Frugal Living 2010 -The Cost of Living Challenge, INTRO

cw18

skint_in_skirt wrote: »

They're small Lhasa Apsos

Deffo easier to weigh at home than my 'pup' then :rotfl:

My SIL used to have a Shih Tzu, and I know what she was like for begging..... definitely worse than either of my dogs

skint_in_skirt

Small Lhasa Apsos. Tiny really - apart from the portlier one
Thanks for the encouragement sft, it's really helpful as are the top tips from cw.
I'm hopeful that this challenge will be as exciting as the thrill I used to get from shopping and material things. This delayed pleasure/saving for things/re-using stuff is the best way forward for a more content life isn't it?
These past 10 months I have been putting money away for our static caravan site fees, and this will be the first time ever that I will have the cash upfront on its due date. I'm really excited about 2010 and living frugally:)

Ches

savingfortravel wrote: »

Congrats on the mortgage..your cruise sounds an incentive to save..sft

Thanks SFT but I am a OAP so can't really take much of the credit as it was just a matter of time.

LilacPixie

Anyone know where I can get a spread sheet for this challenge or at least instructions on how to make one?? Excel hates me.

grandma247

skint_in_skirt wrote: »

I replied to CW in a post but not sure if it's polite posting etiquette to reply to two in one post.
The breakdown you suggested I have worked out as being:
£73 per week on groceries incl dog food (asda smartprice) and essential toiletries (aldi). No spending money will be available for updating any household or wardrobe things until I go back to full-time work.:p

I wonder if I need to break down the £73 into particular items???

I love the 'mend it' philosophy on here, todayI sewed some jeans of mine and a cardi of my tot's that I would have previously gone to Next and replaced ....changed days! :money:

Most of us reply to several people in one post. I try and remember to highlight the name so that person can spot it.
£73 sounds a reasonable amount to me. I aim for about £37 a week or so for food and cleaning stuff but I have all my receipts stacked in piles on the table right now so I can work out how much I really spent.
We tend to wait until household things are no longer useable in our house before replacing them. I did not buy any clothes for us in the last year except some things for me in a charity shop and some new stuff for my ten year old just before woollies shut. I even put off buying shoes until the summer months.

savingfortravel

:rudolf: Merry Christmas Everyone! :rudolf:

sft

JustKeepSwimming_2

Hi Nyk

Can you include me in this challenge too please? I promise to try harder & do better than I did on the previous £4K challenges! :rotfl:

I shall work on a budget after Xmas, but it will probably be around £500 pcm for everything except mortgage/CT/other utilities etc. I'll have to dig out my bank statements before I commit to a final figure....

Thanks for all the hard work you do in running this thread - it has been an inspiration over the years! I don't post much, but I have lurked & picked up soooo much useful info from you all! :beer:

slowlyfading

:hello: JustKeepSwimming and welcome to the thread!

JustKeepSwimming_2

JustKeepSwimming wrote: »

I shall work on a budget after Xmas, but it will probably be around £500 pcm for everything except mortgage/CT/other utilities etc. I'll have to dig out my bank statements before I commit to a final figure....

OMG! I've just been looking at my Money report for the year (& we still have several days left!) & I'm shocked! I really did think I'd been doing better this year, but I'm now kicking myself for how much I've frittered away!

Food has been a shocker - I've spent £37.68/week on groceries for 3 (although 1 is a dairy intolerant coeliac, so that's fun :rolleyes:), £20.82 on eating out with my 2 kids & £10.56 on eating out on my own :eek: I guess all those coffees & shop bought sarnies really do add up! A light bulb moment here, methinks...

I'm going to concentrate on this, & going out with kids & their books & toys mostly, as this is where it has been slipping through my fingers.... :mad:

Other areas are harder as I already do all the shopping around for insurance etc. I can cut down on my petrol (been a bit lazy with the school run lately) & walk more, but a budget is difficult as I'm self employed & mileage varies a lot due to work.

OK - I'm going to go for £8000 for 2010 (excluding mortgage, utilities, water, council tax, home/life insurance, NI contributions, TV licence & income tax).

Excited already! :j

xnatalie81x

JustKeepSwimming wrote: »

OMG! I've just been looking at my Money report for the year (& we still have several days left!) & I'm shocked! I really did think I'd been doing better this year, but I'm now kicking myself for how much I've frittered away!

Food has been a shocker - I've spent £37.68/week on groceries for 3 (although 1 is a dairy intolerant coeliac, so that's fun :rolleyes:), £20.82 on eating out with my 2 kids & £10.56 on eating out on my own :eek: I guess all those coffees & shop bought sarnies really do add up! A light bulb moment here, methinks...

I'm going to concentrate on this, & going out with kids & their books & toys mostly, as this is where it has been slipping through my fingers.... :mad:

Other areas are harder as I already do all the shopping around for insurance etc. I can cut down on my petrol (been a bit lazy with the school run lately) & walk more, but a budget is difficult as I'm self employed & mileage varies a lot due to work.

OK - I'm going to go for £8000 for 2010 (excluding mortgage, utilities, water, council tax, home/life insurance, NI contributions, TV licence & income tax).

Excited already! :j

I think that is quite good, but then we are all in different places! I spent about £150 on takeways last year!! I know there are 2 adults and 3children here but our average weekly grocery spend was £98 a week......

My yearly amount was £13700 ish (excluding rent/ct/debt/water and childcare) - have a look on the part 4 thread for my final figures........ £8000 is amazing - look forward to joining you in 2010