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

Frugaldom

Fayjmck, sorry it's bad news that's taking you on your unexpected trip and I hope everything goes to plan for the new house. I'm always happy to talk chickens, there are loads of us on the challenge who have them.

I just had another look at the Frugaldom budget and counted up ALL spends to date, including rent, council tax and everything else outside of the household budget. The total spend, all in, amounts to £1521.61 for a household of 3 plus all the livestock. Considering minimum adult wage is around £811 per month, even if there was only one person in this household working on minimum wage, we'd STILL be able to bank £100 per month for a rainy day. I'm quite impressed by that, although I am also very, very glad that I don't need to employ anyone and that I don't need to pay transport costs for getting to & from work! :eek:

Erme

I'm thinking of doing dwarf beans on my lounge sill in grow bags from £land.

Hmmm interesting reading about Mr. T's frozen mince . I'll eat anything though. Maybe try soya as a cheap alternative? (get from asian stores - keeps well though prolly GM)

Congrats rictus...now you'll have more frugal challenges!

And the sun is out and I deffo have a bug :P. Friday I ended up with the chills from Tues (remember I was out @ the bus stop @ 8am on 3 hours sleep and waited for an hour for that bus and it was FREEZING!)...So thinking cheap home remedies (even cheaper than orange juice) and thinking paracetamol and lemon and ginger. Maybe only way. And don't do too much for next few days. Just a wee bit of fresh air every day (part of my W.R.A.P).

Thanks for all the encouragement guys. It's taken about 2 years to get to this point of the £15 a week budget for food (absolute max = £20) and toiletries/cleaners etc. I started on Dave Ramsey's debt plan in August 2008 and that went well for a while. Then panicked over DLA and did C.A.P (but I was on micro meals due to delusions @ £20 a week and they wouldn't let me smoke....nightmare...and they were for more severe probs than what I had - otherwise fab) - Christians Against Poverty which showed me how to much to allow for stuff (I previously had like NO idea). The good thing is if ya not too heavily in debt they now have a C.A.P money course which I think would have suited my needs better.(The cash is king idea is a dave ramsey idea. As is the envelope/money bag system.). And with C.A.P to gain some control I bought a tin whistle and went busking. So you can do stuff on benefits.

If ya on ESA you won't be over the 4k challenge. It's just not possible!

So I quit the Micromeals (they were really good and the council subsidized them and they helped to keep me sane) in november due to having LOADS in the freezer and needing less than 3 a week and the eating prob playing up. And like yeah, I'd get them again in a shot if I needed them. They were fabbo (better than supermarket bought) and then my friend told me about this site. I started tithing in January and here I am ...

And newbies....Rome wasn't built in a day...overspends on your problem categories (like partying etc) need to be reduced GRADUALLY else you'll have a complete freak out and won't finish things. That's how I've got to where I am now and it's taken 18 months and I'm not there yet. Look at some of the others...they do far better than me. I'm a work in progress but this board is so lovely and if you want help we'll give it to you and we'll tell you if you do something really bad but we'll also encourage and support.

So now off for one more wee coffee (when I go to A+E they always say "Do you abuse drugs." and I'm like "yeah caffeine and nicotine" and I'm being deadly serious but they think I'm joking? Go figure?) and then write this Kleeneze letter.

And I feel like such a dumbo for only just realizing that milk is £1.50 for 4 litres fresh at Mr. F and has been since Xmas when I have been paying 45p a litre!!! Argh:mad:

Hugs


E

Fishcake_Random

Hey all,
Loving the baby boom on this thread lately lol, I think there is definately something in the water!!!
Yesterdays spends were a grand total of £2. £1 for 3 litre milk and £1 for some spag bol sauce. Today I brought some fabric conditioner which after a voucher paid me 2p to take it away lol. I found a random smily face sticker in my craft stash this morning so I've put it in my budget book next to the fabric conditioner record lol.
Weather is beautifull here so 2 loads of washing in my new garden drying and I've been making some cards in the sunshine,using an envelope full of used stamps I brought from a charity shop ages ago. I'll pop them on my blog once I'm back online properly.
OH is playing football with his mates in the park today so I'm having some left over spag bol for my dinner and chuck some frozen toad in the hole in the mic to nuke when he gets in.
Now the big question is...... does today count as a NSD because I've actually made money lol. What would you guys record it as???

x x x x x

candygirl

Is it just me or is anyone else buzzing today with the sunshine?I always get like this in Spring, as have got SAD syndrome, but today I feel fab:j:j:j
Been to Dad's grave and the top was off the vase thing in the grave, anyway was gonna buy a new one £20, but the old handyman who volunteers there gave me a new top for nowt, as he said they blow off all the time, so it might even be ours anyway:rotfl::rotfl:
Posted all my ebay stuff for £20 so have made a £60 profit, which I am spending this aft on the dogs annual jabs:rotfl:Still at least it makes the cash last longer:D:D

cw18

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Now the big question is...... does today count as a NSD because I've actually made money lol. What would you guys record it as???

Good question - and not one I've personally had to contend with

Wish today was like that for me though...... having a Big Spend Day rather than a NSD :eek:

Started with £55 at hairdresser (but I'm loving the end result), then £3 food shopping (mostly Whoopsies - decided to grab some oven meals they had there, and have a couple of 'lazy days' when it comes to cooking), and then £105.50 on dog food :eek: :eek:

Called in the vets to see if an alternative food would be OK for the dalmatian, as PAH had the breed specific on 20% off until tomorrow morning - making it cheaper than the special 'low purine' one he's been on since his op to remove stones last Sept. Vet is happy for me to put him on it as it's low purine (though not as low as the other), but only as it's from the same manufacturer.

Planned to get 6 bags (which would last me until mid-August), but the system would only let me have 3 as that's all they had left in stock But it means I'll have enough food for him until the start of June (with the 3 weeks worth I have in now), and I've still saved almost £20 compared to the cheapest I can find the other one (around £1.90/week) - and every little helps

rozeepozee

Well, I managed a NSD after all as OH collected the milk and he's not one for buying more than he's sent out to get.

Had a really productive day potting on my cos lettuce and coriander seedlings in the "raised bed" bath we have in our slightly worn out conservatory (use it as a greenhouse!) I also sowed a load more salad veggies, herbs and a few flowers. I'm quite buoyed up by my early success (I've also managed to germinate some aubergines, basil and parsley) so I plan to do sequential sowings every fortnight or so. We didn't start sowing til late April last year, so we're way ahead on ourselves this year and hopefully a longer growing season means a longer saving season. We're able to be loads more proactive in the garden this year since our LO started nursery as he always wanted to "help" us and he was never very helpful as he was only 2, although he tried bless him

Anyone any advice on basil. I had visions of having abundant supplies last year and home made pesto, but the plants never did very well. Am I right in thinking that you have to water them at a certain time of day as they don't like wet roots???

candygirl wrote: »

Is it just me or is anyone else buzzing today with the sunshine?I always get like this in Spring, as have got SAD syndrome, but today I feel fab:j:j:j

I am definately more upbeat. It was glorious today in our garden and OH and I are always at our best with each other when we potter in the garden.

ruby1968_2

This is fantastic frugal living pals I'm trying my best at the moment am learning new ways of spending, went to the market today for vegetables for my home made pasta sauce have a got quite a batch now in th freezer, also saving maney with baking my own cakes I like this way of life, it's fun learning new idea's. sort of reminds me of 1940's (I'm not that old) but when you watch programes it makes you realise the way it was.

annie123

rozeepozee wrote: »

Anyone any advice on basil. I had visions of having abundant supplies last year and home made pesto, but the plants never did very well. Am I right in thinking that you have to water them at a certain time of day as they don't like wet roots???

Basil likes/needs 3 things; full sun, free draining soil and no water on its leaves or stems.
I grow mine in a pot placed in a deep saucer tray and put the water in that.
I mixed sand with compost 25/75 ratio and it does well every year, unless I forget to put copper tape around the pot in which case it gets eaten by snails when its about 2" tall :mad:

I dont sow mine till mid April and put it outside mid may depending on the weather, (no greenhouse/conservatory as I'm in a first floor maisonette with a little garden I want a BIG one:D) basil doesn't like cold, so I wait till night time temps dont go below 10/12.

HTH

Lily_The_Legend

Afternoon everyone! :hello:

I've had another NSD, so am pleased with that! Went to the new Waitrose on my lunchbreak, and drooled over the patisserie counter, but managed to resist, which is good for my bank balance but also my waistline! Had a little browse around their smellies too, but dragged myself away before picking anything up!

Dog-sitting round my mum's tonight so I'll be using their electricity to watch telly and their tea bags for a nice cuppa. Taking my own dinner though!

slowlyfading – hope your day was better today, and that you're feeling better about teaching.

rictus123 – congratulations on your new niece or nephew!

SuzyWuzy – congratulations to you too! Wow! Baby number six!!!

Bit disturbed by all the babies appearing! I can guarantee I WON’T be next! :eek:

Fayjmck – sorry to hear you had some sad news.

Candygirl – I am loving the sunshine too! Fingers crossed it lasts all week!

Hope everyone had a good day. :beer:

xnatalie81x

AM on a high! Just got accepted by tesco to collect their schools vouchers for my swim school mega happy as i can kit out the swim school for less and use the money for better things

Have another migraine - went to docs this time as getting silly. The medication has made me feel drunk and drowsy so no work this afternoon or yesterday so lost money

Otherwise all well this end