Lent

Today is Pancake Day, I will not be indulging this evening, as I am off to College after work and will not return home until late.

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins, and historically the day when one uses up all your fats before a 40 day period of fasting ending at Easter.

This is not a religious blog, but I thought you may be interested in learning where the tradition of Pancake Day came from. It was our medieval ancestors using up the last of the eggs,sugar etc before fasting.

I think Lent is a really good idea whether you are cash strapped or cash rich. You will appreciate what you have.

So I am going to use the next 40 days to set some mini tasks for myself

1)Give up crisps for 40 days.
2)Save a few pennies every day into the Rainy Day Jar.
3)Reconcile W Towers Accounts.
4) Weed W Towers.
5) Remove Ivy from W Towers.

My decision to bake bread is also in full swing

These will not reduce my debt or increase my savings significantly, however it will simplify my life and point me in the right fiscal direction.

2 No Spend Days in a row, (today & yesterday) so my £5 for 5 days is still intact.

I am also currently completing my work expenses form which I forgot to do last month. So hopefully my cheque should be quite healthy in a couple of days. It will all go in the pot for month end when I will again tackle my personal debt.

Enjoy your pancakes.

Frugally Yours
Abigail
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Lunchtime Shopping Anyone?

I am happy again today.

I had another no spend Wednesday, hurray for me.. I think I might try and do this every week.

The problem, I think when you are trying to change is altering previous habits. For example lunchtime spending comes easily to me. I work long hours from 8.30am to 6pm and it takes about an hour to commute to and from work. So, since I began I have insisted that at lunchtime I always go out for between 10-45mins.

Partly to see the sun on the long winter evenings as I leave W Towers in the dark and arrive home in the dark, and partly because otherwise the "hour" I am supposed to have free in constantly interrupted by clients calling.

So my lunchtime meandering around the town centre gives me some down time to recharge my batteries.

Today there was nothing I needed e.g. coke, crisps etc so I ate at my desk and then walked round the block, not exciting no shops. It appears that I need to look at something to take my mind off work. I might try the art gallery tomorrow. I have worked in the same town centre on and off for 14 years and never been to the art gallery, dreadful isn't it?

Alternatives need to be found, what do you do in your lunchtime?

So, it is Wednesday and that means my Frugal Five:-

1. Find an alternative to spending during your lunchtime, perhaps visit an art gallery?? (well I had to didn't I?)
2. Remember to plan in the mornings for what you are going to eat when you ge home, perhaps it needs to be left out to defrost during the day.
3. Remember most people are on calling plans that mean free up to 1 hour calls in the evening. I always make sure to note what time I am calling a good friend and have many a time put the phone down and called back when approaching an hour so I do not have to pay.
4. Regualarly review store cupboard and fridge ingredients to ensure no food is thrown away as this is just throwing away money
5. Factor in treats to a budget, as this means you are less likely to break it. I.e. a take away once a month can be budgeted for

On a final note it looks like the bin door which blew off on Sunday will be repaired at the Housing Association's cost as it is considered a communal area which pleased me no end today. So savings will remain intact for the time being.

And very finally, I got my first comment today and wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU as it is so nice to know that others are reading this not just my family and friends. You really made my day.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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NSD, and Another Frugal Five

Today, I achieved an NSD. What is an NSD you might ask? Well it is a No Spend Day. Which means no money got handed over to anyone during the course of the day. That is a SUCCESS! Yay me!

So halfway through the week and I still have £3.80 in cash in my purse. Hope I can make it until Friday without getting more cash.

I am really trying to get more financially organised and as part of that, my new credit card arrived, so officially I have only one credit card and the overdraft costing me any money in interest.

Had a quiet evening last night, I was supposed to go to my evening class, but as I felt so ill as I am still nursing this cold. I decided to go home. Grabbed a bath, then turned off the heating (remember target of £250 for next quarters utilities) and started cooking. Bumped the eggs dish for the fish fingers, and ate it with boiled cabbage and some frozen home made cauliflower cheese, very tasty and just what i faniced as a bit of "soul food" when feeling under par.

I have started thinking about upcoming expenditure and gave myself a shock about April. It suddenly came to me in April I will need to pay the Utilities again, pay my car tax, buy a present for The Chap's milestone birthday and the service charge on W Towers will be going up. So I need to start planning now.

I also came to the conclusion yesterday after putting £30 of petrol in the car that the money left in my current account will not last until the beginning of February when I get paid next. I was being a little optimistic, I think, as at the beginning of Jan (if you remember) I put £300 away into savings to pay for the gas and electricity. When that bill arrived I actually did not go into savings to pay it. So if I do end up taking some cash say £50 or £100 from my savings to help me through the next 2 week, then I really think that it will still be a win for January, some money put aside in savings and over 8% off my debt.

ANOTHER FRUGAL FIVE FOR YOU

1. Did you know your freezer is most energy efficient when full, as it takes less energy to keep the drawers at the required temperature. Lesson: keep it full. When cooking make too much and freeze the rest into portion sizes. The same is true of your oven. When baking, fill up the spare space with baking trays and tins. More energy efficient, better for the environment and lowering your utilities bill.
2. Always look for alternatives, a case in point. I belong to a book club and need to read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. My local library did not have it, so I posted a Wanted on Freecycle, Within 12 hours I had received an email offering a 1970s copy of the book. From a lady half a mile from my home. All free. Great!
3. Mend it! Always, look at the option of mending an item, even in todays throw away society, big money can be saved. A man 10 miles from me mends Dysons for £35, and The Chap recently got his xbox mended for £25. But this month’s award goes to my sister. My nephew dropped her iphone about a week ago smashing the glass back. Apple wanted £200 to repair it. She googled her problem and found a “You Tube” clip on repairing her phone. She then had to buy the special screwdriver and a new back, which came in at £25. It took her 5 minutes to do it herself. Now that is a great saving!
4. Shopping, do not get tempted with "buy one, get one half price" deals in the supermarkets. Ask yourself, "Do I need another?" As when you buy these deals then you are SPENDING more money, not saving yourself money. This is a good lesson also in any sale. You are NEVER saving money at a sale but spending less.
5. If you live in the UK, join Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert website and sign up for his weekly emails. I have had free pizzas, cheap shoes and countless deals because of this man. Well worth the 2minutes it takes. Plus you only get 1 email per week and no spam.

Off to see The Chap tonight as been a week since I saw him last. Really looking forward to it!

Frugally yours
Abigail
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