Jem's attempt at a Frugal February

[jemberelli]

Reading the posts in this topic has really got me thinking! This is going to be an expensive year as we are getting married in October (small wedding, more expensive honeymoon!) and I am also hoping to get some more chooks in the spring which will involve buying a bigger house for them. I also have a bunch of debt which I am paying off very slowly. Frugal Feb has motivated me to look at what I am paying out and where I can cut down.

My pledges are:

1 Stop paying to park at work so often and walk from the free spaces a bit further away - good for the purse and also for Operation Wedding Dress Body!

2 Stop buying lunches on work days & make more soup etc (made a big batch last night)

3 Turn my computer off overnight instead of leaving it sitting there (have also just bought 2 x plugs that cut out when phone is fully charged)

4 Use the heating less

5 Plan meals more & shop according to a list - have done this in the past & it works really well but I got lazy & slipped out of the habit.

Will add more as I think of them!

[Lillia]

Shopping with a list is a MUST!

[perchy]

Well done, it is brilliant to see so many involved again this year

Congratulations

[jemberelli]

Well, Frugal Feb didn't get off to a good start as we went out for a curry last night. On the plus side, I have not paid at all this week to park the car for work and have taken soup for my lunch every day. I reckon it works out about even so quite happy with that.

I also have to buy my other half a pair of slipper on the way home. Although that means a bit more expense, it will stop him from turning the heating up just cos his feet are cold so will be worth the money I think.

Will be writing a food shopping list this weekend and hunting out some bargains. The power saving plugs have arrived and my computer is now getting turned off overnight and I am not turning it on before work on a morning so small changes are being made - it all adds up!

[Mo]

Indeed it all adds up.
And the slippers will prove their value even when Feb has ended, and so might the walking habit.

[bosephus]

I have never heard of plugs that cut out when your phone is charged. That is a really good idea! Where did you get them from? I wonder if they work for laptops as well, that would save energy and battery life!

[jemberelli]

I got them from the USwitch website - loads of energy saving plugs & socket thingies on there ...

[jemberelli]

Well, I have to confess that Frugal February seems at first glance to have been a bit of a failure for me. However, when I think about it, I have probably not done too badly!

I have very rarely paid to park at work - only now & then when my back has been particularly bad & walking is a bind.

I have been making lunches all month with only a couple of slip-ups!

The power saving plugs are in action and the heating has been used less.

3 money saving pots at work have taken up some of my spare cash but it makes sense to pay into them - one is a Christmas savings post, one is a work's Xmas party pot and the third is my hen do pot so at least I won't have to pay it all out in one go later in the year!

Well done to everyone who had a great Frugal Feb - here's hoping we all save more & more throughout the year. Thanks as well for all the great tips that you all share - DTL is amazing! x