorrow with a friend - we are amongst those who see it as a trip out! So I’ll have to keep em’s ‘don’t buy it bitch’ advice in mind.

Had a lovely trip to Cardiff last weekend with old friends - spent around £250 for food, accommodation and train which still felt value for money. On the back of this I had another financial chat with DP. Our set up is I am the breadwinner, he is PT, earns quite a lot less and does more house stuff. DP is also quite literal (we have an autistic child and I think he likely has traits too). After reading a few threads on here about lower earners I thought maybe we’d better try and discuss things like pension contributions and making him financially secure in case one of us dies/ leaves. DP just looked puzzled and said ‘but I’m not going to leave?’ At that point I gave up and thought I’ll just carry on managing all the money then!

Away at the moment for DH's birthday so not especially frugal but all budgeted for! @Decafflatteplease I'm the same re: hrt and breast cancer, there are some which are suitable. One didn't work for me a couple of years ago but going back through again with the doctors at the moment, our surgery also has a menopause clinic so being referred there. It's worth being persistent as so often it's dismissed as "what you have to deal with"

Yesterday's spends were
€31.77 Aldi
€21.50 monthly stock up of wet food for dog & cats
€5.99 chicken tikka takeaway kit (new)
€4.28 sandwich & carrot shape of orange jelly beans(disappointing - avoid!) for work

Then my boss took me out for lunch so sandwich is todays lunch

I got a trophy from my athletics club for my half marathon

Saved £3.50 on park run car park by having bar code. Spent £3.10 on hot choc for DS who was marshalling

€69.50 on musical tickets Jesus Christ Superstar which I've never seen & dds bestie is in it.

€19 civic amenity there was just enough room in the car for me, very therapeutic I think.

How do you wake up at 7:20, not get up until 9, potter & fill up car with rubbish & then suddenly be overwhelmed with tiredness at 11am?

My dbro lives in Canada so I experienced Costco with him, we coined a phrase 'everything is bigger in Canada' I loved their Australian oatbites I think they're called

Martha that sounds like good value for a weekend away

Pseudocream that's a great saving for a bit of hassle returning your order

Pistachio I paid off my car a number of years ago and last January I started putting away the payment to change it into savings, my daughter will be 17 in 2027 and my plan if car stays gojng is to get one of myself that summer & give her mine
I'll have €11k saved then and will get a small loan and a decent car then

Free parking today roadside
Yesterday eve I lost my ticket so security guard gave me a free pass.

Hurrah, February! made it through January, pay day for me on Monday.

Thames Water has increased our bill by £20 this month. Not sure if that is the permanent increase (which I thought was not kicking in until April) or rebalancing the DD against the metered usage. Will see what next month brings.

The task this week, from the 52 micro actions to improve your finances podcast, is:

Increase your savings rate by 1% (from income after tax, NI, pension, is how I've interpreted this one). So I shall be doing that from Monday, and the recipient account is going to be my emergency/resilience cash fund, which is my key financial metric for 2025.

£15 in Sainsbury's and bakery, mostly lentils. DH's high protein meal plan has me dreaming of pasta. Indulged in a can of baked beans and had them on toast for lunch.

Haven't read everyone's posts today will go back and read them.

@TheOnlyMrsW hope you and DH are having a lovely weekend away 💕

Low spend day here today...good job as water bill is going from £46 to £61 in April 🙄 that's £2 a day! We went to a NT place today and I took my own (decaff 😉) coffee so that saves £4 and biscuits for the DC so that be saved going the cafe

Also got a small meat pack from our butchers they used to do them all the time but I only occasionally have them in now to you get a gammon joint and a pork joint for £12, was £10 last time. I think it's good value and it's always good quality. They do other meat packs aswell but they all contain beef and we don't eat beef but I suppose I could ask them if we can swap it for something.

Then another so frugal £200 on ocado coming tomorrow 😂 more expensive than normal but alot of household stuff on that as was an offer

I'm so happy it's Feb. Do we get a new thread for the new month or does this just continue?

I've just looked at my spreadsheets for January and it's eye opening.... 😶

£450 on food/house/toiletries. HOW! There's only 2 of us, and we don't drink... and that doesn't include the main dog food... and we get Gousto for dinners. I despair of myself! (Cupboards are full to the brim. Shopping from our cupboards this month)

£422 on things I put in my 'was this needed - no' column. Significantly better than Dec, but still really high.

DETERMINED!

Oh and I just got back from Costco where I spent £122 but all essentials, mostly laundry/household things. For the first time EVER I resisted all other purchases, DW was amazed at me 😍 I even walked away from a brilliant collection of Oxo Pops containers which I love.

Evening.

Another one that is glad it's February. There's signs of Spring here that are giving me a positive lift.

Thanks Big, re the 52 actions mention. I have two savings accounts and have been meaning to transfer some monies over to one in particular as it has a higher interest rate. Good reminder.

Because you're stressed Happier ❤️

£50 Amazon on a lot of staple items (dishwasher tablets, coffee, big pot of peanut butter - DD is half person/half peanut butter).
£200 Ocado - that was for a lot of meat/fish/chicken for the coming month.
£65 dog groomers (two dogs).

I need to do a menu plan. There will be a little more red meat than normal as DH and DS love it, and DD (who doesn't eat it) is away. Have had some lamb in the slow cooker all day and it's smelling lovely!

We just keep going with one thread @NessaSmith.

Keep going - you are doing brilliantly!

@NessaSmith sounds like you are doing great!

@BigSkies2022 whats the 52 actions thing please?

@needastrongoneagain we also shop at ocado and have done for years they are great. Always looking for recommendations and new things.... anything you recommend?

Sadly family member who was in icu passed. I'm not directly involved in any bereavement admin but they've possibly died intestate so no doubt will get pulled into some of that.

Lots of money moves this weekend. Not sure if I shared recent frugawin : DD uni fund has now reached 5k. Will start again in April for next target (probably 2k).
2 more financial goals left to go (pension contributions and mortgage overpayments)

@Decafflatteplease I've copied off the PDF, here's the first 12 weeks...

1.Write your financial motivation statement.
2.Calculate your current net worth.
3.Choose one financial metric to track.
4.Create a spending decision catchphrase.
5.Boost your savings rate by $10/month for every $1,000 you bring home.
6.Clear out items that cost you money.
7.Wait one week before making online purchases.
8.Cancel your cable TV subscription.
9.Set up a credit monitoring system.
10.Commit to meal planning for one week.
11.Set a "low-spend" goal for one week.
12.Make your home more energy efficient.

Sold £18 off stuff on vinted after clearing DS room. Not bad and some stuff out the way. More bagged up for charity.

sorry to hear that chili

I’ve never tried occado

no other spends today

Sorry to hear of your loss Chile.

8.Cancel your cable TV subscription.

Now they're just taking the piss. 😄I actually wish I could. We have the basic Sky package (no tv arial) which includes Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime!

So sorry to hear about your relative passing @Chile1978 💐

NSD for me , been ensconced in the house watching the rugby, doing 3 loads of washing/drying and cleaning the bedrooms. All done 👍
Hope everyone is ok 😊

TV subscriptions: we have Now TV, Netflix (recently got it again, only £4.99, and it replaced the Disney + I cancelled after we'd watched what we wanted ) and Apple TV. The Apple TV comes bundled with DH's Cloud subscription for the whole family, so we just hang on to it. So I think we'll probably stick with what we've got.

Other subscriptions: I do YouTube premium (£13 per month) because my Total Ad blocker (£34 per year) gives Google the hump, and since I use YouTube a lot for French language content and exercise, I reckon I get good value from it. DH subscribes to the New York Times and The Economist, and DS and I both piggyback on that. Plus his FT sub from work.

I have cancelled all my subscriptions on Amazon, so I'm no longer stockpiling shampoo/conditioner/vit C serum. I think I'm pretty pared down.

So sorry to hear about your relative @Chile1978

@Happierwithouthim my child is five but I’m also hoping my car will be handed down to my child. It’s a Toyota Yaris so should still be drivable.

yesterday spent €130 for birthday presents. I have. Sinking fund for these so they don’t impact my monthly spending money.

will need some groceries either today or tomorrow. I may test myself by going to Lidl and seeing if I can stick to my list.

I’ve insured dd on dh car as a learner.
big have you watched bad sisters on Apple TV. Excellent 2 series.

taking mil Iceland today think I need more smoothie mix. Also need to get me free veg in Lidl & spend my £5 off £40 voucher. And post vinted stuff