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

Been MIA, but it's lovely coming back here to catch up with everyone.

Feel better Nellie and Chipshop

February ended well with a little bit of budget leftover and only 6 days of spending.

All monthly bills/sinking funds allocated/paid for March and petrol was £17 under budget. I've looked at my disposable income, DD needs a prom dress so hopefully will order something at the weekend but that will take up a large chunk as most seem to be around the £150 mark! I need vitamins, I'm putting it off until next week when I'll have another £10 Amazon voucher to put towards it. I need jeans and have £58 credit from a late Next return. And Mother's Day, I'll probably buy some flowers and chocs from Waitrose on route, she loves sunflowers and they have lovely ones in there, hoping they are in season.

Haven't spent anything yet in March, besides bills and petrol. Have been tempted by some still very expensive sale items. I have made £70 more than expected so far this month, but I'm keen to spend wisely and not be over budget.

I also want to start spending more on healthier food, higher protien, less meat, more fish and healthy fats. Of course that's more of a long term commitment and to allocaste budget tpwards that.

Sorry your day was bad chips. Hope today will be better

Nice clock.

Long day at work yesterday travelling for a planning event. Will put expenses in later.

Hello all. This week's Bagehot column in The Economist marks Mumsnet's 25th birthday! Happy anniversary. I have found the site a source of great information, support, fun, companionship - as well as outrage, hilarity and craziness! It's a parish pump I hang out at most days.

Very much enjoying the weather and finally started the spring tidy up in the back garden yesterday. Still very much at the sweeping, scrubbing, cutting back of grot stage, but it feels good to be making inroads. Lots of plans to power wash and paint the side return and gate. Horrible jobs which I'd be happy to outsource, but won't, not this time. DH reminds me that he has a voucher for £250 as a leaving gift from his colleagues from last year, so we can plan our shopping for plants this weekend. Last year, we managed to import vine weevils into our garden, and half the new hydrangeas expired, so it's far from a given that throwing money at it is the answer, but press on.

Actually the good weather and the prospect of spending/not really spending a bit of cash is timely, because Miserly March is well and truly here and, with only a week of the month gone, I'm already staring at the prospect of many NSDs to make the remaining money dribble out!

Oedipus was good, exceeded my expectations - and I am enjoying the tendency of directors to slice down productions to keep them close to 100 minutes. Call me soft, but these days I very much like being on the way home by 9.30 and tucked up with a mint tea at 10!

Last night frugal dinner of sweet potatoes with coconut, tonight it's a more luxe chicken tikka masala with naan breads and pickles.

Oohhh I love that bench and garden clock.
I'm the same bigskies, getting home to a cuppa and fluffy socks/slippers and in bed by 10!

Tried to keep a log of spending the last three days, had to travel to work which was £15.50 but took my own lunch in. Then yesterday I spent £65 at Lidl as I got my 10% off yay! And £7 then at playgroup for little one. Today was meant to be a NSD but mum and little one both ill so spent £13 at the chemist getting bits to make them better.
Hoping for a NS weekend as gardening and enjoying the sunshine. Already have seeds to plant and if we go out we have national trust cards to use.
Loving this sunshine!!

Just a note to say DH is still trapped between terror and profound doldrums the further we go into the at risk period for redundancy.

No progress on persuading him to take action and gather information only he can obtain.

I’m hanging on. I don’t feel this bodes well for his emotional and mental health if he enters unemployment.

Aldi £100 shop, l did get a lot of stuff though .
Bought 3 x £6 Easter Eggs from Morrisons using my More card for £10.50. l know it's early but they were such a good price .

All swishy and happy today—obviously, I look like Kate Middleton (hmmm). Accidentally fell onto Vinted! How has your week gone, @NessaSmith ?

Hack

Hack that sounds difficult. Hang in there and hope to hear positive news soon.
nessa hope your week also got better.
I saw that deal Mary but don't have a more card as I rarely use Morrisons. Easter eggs are extortionate this year!

Today has been
£4.99 Lidl
£4.52 co op
Tomorrow may be more as I have plans for a change! Visit to new health food place with DD for an early lunch (they have 50% off for opening day) and then tea out for my friends birthday. I have made us homemade mini Victoria sponges in lieu of birthday cake, that was the £4.52 for ingredients today.

I also love coming home to a mint tea bigskies!

@kessiebird they had the cards at the tills today readily available for ppl to just swipe as they buy .
Worth it if you have to buy a lot of Easter eggs .
The Reeces eggs have been £6 everywhere till now . So l got in there 🤣

There was meant to be a heart there hack ((hugs)) instead

Might go to mozzers. But we ate the stash already and are away for Easter so might not

£113 Sainsbury's yesterday & £30 Aldi

Fell off the radar for a little while but I do keep up with reading about everyone else and their updates.
I have still been frugaleering along with what has been an expensive time up till now. Two GCs birthdays one of which is a 21st later this month so larger sum paid out because it's a bit special.
Been running around with and for my neighbour who had her car written off last month. I needed new glasses too but it had to be done this time as my current glasses were four years old!! Had a night out at the theatre this week so had a meal out too. Have another show with DH later this month along with hotel/meal costs but we deserve a treat every now and then. No transport costs as we will use bus passes and enjoy the view from the top deck of the bus!! I also needed wanted a new dress for the party later this month so another expense but it was a sale buy if that makes it any better!! 👀
Have had a few NSDs but not kept a tally so will try and keep to NSDs or at the least low spend days for the rest of March. Another credit card has bitten the dust!! 😎I've been busy with GCs too but that has been time consuming rather than money consuming thankfully.
Need to audit the freezers because I'm seeing spaces where there used to be food. Might be time to do a meat order and top up at Iceland on Tuesday when I can get pensioners 10% off too. But looking at what's left we could probably still manage another week or so and not spend except for top ups
The last few days have been reasonably nice so have been out tidying up the back garden - for the first time ever - my snowdrops have appeared and my front window planter has daffs out too. The front garden needs a spruce up too but working today so will have to look at that tomorrow.

Oh my goodness. So where I have (for the first time in my life) been not spending, looking at my bank balance daily and taking stock of what goes out (not much anymore) I can actually see what is set up automatically to go out. I've already been through direct debits but there was an amount going out monthly that I didn't know what it was. After some investigation it turns out I pay (!) for my bank account..... Yeh. Let's cancel that!!! I now have a free account. God knows how that got set up as I wouldn't have signed up for that. And where I've always spent so much and never looked at my account, it's been there for years undetected. So glad I'm now more responsible. I've even got so much money left over this month where I've been so frugal I am paying down my credit card faster than expected. Whoooooo!!!!!
Oh, and I found some beetroot in the garden that I planted last year and forgot about so theres tonight's side to the dinner I was making!!

Agree Life that this is a lovely, supportive thread.
Sorry to read your post Hack, we are always here for virtual support.
Glad the surgery has gone well Em
So after a spendy last weekend, the week was pretty frugal. We spent £50 on a gousto box as dh had forgotten to cancel it. Anyway, the choices they gave us were good and it provided us lunches and dinners for 5 days.
Still awaiting a parking fine from the weekend away as nothing yet....
Have now done the first week in my new job which has been good although very different to be in a new organisation after 20 years, but still the same NHS, sigh.
My leaving do from the old job is this afternoon/evening, drinks and food in town. Great weather for it and quite a few people coming from various points in those 20 years which will be good.
Tomorrow will be recovery and gardening
Happy International Womens Day to you all

Well done @Rainbow1901 & @ Frugal25 great work 👏☺️
I hear you on scoffing the stash @lifelongfrugaleer 😋
NSD for me yay!!

Have fun north

That's excellent frugal. Baby steps didn't mse have something about reclaiming back charges?

Have a brilliant time northender
Oh I shall take a look lifelong thank you!!

Here www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-packaged-bank-accounts/

There is also on one reclaiming bank charges if it puts you into hardship

Bank charges

www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/bank-charges/

Has anyone ever had one of those days where it feels like their debit card is in constant use? I haven't spent excessively—mostly just essentials—but somehow, I've already made ten transactions without even realizing it!

I originally planned to order a takeaway for dinner, but in the end, I went to Aldi instead and bought a silver tray meal, paired with some vegetables— a more bank account friendly choice.

It makes me wonder: if we had to pay a fee for each transaction (as I believe is the case in some countries, though I might be mistaken), would impulsive spending and frequent card usage decrease significantly?

@ChipshopPickledEgg thanks for asking! First week of work went well and I am feeling really positive and happy, albeit knackered. After not working for a few years it feels really good to have got well enough to return to the real world.

A fee probably wouldn't stop my impulsive spending 😆

Very low spend week as I was working but I did pay £42 for a personal trainer yesterday which is a new weekly expense I'm treating myself to now I'm earning.

Went to The Creative Craft Show in Glasgow today. Oh the temptation! I sensibly took OH with me to help me. I set a budget of £75 and stuck to it so I'm really pleased with myself, Old Me would have easily dropped triple that.

Thank you so much lifelong, I'm taking a look right now.

Well done Nessa! First weeks are always tiring but exciting. Ooohhh a personal trainer as a treat sound amazing!

Umm, have started a new thread (I think)
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/5290390-is-your-march-miserly-or-munificent-join-the-frugaleers-sharing-news-and-tips

Nessa, congratulatiions on first successful week and on your spending decisions - DH (and I) are spending more on that for our weekly PT sessions, but they are part of a 12 week programme which includes eating plans and daily prompts for additional workouts. So yours sounds very good value. Hope you enjoy it!

Hack - I''m sorry you are having a hard time with DH struggling through this process. Do you have your own escape/safety valve somewhere?