Frugal Living 2010 -The Cost of Living Challenge, INTRO

azjh77

I haven't read the whole thread yet - just the intro - but would love to join in if it's not too late... I'm AZJH77.

I'll go back and catch up now....!

larmy16

I am so in love with this thread it's ridiculous. Especially the first post which gives you all the links to different subjects. That cottage industry one is to die for and I have only got to page 8!!

I really want to sort out my budget too. Can I join in. I did read how to do coloured letters but forget now.......will this do.

Larmy16

to join in......if I ever stop reading!

knithappens

Got lots o thins done today which enabled me to have a no spend day, yayy, number 4 this month, I need to get my budget sorted, but have been left with alot of debt by my ex hubby, so that needs to be cleared. So Just focusing on spening as little as possible, going to sit down tomorrow and work out a realistic budget.

I did manage to sell some bits on ebay today, so will be using thecash to pay some more to my Credit card. I feel so focused right now, not been these focused for a long while

ceridwen

cw18 - well I guess theres an element of "swings and roundabouts" and just how troublesome the various bits and pieces in ones own particular system are.

Re your comment on replacing the room thermostat yearly - I have a thermostat in the main area thats for the whole house. I didnt get told at the time of installation that there are two types - the manual circular thingie on the one hand and the digital type on the other hand. Thus - I got given the manual circular thingie - BUT I would have chosen the digital one actually. Apparently he did that because most people choose the manual one because its £100 odd or so cheaper at that time. My personal priority is to have the most efficient/easiest to manage set-up I can get in anything - so I would have chosen the digital one (I like the idea of being able to set it precisely to a fraction of a degree - and that there is apparently a little flame alight which tells one that its definitely working). With my manual knob thingie - I dont know of a way of telling whether its "doing its thing" or no - so is there actually a way you've found of being able to tell whether it IS actually working or no purlease? (I've asked him and basically been told there isnt - but that seems odd to me - particularly as I used to hear the boiler "flare up" sometimes when I switched it up - but now I dont).

I'm not inclined to spend money on having him swop the thermostat to the type I would have chosen now - as I'm very conscious that the Government isnt protecting us in the slightest against the Russians "holding our gas supply to ransom" over the next few years/plus the lack of planning for gas storage facilities here in Britain (hence it gets stored on the Continent and sold back to us at inflated prices) and think I may have to stop using the gas supply in my home at some point over this time due to the skyrocketing gas prices we might anticipate as a consequence of their mismanagement. Hence - I've swopped my fanheaters to halogen heaters and stocked up with loads of throws looking to the medium-term future (long-term future is I am watching closely as to what I need to do to get my house swopped over to "alternative" fuels - solar panels/heat pump or whatever AND how much financial help I can expect with this from the Government and/or fuel companies).

cw18

My main 'room thermostat' has always been a manual circular one (already installed in last house, and installed as part of new build in this one). When I turn the heating on at the master control there's no indication on the thermostat that anything is on. But if I turn it it clicks at the current room temperature. If it's set to lower than the 'click point' the heating kicks in, set to above the 'click point' it doesn't. I know we have a problem with the 'pump control' when the control is set to 17 degrees but clicks at well over that (normally around 26 or 28) and my radiators are red hot !!!! (Either that or clocks at 12 when set at 17 and the radiators are icy cold)

At the last house the thermostat would stop 'clicking' at all - this meant there was a problem with that


ETA: They only 'click' when the heating system is actually turned on....... if you try this during an 'off' period it won't click even it it is working properly.

summertea

Hi i really liked the look of the £1000 in 100 days challenge thats mentioned at the beginning of this thread but i cannot find a 2010 version has it become something else? or am i being silly.

taka

summertea wrote: »

Hi i really liked the look of the £1000 in 100 days challenge thats mentioned at the beginning of this thread but i cannot find a 2010 version has it become something else? or am i being silly.

Nyk used to run this but I think she has decided not to do it at the moment. There are things like the £10 a day challenge on DFW which does a similar thing only over a shorter period of time. (Its supposedly £10/day but people do different amounts too!)

wornoutmumoftwo

There's a turn £100 into £10000 thread, got the link if you want it, got it subscribed still debating joining.

Frugaldom

Hi guys

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

There's a turn £100 into £10000 thread, got the link if you want it, got it subscribed still debating joining.

Love the sound of the £100 to £10,000 but it sounds absolutely pie in the sky stuff for me short of sticking my £100 on a winning 100-1 shot first time. :rotfl:

The £1000 in 100 days won't be continuing as I'm running out of time for keeping up to date with all the threads on here but I will still be doing my own cash neutral challenge with updates in my signature.

I've just added AZJH77 and Larmy16, welcome to you both

I thought I had completed my 2010 budget but there are still a few small changes being made here and there in anticipation of price changes, increased LETS trading, more veg growing, more homemade gifts and the arrival of a sewing machine! :j:T Traded with neighbour for it via LETS, just needs one small repair that I'm hoping can be done without cash cost. Still planning on sticking with my original £4,000 budget yet again. I'm used to it and lifestyle adjusts to reflect price fluctuations.

Not long to go until the new challenge starts!

Just heard an interesting mention about recycling on Radio 2. Apparently, surplus to requirement paperback books that get pulped are included in the make up of the M6! Does that make it the information highway of UK? :rotfl: That has to be on par with crushed mobile phones being used to make parts for aeroplanes!

Savvy_sewing

Think that I will be having to completely redo my budget as it looks like DGD will be living with me for a lot longer then the 3 weeks that the social worker said in the beginning. (That would run out on Wednesday). Trying to update my microsoft Money programme, keep forgetting to use it!. I will get into the habit one of these days.
Managed a NSD today!. Mainly as we didnt go out.