FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 1. (Living on £4,000 a year)

loopychriss

NualaBuala wrote: »

I've been trying to re-jig my budget to shave more off my costs. I just can't figure out how you folks are able to manage on 4k.

My 4K is just for my own personal spending, i.e. clothes, hairdresser, birthday and Christmas presents, car tax, holiday spending etc. Together with hubby our yearly budget is more like £18,000 - and that's without a mortgage as we paid that off in May 2008.

Neither of us work as he took voluntary redundancy last July, with a lump sum of 1 year's salary. I haven't worked since 1984 so all the money we have is his. We don't claim any benefits and we're trying to live off of his redundancy payment plus the savings we have and make that last until March 2012 when he can claim his works pension. So although we don't have any debts and aren't saving for anything as we already have the money, we're trying to eke it out to last until he gets his pension. It's very tempting to just spend it like we used to, but I'm very aware that a) it's got to last 2 years and 3 months and b) we're not replacing any of it and it's dwindling all the time.

NualaBuala

nykmedia wrote: »

This is because I don't have any debts, I don't have a mortgage, I don't own a car, I don't eat out, I don't go holidays, visit hairdressers, wear makeup or do any of the million other things that I could do. But I do work from home, so I have a lot of extra overheads included in that to cover the cost of 2 people being here almost 24/7

Your breakdown is a text-book example of frugal! I do have some expenses you don't have, but I won't have a holiday, don't have a car (do need to pay for public transport though). I am allowing about €20/month for treats/going out etc.

Anyway, the good news is that thanks to you guys inspiring me I'm lowering my budget total to €10,000 for the year. It's still a lot I know but it includes a lot of costs that I can't do anything about. I might have to change it as my circumstances are set to change but until then, that's what I'm aiming for. Every spare cent is going to overpay my loan. I'm so grateful to Nyk and all of you for keeping me inspired, thank you.:T

NualaBuala

loopychriss wrote: »

My 4K is just for my own personal spending, i.e. clothes, hairdresser, birthday and Christmas presents, car tax, holiday spending etc. Together with hubby our yearly budget is more like £18,000 - and that's without a mortgage as we paid that off in May 2008.

Neither of us work as he took voluntary redundancy last July, with a lump sum of 1 year's salary. I haven't worked since 1984 so all the money we have is his. We don't claim any benefits and we're trying to live off of his redundancy payment plus the savings we have and make that last until March 2012 when he can claim his works pension. So although we don't have any debts and aren't saving for anything as we already have the money, we're trying to eke it out to last until he gets his pension. It's very tempting to just spend it like we used to, but I'm very aware that a) it's got to last 2 years and 3 months and b) we're not replacing any of it and it's dwindling all the time.

Phew! I'm glad I'm not the only one! That's a great aim and I do think that a frugal lifestyle is more satisfying than a spend, spend, spend one. I think if I won the Lotto (I won't as I don't do it!) I still wouldn't want to spend silly amounts of money on unnecessary things.

knithappens

flying_fresian wrote: »

Hi all,

Not a bad day for being a frunchkin today due to being off work. I would rather not have this sodding head cold though. My sinuses are deeply unhappy with me

Still, good things on the frugality front:

My spare telly is being collected tomorrow night by a Freecycler - one thing out of the spare room before our lodger moves in....1,000,000 to go :rotfl:

£8 cheque received for old phone

£18 cashback tracked for signing up to free trial with LoveFilm

First attempt at flapjacks went well, I ate three to make sure :A

Labels received for Music Magp!e stuff, just need to wrap them up and post them

I also spent most of the day snuffling into tissues and watching free telly online (4OD & iPlayer are amazing!)

Hope everyone else is ok.

f_f

i just signed up for love film too, hoping my £18 tracks, as that will go towards debt.

Had a great day today placed an add on net mums for some baby items and someone has replied so of tomorrow to pick up a baby walker and other baby bits for free.:j:j

Also answered an add on freecycle for a bed side cot as i co sleep & breastfeed, the cot cost £275 new, could not aford it when bubba was born, i did get a mamas and pappas cot bed second hand, but it is sitting never been used with a brand new mattress as bubba sleeps with me, anyway the lady said i could have the bedside cot, i pick it up tomorrow, :j:jit is smaller than the cot bed so will fit better in my room, and because i will only have the three sides up will make a good toddler bed too, think i will sell the cot bed and mattress and make some money back.

I also sold an item on my birthboard so another £25 off my debt:j:j

Also listed some very old cd's and dvd's on musicmagpie, so hopefully i will have a cheque for £25 in a week or so, so more money to pay off debt :T

all in all had a great moneysaving day:D

larmy16

Well maybe panic buying a little but I think my purchases are very sensible and will last and be used up.

Here goes.

6 x 6 pk Linda McCartney veg sausages (only £1 at the mo)
Tesco skim dried milk 5 pints x 3 (15 pints!)
18 (yes) litres of UHT semi skimmed milk
4 x litres of Tesco Value soya milk (thought I would give this a try)
Maple syrup x 2
Golden syrup x 2
Ginormous bag of basmati rice
2 kg granulated sugar
2 packs strong bread flour (with my BM we need not go without bread now)
2 packs self raising flour (could make little fairy cakes)
12 packs pasta and sauce cheese and broccoli.
2 boxes of sage and onion stuffing.
2 packs of veggy gravy granules.

Also some tinned processed peas and mushy ones which we love!

This all came to under £50.

Here is my reasoning. If we do get snowed in again I have milk and the means to make bread. We have a stack of rice and ground rice to make rice pudding with the syrups.
The pasta could be cooked up on the camping stove (if elec went off for any reason!) - if not will get used anyway.


I know lots of people don't like UHT milk (oh yeah it makes great yogurt too), but my ds loves it and I don't mind it too much.

So you could say it's a mild panic but extremely sensible buy at the same time.

Ansoff

ff Hope you feel better soon.

Had another NSD today, yippee but will have to get diesel tomorrow as I only have a little left and need it for work.

Felt really good today, had a salad for lunch and an apple. Lots of free coffee from work, however I wore a pedometer and only walked 1300 steps until I got home. Didn't realise how little I walk when I am in the office, good job I don't go very often.

Had one of the frugel freezer fish pies for dinner and raided the freezer for tomorrow food. It seems to be magic, I take things out and it remains full. :T

The snow has nearly all gone from here, lots of rain so travelling is a lot easier.

I got a slow cooker for christmas so if anyone has any great recipes. please share. I also received a cook book but a tried a couple of soups and I didn't like them very much. Any tips would be very useful.

Ansoff

Ansoff

Yippee I have a star!!!!!!!!!

NYK - Thank you for the inspiration. I will never get all our spending under control but you really help me focus my mind.

loopychriss

Hi all

Had a bit of a spendy day today: it wasn't intended, and I can recall my words to my hubby as we got out of the car at Asda. "I don't need anything and won't be spending anything". Famous last words! :rolleyes: All I needed to do was to go to the Post Office in Asda and post a birthday card. Didn't even need a stamp because I've got loads from when I stocked up before the prices went up (in 2008!!!).

Had a browse round and resisted the clothes, magazines, toys, reduced Christmas stuff... apart from two 10m rolls of wrapping paper for 25p each. (After saying I wasn't going to buy any this year as I had tons left from last January's sales!). Left hubby in the cafe with a cup of coffee and a newspaper, as by this time his toleration for shopping had run out.

Found the reduced chilled stuff, but there wasn't much there that we'd eat to be honest. I picked up a couple of mini quiches that were reduced to 42p each though, and wandered the other aisles.

Then I found a bargain on Bold liquid washing tablets - 24 for £3. This was such a brilliant price that I thought I'd stock up, so I got 2 packs. (Bear in mind that I already have a new pack of 32 at home that I bought last July, plus 20 left in my current pack!). Also got some reduced mushrooms (I've already got 1 1/2 new packs in the fridge), and some UHT skim milk as we used the last fresh milk this morning and the one from the freezer hadn't defrosted yet.

I then thought twice about the quiches - I'd got dinner planned and didn't know when we'd get to eat these, so I took them back. There was an assistant there with 2 big cages of meat that was going to be reduced, but he said it would take him about 20 minutes to sort it and price it.

Had another wander up and down the aisles just to pass time, and when I went back I got some chicken thighs reduced from £3 to £1.50. I didn't really need meat as I've got plenty in the freezer, so I went to pay and find hubby. Total was £9.94 for 2 packs of 24 washing tablets, pack of mushrooms, chicken thighs, pack of 6 plastic food containers, 1 litre UHT milk, packet of tortilla chips and 2 rolls wrapping paper. What was even better was that I used cash and not my credit card (I usually get everything on my CC and pay it off when the bill comes in.).

Hubby was pleased to see me as he was getting restless now, but I had to go to the Post Office bit and get some cash, and also said I wouldn't mind going back to the reduced meat to see what else he'd reduced. So poor hubby had to spend another 10 minutes browsing ... (although he did go back to the car eventually).

Second time around I got: 2 packs of frying steak at £1.25 each (half price); 1 pack of 2 chicken breasts for £1.50; and I couldn't resist, I got another 3 packs of the washing tablets (£9). So now I have in total 172 washing tablets, which if we use 3 a week will last over a year!

I do get a bit impulsive with my buys, but it's only stocking up on things that I know will get used. I do wonder sometimes whether I should tie the money up on stockpiling, or leave it until I'm running out before buying more. When I look round my store cupboards and freezer and think how much money there is tied up in them.... but then, we live 5 miles from the nearest supermarket so just 'popping to the shops' is not an option.

Total spend today was £22.94. Not bad considering I wasn't going to buy anything!

viv0147

FrankieM wrote: »

Morning All,
The thread is currently moving a bit fast for me to read indepth...so I hope you are all doing well.

We had our 'pigs face' for dinner on saturday. We found it very fatty so I don't think i'll be doing that again!
I've got some pork bones in the slow cooker that i need to strip then i think I'm going to make lentil soup with the stock.
Went to Aldi yesterday and bought a load of brussels, cabbage, onions and parsnips on their 'Super 6' offer. Will prep and freeze those today.

my DH has been looking online and stumbled across a smallholding in Wales. Of course, I love it so I'm busy trying to figure out how we can afford it!
The thing is, i've never wanted to live in Wales, often got the impression they don't like 'incomers'.....any Welsh out there, please don't shoot me down..persuade me gently . Will the fact that I'm Australian make a difference???

Haven't heard the song we keep a welcome in the hillsides we keep a welcome in the vale

BigMummaF

We finally watched the crimbo edition of 'Grow Your Own Drugs' last night & I suddenly thought of the discussion much earlier in the thread about making your own cosmetics.
Anyhooz, the site is bbc.co.uk/growyourowndrugs [I think] & the cheeky chappie says there will be another series later in the year :j
Hairy Bikers tonight on bbc2 8pm & 'Suppers' could be the theme...my memory is very strange at the best of times