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 🤗

Sounds like a busy day for you @Shnout . £10 sounds like a sensible limit for a low spend day to me too. Hope you found a nice last minute gift for your daughter’s party 🎁 and enjoyed your coffee catch up ☕. Fingers crossed the Decathlon return goes smoothly and £90 back will feel good! Shame about the premium bonds, but there’s always next month 🍀😊
@chimichangazThat moon sounds incredible , shame the photos didn’t do it justice, but I bet it was breathtaking in real life. And huge congrats on your premium bonds wins! 🎉 That’s a lovely little bonus, especially after boosting your total. And the Caribbean trip sounds amazing! Fingers crossed the news about Venezuela doesn’t affect your plans either way 🤞. What a fantastic way to mark your 60th. 🏝️✨

@pistachiosanscream sounds like a great start ,organised but still easy going. Duck legs for cassoulet, yummy , and excellent idea on the art supplies 🎨. Freezer meals and Christmas goodies for your guests sounds perfect. l only wish l were coming 😁.
Have a great time 🤗.
@MushyPeasAndMintSauce
Sounds like the perfect cosy day for you! I love that you’re just letting your Dd have fun with the box and soaking up some quiet reading time with the dog snoring nearby. Wonderful 😊.

@FurForksSakeAfternoon! Sounds like a busy but lovely day out. Parking and petrol do add up when you’ve been out a lot, but at least the petrol should last a while. Six bags from Ocado is impressive well stocked! 💪 Sending a birthday card via Moonpig may be cheaper especially if you can use a discount code , your Step Mum will love it, they do gorgeous personalised cards🤗.
@Frugal25 £94 does feel a lot, but you had a plan this time and stuck to a list rather than just tapping away, so well done you 😊. Having a baseline will make next year so much easier, you’ll know exactly what’s reasonable to spend and where you might trim a bit off . I think it is very sensible of you 🤗

Afternoon everyone 😊
Blooming freezing here 🥶
Been to see Mum , they now have Norovirus at the home 🙄
It never rains but it falls 😱.
Anyway Mum is confined to her bedroom as is everyone there now . None of Mums next door neighbours have it and residents and staff are getting better so fingers crossed she or we don't get it .🙏🤞
Apart from that Mum seems ok , a bit tired but that's understandable given the shock of the fall and the aftermath of the UTI .
Been to Tesco for a few bits .
£13
Then had to go to Waitrose £14 because they didn't have some of the things l wanted in Tesco but l got loads of lovely Christmas cards from Waitrose and a trio of glass vases with hyacinth bulbs in for £3 instead of £12 so l was well pleased.
Hope everyone is ok and having a lovely weekend 😊

Marks and Spencer and £4 on two bags of tangerines. I meant to buy clementines so I’ll have to pick out the seeds.

Thank you for mentioning Jam Donut @TheOnlyMrsW. I’d forgotten about them. I must join up.

Hope things went well Ring solving today @BigSkies2022.

Welcome @GrannyTeapot and @RubySparrow.

Blimey @chimichangaz. That WiFi is more than Virgin. Have a wonderful time. And hope you’re feeling better today.

You’re certainly crossing things off the list @lifelongfrugaleer. I do hope the next few months are as smooth as they can be.

Thank you @DirtyGertiefromno30. Solicitor’s letter written and sent. Your poor mum. I hope she escapes noro. I’ve never had it but can’t imagine it’s too pleasant.

Glad to get the letter done but it took over the day. Worked a bit on budgeting. The council have changed their online account set up so I will investigate or I’ll panic when the council tax bill comes. Am planning on looking at gift cards tomorrow as I’d like to get back to using them for groceries. It doesn’t save much but it’s better than nothing. I just need to be organised.

Spedy today but was expecting it, £95 Tesco and it took forever (combination of new store to figure out, comparing costs with Aldi and Saturday) so was frazzled by the end! But we have full freezers, a full fridge, and a meal-plan so hopefully will only be milk and bread for the next couple of weeks then more meat towards the end of the month.

Then £9.65 for drinks while waiting for DD to finish work, it's a local bar and last couple of shifts before back to uni. She's worked there since school and we've got to know lots of people too, it's a proper little community.

In between sorted out the freezers to fit everything in, made a batch of Jamie's 7-veg sauce, started the washing mountain and DH took the decorations down.

No spends planned for tomorrow, dinner in oven and film tonight.......

Happy New Year everyone 🥳 hope you all had a great Christmas- whatever that looks like!

I’ve been run off of my feet over the last week or so, so I’m only just getting the chance to catch up with these threads - looks like I’ve got a lot of reading to do!!

House work and decluttering has been going well so far, I’ve got into a good routine every morning and evening, everything has been put away after the festivities and I’ve given a fair few bits to the charity shop, mostly Christmas decorations that we won’t use again and some homeware stuff that I’ve been holding onto just in case.

I’m quite proud of myself as the only January sale shopping I’ve done was a Jigsaw puzzle, half price at £7, from a local garden centre. This was something I was planning on buying before Christmas but couldn’t find one I liked/that wasn’t too difficult. And I also picked up four rolls of wrapping paper reduced to £1 each in WH Smith. I’m usually so bad for impulse buying in the sales, but this year I haven’t even looked.

Also attempting a low buy Jan, so using up what I have, my main overstocks are skin care products and candles, I have so much of both that I think I could possibly go the whole year without purchasing any. We burn candles everyday during the winter months so do get through them, but I have a massive stash of them in the cupboard. I’m definitely not buying any more clothes- hopefully for the first three months of the year, then I’ll reassess the situation. I’ll buy underwear and stuff if needed, but I should be OK.

We will continue using up everything in the freezer, it went very well before the Christmas break, so I’ll keep going with that.

How is everyone here feeling about the new year and moving on with budgeting? I’m feeling positive, however, in the past I’ve lost momentum by the end of Jan and am back to my old ways of shopping and spending, my aim this year is to save as much money as possible and see where I am by the end of the year.

The usual resolutions of save money, lose weight, read more and declutter/streamline belongings are planned, anyone else?

Off to catch up with this new thread - hope everyone’s having a relaxing weekend so far 😊

Getting the solicitor’s letter done and sent is a big mental weight off , well done @RumBananaSundae 👏👏 Those things are so draining . Budgeting on top of that is no small feat either.
Thank you about my Mum 🤗fingers crossed she avoids Noro, it’s definitely not something anyone needs, especially at her age and given all the problems she has had the past few weeks.
The council changing their system always causes stress 🙄… but you’re being really sensible getting ahead of it , rather than facing a surprise bill.Gift cards sound like a good idea. You’re right, they don’t save a fortune, but they do add a bit of control and let's face it better in your pocket than the supermarkets 😁.

@TheOnlyMrsW£95 for a Saturday shop with full freezers, a full fridge and a meal plan is a big win, even if Tesco and a new layout were exhausting. The hard bit’s done, so milk and bread only for a while is very doable 😁.
Happy New Year to you too @Johaanah 🥳
You’ve done brilliantly with the decluttering, especially letting go of unused decorations. £7 on a jigsaw you wanted and cheap wrapping paper is a great January win, and resisting the sales is very impressive 🤗👏
Low buy January makes sense with your skincare, candles and freezer stash, and so does no new clothes for a few months . Your goals are very similiar to mine , save more, declutter, read more, feel healthier, all extremely good financial goals well done you 😁
My own financial goals are probably playing second fiddle to my worries about my Mum though, if l am honest .

I'm not surprised @DirtyGertiefromno30, family worries can be so consuming especially when it's one thing after another like your mum has been having! Hopefully a lot of your frugal ways will be habits by now so they won't take too much thinking about 🤞

03/01 NSD We've had a day at home and I've mainly stayed off internet sites.

YTD: NSD 2, LSD 1, Spendy 0

Aw thank you so much for understanding @FoolShapeHeart 🤗
Yes l think I you are right it's instilled in us, like getting the christmas cards in the sale today 😊
Well done on the NSD's and the LSD

Just been having a look at the Plum app , l have never heard of it before . They have a free version and a paid one .

Welcome back @Alfiemoon1 sounds like you have a lot on your plate - I took some time out in September - the beauty being you can come back to this thread!

Hello to other frugal joiners and anyone I missed.

Good news on the premium bonds @chimichangaz I'm thinking of opening an account for DC tomorrow and putting in a small amount every month - so when their 18th and 21st birthdays roll round in a few years I'm not taken by surprise.

It's one thing after another for your DM @DirtyGertiefromno30 hopefully the germs will stay away!

Great that solicitor letter is done @RumBananaSundae psychological tick I hope.

£11.70 M&S Food. The rest of the shop was bought with refund vouchers for a top that wasn't quite me. Should last until Wednesday.

I love M&S food so enjoy the next few days of it @Lockin26 😊
AHH thank you yes, it's been a huge rollercoaster with my Mum lately.

£11 in Sainsbury’s- potatoes, eggs, milk and posh vanilla ice cream as I had Nectar points to cover most of the price! Boeuf bourgignon from Christmas freezer stash and mash. So quite an indulgent Saturday night dinner.

DS back from his Budapest trip, hence the nice food. But he has rushed out again to go to the cinema with a mate, so he will have his dinner alone when he gets back. Oh well!

Forced myself out into the cold to get my steps in and a big stretch afterwards. Tomorrow brings more of the same- I will get the decs packed away and reclaim the dining table, oh yes. Doing laundry, changing beds and towels, cleaning windows- I am hoping that daffodils will be on sale soon. So I want a nice clean house to put them in.

oh: £6 on something called, intriguingly, ‘Magic Balls’. They are ball bearings you swish around in vases and decanters in conjunction with the vinegar/detergent to clean all the hard to reach areas. Might be life-changing! I will let you know.

The fate of the Ring and all other admin is deferred until Monday when everything opens up again.

@BigSkies2022 the magic balls sound interesting? I always use uncooked rice or dried chick peas that have gone out of date.

We are going to great stirrup cay (NCL island), Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Mexico.

Where are you visiting?

On the Amazon gift card front, if I add mine to my account it automatically uses it as payment unless I change it! Very annoying when I’m buying house stuff that shouldn’t come off the card!!

@RumBananaSundae yes, the WiFi costs are extortionate. I don’t usually bother, but as I’m with others and not solo this time it will be a good way to keep in touch if we’re doing separate stuff on the ship. My DS did make me laugh - when I said we got 150 minutes free he asked if that was per day 🤣🤣🤣 No, dear heart. Per WEEK!!! 😬

@Lockin26 I think that’s a good idea with the PBs as long as you’re not counting on growth!! The prize rate has gone down recently; I think I’ll drop my amount to about £8-£10k rather than keep £26k in there. But the thrill of hoping for a win is great!!

Edited to add that not a NSD today even though I haven’t left the house….Amazon bits and pieces including a bag for the Christmas tree, a new satin lined woolly hat and some mini ducks to hide on my cruise!! First time doing that, I’ve found a couple before and it’s good fun!

@chimichangaz enjoy the hiding of ducks it's a good game. I find it absolutely hilarious when people get very territorial about them and there's often people on the Facebook page moaning about it all.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I fell off the thread sometime last year, but I managed to achieve my goal of not going overdrawn at all in the year. Only just, but it still counts.

Last year was incredibly spendy, despite my best intentions. DH and I have had to take out a loan for an unexpected roof repair. We had to do this because water was actually running out of the light fittings in the kitchen, so we booked the roofer, and then luckily the bank approved the loan with no problems. It was 5k to repair, and we borrowed 3k.

We finally finished our bedroom and now have actual wardrobes and carpets. I also bought new (to me) curtains, lampshades and bedspread at knock down prices on Vinted.

The dishwasher died, closely followed by the cooker. Both have been replaced with new.

We had a very sensible Christmas though, didnt overspend at all. Well done us!

Due to the expected and unexpected spending, and having to pay back the loan, the savings are pretty much wiped out. We have about £200 in the instant access, so we have to hope that any coming emergencies are very small ones.

The aim for this year is to pay off the roof, not go overdrawn and to build up the savings by at least 2k.

Here's to a happy, simple and fulfilling 2026!!

Happy New Year everyone!

I finished the year having sold £1500 of our unwanted stuff on eBay. My free postage offer ended from eBay, so has all my sales as books etc cost more to post than what they sell for. The cash was very welcome over the spendy Christmas period, but now need to be more frugal.

My aim for the early new year is to find a new job and sort more jobs out in the house. The time off from working has really focussed the mind on how much the old job had impacted my wellbeing, so looking for something a bit more part time in the short term, whilst various family members need more of my time/attention.

I also want to save up for a new front door.

I’m going to try to post a bit more in the thread to keep accountable this year.

Fingers crossed your mum escapes the norovirus @DirtyGertiefromno30 i know from experience that if I was in your position I’d be spending spending spending! Hoping I get a good long run to turn this into a habit!

@RumBananaSundae fair play getting that solicitor letter done.

welcome back @Nellieinthebarn and well done on all you have done this year.

best of luck either way the job search @Holidaysandchocolate there are seasons in your life when you just need to step back a bit and sounds like this is one for you.

yesterday was lovely with family and some of the cheese mountain and a good chunk of the canapés were eaten. I also did not check out the 3 dresses I had in my sea salt basket. Reminded myself I want to lose weight and I’ve plenty nice stuff that fits now.

looking back over Christmas, I’m happy with most of my food shopping except the treats. Next year I’ll cut back massively on the tubs of quality street etc. instead I’d like to buy some different bits like the M&S munch tins. I’d also like to focusing on making more of my own treats. I make these but give them away when I could keep some for ourselves. I’ll make a note of this in my Christmas note.

@Johaanah i find once I’m back in work that the spending temptation is greatly reduced. It’s from April onwards that I tend to find it difficult. However this year is different. I.have a holiday in February that I’m hoping not to buy anything new for. Then I’ve a week long work trip in March. This has tended to be a stress induced clothes buying experience for me so I’m noting this and trying to maintain my personal sinking fund to allow for some new stuff.

next week is when I’ll really start to focus on budgeting

Happy new year.

My financial resolution for this year is to move some of my personal savings into investments.

Will also not buy so much food out.

Maybe sell some stuff on vinted or eBay.

Also, maybe get a better budgeting system.and be more aware of ongoing and outgoings. I mostly just set up direct debits, and regular payments, including onto savings and shuffle money between accounts as needed. Nationwide texts me when I'm due to be overdrawn. So I take a reactive rather than proactive approach.

I've dropped a day of work and have slightly eaten into savings rather than saved. I think I need to take on more overtime which is easy as well as generally making savings. Eg, we pay £22.50 for a vet club for flea, worming, vaccines and health check. Not sure this is the most cost effective... maybe it is. Maybe I need to switch energy supplier too....

Just paid just over £200 for DD after school club for the term. It's not too bad but maybe if I arrange some kind of playdate system... We also pay £44 a month for extracurricular music band and £5 a week for an after school sports on Thursday (this is cheeper than the wraparound care she does the 2 other days I work). She did go to a friends for a few weeks as she fractured her wrist and couldn't play sports. Friends mum was very happy to have her, but I'm not able to repay her in any way, I offered to take her DS to the farm on an inset day but the whole family is coming younger sister too.

DS at nursery is just £78 a month, we have a term time good deal there in happy with, DDs nursery bills were far higher. He will do 4 days now.

Yesterday I spent £15 in Hobbycraft. DH did our weekly grocery shop at £92.

@Holidaysandchocolate we got a new front door two years ago and it makes such a difference. It keeps the house much warmer, feels more secure and just makes me happy to see every time I come home. We also did the windows, half 2 years ago, more this year. And the house is so much more comfortable, esspecaly in the cold snap.

Good morning everyone ☀️
Happy new year to everyone,
Especially to our new and rejoining people, you are more than welcome 🤗.
Thank you @pistachiosanscream that is so kind of you ❤️
Yes it's daunting and really worrying and upsetting with what is going to happen with my Mum noone can forecast anything but we keep going 🤗
I think I l will do the same as you and not buying so many treats next year . I have really just got fed up with them tbh 🙄. I know that must sound so ungrateful of me , l suspect it's what is going on with my Mum that is me marring my joy .
Anyway my spends today. l have spent £10 on a new with tags pr of black boots from Vinted 🤗.
Have a lovely day everyone 😊