Frugal Living 2010 -The Cost of Living Challenge, INTRO

meg72

heather2409 wrote: »

Count me in please - Heather 2409 Don't know how to increase font size on this.

Many thanks

Took me ages to figure this out too, click go advanced instead of quick
reply fonts and sizes come up.

BigMummaF

rachelet wrote: »

Please can you add me to this challenge please - Rachelet

Just a little background to me seeing as I am new to this. I live in France .....
It is a lot to feed but I am hoping that a lot of the food for next year can be grown or bred.......
Rachel

Sorry to chop your post Rachel, but I've a :think: there was another poster who was attempting a very similar life-style to you who had relocated to France to do it. My addled noggin just can't recall the name but I'm sure someone else will know who I mean...just thought you might be able to do a 'buddie system' :rolleyes: & help each other out with the best places to shop a la francais

Kiwisaver wrote: »

Righty oh, I've done my maths and roughly converted everything to pounds for context and decided on a budget for the year of £6,000. This includes all 'discretionary' spending for two adults and two fur babies; basically the cost of us staying at home: groceries, toiletries, cleaning, clothing and electricity. ..........
I still think it's a LOT and wish I could make it less, but cost of living for me here in NZ is much higher than it was when I lived in the UK, especially grocery shopping, utilities, phones and internet charges, as we simply do not have the competition or choices that are available in the UK. We pay a phenomenal price for anything imported or out of season and notwithstanding the ridiculous economics of food miles; which often makes things like NZ lamb, apples and wine cheaper in the UK than they are here. :eek:

I too, think 6K is not that unreasonable Kiwi, given your explanation of the cost of living for you there. Guess it all comes down to how much you have physically coming in & whether there is enough to cover what has to be paid out though.
I'm afraid I have been guilty of seeing homes on the tv & jealously thinking 'half your luck' when I see the mahoosiff fridges & freezers, rooms the size of a football pitch & lush veggie patches, before coming down to earth with a bump when the reality is--they only show the best bits on the telly :doh:But how bluddin stooopid to know your own 'local' produce is being sold cheaper half way around the world There's just no sense to that at all--even our very local tomato growers insist their wares go up to London etc, before our shops can have them back to sell :mad:

plzhelpmesave!

Morning fruglaistas!

No heating on all day today as im home alone, so just wrapped up warm. Used tumble dryer yesterdy and then rememberd this challenge (how could i forget!) so put the second wash on the radiators all over the house - still got to put it away.
Did a full trolley shop from lidl yesterday, so lots of food in the house, and freezers filled so leccy not wasted!
Also gave my sister a "mini lecture" yesterday about switching all leccy applicances off ...

Have just disovered another way of keeping warm- laptop heats up nicely on my lap and battey is warming up my lower back!!

I do need to look at the budget again, to find out what we can realistically live on....oh, and hubby has been told to check with me before he spend any money! it worked yesterday...

ChinaTea

Fire_Fox wrote: »

There has been a lot of discussion about feline nutrition and value for money over on the Pets board, so worth running a search. The most MSE option is to see if your cats will take to raw food, then get freebies or very cheap meaty bones and carcasses from your butcher. The butcher often has to pay to have these taken away so ... :money:

As this sort of diet is completely natural (they'd eat raw creatures in the wild) it's unlikely to upset the sensitive cat, providing you introduce new foods slowly. Obviously raw meaty bones are not a balanced diet alone, you can either feed a complete dry food alongside or some heart and liver, again which can be sourced super cheap or even free. :T

All 3 cats do eat birds (specially pidgeons, have loads here) the odd mouse or two and have been known to share a squirrel so don't think they'd object to meaty bones etc. Having said that, the one that has a sensitive tum err umm vomits all the feathers up afterwards.:eek: ( Sorry to anyone eating lunch). Will give this a try though and I do have a friendly butcher nearby. They already eat complete dry food during the day with just a pouch each of the dear stuff morning and night. Am also going to see if can bring the price of the dry stuff down bulk buying going through cash back site as well.

I do buy the frontline online getting 2 lots at a time for each works out the same as 1 lot each locally. They are all rescue cats, tomcats and are neutered, chipped etc. Mostly keep in reasonable health except the youngest who keeps getting in fights needing vet attention.

maz1964

HIYAAAAAAAAAA

what a fab thread, would like to join too please:beer:

maz1964

would love to learn more about growing own food and getting my debts down with any savings

already started in my own way but this thread is going to help me achieve much more - thank you everyone

have a fun day maz;)

MoneyMission

Afternoon All. Please can you add me in: MoneyMission
Our budget is set for the year and we'll hopefully be making a gigantic dent in our collosal mortgage. Thank you.

tiddles

Hi - please could I be added to this challenge?

Tiddles

I still need to work out my budgets!

Thank you!

shaz_mum_of__2

Count me in"Shaz_mum_ of_2"

Not sorted a budget as such yet

But want to thank nyk for organising this and to say that i don't care where this thread ends up as long as it exists and i can find it .:D.......................we know what we do (even if we defy definition and categorisation:rotfl::rotfl:)


Shaz

maz1964

hiya all

thank you all for the clicks and the warm welcome

i will have to start at the front and start reading the thread and i will make notes of things of interest and then i guess got to do that budget:j

anyway going to tackle it with the very best of intentions and i will be relying on you to keep me going if i should ever get stuck

have a fun eve off to do some reading and note jotting

cheers maz

JayJay14

I have just taken delivery of a beautiful new filofax - no excuse now so I had better get some budgeting done:rotfl:

Hi Shaz - lovely to see you, hope you are well.