Uber Frugal January

[HappierAtHome]

You know, when you're succeeding at an UFM, it's not that exciting of a write-up most days.

So, so true.

Today I'm doing all my normal stuff (taking public transport, not buying lunch / snacks, not spending any money) and it's not much to write about!

[MonkeyJenga]

The conclusion of my saga:

I am indeed contagious and cannot go to work for 2-3 days. On the bright side, I can put off laundry for another 2-3 days. Who needs clean underwear when you can't leave the house? Downside, no making out I spent $10 on canned soup, tissues, and discounted pity-candy.

[katscratch]

My InstantPot was going all day, lol. First cooked one of the whole chickens we bought last month, saved the drippings to later cook rice.

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2012/10/copy-cat-stouffers-grandmas-chicken.html?m=1

Making bone broth in my Instant Pot is worth the purchase all by itself!  And I'm definitely making that recipe-- thanks for sharing!!!

[katscratch]

no making out so well-deserved pity-candy dammit.

Bummer!  Yeah no underwear necessary for sleeping and snotting about the house. 

---I just started reading your journal and I'm cracking up, your writing style is pretty fantastic!  I came back here to tell you before I've gotten through the first post haha.

[MonkeyJenga]

no making out so well-deserved pity-candy dammit.

Bummer!  Yeah no underwear necessary for sleeping and snotting about the house. 

---I just started reading your journal and I'm cracking up, your writing style is pretty fantastic!  I came back here to tell you before I've gotten through the first post haha.

Thanks girl!

Thanks allsummerlong, hope you feel better soon!

[Mezzie]

Today I'll be running a bunch of errands, but my only purchases should be a pack of international stamps and some tissues for my classroom.

[HappierAtHome]

Didn't buy any snacks at work today (a weakness for me).

Didn't feel like anything from the freezer, but I made homemade pizza on flatbread and it scratched the itch just fine.

Organising a games night with cousins-in-law and I've proposed a home cooked dinner rather than planning to get takeaway.

Went through our 2016 spending with Mr H for motivation.

[tortoiseshell]

Day two went just as well as predicted: not leaving the house will do wonders! Today is my first day back to work, which feels like the first test to this challenge, but I have a good lunch packed, so I don't think I'll be tempted to buy any impulse snacks today.

[jesse_runs_far]

Back at work today - I WILL NOT BUY COFFEE!!

[Juslookin]

Back to work.  I am lucky and get to work from home most days.  When I have to see actual people for work I travel so that's on an expense account.  Pretty good gig (don't tell my boss).  So today it's back to the salt mines.  I have decided to curb hair products and makeup for as much of the month as possible.  If we're going Uber Frugal I'm going all in.  I have one or two days that I have to see actual people, other than that it is au natural this month.  Good thing DH likes it like that. :)

No spending here.  I'm proud to say I was able to get the fire started this morning without a fire starter.  We supplement our heat with wood, saves us a pretty good chunk of $$ on propane in the winter.  We usually keep the fire going all the time, but when it goes out completely its tough to get it going without a firestarter (store bought).  So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved. 

[UKMustache]

Day 3 is going well. 
I went to the bank and deposited £9 in small coins that had accumulated around the house in 2016 (mostly change from public transport fares).

We still haven't spent anything outside our fixed costs :)

[LG in NYC]

Struggled a little on day 2 (younger cousin came to visit) and I wanted to be the grown-up badass adult and pay for our meal out. Ah well, it was only $20 and I'm recommitting myself to not eating out the rest of the month!

[MonkeyJenga]

So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved.

You may have even started a fire.... in my pants.

[Juslookin]

So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved.

You may have even started a fire.... in my pants.

Lol

[I'm a red panda]

January 3-

Today I spent $25 to pay a copay for a prenatal appt last month. 
I also will need to go to the grocery store and find something small, that is already on the grocery list, to run on my debit card. (The bank requires 12 debits a month to keep the account active with 2% interest, otherwise it drops to .01%!) I'm thinking I will probably buy a bell pepper... luckily, grocery store is right next to work, so not really an extra trip.

[Anatidae V]

Our spending is still at $0. Today we have to buy groceries to host my family and feed is for the week. Since our fridge, freezer and pantry are now clean, planning should be a breeze! We can even see how many snacks we have at a glance, so no need to buy any treats.

Hosting my family turned into us being treated to pizza and swimming in the pool, so we cut back our groceries. DH is back at work tomorrow, we have our plan at the ready (salad, plus a tin of tuna or beans from our "novelty" stash). We BOTH wanted to buy more than we need, but I kept the list to just the meal plan, and DH kept the shopping to just what was on the list. I smile every time I open the pantry, and I want to keep it that way.

[MrsDinero]

So far so good.

On Jan 1, I spent $11.98 on 2 Pyrex dishes to give us a couple extra for freezing.   It was a planned purchase and I have already used them.

This week hubby wants to go out to dinner and have the nanny stay a little later, so that is an unexpected expense, but we did say we were going to do this once a month.  Other than the very occasional pizza, this is the only eating out expense we would have.

[musing out loud] I'm trying to figure out a way to save on fitness expenses.  Right now I'm working with a personal trainer, going to group fitness and taking 1 yoga class a week.  This adds up to a lot!  I know most people will say "lose the trainer" but I'm not ready to right now.  I want to put on muscle and need someone to push me, because I'm not at the point I can do it myself.  Already I have seen changes in my body and it has only been a month.  I can drop the group fitness class, but the yoga classes are already paid for (I buy in packs of 15).  I'll probably keep with the 1 hour sessions for the next month and then drop to 1/2 hour sessions.  This would save me $25/week.

[UKMustache]

So far so good.

On Jan 1, I spent $11.98 on 2 Pyrex dishes to give us a couple extra for freezing.   It was a planned purchase and I have already used them.

This week hubby wants to go out to dinner and have the nanny stay a little later, so that is an unexpected expense, but we did say we were going to do this once a month.  Other than the very occasional pizza, this is the only eating out expense we would have.

[musing out loud] I'm trying to figure out a way to save on fitness expenses.  Right now I'm working with a personal trainer, going to group fitness and taking 1 yoga class a week.  This adds up to a lot!  I know most people will say "lose the trainer" but I'm not ready to right now.  I want to put on muscle and need someone to push me, because I'm not at the point I can do it myself.  Already I have seen changes in my body and it has only been a month.  I can drop the group fitness class, but the yoga classes are already paid for (I buy in packs of 15).  I'll probably keep with the 1 hour sessions for the next month and then drop to 1/2 hour sessions.  This would save me $25/week.

There's an app called 'shortcut to size' which I've used before (and I'm about to start again because I've got an injury which is stopping me running).  I think it's an incredibly good program and it's free :)

[I'm a red panda]

I've been reading frugalwoods blog back entries and I am really jealous of how Ms. Frugalwoods has managed to get so much free baby stuff.  Everything in our buy nothing group is little stuff like half used shampoo bottles or old ironing boards.
Any ISO post about a baby item is met with "I'm selling XYZ".  There are semi-good deals to be had on buying used baby stuff in the sales groups, but nothing in this town goes for free.  Even old spit up covered clothes get sold, not given.

[starbuck]

No spending here.  I'm proud to say I was able to get the fire started this morning without a fire starter.  We supplement our heat with wood, saves us a pretty good chunk of $$ on propane in the winter.  We usually keep the fire going all the time, but when it goes out completely its tough to get it going without a firestarter (store bought).  So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved.

I make firestarters that we use for campfires and our outdoor fire pit. Cardboard egg cartons + melted down candle remains + dryer lint + wood shavings/small cardboard pieces. They aren't pretty but they're free to make and get the job done.

[nessness]

Only spending so far this month has been $40 on a wedding gift for a cousin. I had intended to get her something (we were invited but weren't able to go), but forgotten to include it in my planned spending. Oops.

Spent two hours at the library with my 2-year-old yesterday. We went to toddler story time then she played with their train table, play kitchen, puzzles, etc. for a long time. I don't know why more parents don't take advantage of libraries - so much free entertainment!

I've been wanting to get the 2-year-old some play doh but I think I'll try my hand at making it instead. I need to get two ingredients so it may not save much in the short term but it should in the long term.

Should be a cheap week for groceries as we have lots of stuff in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Overall, so far so good!

[Bracken_Joy]

For anyone who ends up needing a wedding or baby shower gift, the way I make that a little cheaper is using cardpool (I'm not affiliated, just a fan). You can get some % off the cards (usually 5-10%), and then if it goes on a rewards card you can get another 1% back. As long as you have a couple days lead time and do an electronic gift card, this works well for all the common registry places, like Target, Macy's, baby's r' us, etc.

[Mezzie]

I'm saving $30-$40 by not getting a bus pass this month. It's only worth it if I use the bus 10 times in a month, and this month due to a week off work and several after-work appointments I'll need to drive to, I may take the bus 6 times, and possibly not even that since it's hard to motivate myself away from my comfy car heater on a cold morning.

[I'm a red panda]

No spending here.  I'm proud to say I was able to get the fire started this morning without a fire starter.  We supplement our heat with wood, saves us a pretty good chunk of $$ on propane in the winter.  We usually keep the fire going all the time, but when it goes out completely its tough to get it going without a firestarter (store bought).  So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved.

I make firestarters that we use for campfires and our outdoor fire pit. Cardboard egg cartons + melted down candle remains + dryer lint + wood shavings/small cardboard pieces. They aren't pretty but they're free to make and get the job done.

When we don't have wax candles left, I've found that wrapping the lint in tightly wound waxed paper works okay too.  But the egg cartoon + lint + wax is my gold standard fire starter.

[Bracken_Joy]

Today will be my first real challenge: a Costco trip! And one right before DH starts the term, no less. I tend to buy him a lot of snacks for stuff like this, but we still have plenty, so I will hold off. I will also completely ignore their clothing section.

Also taking the dog to get her nails clipped. This is planned spending, and sadly not something I can do on my own. Her nails are "technical" to say the least. So it is money I gladly spend. There's one cheaper place in town, but they quick her all the time, so I'll spend the $2 extra for the nice place.

[gaja]

Jan 1: 0
Jan 2: $9 (coffee beans), $36 (postage for delayed Christmas presents)
Jan 3: 0

[Dicey]

Have spent parts of the last three days shopping for our next rental property but nothing blew our skirts up, "saving", but not counting, $320k-ish??
Drove around the Salton Sea as long as we're here, and packed snacks. Had planned a Happy Hour visit with a neighbor, so stopped at Winco for cheese and crackers ($7). Also bought supplies for dinner, breakfast and food for the 8-hr. drive home ($25), so no need to stop for eats on the road. Saves time and money.

[OmahaSteph]

I spent $ today, but it was semi-planned. I'm almost out of supplements and need them for health purposes.

Also noticed that Mint's predictions of how much money I'll have left over at the end of the month (minus budgeted items) is much less than the hand-figuring I did for this pay period. I need to figure out why...

[swick]

I enjoyed frugalwoods email today about the 72-hour pause before buying, while we don't do that, we have over the years come up with a litmus test we measure against (when we remember, this is the problem!)

When we remember, it's rare we can justify an extra purchase. Hubs wants to try the 72-hour pause, with the exception that we write down everything manually. His reasoning being if you put it in your online cart, part of your brain has committed to purchasing so you are more likely to think of ways to justify it.

Here is our list:
 - What problem are we trying to solve by buying this?
 - Do I have a genuine NEED for it?
 - Do I have something else that can do the job?
 - Can I borrow, barter, or trade for it?
 - Is this item/experience/thing better than being FI sooner?
 - Will this add to my quality of life long-term?
 - Is this an impulse buy?
 - Is this item/experience/thing in line with my values?
 - Am I bored or unfulfilled right now?
 - Is purchasing this item worth Hubs having to work @ {job he doesn't like}?

[UKMustache]

Day 3 didn't end as well as it started.

I went for a jog this afternoon to see how my calf injury was healing (I've not run for 3 weeks) but by half a km in I was in absolute agony.

I limped home and booked myself into the physio as the pain how now moved into my achilles.  I managed to get a groupon deal at a nearby clinic for a neurological scan(?), x-ray and 2 sessions of treatment for £20 (reduced from £100 to £27, then 25% off for being new to groupon) but even so, I'm a little disappointed I've had an unexpected spend so early in the frugal month.

[Juslookin]

No spending here.  I'm proud to say I was able to get the fire started this morning without a fire starter.  We supplement our heat with wood, saves us a pretty good chunk of $$ on propane in the winter.  We usually keep the fire going all the time, but when it goes out completely its tough to get it going without a firestarter (store bought).  So today I fiddled with the fire, added some scrap paper, talked dirty to it and finally got it going.  Woo Hoo.....no firestarter needed.   $$ saved.

I make firestarters that we use for campfires and our outdoor fire pit. Cardboard egg cartons + melted down candle remains + dryer lint + wood shavings/small cardboard pieces. They aren't pretty but they're free to make and get the job done.

I've seenthis before, but I have been concerned about the wax.  Does it burn off entirely or are you left with a waxy residue in the fireplace?  We use a fireplace insert, so I have to replace fire bricks from time to time and I'm just worried about what damage the wax could do.  If it causes no damage I'd be up to trying it.  At $20.00 for a box of something to burn its downright painful to shell out money for those things. Thanks!

[I'm a red panda]

I've seem this before, but I have been concerned about the wax.  Does it burn off entirely or are you left with a waxy residue in the fireplace?  We use a fireplace insert, so I have to replace fire bricks from time to time and I'm just worried about that the wax could do.  Thanks!

I have to admit, I've never looked. Sorry.

I enjoyed frugalwoods email today about the 72-hour pause before buying, while we don't do that, we have over the years come up with a litmus test we measure against (when we remember, this is the problem!)

When we remember, it's rare we can justify an extra purchase. Hubs wants to try the 72-hour pause, with the exception that we write down everything manually. His reasoning being if you put it in your online cart, part of your brain has committed to purchasing so you are more likely to think of ways to justify it.

One nice thing about putting it in an online cart, is a lot of times places will email you with a coupon for the item you 'left behind'.  But your reasoning is sound too.

[katscratch]

iowajes, a friend of mine had the same thoughts last year - she was having a hard time finding clothes especially. 

Talking about it one day, we realized she'd only been looking for free clothes but hadn't put the word out herself as a potential recipient.  In our area we have a bunch of Facebook buy/sell groups, as well as NextDoor, and once she'd posted on those she got TONS of stuff.  NextDoor especially is awesome for this-- it's just local neighborhoods and people that haven't given two thoughts to the bags of clothes in their basement will gladly give them up to someone who asks. 

Right now at my workplace there are a bunch of women in various baby stages so I don't think anyone's paid for clothing in the past two years -- when I had my kiddo, however, I didn't know a single person with a baby or young toddler so this strategy was a total bust for us and I became friendly with thrift stores and a very minimal baby wardrobe ;) 

[Bracken_Joy]

Costco was a success! Only $75 for the trip- we rarely get under $100 normally.

[andy85]

I just saw this thread, definitely in! I need a low month after many months of quite the opposite. Goal is $1750.

[katscratch]

Costco was a success! Only $75 for the trip- we rarely get under $100 normally.

Wow, that's great!  That's one store I haven't quite mastered yet after 7 or 8 visits in the last year. 

[Bracken_Joy]

Costco was a success! Only $75 for the trip- we rarely get under $100 normally.

Wow, that's great!  That's one store I haven't quite mastered yet after 7 or 8 visits in the last year.

I had to price book it for sure. I've found dairy, canned tomatoes/beans, rice, TP, and paper towels to be worth it. And some of the meat. Most produce (except onions and garlic), and virtually all processed items are NOT worth it. I go in with a list and a plan, I go in the second they open (actually, 5-10min early, haha), and I just speed run it. At this point I go every 2-4 weeks and it takes me less than 15 minutes to do my whole run.

My husband can't handle it though. I always go alone. Definitely not a "fun" shopping experience!

[I'm a red panda]

iowajes, a friend of mine had the same thoughts last year - she was having a hard time finding clothes especially. 

Talking about it one day, we realized she'd only been looking for free clothes but hadn't put the word out herself as a potential recipient.  In our area we have a bunch of Facebook buy/sell groups, as well as NextDoor, and once she'd posted on those she got TONS of stuff.  NextDoor especially is awesome for this-- it's just local neighborhoods and people that haven't given two thoughts to the bags of clothes in their basement will gladly give them up to someone who asks. 

Oh no, this was a result of seeking.  I posted over the past few days 5 different "ISO" to my "buy nothing group". Every single one was met with "I have that for sale" and a price.  Maybe when I start looking for toddler things it will be easier- it seems like baby spoons or toys pop up quite a bit.  Ms. Frugalwoods posted about getting a thousand dollar stroller for free! I'm looking for stuff in the $20-30 range!

Maternity clothing came out of the woodwork for me; though most didn't fit. I was able to alter all the pants, but I sucked it up and found petite tops. My shoulders are just too narrow.

[katscratch]

That's a bummer :(   Well if you find yourself in Minnesota, I can hook you up!

I think the Frugalwoods made such a smart choice buying their Boston house in the neighborhood they did - not just for rent now, but it's *prime* for people moving often and giving super spendy items away for free or pennies! That stroller was a total find! I've known a few people over the years that have lived in that area for school and found all their high end furniture and even laptops just sitting curbside, such craziness.

[Fresh Bread]

Hmm, our building and contents renewal arrived and it's $1,170, up from $980. DH will call to increase excesses but I think we'll need to shop around. What a pain.

[Bracken_Joy]

Hmm, our building and contents renewal arrived and it's $1,170, up from $980. DH will call to increase excesses but I think we'll need to shop around. What a pain.

I hate to be so very American about this, but could someone translate this for me? Is this like a condo assessment, or is this more like a rent increase? Or home owners insurance?

Thanks!

[marielle]

Joining! Let's see if I can get the expenses under $1000, which would be very impressive as rent is $515. With adding bare essentials (gas + food) it will be close. But I do have a well stocked pantry.

So far only the only money spent is rent, water bill, and $37 grocery bill.

Hopefully no car repairs this month.

[UKMustache]

Hmm, our building and contents renewal arrived and it's $1,170, up from $980. DH will call to increase excesses but I think we'll need to shop around. What a pain.

I hate to be so very American about this, but could someone translate this for me? Is this like a condo assessment, or is this more like a rent increase? Or home owners insurance?

Thanks!

It does what it says on the tin.  It's insurance to rebuild if the building collapses (fire, flood, etc) and replace contents (theft, fire, water damage etc).

[Bracken_Joy]

Hmm, our building and contents renewal arrived and it's $1,170, up from $980. DH will call to increase excesses but I think we'll need to shop around. What a pain.

I hate to be so very American about this, but could someone translate this for me? Is this like a condo assessment, or is this more like a rent increase? Or home owners insurance?

Thanks!

It does what it says on the tin.  It's insurance to rebuild if the building collapses (fire, flood, etc) and replace contents (theft, fire, water damage etc).

Ah, thank you! Yeah, so like renters or home owner's insurance here. That's quite a 1 year increase then!

[westtoeast]

Well, my first few days went pretty well. I ended up needing to take an Uber home from the airport, which is a facepunch, but covered the expense with some gifted holiday money so I'm considering it my one treat for the month. I also pulled off a $30 grocery shop for the week and have bulk cooked a few soups to freeze.

But then we got our December gas bill (heat, stove)! It is $220 (November was only $80). I'm totally bummed... we have well sealed windows, live in a small single floor middle unit apartment, and keep the heat between 58 and 68 depending on the time of day. When we called, the gas company said that the previous tenants had a similar bill for December. Now, I live in a cold and expensive city, but all my previous houses and apartments here have been less well insulated but with a lower bill (for example, a huge creaky old 5 bedroom house was heated for about $160). The saddest part is that it has felt totally cold in the house for the past month.

We are considering drastically lowering our heat and using space heaters for the rooms we are in at that moment. On the bright side, at least by doing an uber frugal month will help offset these costs.

[snacky]

Today is our psuedochristmas event, which means presents and pizza out and Star Wars. I have gift cards so the evening out will cost less than $15 for 3 people to eat and see a movie, so that's awesome. It will be our one outing for the month.

Today was also 10% off day at the local grocery store, so I got the month's worth of meat from the clearance bin, 30% off plus the 10 off... $25 for enough chicken, sausage and bison to last for the rest of January.

Also I have made three huge containers of favourite food so the kids can help themselves when they get hungry - they have the week off school so they will be grazing much more than usual. It's probably not cheaper than letting them live on peanut butter, but it's a win, nutrition-wise.

[katscratch]

I posted over the past few days 5 different "ISO" to my "buy nothing group". Every single one was met with "I have that for sale" and a price. 

For the record, I think it's kinda douchey for those people to respond to a Buy Nothing group post with a sale price.  Seems to defeat the purpose!  That's been bugging me since I read it, ha.

Westtoeast, my house has had a similar pattern in the past for no apparent reason, so now I'm on a budget plan that averages my usage- both my gas company and electric company offer this program.  It was maddening trying to figure out where the spike in usage was coming from.

[Bracken_Joy]

Continuing my destruction of leftovers- we used some sausage that has been thawed too long to make sausage sandwiches for lunch, which also used up our bread that's been hanging around (we don't normally eat much bread). Had this along with artichokes that we dipped in mayo- ended up with two mayo containers from having visitors, so we're trying to clear one out (different brands, so we don't want to mix them).

Worked out at home- did a yoga video today.

Trouble shooting: with all the extra Christmas decor my mom ah, helpfully added, we can't store it all in the rubermaids we had it in previously. Suggestions on how to store the extra? It should just be one bin's worth, but I don't want to store in cardboard since it'll be in the (not climate/humidity controlled) attic.

I posted over the past few days 5 different "ISO" to my "buy nothing group". Every single one was met with "I have that for sale" and a price. 

For the record, I think it's kinda douchey for those people to respond to a Buy Nothing group post with a sale price.  Seems to defeat the purpose!  That's been bugging me since I read it, ha.

Yeah, I try not to go all #admin about it, but that's a clear violation of the BNP rules, and should be removed by the admin (and reported to them, in case they didn't see it!) Sad that it's being abused in your area =(

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I also took Lyft home from the airport. I was transporting giant luggage with all the kids' toys, plus the kids. Not a good time to try taking the train. I did download some Lyft coupons, so that's better than, well, not downloading coupons.

BUT I made dinner when we walked in the door at 7:30 PM. Pesto and shredded chicken in the freezer, box of pasta in the pantry. Dinner is served! Bonus: It made leftovers for my lunch today at work--I won't have time to go to the store until tomorrow. (AND I found a scone I had forgotten about when I looked in the freezer. Score!)

[Kwill]

But then we got our December gas bill (heat, stove)! It is $220 (November was only $80). I'm totally bummed... we have well sealed windows, live in a small single floor middle unit apartment, and keep the heat between 58 and 68 depending on the time of day. When we called, the gas company said that the previous tenants had a similar bill for December. Now, I live in a cold and expensive city, but all my previous houses and apartments here have been less well insulated but with a lower bill (for example, a huge creaky old 5 bedroom house was heated for about $160). The saddest part is that it has felt totally cold in the house for the past month.

We are considering drastically lowering our heat and using space heaters for the rooms we are in at that moment. On the bright side, at least by doing an uber frugal month will help offset these costs.

Have you checked the meter against the numbers quoted on the bill? One time in a new apartment, I kept trying to save money by barely running the AC in a miserably hot summer, but my electricity bill was really high. When I finally checked with the company, it turned out that my low usage had been flagged as a mistake and substituted with the numbers from the same month of the previous year or something like that. They issued a big credit, so I didn't pay for electricity again for several months.