Reminiscences....

An explanation of how I became frugal - 10 years ago we were drowning in debt - my partner had an accident and couldn't work, we were living off just child benefit as he was self employed and couldn't (or wouldn't) claim anything) - it got so bad we were buying groceries on our credit cards (which were all maxed out) I hid my head in the sand. Then I managed to get a full time job - not well paid but we claimed Working Tax credit to make up the money. At long last I added up every debt and with the help of an American frugal website I discovered the Snowball debt calculator and started understanding how much credit cost and the idea of the Freedom account. I started work in 2000 - we cut up all the credit cards, sold our jeep and caravan to start paying off some of the debts and were left with just over £14,000 (including interest) to pay back. For 3 years we bought nothing except clothes for my daughter when she grew out of hers (and these were bought second hand). We never went out,decorated, had a holiday, even had a takeaway of any kind. Neither of us bought clothes. We made every meal from scratch from reduced food wherever we could - my cheapest meal was a 19p pack of spaghetti with a 9p tin of chicken soup. I used vinegar and water to clean everything, made my own soap liquid for clothes and never used anything deemed throwaway - even made my own washable sanitary towels.

Bear in mind this was in the days before Frugality was the buzz word it its now - everyone is now interested in saving money and getting the best deal. I felt completely and utterly alone - we were ashamed of getting in that much debt in the first place. I know I could have gone bankrupt but I didn't want to do that - I had got myself in that mess (with OH's help!) and I was going to get us out of it. It got to the stage my friends were no longer coming round as they couldn't cope with our weirdness of not spending anything - every spare penny was thrown at that debt.

And finally in December 2003 we became debt free!!!! It was the most unbelievable feeling as the huge burden had been lifted from our shoulders. I continued my frugal ways until I had a reasonable bank balance but over the last couple of years I'm afraid my frugalness has kind of retreated. We are not in any kind of debt - my income now I have a better job more than covers our outgoings and I have available money to spend on what I want.

Why is it that I am trying to cut back? It doesn't feel right to be spending this much on, as my blog says, wants and not needs. Spending quietly creeps up on you. You get sucked in to consumerism.

Our dream is eventually to sell our house and buy a small holding and run a small caravan/tent area - we know we wont make a huge income by doing this but if we just keep ticking over it would be great. I know I can live on very little - I did it for 3 years. Trouble is that dream seems to be very far away...

Bargains

Went to a small car boot today but didn't buy anything at all - nothing caught my fancy....

Popped into Haldanes as it is closing down to sniff out any bargains - got the following...

6 bread rolls - 19p
Chicken and bacon sandwich spread - 19p
Quiche - 19p
2 lemon meringue donuts (mmm) - 19p
3 lamb shanks - reduced from £3.19 each to 99p each
Large joint of beef reduced from £12 to £6

Chicken sandwiches and cake for lunch - Quiche and Lamb shanks in the freezer and I'm going to cook the beef overnight and slice it when cold and freeze that for meals. Will be interesting to see how many slices I can get from it.

So that will be my basis for next months dinners - I feel a menu creeping up on me!

May housekeeping - £250 (and £13.73 into Junes!)
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £157.70 (really getting out of hand!)
Clothes - £46.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

2 no spend days in a row!

Thats a first for me for a long time lol!

Have 2 car boots to go to this weekend - one on Sat and one on Sunday but the for-cast is awful - shame cos they are 2 really small but always nice car boots......

Back to mutterings about Smart price dishwasher tablets - did a load last night (on quick wash) with my Fairy tablet and it even took the burnt bits off my lasagne dish. I will have to use up the Smarprice ones (I never throw anything away I can still use!) but will only use them on a less dirty load and will use two.

Yet again I am gearing myself up to doing a menu - I really don't know why I stopped - its definitely the way to save on the housekeeping. Perhaps if I posted our dinners on this blog that might help me focus......

May housekeeping - £250 (and £4 into Junes!)
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £157.70 (really getting out of hand!)
Clothes - £46.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

Nearly a no spend day.....

but fell at the last post.... Had to order a seal for our caravan door on the internet as couldn't get it in our local caravan shop - £27 - a real need as otherwise the rain will start coming in and ruin the floor....

Took a packed lunch into work and didn't buy anything else.

Did another load in the dishwasher last night with Smart price dishwasher tablets - it was a lot dirtier that the first load I tried with them and I have had to put quite a few things back in (including mugs as it didn't take the ring off them) Now I only use a fast wash so it might be that you have to use a hotter wash with these tablets but I think it would cost a lot more in electric just to use cheaper tablets! My quick wash is 40 mins and the normal wash is 1 hour 45 minutes so I think its a false economy having to use a hotter wash with cheaper tablets. I will go back to using Fairy (and only getting it on special offer) I have only had my dishwasher just over a month (got it off Freecycle!) so it will be trial and error until I find stuff I like - never realised how dear dishwasher stuff could be!

May housekeeping - £250 (and £4 into Junes!)
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £157.70 (really getting out of hand!)
Clothes - £46.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

A no-spend day

At last - a totally not one penny no spend day......

Spent most of it in the garden moving stuff about and taking stuff out of my pots into my newly dug beds - worn out now!

Planted 3 courgettes and 8 peas grown in my dds greenhouse so hopefully they will happily produce - also sewn a pot of mixed salad leaves.

Back to work tomorrow and taking a packed lunch so hopefully no spendies tomorrow....

BTW - the Smart price dishwasher tablets worked out fine - so thats £1.79 for 30 - next stage is to try and snap them in half and see if that works. We were discussing this at work the other day - to me its just second nature to water down everything from handwashing up liquid to fabric conditioner (and using vinegar instead when I don't have any left) I also only use 1 dessert spoon of washing powder in my machine. Did make my own soap gloop but find it quite a faff and didn't have anywhere to store it. I also only use vinegar and water for my windows and glass and have another bottle with vinegar, bi-carb, water and tea tree essential oil for all my cleaning. I'm out of Stardrops at the moment - that stuff is fab for tiles or any white goods(ie front of washing machine/dishwasher/frige/micro as it brings it up with a lovely shine.

May housekeeping - £250 (and £4 into Junes!)
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £157.70 (really getting out of hand!)
Clothes - £46.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £396.63

Must try more....

I always seem to be eating out! Me and oh popped down to the caravan shop to try and get a seal for our door (they didn't have it so will try to get it on the net) - ended up having a hot meat roll at the cafe next door and it was soooooo hot so popped to the beach and had an ice cream (that was £15 in total) Did yet more shopping (I still haven't made any kind of menu - really cant seem to face it) so that's another £41 on the grocery bill.

Again, today had lunch out today but treated my friend (and eldest dd) as she had got us free passes for a very upmarket hotels spa facilities. We had a lovely couple of hours using the pool, outdoor bubbly pool and various saunas/steam rooms followed by coffee and chatting in the lounge. Wouldn't buy lunch there as it was to dear so had it at a local garden centre (£18) but didn't buy anything there. Did however buy more leggings at Asda and some loo roll and reduced bits for the freezer - spent £10 and £5 on leggings.

I cant seem to get oh on the frugal ways at all - I'm struggling with them (trying out Smart price dishwasher tablets as we speak!) I do this - I am really great and hardly spend any money but then go on a complete bender which seems to have been while I have been blogging!

So the first thing I am going to work on is LESS EATING OUT!!!

May housekeeping - £250 (and £4 into Junes!)
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £157.70 (really getting out of hand!)
Clothes - £46.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £396.63

I must get more organised!

Been off work all last week and didn't get half the stuff done I wanted to!

Anyway, 2 no spend days at the weekend - miracle!

Visited an old pal yesterday who came up trumps and produced laminate flooring for our kitchen from her garden shed! When she got her kitchen done she kept the old laminate "just in case" - girl after my own heart! Not sure about how it will look so not putting it down until I decorate the way I want it - will see then. Even if its no good I have plans to get a small summer house in the garden and can put it in there.

Had lunch out (£20) and came back to a whoopsied joint of pork in the slow cooker.

Tuesday today (so girls day out) but was busy so eldest dd came down and we just went to a local cafe (Cost £10) and then popped to Asda. I got some summer leggings for £5, a new mop and kettle (from my kitchen fund), £3.50 on new school shirts for youngest dd and spent £24.50 on groceries. Then had to fork out £20 towards youngest dd's summer camp weekend with the sea cadets.

Also was given a single mattress which was better than the one I have so chuffed to bits with that. I bought a double seat swing for my patio last year - turned out its always windy at my front garden so I spent most of the summer rescuing the canopy from next door - also I didn't find it as comfy as I imagined so its getting swapped for a reclining sun lounger with a lovely thick cushion.

Made 2 lasagnes tonight - one for tea and one for the freezer - nice and cheap with my whoopsied mince from the other day.

Got stuff in for making packed lunches for work this week so I am getting more organised (have got stew out for tea tomorrow which will be put in the slow cooker)

May housekeeping - £203.01
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £129.70
Clothes - £41.50
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £396.63

Always spending

Busy day yesterday - I'm on holiday from work so intended to be a domestic goddess and do loads in the house......eldest dd came down and off I went out!

Asda - got there just as they were whoopsing loads of meat - spent quite a bit but got loads of stuff so quite happy - £49.23

Evans - needed new work tops - got 2 in the sales - £22

Lunch (aaaargh - total downfall) - £10.50

Got back and eldest dd helped House Doctor my back bedroom (the one I tidied and put pictures on the blog - bad as ever!!!!) Really got into getting rid of stuff - dd away with bags of wool and needles, clothes and a big basket. OH took 4 bin bags of clothes to the charity shop and a huge box of china and bric-a-brac. I never thought of myself as a hoarder but all this proves otherwise! Still need to get rid of some furniture but working on that. Put 40 Friends videos on Freecycle (and the unit they were in) but no takers yet.

Made a meatloaf in the slow cooker - first time tried it and I thought it was fine but oh and youngest dd weren't keen - it was a bit more moist than our usual meatloaf so next time will try cooking it up on rack so the juices run out.

May housekeeping - £178.51
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £99.70
Clothes - £33
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £376.63

Baked yesterday....

Thought it would be a no spend day yesterday as I went out with my friend for a walk and she treated me to lunch but when I got back OH (the bank card is definitely to be hidden!!) had hit the shops again and spent £13.71.

Turning into a domestic goddess here! First, washed all my tiles in the bathroom with vinegar/water solution and they came up fab.

Then baked - lime muffins with lime frosting top, shortbread and scones. Scones rose but fell over but everything else was yum.

Sorting out my cuboards isnt going well as its lovely weather and I'd rather be outside! Ah well, thats what holidays are all about!

May housekeeping - £121.78
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £89.70
Clothes - £11
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £376.63

2 car boots and a jumble sale!

Great weekend! - first Fridays spending - £2.50 on lunch and OH had another visit to the shops, this time to Aldi - £32.34.

First car boot Sat morning - didn't actually buy much - just love nosying round!
BOUGHT - new mop bucket - 50p
2 books - £1

Second car boot
BOUGHT - Timberland feather body warmer - £4
Necklace and earring set - £1
Cakes - £1
Youngest dds fab wellys - £2

My eldest dd got some great bargains - brand new Evans boots (price tag still on - £60) for £2 and a bike rack for her car for £2!

Then our favourite jumble sale at Longniddry - very good area and its amazing what gets donated. Trouble is its always really busy - there was a big queue when we arrived 30 mins early.

Lunch in hall - £4.50
Too much to list but spent £15 and got bags and bags (including 12 books at 20p each)
- loved the single sandwich toastie machine for dd for 50p

Then had a lovely Sunday visiting my mum and dad who live 90 miles away and bought a McDonalds on the way home as it was too late to cook - £19.50.

I'm off work this week so am sorting out a room a day - this morning it was the sitting room - scrubbed our leather suite (its amazing how much dirt gets on there), took the cushions off it and hoovered underneath - cleaned all the skirting boards, sorted out my unit, baskets and magazines, polished, did the mirrors and glass door - all I need to do now is sweep the laminate and wash it.

This week I want to get on top of my menu planning so off to the freezer with my trusty notepad and pen and see what we have left.......

May housekeeping - £108.07
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £17.79
Entertainment - £89.70
Clothes - £11
Household - £33
Spent with money paid back - £376.63

Always money going out...

Another mump going on here (must be time of the month!) so both yesterday and today bought lunch at work....£6

Youngest dd got the chance to go with the school to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Edinburgh Playhouse so jumped at the chance - another £26 out the door! (but well worth it as she is so excited to be going!)

OH quick trip to Haldanes..another £27 down (seriously thinking about taking his bank card off him!)

I'm off work on holiday next week so want to get down to some serious menu planning and batch cooking for the freezer. One of the reasons we spend so much on food is that OH isn't very good about thinking in advance for tea and defrosting stuff when I'm working and I haven't been very good on menu planning recently - all of this will change next week!

May housekeeping - £75.73
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £20.29
Entertainment - £64.70
Clothes - £5
Household - £18.50
Spent with money paid back - £376.63

Arent cinemas expensive!

I must admit we like the pictures - both dds have CEA cards as they are disabled and they get a free carer in for both of them - which means if the 4 of us go we only pay for 1 adult and 1 child....but its still a dear night out! Went to see Clash of the Titans last night - paid extra to see it in 3d but was worth it as we all really enjoyed it.

It was £17.20, I bought my own juice/water and sweets which came to just under £7 totalling £24.20. If we had to pay full price it would have cost £36.90 and I wouldn't even guess how much sweets/drinks/popcorn would cost if bought at the cinema. We went at night too which we don't normally do but the film had been out a while and it was only 2 evening showings. For future films we will try and see them earlier as it saves £3.30 (if seeing them in 3d) and cut down on sweets and bring own water in bottles from the tap!

And as its Tuesday me and dd went for a meal (£14.50) and I bought 3 plants (£5) and a pair of crocs (£5) and got my hair cut (£25) - its really going to have to stop - picnics all round from now on! I am going to go back through my blog since Jan and see how much I spend on meals out (no doubt going to get quite a shock!)

May housekeeping - £48.73
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £26.29
Entertainment - £38.70
Clothes - £5
Household - £18.50
Spent with money paid back - £376.63

I turn my back......

Was feeling quite smug about my spending...turn my back for a minute (well, not blogged for a week!) and it goes to h*ll in a hand cart!!! Just shows how blogging (for me) is the way to go....

Monday - cant remember but think it was a no-spend-day
Tuesday - mum and daughter day - did some gardening and then had to go to hospital for dds checkup - ended up buying lunch (£11), popped into Matalan and got a new top for work, new knickers (definitely a need Im afraid - some of my undies arent fit for dusters!) and a small handbag for work (my last one collapsed under the strain) - total =£19 - then attacked Asda for jeans for oh (gone up from £3 to £4!) - will have to find the receipt for the stuff I got as some was for the kitchen from my savings budget
Wednesday - no spend - even brought in a pack lunch for work
Thursday - forgot my lunch! £2.60 for a baked pot
Friday - latte and lunch day.....£3.50
Saturday - help jings ma boab - another plant sale - £9 on plants and £2 on lunch
Sunday - had a lovely car ride round the county - lived here in East Lothian for over 20 years and even found roads I had never been on! cafe stop for me and oh - £10

And I have found a couple of receipts in oh's car when he just pops in for lunch and something at Asda! (£8.21 and £6.52)It really mounts up when your back is turned..(found my Asda recept - £18 clothes £4.50 household)

And we have decided to go to the pictures this evening to celebrate the bank holiday - Clash of the Titans in 3d - will add this total up tomorrow...

So the moral of the tale is - - -KEEP BLOGGING! Its funny how you think before spending if you know you have to write it down for all the world to see!

May housekeeping - £48.73
Extra Holiday fund - £50
My allowance I have left - £51.29
Entertainment - £tbc
Clothes - £37
Household - £13.50
Spent with money paid back - £376.63