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Cost of living

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January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!

1000 replies

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/12/2025 09:23

Welcome to the New thread everyone 😊
Here's to everyone of us and hoping 2026 brings us all health happiness and frugal finances 🤗

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21
BigSkies2022 · 12/01/2026 18:17

Blimey rum, why so down on education ? I am perpetually trying to improve myself - I’m not going to outrun my very unbalanced 80’s education in a clapped out provincial grammar school, but ultimately our brains are all we have and all we are.

boogietrapps · 12/01/2026 18:19

Hi could I please join you all? We’re expecting DC4 in May so trying to get on top of our spending so that we can budget for that.

BigSkies2022 · 12/01/2026 18:22

Oh and my M&S bras arrived and they all fit well and are pretty so they can stay. (I am supported boobs as well as a brain, it seems!)

MushyPeasAndMintSauce · 12/01/2026 18:41

£10 on lunch bits
£4 lunchbox bits

Life is too short for shit tea and shit loo roll.

MushyPeasAndMintSauce · 12/01/2026 18:42

boogietrapps · 12/01/2026 18:19

Hi could I please join you all? We’re expecting DC4 in May so trying to get on top of our spending so that we can budget for that.

Welcome!
Congratulations on DC4.

Lockin26 · 12/01/2026 20:40

Trying to keep up with the thread as some great topics. Sorry I've slightly fallen behind.

@needastrongoneagain so much to deal with there.
@lifelongfrugaleer good to hear from you
Hello @ArmDimples I'm quite new (2024 perhaps? But have likely name changed a bit). I dip in here and it really helps!

I love my job (professional in public sector but same grade since I graduated so not high earning). I'd love to go part time again but 15 years on four days took its toll on my pension! One thing is I've never been promoted and I'm more than capable. When I was young I was pushed for promotion and I had imposter syndrome! Now I'm older and the DC are older I think I've been bypassed while raising a family. But by and large I'm happy and sail along. Left twice to do other public sector jobs and come back to this one.

My car is rattling underneath. A mobile mechanic is coming to look soon, he's just texted to say he doing bedtime stories for his children! Hope I can drive tomorrow and also that's it's not serious.

Thanks for the good wishes about DS job hunting. He started some agency work today and is going back tomorrow! Also waiting to hear back on an apprenticeship.

Lockin26 · 12/01/2026 20:44

Forgot spends £7.64 Amazon. GP advised DH to start odorless garlic for high cholesterol (?) so I dutifully ordered some!

Also took homemade butternut squash soup and rosemary focaccia (Lidl bakery) to work and it was delicious 😋

FurForksSake · 12/01/2026 20:47

£85 on 1/3 of my payment for my next Mounjaro pen. I’m hoping they’ll let me order every 8 weeks as I’ve got a stock pile. It’s expensive but I’m only just at target and need a very slow taper down and then probably will need to take a low dose for life.

Lockin26 · 12/01/2026 21:28

My car has a loose heat shield which mobile mechanic thinks will last until I can get it into the garage in 2 weeks. It's not serious at least!

Frugal25 · 12/01/2026 22:06

So glad car isn't too serious @Lockin26 phew.
Who gives a crap is really good. Had it for years and years!
I hear you @RumBananaSundaeabout it being a quiet hate. I'm quite about my hate as redundancy is worse. Although there are rumours about that at the mo where I am sadly.
The Stilton soup sounds amazing. As does the focaccia from Lidl!!

Frugal25 · 12/01/2026 22:08

Welcome @boogietrapps and congratulations 🎉

Johaanah · 13/01/2026 08:43

Hey guys!

I haven’t visited the thread since last week and now I see I’ve missed 6 pages of posts, must do better.

Had a busy weekend as it was my youngest child’s 18th Birthday, so now we have no children - just young adults. Not sure how I feel about it, I loved having small children, but now I’m excited for them to reach the next stages in their lives and grow, making their own way and choices. so I guess it’s mixed emotions.

Friday was relatively expensive prepping for the birthday itself, sat and sun both LSD and yesterday NSD, today I have a hair appointment so will be around £90, I’ve budgeted for that and it’ll come out of one of my pots, so won’t affect my everyday bank balance. Planning on further NSD’s Wednesday and Thursday too.

So far I’m doing well on my no/low spend Jan, I’ve sold some stuff on Vinted and made around £75, I have replaced a top that was too big with the same one in a smaller size via Vinted also, I kind of feel that this is against the rules but I’m ok with that. Still have quite a few things to list but it’s a slow process. There have been many online baskets filled over the past two weeks that I’ve managed to abandon, so the urge to buy things is still there, I’m just (somehow) managing to resist checking out. I’ve started a list on my phone of things I want/need so I can review it in a few months and see if I’m still interested, so far it consists of a shower speaker, new pasta bowls, a cashmere bandana and some bedding.

Made soup yesterday so that’s lunch sorted for dd2 and I, no idea about dinner yet, I’ll see what’s in the freezer or possibly make some kind of pasta. Eating down the freezer is going well too, still have loads to get through, was hoping for a cut price turkey after Christmas but no luck there, I did pick up two ham joints for a fiver each in M&S last week which was a bonus.

Back on track with the healthy eating, which is a relief as I felt I’d lost the plot and would struggle to cut down, I’d practically had the whole of December off and ate whatever I wanted.

Anyway I hope all posters here are having a good week so far, January is such a long month, feel like we should be approaching Feb, payday for me isn’t until 30 Jan so I suppose that’s part of the reason it’s dragging.

Apologies for long rambling posts on here, I find it a good place to air my thoughts and seeing them written down really helps.

Have a great frugal day everyone 😊😊

Shnout · 13/01/2026 09:16

Morning everyone.
these threads are so fast moving. I’ve read everything but am really rubbish at responding to comments. I know what I’m going to say and then forget it all by the time I come to write my post. Apologies. I will try and do better!

Im feeling healthier today. No work but quite a few chores (and a coffee with my friend too in the middle too). Thanks for all the Dd compliments. Obviously I’m very biased but she really is wonderful. She was determined to look after me so well at the weekend. We’ve had an awful year and she’s having to process things no 12 year old should have to deal with - including the suicide of a parent, and Im just in awe of her every single day. It’s a long road and I know we’ll have hic ups of various sizes in the future, but she’s just brilliant. Sorry for the love in, but for various reasons I won’t go into now I’m just feeling so bloody proud of her right now.

Yesterday was a NSD in the end, but slightly cheating as I did a big ish food order (being delivered today) including all the bits I meant to buy on my way home from work. Food order was £88 so that’s today’s big spend. I might also finally hit the buy button on the online Next bag I’ve got filled with items for our holiday - although some of them are multiples of different sizes etc so it’s hard to know what the final price will be on that. Kew on delaying it for no particular reason!

Have a lovely day everybody.

MushyPeasAndMintSauce · 13/01/2026 09:28

Just had a wee look at the boots deals for Tuesday - some very surprising items I didn't expect to see near the face cream so that added some (childish) humour to my day. Didn't buy anything though.

needastrongoneagain · 13/01/2026 10:12

Morning.

@Shnout ❤️. What a wonderful and beautiful person your DD is, she’s a credit to you and I am sure, her Dad. They humble you sometimes don’t they, kids? I well up if I think what my two young people have done for me these last few years. You should be rightly proud.

My dad passed this morning. It’s a relief and I feel strangely calm, especially after the last few days. He can be at peace now.

@Johaanah I have a rule with my Vinted balance that I use it to buy things, but don’t add to it monetarily. I think that’s allowed 😊

I think today will be a NSD.

FurForksSake · 13/01/2026 10:13

@needastrongoneagain I’m sorry for your loss, I am glad he’s at peace. Go gently.

pistachiosanscream · 13/01/2026 10:14

welcome @boogietrapps and congratulations on DC 4. glad to hear your car isn't too serious @Lockin26

It reminded me that i need to schedule a service fo mine and hoping its not too expensive.

Regarding education, i work in Higher Ed, not academic but adjacent and have done 7 years University education myself. however i never had to pay fees and even the student contribution was relatively small. Here in Ireland the fees are still paid but our student contribution (stealth fee) is around €3k. I do think fees make education a much bigger more important decision as a misstep at a young age an be very costly nowadays. I'm overall a fan of education but do think it needs careful consideration and i would prefer Universities that have a strong job placement scheme as part of their course. Looking at my nephews and nieces those students who had that as part of their course definitely launched more easily than ones that didn't.

You have all reminded m on the €12 tuesdays and i've spent €62 checking out my basket and got 4 €12 items , one of which is a treat but had a very big reduction.

I'm eyeing up a dress on vinted but have made a couple of sales recently so hoping i have the willpower to wait until i get those funds into my balance first.

Did my 7th workout in a row yesterday. today will be trickier to schedule but fingers crossed i get it done

lifelongfrugaleer · 13/01/2026 11:14

Need ❤️

welcome new and returners frugaleers

Johaanah · 13/01/2026 11:43

Sorry to hear about your dad need, he’s at peace now ❤️

pistachiosanscream · 13/01/2026 11:48

Sorry to hear about your ad @needastrongoneagain and glad you feel he is at peace. please mind yourself over the coming months.

MushyPeasAndMintSauce · 13/01/2026 12:01

Be kind to yourself Need darling x

TheOnlyMrsW · 13/01/2026 12:12

Sorry to hear your news need but glad he is at peace. Please look after yourself while you deal with everything Flowers

boogietrapps · 13/01/2026 14:22

I’m really sorry to hear about your loss need, please be kind to yourself 💐

Thank you everyone for your welcomes.

chimichangaz · 13/01/2026 15:01

Ah @needastrongoneagain I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m glad you feel he is at peace now - look after yourself in the next few days and weeks ❤️

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 13/01/2026 15:34

I’m so sorry @needastrongoneagain bless you sweetheart ❤️
That calm and sense of relief makes complete sense after everything you have witnessed he’s been through.
He’s at peace now, and that is what really matters.
Thinking of you ❤️

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