be frugal

Have put plastic sheets over most of the windows.

I’m keeping the heat set at 60-62 degrees F / 15-16 degrees C. I’ve found since it’s an old house (1905) without any insulation, it doesn’t matter how high I turn up the heat, the house doesn’t get much warmer. (Aside from the heating bill soared to USD 400 / 300 euros!) Maybe in a few years we’ll be able to insulate it, but until then it’s best to keep the heat low and wear a coat indoors. :)

the cable and the customer service person renegotiated the rate to drop it in half. Yay! I can keep the cable now for half the price!

Also bought three plastic sheets to cover the main floor windows.

Before he left, hubby and I went to the commissary for a shopping trip. It definitely saved us some money!

that I’m going to do this is to shop at the commissary about 15 mins drive from here. If I make up recipe lists for the week ahead and then plan my shopping list accordingly, I can save 30 percent off my grocery bill by shopping there. Also by buying gas on base.

• I really want to get in better shape, so I’m going to apply for the free 1-month gym membership.

• I’m going to return the cable box and turn off our cable access, which should save USD 60-70/40-50 euros per month.

• I would really like to replace all the regular bulbs in our house with LEDs.

• I’m going to buy three large-size plastic sheets to put over the main floor windows.

I’ve already lost 5 pounds and want tolose more and tone to a different size. i’m gonna use this new jeans purchase as a carrot to give me incentive.

I’m gonna have to get really serious in 2009 to practice frugality and make our budget work. We have so much financial pressure on us and it’s gonna be really tough, so I’ve gotta keep my chin up and stay focused.

I need to stop wasting money.

I’m a candy addict. It adds up.

Money will not sprawn itself (could have solved a lot of problem if it’s not this way lol). But, even with successful investing one need to snowball from somewhere. Money begets money and zero begets nothing. Make it possible, esp. when u have the head for it.

I really need to start shopping at the big grocery store. Shopping locally at the tiny corner store and supporting my immediate neighborhood is nice and all, but the prices are about 1/3 higher than at a “real” store.

Since I’ve been old enough to hold a job, I have found that I like things. Big things, little things, ugly things, pretty things. I shop when I’m sad. when I’m happy. when i’m nostalgic. when I’m bored. This summer, I began my journey of a new career that unfortunatly is commission based only. I’ve been without income going on 4 months now and have come to terms with how “things” have taken over my life, my income, and my happiness. I added this goal, not only out of need, but as a way of changing who i am, how i think, and how i spend. i have begun this slowly. No television. One light in the house on at a time. Shopping for generic food only. I haven’t bought new clothes now in over 3 months which is a LIFETIME in my past reality. I don’t eat out anymore and I refuse to wash my jeans until I’ve worn them a few times. This has been one of the hardest parts of me going through my lack of job/income-I can’t afford to go out and have a drink with friends or see a movie no matter how many times they ask. I can’t afford to go and drive for the fun of it like I used to-i can’t afford the gas. My emotions have desolved into a feeling of total and utter guilt with ever dollar that I spend and with ever swipe of my debit card. ‘Least to say, my mood has a long haul in leveling out to being the happy person I once was… but until then, I’m going to go eat some Ramen.

Still no closer to actually changing suppliers to a cheaper one – the idiots messed up BIG TIME. It’s not a case of one person being the idiot here, but of the whole company having terrible communication problems within the company.
Onstream supplied the meter, they report back to BG who then know what your meter number is and when to start billing. I never got a bill. I phoned them to find out about it as I didn’t want a hefty one after months and months, but it turned out we didn’t exist on their system any more! I’ve phoned several times to get to the bottom of this and now FINALLY they assigned our case to a nice man called Peter. He told me to ring his answer phone any time I have any queries, and he’ll get back to me usually within 2 hours. He also told me that the three times they cancelled our meter install each qualify for £20 – so £60 compensation is due to us to come off our bill which is looking like being £160 ish at this point. They sent a card in the meantime to pay in a shop a little at a time, but the nearest shop is a good walk away and not really convenient. Plus after all the cock-ups I am a bit loathe to put any money anywhere, unless I can be certain our account is sorted out. Peter also arranged a new standard meter to replace our economy 7 that we were fobbed off with.
Ahh soon. Soon I will leave their company and if they ask why we left I will take great pleasure in telling them. Maybe I should complain in writing anyway? Oh and the money they are meant to have written off still hasn’t come off but Peter says it’s in the process of being written off.
Anyway, not long now hopefully.