Working on my 'Old Style'

I like the creativity that comes with being frugal. I love the actual word frugal, although in my head it is spelled frooogal, just so lovely.

I have already embraced 'New Style' and shop on the net, buying and selling on eBay, comparing utilities with the meerkats, using (free) software which monitors our mobile calls and tells us the best contract to be on, weekly email telling me the cheapest place to buy my fuel in the immediate area.  This morning already I set up a spreadsheet to work through the various pricing options to get me the most appropriate deal of energy suppliers. Popped in to see my parents first thing and had coffee and toast, looked up best utilities provider for them, sorted out something on one of my dads investments and found them a reasonably priced hotel with a good write up for when they go to visit my son in a couple of weeks. All good use of technology to be money saving but until lately I haven't been so good on the Old Style pure frugalness of managing the money.

The two big things we are changing old style is to really cut down on wasting utilities. No-one uses a half full oven around here anymore, baths have been postponed until well, who knows when. We are never wasteful with food but there has been way more veggies, pulses and so on lately, and a lot less meat. All the laundry is dried in the conservatory. A ton of time spent on other blogs, mostly frugal queen and mortgage free in three, nicking all their recipes.

I am sure I will continue to discover new things but I have to say I really, really like the feeling of control.