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

xnatalie81x

ceridwen wrote: »

Well - the thing to do is to check out the www.mysupermarket.com website to see what the supermarkets are charging for freerange eggs. Errrr.....I have to say though that, if I have time, that I buy mine from the local farmers market(rather than the supermarkets) and I think (couldnt swear to it.....) that the last box of 6 eggs I got there was about 70p???? (that was for freerange pullet eggs - whatever difference that makes...- and I live in an expensive area.) I think the standard freerange eggs there were 90p or £1??

(as you can tell - I'm not used to checking out prices to the penny - as I AM used to just "gritting my teeth" and paying extra for organic products as far as possible.....as my priority is healthy food).

think i may be feeding and cleaning out my hens too much lol. dunno how they r soooooooooooo cheap!!!

mooomin

Hi everyone!

Not the best frugal day for me today as I ended up buying lunch It's only the first time I have done this so far this month though so I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. I only bought lunch as the quiche I brought in with me was really unpleasant. I won't be buying that again!

I also spent some money in Morrisons (Not a lot though!) buying margarine and olive oil (posher stuff than I normally buy is on offer and worked out cheaper!) and got a few garlic baguettes for 12p each. I'm doing quite well on the frugal front and am looking forward to going through my accounts at the weekend and seeing how well I have managed for my first month of counting every penny.....well I hope!

Brighton_belle

redglass wrote: »

I was just having a little lurk when I spotted this. YES, DEFINITELY!:rotfl: A friend proudly showed me her little girlie bag which held nothing at all and had to be dangled everywhere on one finger and I thought, 'S*d that for a nuisance...' Other dislikes: hairstyles that trail hair in your eyes, tight skirts that drag on your legs and impede walking, beds with tight sheets and envelope corners, like sleeping in a straitjacket, long nighties that tie you up in knots. I hate to be hobbled....I don't get so much backache since I gave up the long nighties so it's frugal too...saves on physiotherapists' bills.

Good to hear from you redglass :rotfl:- and I'm with you and FISHCAKE on this (and the rest of your list)- I need to have my hands free so hand bags re generally a nono. I actually bought my 1st ever handback 2 yrs ago and do love it for special occasions (cerise suede, Mon s00n sale).

Busy getting myself organised with creative projects, so nothing much to report on a particularly frugal front.
Estblihed lodger has the week off so don't need to put heating on automatic turn on very early in the morning which will save a few pennies. According to gas bill, has spent less this quater than this time last year dispite the snow:j

Frugaldom

babyboysmommy wrote: »

You've missed me

Sorry, BBM. I'm thinking that the last set of names I noted must have been misplaced under a pile of paperwork on my desk.

Today I managed to make good use of the sewing machine and managed to make a curtian for my 'new' recycled cookery workstation. It's now fitted and looks OK hanging there!

XNat - You can use shredded newspapers for nest material if you cut it short enough not to wrap around their legs or neck and I buy shavings in a big bale for about £8. Per hen per day costs don't equate to egg costs as the hens won't lay 365 eggs every year, so safest to double up, at least, for year one and treble up year 2 etc, as you'll need to get more layers when the others stop. Then it gets complicated when you're feeding birds that won't ever lay an egg or pay their keep. (I have 13 non-layers!) :rotfl:

rictus123

Hey is it all girls in this thread? Am i on my own here lol. Im so up for this £6k all in spends this year! Think what my total is now + <£50(deisel on Friday) and £192.50 for 12 months road tax so about £242.40+whats there now will be total for the month. Roughly £620. £120 over the £500 average...although im sure Febuary will be less than £380 to make it evened out! March will be alot

LilacPixie

I've been assesing the 'situation' and I am concerned. I am doing a 12k challenge so 1k a month and to pay all debt plus mortgage is another £1500 a month so 2.5k to cover everything including overpayments. Depending on hours worked we have between 2980 and 3340 a month income after taxes. We are also in the position of 12k looking a bit generous for the year (presuming we can keep up with current budgetting) yet here we are with payday on Wednesday and no where near as much left as we should. mostly because OH has been buying carp!!! and not the fish!

larmy16

Sorry not had time to read all the posts, but Boots do a Borax substitute suitable for laundry purposes. I think it was £1.34 or thereabouts.

I used Napisan in mine as it is easily available in my local Waitrose. £1.99

I understand some people don't bother with the borax atall and just use the washing soda.

I find the gloop worth making but stick to Tesco value biological for my whites and cleaning cloths etc.

NualaBuala

Hi frugalites :wave:

Was in town today as I needed to get blood tests done and got a tetanus jab while I was at it as I'm a bit like a pin-cushion from dealing with brambles and clearing the jungle at the end of the garden. All for free, phew! I was fasting for the blood tests but went prepared with banana, raisins and nuts to scoff as soon as I was finished. Bought nothing at all in town - considered window-shopping while waiting for the bus home but decided to avoid temptation. :A

Slept for most of the day once I got home, don't know why I'm so tired all the time. But hopefully the blood tests will show if there's something wrong other than depression and I can tackle it.

My sock wool from Kemps arrived today and it's even nicer than in the picture online. Just need to buy bamboo double pointed needles now - does anyone know somewhere cheap online I could get them (that delivers to Ireland)?

Did my Imeasuring and I used less gas and less leccy than the previous week - thrilled with that result! Haven't had readings this low since November. Using the open fire is making a real difference - yay! :j

Hope you're all ok and having a good evening.

top_drawer_2

hello everyone,

I hope everyone is well, I do read but find it practically inpossible to reply each time I would like too. I hope everyone is well.

Well I really haven't done well this past week or so ....

Last Tuesday I aimed to save by returning things which either don't work properly or were mistakes.... I returned an alarm clock to Ald! as although it said it was colour change it didnt say it would do that every other second meaning that when I woke up at various times through the night I thought aliens had landed in a colour change spaceship.......... I also returned a carpet runner I bought on my big spend at Morrisons as it wasnt long enough for the hallway and also a handheld vacuum thing which was completely useless. I bought this from Home [EMAIL="Barg&#64;ins"]Barg@ins[/EMAIL] and they said I could have a credit so I ended up getting the blender I have been enying up for awhile that they had at £19.99. I had already looked at the reviews online and theyre good tho .....

I also went in Morrisons on my way home on Wednesday and saw a full length mirror for £5 and just couldnt leave it there as I have really wanted one for my room and theyve been more like £10 at least .....

I did sell two books on Amazon, £7.75+£6.25= £14 - £4.09 so just under a tenner made ( not brillant but I guess the books were just gathering dust on my shelves....

I also went to Ald! and bought the seeds and to Homebaze for the little pots and drainer thing. I have also saved loads of plastic dishes from the recyclingfr om when I have bought sausages/fillets etc and am going to see if maybe they'll work equally well.

On Friday I went to Morrisons on my way home just to get some jam as I didnt need any food and ended up spending £29.16 -its all stuff I will use apart but dont neccessarily need - candle lighter, my weeks sweet treat (which disappeared that night!), a magazine at £3.40, x 2 photo cube thing (one for me and I hope the second may make a bday present for someone at some stage ...).

On the frugalling front I had a watch battery put in the quality watch my parents bought me - it was £6.95 but is guarenteed for a year so hopefully its money well spent .......... I have been lookin around at watches but would only be able to afford another cheapy of which I have gone through 2 in the last 18 months.

Then on Saturday I kind of needed some social contact/something to break the boredom, my friend asked me if I wanted to go up to Mr A and I spent £40.14!!!!!!!!!!! all on stuff I didnt need - a cardigan, a jumper, some leggings and £12.14 on food ......

I vowed today was going to be a low/no spend day but have seemed to see temptation everywhere I go............ I went to my bookclub (free at the local library and I walk there and back) and passed a charity shop and in the window was a lovely coat, primark had a £1 rail showing in the window and when I went in the chemist to pick up my script they were selling a silvatec specialist soap for a £1 which I have had recommended for a issue I have with cysts but havent been able to justify paying £3.95 for p and p + the soap and couldnt get hold of it from any of the chemists. The book I ordered on Guinea pigs came in and that was 60p for ordering from another library (despite nothing being available at the main library so having to order from another).

Anyway, overall I give myself a big fat F.

Tommorrow has to be a better day.......

Jen

homegrown_life

hi all,

I managed to make my January target of 12 NSD's today which I'm really pleased about. I think the snow helped at the beginning of the month of course.

Haven't had the best of days for various reasons that I won't go into, just feeling a bit low lately. I wonder if it's the dark days?

I did go to look at another house to rent this evening though. It would save us £140 every month in rent and council tax bills so very tempting from that view as we really want to get debts paid off so we can relocate to Scotland one day. But ugh, it was horrible, the best thing was it was in the middle of nowhere and looked out onto a field with horses. The rest was carp and really made me thankful for what I do have. I must spend this year making the most of it here rather than always wanting something else. I think that will be my motto this year

Right need to update spreadsheet with a little whoopsies I bought on Sunday. that really needs to be it until Friday when our tax credits come in. Need to be strong!