Author Topic: Uber Frugal January  (Read 69766 times)

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #50 on: January 01, 2018, 12:51:46 AM »
Signed up. Last year was really great for me.

Main goals this January:
  • No alcohol spend for home (undecided on social outings but would be a max of one drink)
  • Minimize grocery spending by sticking to only the true necessities and eating down the freezer/pantry.
  • No non-necessities, period. Even if all my underwear disappears. It is possible to live without.
  • Public transit or cycling. It's -15F or so but my car is dead and I work all the days my shop is open. I'm using this as an excuse to use my free transit pass instead of freezing in my car during my commute. I get resentful of this pretty quickly so we'll see if I make it through the whole month.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #51 on: January 01, 2018, 08:49:16 AM »
I am in!

Goals:
 - Cut grocery spending by $50
 - No clothes shopping
 - No restaurant spending
 - Figure out how to lower my internet/phone/cable bill
 - Bring in an extra $100 by selling stuff or another side hustle

frooglepoodle

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #52 on: January 01, 2018, 09:09:07 AM »
Goals for UFM participation:

  • $450 grocery budget ($400 stretch goal).
  • DH and I are each cutting our "fun money" in half for the month ($40/each/mo instead of $80).
  • No restaurant spending, hobby, or clothing spending.

We've made the conscious choice to keep our fitness memberships and some paid activities for our 2 year old. We live in a semi-rural area and options for free, indoor activities are almost nonexistent.

hal

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #53 on: January 01, 2018, 09:11:46 AM »
I'm in! December and November were a little ridiculous as we finally bit the bullet and bought furniture. Before, we had hand-me-downs. But it definitely affected the budget.

My specific goals for January are...
  • <300 for all food (groceries, coffee beans, and date nights
  • Eat meat only two times or fewer per week
  • Trim the fat with online subscriptions (domain names, music service, etc.) that just need to go.
  • Read everyday from books I already own or library books. I have a spendy book habit.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #54 on: January 01, 2018, 09:22:43 AM »
Ooofdah. Yep, paycheck came in from last month... $1800 less than "usual." (Not that we really have a usual, but less than... average, I guess). It's possible going WAY over will be essentially beyond my control (medical spending upcoming- MRI). But I am going to be as brutal with everything else as possible, to try and lessen the impact.

Things I can do:
-If I'm offered a shift, so long as it's a client I am comfortable working with, I will take the shift. (Although I put 80% to my 401k, so this'll be little "visible inflow" but that's fine
-As I put away Christmas things and bring things out, if I find stuff to sell, try to sell them
-Grocery shop alone and meal plan, don't rely on husband cooking so much since he cooks more expensive meals
-NO ALCOHOL SPENDING. For real [self], you can do this. You've done it before.

littlelykke

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #55 on: January 01, 2018, 09:26:04 AM »
I'm in!

we should be eating our pantry anyway. So:
- No new clothes or shoes, we both have enough
- No funshopping (books, magazines, etc. my soft spot...)
- Groceries under 250 this month


suzziesnow

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #56 on: January 01, 2018, 09:31:58 AM »
I'm in!
This month there will be NO online shopping for crap (no matter how good the deal is, if we don't need it I don't buy it)
Grocery bill will be cut by $50 a week.
Have an energy audit on our house.
Combine trips for errands
NO new craft materials-finish what I started!!
Get outside everyday ( I need new boots both casual and snowshoeing boots are shot so I am going to buy one pair to fill in for both)
Start my side hustle!

Wanttobehome

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #57 on: January 01, 2018, 09:44:36 AM »
No spending other than groceries and petrol.
No buying lunch at work
No eating out / takeaway
No unnecessary driving
Nothing........
Enjoy and use what I already have

gaja

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #58 on: January 01, 2018, 09:59:57 AM »
DD11 has confiscated all debit and credit cards, and presented her cash based budget for the month. The parents got $20 each for spending money, she and her sister got $25 each, and there is $100 for food (in addition to two scheduled grocery trips). After a bit of discussion, her father got $50 for a doctors visit, and little sister got $10 to buy pencils (late birthday gift). She hasn’t allocated all the money yet, so we’ll do a revised budget next Sunday.

DD’s dinner plan said noodles today. The chicken was off, so we had to heat some bolognese sauce instead. Still; no food bought today.

The weather was horrible today, so instead of playing outside like they normally do, the kids spent $10 on going bowling.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #59 on: January 01, 2018, 10:04:18 AM »
Gaja- I *adore* what you're doing with your kids to teach them about money. So, so cool. I'll keep that in mind for my own (hopefully) kids one day =)

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #60 on: January 01, 2018, 10:35:31 AM »
I too love that you're letting DD11 take the reins! It's such a different dynamic than just participating with you.

I don't feel like leaving my house again today in this cold. No spending is easy with a windchill.

I should inventory what's left in the chest freezer and start making a plan to empty it over the next month or two.

horsepoor

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #61 on: January 01, 2018, 10:50:36 AM »
Following.

I'm hoping to keep January pretty frugal to help cash flow my horse's latest vet bills.

Not yet sure about groceries, because we've been eating more carbs (so cheap!) to cut down on grocery bills, and we're both feeling rather pudgy and blah.  Need to inventory the extensive amount of food in the house and come up with a waistline-friendly plan that doesn't blow up the grocery budget.

Related to vet bills, Miss High-Maintenance horsey needs to go on a pricey supplement before finishing her medication course in a couple weeks.  I'm holding off hoping that I get an email with a % off offer to at least reduce the first month's cost.  Will take a harder look at her entire nutrition plan and try to make it as cost-effective as possible.

If I have to travel for work, I'll minimize spending to pocket as much per diem as possible.  When per diem drops into my account, it gets shunted directly towards said vet bills.

We'll probably go out to dinner once this month before a show we have tickets for on the 19th.  Otherwise, no eating out except on work travel.

Next week I'm starting a detail into a higher-profile position for four months and a blazer or suit is expected for certain meetings and briefings with higher-ups.  I already tried and failed at finding a bargain at TJMaxx, Nordstrom Rack etc.  Next weekend I'll try some thrift and consignment stores.  I shouldn't really need it until at least the end of the month and can spend some time searching before buckling and paying anything close to retail.  I will not buy any other clothing pieces for this detail (or in general while shopping for the blazer).

ixtap

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #62 on: January 01, 2018, 11:04:39 AM »
Jan 1: Happy New Year! And happy anniversary to the Ixtaps. We went to a blow out party last night, but are back to our usual frugal selves today. Free sailing, eating at home. My no spend count will not include groceries, but I am tracking the total on that. Just found out I am expected to bring 100 servings of dessert to an event on Friday. No idea who came up with such a ridiculous number, and still looking into whether or not I can get reimbursed, but I hope to make do within my budget.

No spend 1/31

Grocery Spend: 69/300

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #63 on: January 01, 2018, 12:05:04 PM »
...Here's a struggle. Meeting with clients; don't have an office; my home is too far from CBD. Usually do coffee on the business account. Should I try to find a free place to meet or chalk it up to cost of doing business?

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #64 on: January 01, 2018, 12:15:19 PM »
...Here's a struggle. Meeting with clients; don't have an office; my home is too far from CBD. Usually do coffee on the business account. Should I try to find a free place to meet or chalk it up to cost of doing business?

Cost of business. I am more lax in my rules when it comes to building relationships.

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #65 on: January 01, 2018, 12:19:07 PM »
ummmmm so I am *not* a shopper. I don't get a thrill from strolling aisles or scrolling websites. Last year cured even my foofoo candle coveting when at stores. And yet I just found myself browsing vacuum sealers for jars and hair removal wax warmers for the last hour on Amazon! Whaaaaat hahahaha I am clearly losing my mind in this little cold snap we're having. But I want my lettuce to last two weeks so I don't have to be outside more than necessary hahaha! ...I have no idea how that turned into depilation. The magic of Amazon knowing their audience.

Bee21

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #66 on: January 01, 2018, 02:20:24 PM »
The month does not start well. Husband just ordered 50$ worth of stuff for the boat from ebay and I bought a 4$ book from amazon.

And now, back to the studio😍.

Food looks good,  spent 98$ (usual weekly budget is 150-170) so I am pleased with it. I also ambushed my new boss while the big boss was away and he kindly approved my leave request to cover most of the school holidays, so I will need childcare only for 3 days. (170$x3). Kids are expensive.

Jenny Wren

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #67 on: January 01, 2018, 02:29:32 PM »
I've decided on a few measurable frugal challenges for the month:

1) Groceries under $400
2) At least 23 no spend days
3) No clothing or gift purchases
4) Entertainment spend under $150

I set a hard entertainment budget because we have a mini-trip (already booked and paid for) that is a combination move research/anniversary trip, plus one event with younger son that will require a food purchase.

Thus far:
Grocery 173.02/400
No spend 1/31
Clothing/gifts 0/0
Entertainment 0/150

HappierAtHome

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #68 on: January 01, 2018, 03:33:14 PM »
Off to a frugal start - husband is too tired to go bulk food shopping today :-P

(Really just delayed spending, but it struck me as funny).

1967mama

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #69 on: January 01, 2018, 03:48:11 PM »
2018 Day 1

Could be an epic fail :-/ Husband has taken kids and teens to the mall. On the upside, they all have Christmas money and gift cards burning holes in their pockets.  Hopefully, he is able to snag a good post-Christmas deal on new runners for the 10 year old.

Roasted a whole cauliflower for lunch that was languishing in the fridge and made a loaf of bread.

pancakes

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #70 on: January 01, 2018, 04:55:09 PM »
Not so frugal start - purchased a coffee grinder but I had gift cards and it was heavily discounted. This will also assist in my goal of not purchasing take out coffee.

I did discover that there is a bulk Greek/Mediterranean grocery shop around the corner that has really good prices on all kinds of groceries. Between there and Aldi, we should be able to keep our food spending under control.

clarkai

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #71 on: January 01, 2018, 09:38:18 PM »
We're in! I feel like we do pretty ok, but I want to do better. Things we're doing:

- no more cafes for reading/writing. Make coffee at home and go to the library instead
- Talk roommates into lowering the thermostat by 1-3 degrees (currently set to 70 while people are home, and 60 when people are gone/asleep).
- Encourage roommates to use lights more efficiently (turn them off when you leave a room!!!!)
- Only buy used clothes (my work wardrobe needs re-stocking)
- Consult each other over every purchase that isn't groceries.
- Do a better job of eating leftovers. Reduce food costs by 10%

eliza

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #72 on: January 01, 2018, 10:46:08 PM »
Day 1: Success

No spend day. 

My mom cooked brunch AND our family's traditional New Year's Day dinner of pork and sauerkraut.   Yum.  I love being home for the holidays --- will be sad to head back to DC (and work) tomorrow.

Spent a lazy day watching the Rose Parade, Winter Classic, and College Football Playoffs. 

Set up my financial spreadsheets for 2018 and develop a template that I hope to use to compile a price book, so that's a win.

Bee21

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #73 on: January 02, 2018, 03:49:01 AM »
Day 2- success. No spend day.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #74 on: January 02, 2018, 07:13:46 AM »
Well, my MRI has been approved by my insurance (thank goodness). Depending on how fast they get around to billing, this may or may not post this month. If it does, my cashflow for the month is wrecked, but hopefully how awful my accounts look will motivate us to constrict all other spending.

(I've found this is a very good psychological trick to play on ourselves, and was one factor in option to get our car last year on loan instead of paying cash- we used the cash to invest, and having the car payment on the budget makes the cashflow look a lot tighter. Likewise, with a low interest rate on our remaining student loans, keeping paying minimums has been good for this as well. It helps keep us feeling like the budget is tight. Given our explosive income growth the past couple years ($60k to $115k in 2 years), this has been a good tactic for us I think).

Still struggling to "get" YNAB, but at least I'm figuring the mechanics out, so hopefully I'll sort it out during the free trial well enough to know if I want to keep going. I want that pretty, pretty data analysis!

Husband helped the gym owners at his BJJ place spec for running wires for a new security system last night. Really hoping free work from an electric engineer gets us some free membership time or at least free gear!

Forgotten budget expense: it's my [main] patient's birthday, and I work with them on their birthday. So I need to buy a birthday present. Have an idea already though, so hopefully won't be too spendy (hoping for sub-$10). We'll see! Fairly picky child, so something from my "gift stash" won't work sadly.

dlcp

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #75 on: January 02, 2018, 07:37:24 AM »
I created an account just to join in. My main goal this January is to cut eating out to 0. Currently eating out is our biggest money waster, so it really is a challenge for us. I'm looking forward to seeing all the money that can be saved this month.

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #76 on: January 02, 2018, 09:37:23 AM »
Was already at work when I got asked to work a double so now I am on shift from 5:30AM -1PM and 3PM - 7:30PM. Please tell me not to go get coffee because I ran out of coffee before 7AM and it is very cold...need frugal support.

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #77 on: January 02, 2018, 10:19:40 AM »
Was already at work when I got asked to work a double so now I am on shift from 5:30AM -1PM and 3PM - 7:30PM. Please tell me not to go get coffee because I ran out of coffee before 7AM and it is very cold...need frugal support.

NO COFFEE! The day might suck a little, but you'll get through it.

I'll join you and not drink (free breakroom) coffee the rest of my shift!

AmandaPanda

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #78 on: January 02, 2018, 10:28:09 AM »
Day 1 was a no spend day. Day 2 is shaping up that way as well.  We have a fridge full of food, and the husband suggested that for every purchase/outing, we consult each other prior to determine if it's a reasonable amount/purchase.  This should pretty much tamp down any fun groceries I would ever be tempted to purchase.

horsepoor

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #79 on: January 02, 2018, 11:46:23 AM »
Day 1: didn’t spend anything

Day 2: spent $10.60 for some stuff for cabbage/lentil stew...now I have to figure out what to do with half a cabbage...hmm. Trekked a few kilometres in a snow storm for the groceries and to the library to take out some audiobooks and a DVD, canceled Netflix. Will spend a few thousand on insurance :(

Roasted cabbage is easy and an awesome side dish.  I cut it in 1/2" thick "steaks" add some fat, salt and pepper and roast until it has nice brown bits.  Or you can cut in wedges and wrap in tinfoil and it will get nice and soft/sweet.

I've found this is a very good psychological trick to play on ourselves, and was one factor in option to get our car last year on loan instead of paying cash- we used the cash to invest, and having the car payment on the budget makes the cashflow look a lot tighter.

I play tricks on myself like that too - if I push a lot of money out of my checking account, then I feel poor until payday, even though 95% of purchases are made on a credit card, so my checking account balance on any given day is irrelevant.

Yesterday - Spend $26 on groceries, most of which was bacon and kombucha.  I usually make kombucha, but quit for winter because it doesn't ferment properly in the cold.  I recently realized that it stays toasty warm under the sink in one of the bathrooms, so I'm going to start a batch and see how it does in there.

Today I called and canceled an online purchase I made that was backordered.

I'm headed out now to return a pair of boots that didn't fit, and a jacket that I thought might fit the bill for my needed blazer, but isn't quite right.  Not sure if I have to pay FedEx for return shipping on the boots, but if so, using my AmEx that has a $5 off of $10 FedEx offer.

Called and upgraded shipping on my horse's meds to avoid having to go buy extras from the vet.

Made a knockoff of Tessamae's lemon/garlic salad dressing.

In my culinary adventures this morning I totally scorched coconut milk in our small sauce pan.  It was so bad that I really wanted to just throw out the pan, but I scraped it out and am soaking it in vinegar, and it looks like it won't be ruined.

ixtap

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #80 on: January 02, 2018, 01:07:44 PM »
My husband is eating more than usual, making grocery shopping hard and budgeting even harder. We were very active over vacation, so hopefully he will go back to normal. I also had to pick up cold medicine, so we are already nearly half way through the January grocery budget. Having the price of eggs triple in the last month hasn't helped!

No spend: 2/31 (only because I forgot to buy an air filter for the car)

Groceries: 129/300 (includes cold meds)


frooglepoodle

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #81 on: January 02, 2018, 01:37:54 PM »
Day 1: didn’t spend anything

Day 2: spent $10.60 for some stuff for cabbage/lentil stew...now I have to figure out what to do with half a cabbage...hmm. Trekked a few kilometres in a snow storm for the groceries and to the library to take out some audiobooks and a DVD, canceled Netflix. Will spend a few thousand on insurance :(

Budget Bytes has two great recipes for beef and cabbage stir-fry, one Asian-inspired and one Southwestern/Tex-Mex inspired. They are big favorites in our house, and if you don't eat beef you can easily substitute another meat or meat substitute.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/08/beef-cabbage-stir-fry/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2017/02/southwest-beef-cabbage-stir-fry/

Today:
- Still housebound with sick toddler, so no spending!
- Husband adjusted his W-4 to reduce withholding to reflect that we're adding a second dependent to our household this year. This should increase his take-home pay so we can save more as he earns it, instead of making an interest-free loan to the government.
- Turned off cellular data for everything but maps on my phone. We use Ting, so if I can break my data habit, we can lower our phone bill.
- Meatless dinner tonight.

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #82 on: January 02, 2018, 01:52:12 PM »
Ugh, unexpectedly working a double at work has me thrown off, I ate my lunch at 10:30 and now am here til ~7:30 or 8 tonight.

Uber Frugal me would spend 50 minutes RT biking home to eat dinner at home, but that eats into most of my 2 hour break. 

Should I:

1) stick it out and go 10 hours without eating (I ate lunch at 10:30 because I start work at 5:30) and eat when I get home at 8PM
2) Suck it up and buy a damn $4.00 burrito even though it is uber frugal january
3) Bike 50 minutes RT home in freezing cold during a 2 hour break between shifts to eat already-made food at home.

If only I had known, I could've packed more snacks!

eliza

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #83 on: January 02, 2018, 02:09:16 PM »
Ugh, unexpectedly working a double at work has me thrown off, I ate my lunch at 10:30 and now am here til ~7:30 or 8 tonight.

Uber Frugal me would spend 50 minutes RT biking home to eat dinner at home, but that eats into most of my 2 hour break. 

Should I:

1) stick it out and go 10 hours without eating (I ate lunch at 10:30 because I start work at 5:30) and eat when I get home at 8PM
2) Suck it up and buy a damn $4.00 burrito even though it is uber frugal january
3) Bike 50 minutes RT home in freezing cold during a 2 hour break between shifts to eat already-made food at home.

If only I had known, I could've packed more snacks!

Tough call.  Maybe I'm not uber-frugal enough, but for me the point is to optimize.  If buying a $4.00 burrito allows you to work the extra shift and earn the extra money without exhausting yourself unnecessarily with a 50 minute bike ride or going hungry, then I say do it.

I wouldn't advocate spending $4 on lunch at work every day as a habit, but in this situation, it might be the optimal move.

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #84 on: January 02, 2018, 02:48:40 PM »
I wouldn't advocate spending $4 on lunch at work every day as a habit, but in this situation, it might be the optimal move.
I bought the burrito after negotiating for them to pay me for an extra half hour (double the cost of a burrito) due to the short notice they needed coverage. I admit I kinda wimped out because of the 50MPH freezing cold wind gusts (which biked me to work fast, but I will be fighting against on the way home.)

I'm getting more (much better paying, hourly-wise) work on my own business done without having to bike home so hopefully I make >$4.50 (including tip) I spent on a burrito in the next hour when I would've been biking...

Feeling like an Uber Frugal Failure on Day #2 though. :(

katscratch

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #85 on: January 02, 2018, 03:11:30 PM »
I don't think that's a failure at all! Food is necessary. Optimizing your time and health are just as, if not more important, than the dollar amount you spend today.

If I get called back to work tonight before my train/bus/bike gets me home, I have a stash of tuna and peanut butter in my locker but if I know I'll be working past midnight I often end up getting additional food in the cafeteria and saving my stash for the pre-ride home.

It's not like you just mindlessly spent that $4 on soda or Amazon. You made a carefully considered purchase that is necessary for your circumstances today, in my book.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #86 on: January 02, 2018, 04:26:33 PM »
Day 1:
-Made lunch for everyone before our flight home
-Packed the remaining produce, & checked it into our suit case
-However, flight was delayed & ended up spending $10 on airport food for the kiddos.
-Made frozen pizza when we got home, rather than eating out.
-Also, Uber surge pricing was a fortune. Need to rethink our strategy next time. On our departure flight, my husband dropped us off + all of the bags in the car, and then went home & took an Uber pool. This saved about $40, given we had 4 people & a ton of bags. We normally travel lighter, but had a bunch of holiday stuff.

Day 2:
-Returned two pair of pants that weren't needed on our trip.
-Stuck to the grocery budget
-Made homemade hummus vs buying it at Costco
-Made do with what was in the fridge before grocery shopping. Really wanted to get a soup & salad out. Resisted the siren call.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #87 on: January 02, 2018, 05:13:09 PM »
Mr Happier bought more cloth nappy shells yesterday (we only had three in the current size, which means sometimes we run out and have to use disposables while we wait for shells to dry - so I am happy with that purchase).

I'm doing a No Shopping Year, and so far haven't been tempted at all. This is great! I need to break my habit of mindless browsing of online shops.

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #88 on: January 02, 2018, 05:32:15 PM »
It’s only a failure if you fail to prepare for this possibly happening again. Can you keep backup soup or frozen food at work?
I keep a bag of powdered meal replacement (my normal breakfast) in my back pack at all times, it’s gross when just mixed with water, but it’s very filling and has helped me several times in a pinch.
Excellent ideas.

At this job we don't have hot water, a microwave, or personal storage at work. But I can probably bring a clif bar as backup food at least. I'm not sure this is a common occurrence, though (only been at this part-time job for a month, not sure how common covering doubles is.)

frooglepoodle

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #89 on: January 02, 2018, 06:12:44 PM »
Day 1: didn’t spend anything

Day 2: spent $10.60 for some stuff for cabbage/lentil stew...now I have to figure out what to do with half a cabbage...hmm. Trekked a few kilometres in a snow storm for the groceries and to the library to take out some audiobooks and a DVD, canceled Netflix. Will spend a few thousand on insurance :(

Budget Bytes has two great recipes for beef and cabbage stir-fry, one Asian-inspired and one Southwestern/Tex-Mex inspired. They are big favorites in our house, and if you don't eat beef you can easily substitute another meat or meat substitute.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/08/beef-cabbage-stir-fry/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2017/02/southwest-beef-cabbage-stir-fry/

Today:
- Still housebound with sick toddler, so no spending!
- Husband adjusted his W-4 to reduce withholding to reflect that we're adding a second dependent to our household this year. This should increase his take-home pay so we can save more as he earns it, instead of making an interest-free loan to the government.
- Turned off cellular data for everything but maps on my phone. We use Ting, so if I can break my data habit, we can lower our phone bill.
- Meatless dinner tonight.

Too frugal here to buy meat, lol, but I might be able to sub in kidney beans if the recipes look flavourful enough. Thank you!

Fair enough on the meat. :-) I think the Southwestern version would be delicious with kidney beans!

lexde

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #90 on: January 02, 2018, 06:46:51 PM »
January 1: no spend.
January 2: no spend.
Tomorrow I have to fill up my gas tank, but that appears to be the only spend I have to do this week. And I’ll make enough $$ in mileage to more than make up for my driving and oil change this month, too.

eliza

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #91 on: January 02, 2018, 07:07:48 PM »
Day 2: Meh

Spent $53.61 on dining out.  $48.61 on lunch for three - my parents REALLY wanted to go out to lunch together before I left for home.  And I insisted on picking up the tab, since I've been at their house eating their food, drinking their wine, and generally making a nuisance of myself for two weeks ---- and they haven't let me pay for anything.  Plus $5 tip for the bartender who served me several free beers while I waited for my flight at the airport.

With two more out of town trips this month there will be more restaurant spending, but I'm going to try to keep it to $150 for the month.

Frugal Wins:
~For my upcoming four night Atlantic City trip, I cancelled the only night that I was paying for and instead booked using Club Carlson points --- saving the $128 I had budgeted for that night.
~Took the metro home (with free transit pass provided by work) and walked the .75 miles home in the cold dragging my suitcase rather than taking an uber like I was tempted to.
~Hard-boiling some eggs for a snack tonight and breakfast tomorrow, plus pulled some frozen leftovers (fried rice) from the freezer for lunch tomorrow at work.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 07:10:14 PM by eliza »

hal

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #92 on: January 02, 2018, 07:33:40 PM »
2nd day of no-spending, other than an auto-draft from my phone bill. My SO will likely go grocery shopping tomorrow to combine with a trip to return to library, so it might be our first day of spending.

Jenny Wren

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #93 on: January 02, 2018, 08:11:53 PM »
The sun made a showing today. It's still in the teens, but sun! I took advantage of this to walk to the library and absorb vitamin D, while managing to stroll right past Starbucks without giving in to the allure of a toasty beverage.

Once home, I got hit by a craving for saag paneer, thanks to a friend's instagram post. Some googling revealed that paneer is ridiculously easy to make and only requires two ingredients -- milk and lemon juice. The recipe worked, and we will be enjoying delicious saag paneer tomorrow without the need to go out for it or to get overpriced paneer at the grocery store! Halloumi is the next cheese on my list to try making. Looks similar to making paneer, but it's then soaked in a salt brine.

Rest of the day spent at home working and puttering around. Classes start tomorrow, and homework assignments are already being emailed out by one of my over-achieving professors....

Grocery 173.02/400
No spend 2/31
Clothing/gifts 0/0
Entertainment 0/150

sjlp

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #94 on: January 02, 2018, 09:47:56 PM »
My Uber Frugal January resolution is... no Uber! I have averaged about $75/month in the past. Beyond the cost, I really think it contributes to laziness, and I don't need more of that.

Bee21

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #95 on: January 02, 2018, 11:05:11 PM »
Day 3- no spend day. Yay.

Took the kids to the library. Packed away the chrismas tree. Weeded the garden. Vacuumed my car.

The biggest frugal win is, the library didn't charge us for the book my daughter lost. I guess it is good to be a regular. The kids chose a few dvds, so we'll be watching them instead of going to the movies.

We are visiting friends tomorrow (= free entertainment) and I am planning to visit a small nature reserve and education centre with them on Friday. It is so hot and humid around here, I don't feel like walking long distances with them.

Next week is the older kid's birthday, so THAT is going to be spendy.

jesse_runs_far

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #96 on: January 03, 2018, 06:30:11 AM »
I'm in for the month as well! We were spendy pants in December and deserve face punches, but we're back on track this month!

My goals:
- purchase no coffee at work
- purchase no clothes
- put $500 in savings for property tax bill (in June)
- eat out of the pantry and freezer as much as possible

No coffee at work will be the hardest. We have a Tim Hortons in the building, and it's part of my 10am routine. But, we also have a Tassimo in the office, and I bought a large box of pods at Costco last year. I bought in cream this morning, so I'm all set!

Day 1 and 2 were no spend days, and day 3 is off to a good start (although it's only 8 am... but no spending planned!)

pachnik

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #97 on: January 03, 2018, 07:09:01 AM »
Jan 1 and Jan 2 were spent at home with a bad head cold.  Today I am venturing back to work.   I intend to spend nothing. 

wordnerd

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #98 on: January 03, 2018, 07:16:49 AM »
I joined the FrugalWoods challenge and am really enjoying her emails. Today's on waiting 72 hours for any discretionary purchase is a great idea. I've often found that when I let something linger in my Amazon cart, it seems absurd later (though, there is probably some selection bias here; the ones I leave lingering are also probably the ones I know are not really good purchases). I'm excited to try this more systematically.

Today, I made progress on one of my stubborn goals--no purchasing coffee at the work cafeteria. It's wasteful. And, even when I bring my own cup, it's $1.28, which adds up. I haven't liked the breakroom coffee club on my floor, since it changed leadership (apparently I have strong feelings on coffee club governance). Yesterday, my husband was like, "Why don't you just use the one on X floor? All you have to do is leave 25 cents per cup." Sold! Now, I get exercise by walking to a different floor and will save slightly more than a dollar day. Cha-ching.

monstermonster

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Re: Uber Frugal January
« Reply #99 on: January 03, 2018, 07:28:29 AM »
The waiting period thing was interesting to me, I've been doing that for ~15 years. I have a 15-year-old spreadsheet of "things I want to buy" ranked by price, how much I want them, how many different utility functions it has. I rarely wait less than a month for a discretionary purchase, except eating out which is usually planned a week or so in advance. I always put even goodwill purchases on hold overnight.

It's fun to look back at the spreadsheet at what I wanted when I was an 18 year old punk compared to now a 30 year old yuppie. Back then I wanted adbuster's logo-less shoes, bike stickers, touring panniers (which I bought then and still have now) and pretty planners.  Now I want pretty planners, bike bags, and professional grown-up shoes.

A new duvet cover has been on the spreadsheet for 7 years now, and I still can't make myself buy it because the price:cost ranking still isn't high enough!