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

in_spired2

morning all

summary of february from me:
On budget for groceries*
Under for phone calls (made as few chargeable as poss and used 18185 when appropriate), fares
Over for clothes (but still within the yearly clothes budget and should be no more clothes now until a few tshirts and/or undies in the summer)
Gas & electric - only a little over the monthly DD, but quite reasonable for the time of year I think (and I'm sure that was partly due to the home-made draught excluders and the decision to wear layers and have the temperature a couple of degrees lower than usual), and leaves me hopeful and determined that the year will finish well under budget in this area
Sky subscription was free in february, and I'm cancelling it this month - so that will be quite a saving for the year - the DD was £19 a month.
Over budget for credit card payments, but this was because I paid off the balance :T - have been paying more than minimum on this, and this means I now have another £80 or so available each month. Does it seem sensible to add a savings/emergencies budget to replace the CC budget?

All in all, I was happy with the month. I also brought in nearly £100 profit from ebay and amazon sales - most of those were items that I was going to bin :eek: have been scratching and clicking and have received £10 amazon vouchers from surverys this month. on reflection... no, not happy, but VERY happy with february's budget :j

* I swear one of our most unexpected savings here is bread - I've just about trained the boys to use the value bread from the freezer, or any good bread that is feeling dry and would normally not get eaten up, whenever they have toast - saving the "nicer" loaves for sandwiches/other fresh bread use. I also did a monthly shop, so saved a delivery charge, and rather than just click on my usual shopping list, really took the time to get the best value for money - mostly this was buying alternative brands/sizes that were on offer. We have discovered this year though, that we don't like t*sco frozen mince (gross gross gross - will probably dry fry what's left and throw it out for the birds) and that daisy washing tablets leaves white streaks all over the clothes and just don't clean very well - sticking to the brand names there - we got 2 persil small & mighty's on offer, and a big box of ariel bio powder almost 1/2 price Will last for ages.

Other frugal efforts:
remembered to do a hot maintenance wash last night on cheap rate - hopefully that will keep the washing machine happy for a little longer (it's 6 yrs old and has got some "issues" such as leaking from time to time). Have been washing as much as possible on 30 and using soda crystals in some washes.
Banged a nail through the lid of my washing up liquid some time ago.. Oh my - can't believe how much longer than usual that lasted :eek: Have been using the same bottle since early december (or maybe even november) I think. I'd used about 1/4 before making the hole. It usually only lasts about a month to 6 weeks. Will be using the last squirt this morning. I got wilko brand to try - 2 for 90p or something like that, so hopefully with the same tactic, they'll last the rest of the year


Plans for March - to keep doing what I'm doing - NSD's, trying to stick to or come under budget (I might split my budget into 2 - a "fixed" one - such as tv licence, water where I can't make savings, and a variable one - groceries, electric etc where I can), trying to keep gas and electric use as low as I can. Only buy what we need, and see if there's a bargain price to be had. Scratching & clicking and surveys to bring a little extra in. Continue the decluttering - see if I can find some more goodies for ebay. Eat less - I'd like to lose 4 pounds this month. :rotfl:Sow the flower seeds left over from last year - so I have a cheerful garden without spending on it this year.

good luck with your frugaleering efforts everyone

NualaBuala

xnatalie81x wrote: »

THANKS! It is not lol - we want to move end of March so start looking tomorrow properly as landlord/ladies want you to move in quickly - we have until 31st April if we have problems tho

I hate moving

Good luck! I hate moving too - I think that's what has made me want to own a home so much. Hope you find somewhere lovely, cheap and without any hassle!

in_spired2 wrote: »

Banged a nail through the lid of my washing up liquid some time ago.. Oh my - can't believe how much longer than usual that lasted :eek:

Well done on all your frugal activities! I haven't heard of putting a nail in the washing up liquid bottle. Could you tell me more?

catznine

:hello: Morning!

I'm beginning to think I should be working on the annual amount rather than so much a month! A further trip to Costco yesterday saw me going through the checkout with a years supply of foil, clingfilm, baking parchment (also good for tracing sewing patterns I hope), ziplocs (I wash and reuse these several times) huge bag of canadian prawns, tub of mixed spice, flora marge, mango chutney and a good supply of dried apricots and cranberries. The food will come out of March's grocery challenge and the foil etc from the misc budget.

Frugal jobs for the day:-

Today I have put some mung beans in to soak ready for the sprouter and will hopefully have a prawn stirfry later this week, which will also use up some of the af noodles and sauce and an odd bit of cabbage, onions, pepper and carrots. I am also soaking some of the af country soup mix ready to add to the odds and ends of veg in the bottom of the fridge, so hopefully some warming soup later on.

Must make up some bread rolls, some kiwi jam, cook up some mash for shepherds pies, top up the hm muesli jar (now i have lots of dried fruit to add) and make an apple crumble (using up some past their best apples).
I have a lot of this sort of work to catch up on after a week of the noro virus:(

Do some more card making to top up supplies.

Knitting or cross stitch (keeps me busy and away from the shops)

Grate up the odds and ends of old bars of soap to mould into new "use for the garden" soap!

Cut up an old t shirt of dh's to use for cleaning cloths.

Expensive jobs today are another trip to the vets to check how Pennys pad is healing. I am still cursing the kids that leave broken beer bottles all over the park!:mad: difficult to forgive the mindlessness! Being a Christian is hard work sometimes!

Slowly but surely I think dh is coming onboard with the thriftyness! Not easy but the thought of paying off the mortgage is good motivation. Our electric kettle broke over the weekend, I would have been quite happy to carry on using the old on the hob kettle, but that is not fast enough for dh when he is in a hurry to get to work so he argued for another electric all singing light up (and burn lots of electricity) version. We finally settled on the tefal filter super fast boil a mugful in 3 secs gadget that was on offer at Costco last month. It cost more yes, but hopefully over its lifetime should save some pennies and seems to be a greener solution.

Right off to try it out and have the last of my freebie green teas!

Catz x

Jeff77

Hello. I've just started posting here in the forums and just discovered this thread. I have a question that is related to frugal living and I would really appreciate a honest answer even if it is said harshly.

I'll make it very short:
So I am trying to save money as well and in fact I even made a list of all the purchases I've made and the money that I've used so that I can keep track to where all my money goes.

Now, studying my notes I found out that I don't really save that much. As of everything I earn is just enough for all my needs.

Now I would have saved a lot of money if I didn't spend a lot of it for entertainment and leisure purposes. I said it because I noticed that if I just don't spend too much on my leisure time, cinema, bars, malls etc, I would have save a lot. But my party life is also what's keeping me going for work or earning a lot of money.

Do you think this is okay? Or I still have to save a lot of money even if that would surely make me a little lonely?

NualaBuala

Hi Jeff,

It's great that you're reflecting on how you spend your money (and live your life).

I think it depends on what makes you happy, bearing in mind that there is no guarantee of having a well-paid job for life any more.

I get an inkling that you might not be altogether happy with your job and the entertainment is an antidote to that. Now I can't speak for you, but that wouldn't work for me. I'd be happier in a lower paid, lower pressure, fewer hours job - but of course that may not be feasible.

There are lots of enjoyable things to do that are free or cheap. I think it would be a mistake to make any big sudden changes. But how about you gradually substitute a cheap/free activity for a cinema/pub outing. That could be a walk, visit to a museum, gallery or exhibition. Or cooking a meal for your friends and having them bring the wine. Whatever floats your boat! No need to change everything at once, just keep an open mind and try different things to see what suits you.

Another thing to keep in mind is, what is your long term dream? What does your ideal life look like and what's the best way of achieving that? If it's going to take money then keeping your goal in mind will help motivate you to live more frugally.

Good luck!

cw18

Jeff77 wrote: »

Now I would have saved a lot of money if I didn't spend a lot of it for entertainment and leisure purposes. I said it because I noticed that if I just don't spend too much on my leisure time, cinema, bars, malls etc, I would have save a lot. But my party life is also what's keeping me going for work or earning a lot of money.

Do you think this is okay? Or I still have to save a lot of money even if that would surely make me a little lonely?

I guess it depends on who you socialise with, but could you look for alternatives that are cheaper?

My late DH was a keen hill-walker (as well as drinker), and was a member of a walking club - though this was linked to the company we worked for, so very cheap. The only extra he had to pay for was a share of the coach hire for the day (which he often didn't pay in return for leading a walk) and a pub meal on the way home.

Cinema trips on a Wednesday night if you (or your companion) have a mobile/broadband connection with Orange - so 2 for 1 (and sneak in your own snacks)

A lot of museums etc are also free admission these days - perhaps not to specialised displays, but to the main exhibits.

From your post and username I'm assuming you're male? So a night in with a chick-flick, bottle of wine and nibbles probably isn't your scene But a night in on someone's Wii / PS / Xbox with a 'tournament' of some sort (and shop bought beer) would also be a cheaper night I guess

chika

Good morning everyone.

Feb was a good month for me. My overall spends were up due to an impromptu trip to London but eating a lot of food in the hotel room and making use of park and rides has balanced it out. Plus the benefit to my mental health is massive.

I adopted two degus this month so I've had to add a new pet category to my budget. They are quite cheap to look after but one has asthma (or equvialent degu disease) and is a bit sneezy so they need special bedding which has cost a bit. Also cos they are soo cute I keep buying them little toys. This needs to stop - the amount of time P3ts at Home has appeared on my statement this month is mortifying.

This month my food and entertainment spends will come down a lot as I'm restarting the Cambridge diet. Can't eat or drink so no more afternoons in the pub for me!

Welcome Jeff. That's a tricky one to answer a budget is a personal thing. However do you have a paid for house, car etc and do you have enough put by incase you fall upon hard times? One of the key things this thread has taught me is that frugal doesn't = miserable. In fact I'm much happier since I started taking control of things. No one is telling you to live like a hermit squirrelling away every penny, that would make most people unhappy. However try and save what you can - even if its somethign like 10% of your wages. My going out/entertainment budget is the highest one out of my categories but I keep it in control where I can. This involves doing things like going to clubs before 11 and getting the stamp so I don't have to pay £10 to get in and taking a deep breath and getting the night bus home for £1 instead of the £18 taxi fare. HTH

Lily_The_Legend

Hi frugal folks!

Well I managed to stick to the budget in February! :j

I'm still doing well with bringing lunches into work, which I'm pleased with. I can't believe how much I used to spend on sandwiches which weren't particularly tasty!

I had my first NSD of the month today – woohoo! Hopefully there'll be a few more to come! I walked to a local Mr T with my friend on my lunchbreak but managed to not spend anything! :T

I think in my last post I mentioned possibly getting a new car – well we took the plunge and have ordered it. We got £2,000 off with the scrappage scheme because our car qualifies for that. We've borrowed the full amount of the car from my mother-in-law and we're going to pay her back monthly (half each) but I think by the end of May I will be able to pay back my whole half with all the money I've been saving! :beer:

After that I'm going to save as much as I can into a new ISA for 'just in case' money i.e. just in case I lose my job, for retirement (I don't have a pension) etc.

Well my working day is drawing to a close at last! What a lovely day it's been weather wise! I hope to get out for some more lunchtime walks this week.

Lily_The_Legend

NualaBuala wrote: »

Well done on all your frugal activities! I haven't heard of putting a nail in the washing up liquid bottle. Could you tell me more?

Sorry for butting in, but think I've heard about this before. You keep the lid on the washing up liquid bottle closed and put a nail in it, then take it out, so there is a very small hole in it. Then less comes out when you pour it in to your sink. I think so anyway!

annie123

Evening frugal ones :wave:

Dont think I've posted all month, but I do try and read every day.
Very pleased with the feb grocery budget £183 for the month. Considering 2 years ago I was spending £500pm, (on what I now wonder!?) this is a big drop. I'm sure its the thought of entering every item on to the CW18 spreadsheet that keeps the number of items low in my shopping basket:D

Next month is a nasty month, rac and car insurance due, had quote from existing company for £405:eek:
I've been driving for 25 years, never had a claim and do less than 8 thousand miles a year in a car worth nothing:mad: If it wasn't for the fact that I need a car (I do shopping for oap's when I do mine, and take MIL who lives 40 miles away to hospital appointments and errands) I'd get rid of it.
Thinking on it, when I was in sales and did 20 thousand mpa, and business use insurance, it was only £450 then!Sorry, I'll shut up now:o

On a positive note I made a homemade heated propagator that works:j
Never needed one but thought I'd try one this year but not paying £10 for one if I can make one for nothing

Get cereal box , cut off one of the big sides so you are left with a tray, line with tin foil, and then bubble wrap. I then heated homemade wheat bags in microwave and placed inside with seeds in marg tubs on top. Used more bubble wrap as a lid.
I only did this at night. 1 week later I have lots of little pepper seedlings, the ones I sowed normally at the same time, show no signs of life yet, so I'm very chuffed with that and cost nothing as I had everything and the foil was reused too

Best be off dinner to do.
bye for now
x