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

cw18

Frugaldom wrote: »

Wassat? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Checked back on post 1 and this is my entertainment and socialising budget:

Internet - £164.00
Mobiles - £30.00
Telephone - £150.00
TV Licence - £142.50

You and I are much of a muchness on this one

Mine reads

Mobile - £60.00
Phone & Broadband - £276.00
TV Licence - £144.00


So I guess I've got a budget of £480 for "socialising/holidays" - which means not much under that of candygirl (and much the same as yours as well)

candygirl

cw18 wrote: »

You and I are much of a muchness on this one

Mine reads

Mobile - £60.00
Phone & Broadband - £276.00
TV Licence - £144.00


So I guess I've got a budget of £480 for "socialising/holidays" - which means not much under that of candygirl (and much the same as yours as well)

Seeee i'm trying to be good :D[STRIKE]although my extra £500 excludes mobile, BB etc[/STRIKE]

Frugaldom

CW, if we didn't work from home, I'd do without the TV, Internet and telephones, travel to town less often and save a fortune on electricity. If I was truly skint, I'd cancel my life assurance, saving another £15 per month, and that would bring my cost of running this household down to less than £5000 per year INCLUDING rent & council tax. Sadly, such socially interactive frugal challenges aren't available online because they dictate that we NEED telephone/Internet access.

Been trying to keep up with Weezl's thread - most interesting but, again, something that's impossible to reach those in most need if they can't afford Internet access and have no interest in setting foot inside a library. I'm convinced it's all down to education - people need to be in a frame of mind that they WANT to learn about this stuff but even if they NEED to deal with debts, there will always be those who prefer alternative methods to solving their own problems, even if it's the ill-fated 'head in the sand' method. I guess that's why the lottery is such a success, giving hope to all who can't see that the amount they spend each year could pay for something more than just hope.

cw18

TV, Internet and (home) phone are things I class as 'essentials' - and would be amongst the last things to go (the car would go long before these, but I'm in walking distance of everything I need including a fairly good bus route). The mobile is a luxury for me, but gives me peace of mind and will stay as long as I can continue to get a good deal on a contract or cheap enough PAYG.

Without TV, phone and Internet I reckon I'd go totally insane, and if I lived as remotely as you do they'd be even more of an essential for me (just one reason I soooooo admire your lifestyle, but I guess a lot of it is what we've got used to when being brought up - I've known quieter places and reckon I could return to them, but never anywhere near as quiet/remote as your little frugal kingdom)

Life insurance is one thing I'd never consider being without unless it became a toss-up between that and food/heating, but after my endowment matures (just 25 months to go) it will all be what I have linked to pension schemes (having been lucky enough to be employed by companies with good schemes in the past) - statements I have indicate there's more than enough there, so I don't see the point in scratching around to find the money to buy yet more.

lynzpower

I know people who have never travelled outside their own area in their lives, so they have never seen a city! Think Crocodile Dundee in New York - that was a bit like me in London!

Frualdom :wave:

Dont you worry. This is where I live:



Theres some pics of my roof space on my blog

Lots of exciting developments in food growing in the metropolis

For example

https://www.projectdirt.com

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

http://www.capitalgrowth.org/

If you have time to spare these are a great place to start reading about what goes on growing wise in the smoke.

Sustainweb is also an interesting read for those who havent had a gander at it ( I guess it preaches to the converted to us lot )

Frugal news:

BAD

I have to come to the conclusion I cannot save at the rate I want to, as Im leaving myself far too short. I am being v frugal indeed, and have hardly spent any money at all since payday. Ive had to move 200 from my savings account. Whatevers spare will go back into savings.

GOOD

I've bought a number of items like compost, some seeds, cheap fleece and netting, Charlotte pots from 99p stores.

I'm about to get everything out. I'm going to make a large elastic loop to hold the £shop fleece to the top of a £shop garden waste pop up that another MSer said shed grown potatoes in successfully. Pleased that was a cheap spend, wish Id bought a couple more but keeping an eye on the money and making sure that there is enough left.

Ive got a number of old scratched CDs that I've found so will knock up some bird scarers this afternoon.

Weve taken the faulty electric scales back, so now can get on with baking again
:j

Ive got some left over chicken and pastry so will make some chicken & mushroom pasties with the rest + a concrete cornflake pie with the horrible amaranth cornflakes.

Its really cold here: We need to go up to the roof and again clean out the guttering. I think Ive found a charity that will take the rest of the old soil. Although a bit of it can be reused. It is a nightmare to work out how to get rid of soil when you live in a flat - but thrilled if I can find someone to get rid of it. Alternatively I guess I can store it in an unused area of the roof

Anyway, better get up on the roof before it starts going dark!

Hope everyone is having a nice day and well done to SF :T FAB NEWS!!

pagangirl

Hi all, another nsd - was going to go to library, but dodgy tummy said otherwise (got I B S - no fun)
but had a good sort out - a large bag paperwork for recycling/shredding, and washing done so at least something achieved.

Have finally started mealplanning, just never got round to it whilst working, but its working great now all stockpiles and freezer sorted. Just got to keep reminding meself not to buy more, til what I 've already got is used up !

Conrats to twinkles08 - its great that you have been approached by that magazine about your cross stitching :j

Lynzpower - love the 'urban forager' name - can I join the club - been wombling for years !

Thoughts are with anyone who has OH in forces abroad. Bigs Hugs to you. :grouphug:

Enjoy rest of your weekend all

rictus123

Hey everyone hows it going? Away out tonight but hopefully i can keep it under £30...will be drinking all the beer here before i go out so will just spend on the train.

Fishcake_Random

Hello to all my fellow frugallers,
Things are still odd in Fishcake land. OH is on a one man mission to get us a new flat ASAP allthough it is keeping him occupied and thus not making us spend money. Its horrible to see him all uphappy and restless, especially as I only want to nest and make our current place all homely and ready for baby. OH has admitted that he doesnt want our baby born in this flat and I really don't know if we will find somewhere in time. Ho hum.
OH went through his latest bank statement and found out that mr T had charged him instead of refunded him for something. It was only a £10 game but thats a lot of money for us. So he found all the receits and took his statement to our local store and not only got a full refund of £20 but an extra £10 as an apology. Which is a great result! We have splurged £3 on a rocky road cheesecake for out valentines day meal tomo. Looking soooo forward to it.

Not sure who mentioned it but I'm watching that mastercrafts program as I type and its really interesting. Does anyone on here have any experience of wooden kitchenware? plates, bowls, utensils etc? Are they hardwearing and can you keep them hygenic easily?
x x x x

JayJay14

Fishcake - I thnk you need a really close grained wood to stop it absorbing too much water. Most of the kitchen bowls etc that you see in the shops are rubberwood.

Fishcake_Random

Thanks for the reply.
I think I'll just stick with my vintage collection then lol. I have 3 plates but one is chipped and they are all crackling so I think its time to replace them for food needs. Need to scout the charity shops.
x x x x