All about being Frugal !

Thought I would open a thread up about being frugal and saving more money to purchase more IP's.!!!!!

My take home Salary is about $900 a week.

One of my New Years resolutions was to be more frugal,to save more to buy another IP this year.
I often waste money on silly things so I have now started writing down my income and expenses .
Rather than just put "Grocery" I am itemising what I spend my grocery on eg 2 litre milk etc which gives me an idea of what exactly on spending on and how much im using.
Im using a " budget " app on my ipad to do this.
Its time consuming going thru the docket though and recording every item


I was going through usually 4 litres of milk a day.

I was buying about 5 cappuccinos a day at average $4
Now im bringing my own coffee to work., not as nice though



Also im using all the Supermarkets weekly websites to look at specials.
Im lucky I have 4 supermarkets relatively close.
But obviously I have to work out if its worth it walking from Coles to Aldi to save say 20 cents on toothpaste etc , its time consuming and many dont have that time so just buy everything at one supermarket paying more for different items than if they had shopped around.
A lot of times in the past I was very lazy, ordering a Uber to take me home rather than walk.
I have stopped that and now walk home carrying a few shopping bags, its not easy mind you sweating puffing and panting walking up hills but it not only saves me money but keeps my fitness up.
Not getting Cabs or Uber is saving me easily $50 week.

Today in the supermarket I cut out using Canola margarine, not only for money but healthwise too, cut out garbage bags, I can use the supermarket bags for garbage , dont know why i was spending $4.99 on perfumed garbage bags !!

I buy a good quality dishwashing liquid and use it to clean my bathroom tiles and toilet, not only does it smell good but really shines the tiles and chrome taps !
Usually then I fill it with water to get a month's use out of it.

I use to buy the $6.99 toilet cleaner which only lasted a week or so And it made my throat sore and asthma.

Now going to the gym I have stopped wasting money on lollies, chocolates and packets of chips.
I have substitued my sweet tooth for pineapple and Rockmelon, its cheaper because the big Cadbury Bars i like were $6 each.
I was going to Sydneys Paddy markets for fruit on Sundays but the quality is not good for the price.

Recently ,actually yesterday I rang Energy Australia and asked them to give me a discount on the rates, the guy I was talking ( call centre) was making silly jokes whilst talking to him and I pretended to laugh , he seemed to like me and said he would give me 21% discount
So it pays to be nice to Call Centre workers and laugh at their jokes !!

 

I dont drink alcohol, nor go to many pubs unless a friend invites me , which is about 3 times a year at most.
Mind you I try to look for Pub specials, my fave is the Bangers and Mash
Im not confident going into Pubs , I feel a bit scared, I prefer a nice sit down Cafe actually.
Last time I was in a Pub there was young louts in the beer garden shirts off tied around their waists using abusive language.

Bondi RSL Club here in Sydney $9 lunchtimes including soup without drink nd its a friendly atmosphere.

I dont have a car either so i was lazy spending money on Uber and taxis around $50 weekly instead of using public transport or walking.saving $200-250 month


I dont use toilet paper after using the toilet , i havent bought toilet paper for years.
I wash after using the toilet by having a quick shower.
Some people have Bidets.

For washing and grooming i was wasting money on liquid soaps going through 3 or 4 a week on Lime Lemon Strawberry about $8 each etc, now i just purchase the Dove soap Bars about $1 each use that to wash and last a fortnight.p, inwas also buying expensive aftershaves , Saving about $120 a month now.

Every month I would go to Justcuts to get my hair and beard trimmed $28
Now i bought a electric razor and do myself, not as good mind you but saves time going there (usually in a taxi or Uber) and the cost.

I brush my teeth with toothpaste but the cheapest variety and I use Salt a lot in warm water to strengthen the gums and mouth fresh , toothpaste is actually expensive so cutting down on that as well as not buying the mouth wash Listerine which i was spending $10 every month on, using Salt a lot I cut down my toothpaste to one every 2 months.

 

Are you serious! Not using toilet paper to save money, but having a shower instead?

What about the water cost? And the sustainability issues?

Toilet paper is really cheap at Aldi.

 

I hope that you can tell your right from your left.

 

I lived in Asia for years so familiar with this.

Actually, it's not 'wipe' so much as wash with one hand and water. Some places use spray hoses rather than the water dipper.

Requires cultural responses too - e.g. never eating with the left hand etc.

Tellingly, as people become better off they get toilets where there is less contact and presumably fewer germs...

But no wonder the OP was using so much shower gel!

 

What budget app are you using? I'm using pocketbook but some features on it are annoying.

 

Spending tracker

 

Rent your property and buy a house in Mt Druitt where it's much cheaper.

Rise at 4 am so you can ride a bicycle to and from work in the city (90 km round trip).

Arrive home at 8 pm, eat dinner and hit the sack. Save money by not socializing.

You won't need to go to the gym, even if you wanted to.

Enter and win the Tour de France.

Obtain a lucrative sponsorship deal.

Retire in five years and live happily ever after.

 

Hi @Terrychris

May I suggest that you use a backpack for carrying your groceries... it wouldn't do if you injured your shoulder or something carrying awkward and heavy shopping bags !

 

You've forgotten one of your favourite saving tips: going to the RSL with Moshe and scoring all those free sugar bags. Winning!

 

Is this actually serious? Our shower drains aren't connected to the sewer you know? Id hate to have to clean your shower, or be the plumber if you ever have a blockage

 

There is a difference between frugality and just plain cheap.

To me to toilet paper thing...well it crosses the (perforated) line.

I'm all for frugality, I have been knuckling down myself by not wasting money on ticky tacky throwaway items and instead buying good quality things that will hopefully last me many years.

There is a good saying: penny wise pound foolish.

 

That's right. They're connected to the zip instant hot water tank for that extra umph coffee flavour lol.

 

if your lucky you may even get some choc chunks

 

One of the things helping stick new " habits" is my new gym training.
For the last few weeks I have been lifting weights day and night in the 24 hr gym.

I have been forcing myself to go, its now got much easier as I have taken back my mindpower and in control of it.

Takes a lot if discilpline to lift weights and sometimes I slip up and not go, 2 days last week i didnt go,but m sticking to the new habit of going everyday even if its for only 15 minutes.


Same with new frugal habits sometimes I slip up but force myself back on track.
I do want a color toaster but I will look on Gumtree or go to Thrift Op shops.
In the meantime I still have my kmart toaster.

New Habits are very hard to do, I think if I wasnt lifting at the gym i would be unmotivated.
Exercise has made me feel like achieving goals.

Now I want another IP this year and Im going to save a deposit out of my $900 a week , im going to try .
I succeeded this week in increasing my weight lifting in a barbell curl going up from 10 kg to 20kg doing 12 reps, a month ago i couldnt do that, 2 weeks Ago i couldnt do that, i could only lift 10kg barbell about 6 times before i had to sit down !!

I have got into the habit of turning off powerponts when not in use, now trying to get into the habit of leaving the Air Con off and using a fan.
Little things add up, Getting new habits also is slow but im trying to do that.

I feel sometimes we need to make oursekves feel scared about wasting money.
Because times wont be good all the time.

Sacrificing things along the way, I wanted to go overseas this year, I cant do that and save for another IP too,so my IP comes first.