2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom · 3 January 2018 at 9:08PM

Buffy, trying to keep on top of some things while making progress with other things can be absolutely soul-destroying, especially during the short, dark, wet, cold days of winter. My onl suggestion is taking it really slowly and steadily, so even a couple of small shovels full moveda little each night or even each weekend could help. Without the 'baby steps' approac to so many things, I'd be going insane here. I am vey fortunate in that I can make my own hours but getting cold, wet and achy while digging and barrowing is never fun. If you could afford to feed an extra mouth, I can highly recommend asking for volunteer help via Workaway or HelpX. There are plenty of students on there looking for room and board in exchange for doing work and practicing their English skills. (It's free to join.)

LittleGingerFox · 3 January 2018 at 9:51PM

Good evening again everyone! It's been another NSD day for me today- woop! 3days and no spending. I had to buy some electricity (pre-pay meter in a rented flat) so a) I don't have that into my budget, that is an essential but I paid for it from selling some bits on gumtree. I also got some expenses back from work so that is my £20 budget topped up for next week. Phew! A little bit closer to payday &#55357;&#56837;
As I am new to the forum and still haven't got used to how it works, can someone tell me how to view 'replies'? It says I have some but I cannot see anything when I click on it.... you're probably going to have to send me a pm or post underneath as I'm a total novice at this!
Does anyone have any recommendations for accounting/ basic income and expenditure books. I am a pen and paper sorta gal....not into spreadsheets one bit. I'm planning on making it a daily night time routine, much like coming on here and chatting with you guys &#55357;&#56842;

CheshireCat · 3 January 2018 at 10:19PM

Hi,
Can I join the thread, please? Our budget for the 3 of us will be £9,600. I have set myself the task of paying off the mortgage in 7 years. It would be more than doable if I was solely in charge of the purse strings....but my husband is not as frugal as I am. I feel like if I can prove to him just how much money it is possible to pay off the mortgage each year, he may get more fully behind it...maybe.

As soon as the mortgage is gone, we are both going part time at work and getting a camper van. The plan is to spend as much time as we can on beaches or up mountains....living life purposefully and slowly.

Good luck for 2018 everyone, I think it's going to be a good one!

kb_soma · 3 January 2018 at 10:38PM

Hi everyone! A NSD for me today (technically) I had to get the train home from work due to the winds, which meant I couldn't cycle. However, I had to buy a ticket in the train but, the conductor didn't come to me although I told him on the train. I went to lidl on the way home and got some hotdogs and buns from the change that I scraped together to pay for my train fare from the penny jar. Result!

I've been cycling since May so have saved the £50 ish that I would be spending on rail fare, so always feel annoyed if I have to get the train.

First day back in work today and took lunch to work. Lunch ready for tomorrow, which is great going

fingers crossed, I can cycle to work tomorrow.

Buffythedebtslayer · 3 January 2018 at 11:06PM

Frugaldom wrote: »

Buffy, trying to keep on top of some things while making progress with other things can be absolutely soul-destroying, especially during the short, dark, wet, cold days of winter. My onl suggestion is taking it really slowly and steadily, so even a couple of small shovels full moveda little each night or even each weekend could help. Without the 'baby steps' approac to so many things, I'd be going insane here. I am vey fortunate in that I can make my own hours but getting cold, wet and achy while digging and barrowing is never fun. If you could afford to feed an extra mouth, I can highly recommend asking for volunteer help via Workaway or HelpX. There are plenty of students on there looking for room and board in exchange for doing work and practicing their English skills. (It's free to join.)

Thank you XX
I am not good this time of year!
The way he left it the clay has washed over part of the grass (was going to say lawn but that would be pushing it!) and it is very slidey so I can only do it on the weekends when I have the time and weather and daylight! He also watches me from the kitchen window which is very difficult to contend with. I will push on this weekend as it meant to a non raining weekend here! and I am feeling quite inspired by this thread and the possibilities of the garden. I could probably get a fair bit done. Sometimes he goes out on Saturdays so I shall hope for that. I am now sitting here planning what to plant. I will probably use one for food for the rabbits and guinea pigs...... and us. and maybe a run for the rabbits with grass so I can clean their aviary.......

Focus!

Didn't spend any money and have made a to buy list on Amazon - am practising restraint! Today is a no spend day.

XXX

nannygladys · 3 January 2018 at 11:48PM

Hi everyone
Spent £3.68 on veggies, but they will last a bit. Made some soup for lunch and bean stew for tea. There's plenty left so they will do for tomorrow as well.
Walked into town to the shop so free exercise and no car used but glad I didn't buy anything heavy as I don't think I'd have made it back up the hill!!!
So everything going fine.
Nannyg

mumof3.12kindebt · 4 January 2018 at 12:55AM

2 nsds so far

EBay listing tomorrow

Managed to bag myself 3 extra shifts at work so far this month.

Pantomime on Sunday.
Eldest has a party to go to Saturday

Back to school for eldest tomorrow. Back to nursery for second born

I have 230 left of the budget to last till the end of the month. For food electric and petrol.

PennyGrabber · 4 January 2018 at 10:16AM

Hi all,

I have to spend some (unplanned) money today. I'm off work ill, and the dr surgery are sending me to the one in town instead of my normal one, so I will have to pay for parking. Not a huge sum, but every pound counts!

The children are with their dad from now until Sunday afternoon, so I can have a good focus on spending minimally, perhaps even staying inside!

PG x

grandma247 · 4 January 2018 at 12:31PM

Cheshire cat a visual helps with motivation for paying off the mortgage.

I taped the two short ends of A4 paper together and drew a thermometer on it.

I drew a line down the middle of it then drew sections on it across that line.

The amount owed went into the bulb at the bottom and i coloured the bulb red.

Each section represented one week as we arranged with the mortgage company to pay weekly by standing order.

On one side was the amount paid and the other was the new sum owed (Brain fog so can't remember the correct term.)

I coloured in a section weekly with a red crayon after it was paid so it stood out.

The paper was taped to the side of a cupboard so it was easily seen.

My hubby got on board after that. We have paid off the mortgage and built up a small savings pot and are still adding to it even though we are living off one pension and tax credits for our youngest.

Kerreh · 4 January 2018 at 1:27PM

May I join?

I probably won't post all that regularly but I've been following along daily for over a week... it's like a mental check and measure for myself!

Still working on the budget as I keep thinking of things I've forgotten like Car MOT and boiler service- I've used a spreadsheet budget in one form or another for years but generally it's month by month (deleting it when a month passes) so I'm trying to have the budget for the year on one sheet so I get more accurate idea over the course of a year.

I bought my first home 18 months ago and I feel like I'm only just coming out of the other side of that (a shed, window dressings, boring things like a new lock for the front door... all adds up

). I paid my parents back £2600 last month (saved over a few months) and have £1800 to clear on a credit card which should be done by April. 2 weeks in Italy in June so need to save for that and then the second half of the year should be all about saving an emergency fund (longer term savings to follow). I used the snowball method years ago to clear some debt and then saved rather vigorously for a house deposit; I generally use the zero based budget approach.

I guess my aim is to be more conscientious... shop only when I need to for things I need rather than want. Batch cook (which, as I live alone, I generally find these meals more enjoyable anyway) and ideally I'd like to end 2018 by 'living on last months income'.

2018 Frugal Living Challenge

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