So are we feeling it?

Does anyone else think that us frugal folk are suddenly leading the pack? We suddenly became all fashionable and everyone wants hints and ideas. We are not weird and outlandish at all, we were just ahead of the game.

On top of that we are coping very well with adversity. We were already minimising waste, shopping selectively, gardening where possible, re-using and re-cycling. When my husband lost most of his work last year I made extra effort with costs ( I do understand this isn't possible for everyone, I am paid enough to keep us)and now that he is working a bit more we can save his income. I am not saying this because I am feeling smug about it (although i am a bit pleased with myself, obviously) but just observing that I have cut down, even when I thought there was no more cutting down to be done, and now that we have a little more cash I am trying to stay at the rock bottom level and not let our expenditure sneak back up.

I plan to make a couple more changes planned for money management. I intend to make sure that that my salary goes on costs and any additional income I receive goes into savings. At the moment it is just the old chap main income and my mileage/expenses that we save. Going forward I want to also save the child benefit (although I suspect that it ends soon even though Jamal is in full time education), second inceom fro the old guy, housekeeping form Ahdel, quidco and ebay money.

And whilst we are on the subject of being pleased with myself it is my babies 18th Birthday this Friday. We don't spend a lot on presents in our family and the kids could never be called spoilt but for 18th birthday then it is bit special. Jamal has asked for an I-pod, the new trendy one that looks like and i-phone, and if possible also a leather jacket. We visited TKMaxx yesterday for the jacket. He looks very cute and very grown up in his clearance rail jacket. It is leatherish not leather, which he is happy with, and lined with not fur. His ipod came from ebay and was over half covered by selling the old Sky box and a scanner which had never been used. He is very happy and so am I. Next month will be nice though without any birthday expenses.