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

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

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

Looks like you had a great haul from Aldi TGTG @chimichangaz 😁, shame about the blue cheese but you can freeze it for stilton and broccoli soup which is absolutely delicious if you fancy it 😋.
Steak next time hopefully 🤞
Well done 😁

The TGTG box looks amazing 🤩 got some delicious bits in there well done @chimichangaz.
@DirtyGertiefromno30i now want stilton and broccoli soup...... That's def going on the meal plan for next week

Last day of the year - not frugal at all but £40.15 on a Chinese Takeaway!! Happy New Year everyone!! 😋🍾

It's delicious @Frugal25😊 one of my favourite soups 😋

Sounds very reasonable for a takeaway to me @Rainbow1901 enjoy it and a very Happy New year to you and yours too sweetheart

Thank you for the new thread @DirtyGertiefromno30. It’s lovely to see your mum doing well. Happy New Year to you both.

Spent about £13 all in today. I got a new hoodie in Marks and Spencer using a gift card and a bit of cash, a dip in Waitrose and a towel in the gym. I picked up the jumper I ordered from Marks and Spencer and really like it.

You must have quite a head full @Rainbow1901. Hope things all turn out well.

Your TGTG looked good @chimichangaz. I might give one a try next time Aldi is up.

Having a quiet day today. Did a bit of work this morning but think I will call it a day until next week. Planning on making a start in my rehab notebook tomorrow. My leg isn’t doing so great so hopefully it will be a motivator. Had a lovely video call with a friend today and we’re planning exhibitions for 2026. Am on the sofa watching Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Thinking of broccoli and Stilton soup.

Hope 2026 brings good things for us all. And thank you for your ears and support in 2025.

That sounds like such a lovely, cosy day @RumBananaSundae. Your hoodie and jumper sound great. Fingers crossed your leg improves soon and that your rehab notebook gives you some motivation , it sounds like a really positive step. Video calls planning exhibitions for 2026 sound exciting, what a lovely way to look forward to the year ahead. Here’s to 2026 bringing good things for us all, Happy New Year. I’m so glad we've had each other’s ears and support in 2025 too ❤️

Ah frugal. Thats lovely and bloody well done x

Morning. Happy New Year!

Small, real, manageable steps are the best @Frugal25 - look at the sustained change you’ve already made. Brilliant.

Your mum looks well @DirtyGertiefromno30, such a relief.

We didn’t see the New Year in, we never do!

Today will consist of a run, a short walk (hopefully) with DH, a bit of menu planning and planning in general. A normal day - whoop. I need some fresh items, but whether that will be today or tomorrow then I’m not sure, nothing desperate.

Roast butternut squash dhal for tea.

Happy new year- we were in bed with an anxious dog when the fireworks went off at midnight. Would have been asleep otherwise! Planet normal here too: a walk, a workout, taking down some of the decs (fairy lights can stay a while), setting baselines on financial spreadsheet for 2026! Will remain in hiding - power-saving mode! - until Monday when DH is back at work and the next round of medical appointments and general upkeep with Olds begins.

Happy new year! Dh has taken the kids and niece to Tim Hortona for breakfast, so not a nsd here. But, I think over Christmas we’ve done ok. I need to sort some returns as well.

My Themes and nudge words for this year are all about intentionality and slowness and purpose. I’m hoping that will include my spending!

Got to admit we also hit the Chinese takeaway up £23 but only two of us.

• Starbucks £14 . . Worryingly my child has learnt they don't only sell babychino!
• £10 on sods and ends from the bakery and shop whilst in town.
• £7 park and ride bus.

I was awake when new years came in purely as I wasn't tired enough to sleep husband was awake but woke up to do a tone deaf version of Auld Lang Syne with me and fall into a bit of a Google dark hole of looking at how it's all funded.

Happy New Year everyone.
Thanks for the new thread @DirtyGertiefromno30

Another namechanger here. Was SockHop before but definitely need a fresh start after pretty much losing control of spending in December. I’d been plodding along and doing ‘ok but not great’ in Oct/Nov, but in a way it was good to see how anxious overspending made me feel when the wheels came off in the lead up to Christmas.

On the flip side Dd and I got through our first Christmas without DH without too much pain. The day itself was horrid at points, but it’s done, and I don’t really regret making it as special as I could for Dd and as easy as possible for me, even if that did involve overspending at times. It’s just definitely time to get back to good habits now.
So a new name, new year and new start for me.

Looking forward to catching up with you all and checking in.

Today’s spends £85 food order. Hopefully that’s all!

Everything finance-wise has now been shuffled and moved around. Looking back I'm happy knowing that we have paid off a few more debts last year. It's an ongoing project but we are still very motivated to keep on clearing the debts - but at the same time still having a reasonable life. Savings set up already for Christmas 2026, Martin Lewis Pot and Son's Wedding in 2027 - we have yet to consider plans for a holiday but I'm not motivated for that yet. Will probably browse - keep an eye on costs and then see if there's a saving to be had by booking last minute with a travel agent. I keep seeing adverts in the Travel Agents windows but don't know if there are any real deals to be had. Has anyone seen any real savings doing it this way? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has done this.
In the interests of frugality, we have the remains (loads!) from last nights' takeaway for tea tonight and still eating leftovers from Christmas. Cooked up a load of sausage rolls and cheese and onion rolls yesterday for picking at or for lunches and GS made a lemon drizzle cake so we have that to have with a brew!! 😋
NSD so far - I have things in the Amazon basket which are necessary to replenish used up items but will hold off as long as possible before hitting the buy it button!
SonIL came home yesterday after hours spent in hospital with a referral to see his GP but blood tests/x-rays/ECGs have ruled out any issues but he was extremely tired so collected GS and took off with plans for an early night once GS was in bed.

Hi @Shnout - welcome back. Totally and completely understandable given the last year that you wanted the best possible time for your DD. The firsts are shit aren’t they? DH is still here after his stroke, but not really in many ways, and everything we did do, we don’t now. It’s hard to not compare, I grieve for the life I thought I might have every day a little. It’ll be SO much more for you.

Hopefully the thread can contribute to your frugal future again!

Think I’m going to have a NSD.

I’ve not had a nsd. AirPods £93.11 for ds from his Christmas money. Some Amazon bits that will see us to Jan post op. £50.
had a good clean up after nye party so garden had a clear & garage. Load waiting for the tip, recycling men are going to hate how much card we have as DH keeps empty boxes.
old car seats off and my car seat covers fitted to DH car to keep it tidy.
should be able to get it in the garage when tip stuff gone.
found some farm boots which need cleaning & redubbing but that and taking the decs down is tomorrow job

Hello @needastrongoneagain . Yes the firsts are totally shit aren’t they. I was dreading a lot of Christmas but it was the unexpected things that floored me the most.
How long has it been since your husband’s stroke? What you’re going through sounds so tremendously difficult.

I was doing really well with frugality with the help of this thread so I am confident I can get back to that place. I need to be keeping on top of reading and posting though. Things started slipping when I stopped checking in so regularly! Partially that was down to going back to work in Sept and I was just shattered so I need to make the effort again now.

@Rainbow1901 What is a Martin Lewis pot? Apologies if it’s been discussed a lot previously.
I’ve just set up a Christmas 26 pot too. Thanks for the reminder.

@Shnout Have a look at this https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/martin-lewis-mse-explains-relatively-36481838

I've been doing it for a few years - it gets harder the further into the year you go but you can always do smaller amounts when you can afford them rather than the big lump sums. If you can manage it for the year you have £667.95 for Christmas or paying off a debt or simply just savings.
At one point - I used to look at my daily bank balance and if it had an £2.61 for example - I'd transfer it and then tick off the box. You can make it work however you like.

Good afternoon and a very Happy New Year to you and yours too @needastrongoneagain!
Thank you so much re my Mum 😊.
l am so glad my Mum is better, it's such a relief l can't tell you 🤗.
Sounds like a nice, steady day for you a nice run and a short walk with your DH☺️
Hope you manage to get your fresh items without too much trouble.
Your roast butternut squash dhal sounds lovely 😋.
I know it must be so hard with your DH and all the changes in your lives , grieving for the life you imagined is only natural. Hoping this thread gives you some ideas for your future frugal plans too ❤️

Happy New Year to you and yours too @BigSkies2022.
Aw your poor anxious Pup, fireworks are such an ordeal for them.
Planet normal sounds perfect. A walk, a workout, a bit of decluttering and fairy lights staying on is very January friendly. Sensible to set the 2026 spreadsheet baselines too.
Power saving mode until Monday sounds wise before DH is back at work and the next round of Olds admin begins. A calm, gentle start to the year feels right to me too ☺️

Happy New Year to you & yours too @FurForksSake! That sounds like a nice, easy start to January 🤗. Breakfast out is well deserved after Christmas and it does sound like you’ve done alright overall. Returns are a big faff but good to get them sorted 😊
I like your themes too. Taking things slower and being more intentional , feels like a good way to go, and it’ll probably help with spending without it feeling like hard work.

It sounds like one of those very normal end of year days where the money just sort of leaks out in small, very human ways @MushyPeasAndMintSauce. Nothing outrageous, just a few treats and conveniences adding up. And honestly, two people for Chinese @£23 isn’t bad these days imho.
I smiled at the Starbucks and the babychino discovery though 😁, that feels like one of those milestones you don’t realise is coming until it’s already cost you ten quid 🤣. The park and ride and bits from the bakery sound like proper “out and about” spending rather than anything reckless so well done you 👏 The tone deaf Auld Lang Syne made me laugh, Happy New year to you and yours 🥳😊

@ShnoutHappy New Year to you and yours Sweetheart ❤️
A fresh name and a fresh start just feels right. December threw things off for a lot of us , but it’s good you can see how it affected you.
Getting through your first Christmas without your DH was tough l can only imagine how tough sweetheart, but you made it special for Dd and manageable for you, that’s what matters.
£85 on a food order sounds fine, and setting up a Christmas 26 pot is a great move well done you !

I am on holiday so today paid for a boat trip. Was a lovely way to start the new year.
also need t eat out tonight
well done @Shnout for navigating what can be such a painful 1st

So proud of you @Shnout well done for making it easier for yourself and better for DD. So hard, the first of anything, you did so well. Xxx

Ooohhh I do the martin lewis thing but with monzo. That's how I built up my emergency pot last year but I'm doing it again this year for Christmas for sure.

£10.40 on teas and crisps at the Essex wildlife trust cafe. We went for a walk and nearly froze. We actually went for lunch but a rush of cyclists meant they had no food so hot tea to warm us up and crisps tied us over until we got home and I did tuna mayo paninis. Rest of day will be chilling indoors and wrapping DD birthday presents for tomorrow.

Got Christmas food leftovers for dinner tonight. Love leftovers. Nom.

So glad sonil is out of hospital @Rainbow1901what a worry for you all. Fingers crossed all goes well now he is home.

@lifelongfrugaleer how was the party! I also have a ridiculous amount of orange bin bags. We missed last week's bin day so we now have about ten bags ready to go. And 3 black bin bags too.