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

landregistrylass

Oh dear............. now I have a problem with frezer space. Note to self........ remember that you have a tiny house with no room for a chest freezer! DOH

rozeepozee

Frugaldom wrote: »

After a year of hardly any interest on savings, you'd think it would have sunk in... the Government WANTS everyone to spend their money, they WANT you to cash in savings and invest in new stuff, they WANT you to trade in your bangers for new cars tied to 0% loans for 3 years. But you know what? People like us must really get up their noses when we still just don't spend money, so they'll try to hit us where we can't avoid the spending - oh yes, that brings me back to VAT on all foods. Is that what's known as a 'frugalution' (frugal revolution), because it went full circle? :rotfl: Frugalites unite!

I'm totally with you on this one, frugaldom. If everyone behaved like you and my parents, the country would go bankrupt because no one would be spending anything. I'm aspppiring to this way of life and have always hated being in debt (only ever had 3 loans in my life - my mortgage , now paid off, and a car and washing machine bought on interest free credit when I was 23 years old - and I used to lie awake at night worrying about paying for these personal debts! All the talk of other countries buying up swathes of land makes me very nervous again and I remind myself of our plan of buying our own bit of land so we are not at the mercy of our own or other governments and their unsustainable policies - although I have been squirming a little about the population growth arguments being pregnant with twins due to ferility treatment My justification is that we'll raise them to be socially responsible indviduals

Went to Aldi today as son wanted melon fo his packed lunch tomorrow and they're £3 in Costco. Aldi's super 6 is such a great deal. I must remember to use it more and adapt my meal planning to take advantage of what's on offer that week (as it was, just bought butternut squash and spuds).

Is it a good time to change energy supplier now? It's on my long To Do list. Unfortunatey, I'm finding it harder and harder to be productive now that this pregnancy is nearing it's close...

R x

NualaBuala

Hi frunchkins :wave:

Help please! Could anyone tell me how to use dried chickpeas? They've been soaking for about 24 hours. Do I need to boil them before adding them to a veggie curry? How long do they need to cook for? I don't have a pressure cooker. Thanks in advance! I got a small pack at the coop to give them a try and will buy in bulk next time I can get a lift.

Also got some mung beans which I am sprouting in a jar - fingers crossed. Have alfalfa as well which I'll do in another jar.

Found a packet of tomato seeds I got free with other seeds so am going to try planting those in an old mushroom tray and see if anything germinates. The sitting room is sunny and warm these days so will leave them in there.

Did my imeasuring yesterday - gas hasn't been this low since November when I'd only just put on the heating. It's been very frosty these last few mornings but am considering turning off central heating. Am not using it in the evenings anyway. Leccy is lower too. :j

Have about €50 in my purse which has to cover almost everything for the rest of the month. I decided that cash only will make me less likely to spend it!

Hope you all have a great evening!

rictus123

Hey everyone hows it going!? Hardly get time for my favourite site just now, keeping myself so busy! Anyway bought a new to me car last night! Mot in van is out in 2 weeks today and no way is it ever going to get through without needing loads of work on it, hate it anyway! So im running it until next Friday(also lets me get my private reg off of it) then its away to the scrappie and my car takes over!) Got a 206, exactly the same as the one i bought and wrote off when i was 17 and just passed my test(no fault of mine before anyway insults me lol) So got it at auction last night and thourogh inspection today shows its fine, nothing mechanically wrong with it:j:jMot for 9 months aswel so im chuffed :j:j It cost less than 2 weeks wages! Tax out end of April but its only £68 for 6 months, compared to my van at £104.50 :eek: Will be getting a 3 month tax rebate so thatl be £52.25 if you simple half it? Cant remember what happened last time i got one but il find out.


So cost so far
Car - £485.25
Petrol - £16.02

Costs i know il have - no plate transfer - £80, back wiper - £10, Battery for key - £5

so less than £100 and its ready for insuring! Think i need to insure it before can change the plate over!

So looks a good buy so far and im happy! Still managed to put £100 into a little savings acc last night, little by little im going to have alot:j

JayneC

Hey everyone,

How's things?

Thought I'd tell you about an article I read the other day (in permaculture magazine) about a guy that is living without money!! He lives in a caravan and volunteers 3 days a week on an organic farm (where his caravan is parked). He has a woodburner and a solar panel for electricity (for lights, his phone and laptop) and grows his own food or forages/trades for it and coppices wood on the farm for his stove. He gets about by cycling. He seemed quite normal too!!

Anyway it's inspired me to believe I can make a go of a small holding. I've given myself a target of 5 years to prepare. I'll save as much as possible and research as much as possible too. I've found out about an organization called WWOOF where you can volunteer on organic farms in return for bed and board so will try to get some experience by doing that. I'm quite prepared to live in a caravan (at least intially) just got to persuade the family to join me!!

Today I made chicken stew with the chicken carcass!! Put chicken carcass in slowcooker with a carrot and onion and herbs this morining and then stripped it (was really just the wings left) when got back from work added large potaoto and carrots and fed 4 people with a reduced crusty loaf (69p)!! Bargain! DD2 and I had the remains of the bean stew from last week (which wasn't nearly as nice reheated )

Only bought petrol today so doing ok! Gave DD1 my £6 off £30 spend in Sainsbugs for this week as I won;t need that much this week. Told her it was an extra birthday present (her birthday yesterday)!

Hope everyone well x

cha97michelle

Just wanted to pop in quickly and say that i know a few of you want to apply for the dig in seeds - i have been looking daily on the proper website with no luck - it just says coming soon.

However, a little browsing today and i found this link and it told me my application was succesful. Hope it is of use to somebody. I am just glad it has arrived as i want to start off some courgettes and i wasn't going to buy some when i could get some for free. It might get me a bit higher up the list for posting out so they arrive more quickly.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/digin/apply_for_seeds/

rozeepozee

JayneC wrote: »

Hey everyone,

How's things?


Anyway it's inspired me to believe I can make a go of a small holding. I've given myself a target of 5 years to prepare. I'll save as much as possible and research as much as possible too. I've found out about an organization called WWOOF where you can volunteer on organic farms in return for bed and board so will try to get some experience by doing that. I'm quite prepared to live in a caravan (at least intially) just got to persuade the family to join me!!

There seem to be so many people on this thread with similar aspirations (and some already living it) it makes me wonder if there's some way of sharing hints and tips - or having some sort of challenge thread for those wanting to do this. Not quite sure how it would work.

Where we are at at the moment with this dream is:

We both like the idea but circumstances have stopped us from implementing (new baby, needing fertility treatment for sibling so wanting to be near a suitable hospital, now pregnant with twins and don't foresee a move til they are at least 18 months old).

We have the funds to do it on a small scale (buy a house with some land - how much do we need - I really have no idea?!? How much land do you need to be fairly selfsufficient?) without any additional borrowing or selling our current home, which we could let out. Ideally we'd like something that could give us an additional income e.g. a holiday let, but that would probably mean borrowing.

Would it be too hard, too much of a culture shock? I have a large social network of other mums in the city in which we live. I'm a bit scared of being too isolated and would prefer to be on the edge or near to a village or town. DH is less social than me and less concerned about this but worries about lack of amenities in rural areas, e.g. schools, access to further education, jobs.

My feeling is we just have to make the leap and if it doesn't work, we won't have put all our eggs in one basket and can always return to Sheffield. Want to be as prepared as possible if we do though so less likely to fail. Where can you get advice, info on doing this kind of lifestyle change?

Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received.

R x

FrankieM

rozeepozee I, too, would love to go down the smallholding path! As you say, we aren't the only ones!
I've been looking at over 10 acres so that I have land for about 6 cows/cattle; 6 sheep; 6 pigs; some land to make hay and land for veggies.
Depending on the area you want to live in will depend on the price. I found a lovely farm with a 4 bed house and 14 acres currently on the market for £600k....maybe not!!
I've given myself 3 years. I'm starting an Accounting degree in September and in 3 years I'll be finished and my 2 eldest will be trough there A levels, so its a good cut off for moving.
I'm looking at earning outside of my smallholding to begin with. So DH's job and I'm hoping to be self employed or part time.

How it all works out in reality is another thing completely, of course!!

xnatalie81x

Morning all - i am still alive

We signed contracts and stuff for our new house and move in on the 22nd March - it is a 3 bedroom with garage and conservatory. Garden is pretty much concreted but chickens are going to go stay with my mummy for a few weeks while we build them a proper home

Have had to re write budget a little as LHA will increase but rent is high but all looking good and ok.

Hope you are all doing as well.

In other news - my swim school is doing amazingly. I now haver 2 hours on a Saturday and 2 hours on a Sunday. I also now have an hour on a Thursday but won't be doing babies as that is 5-6 and a little late for the under 4's.

My son is 6 today

Kiwisaver_2

JayneC wrote: »

I've found out about an organization called WWOOF where you can volunteer on organic farms in return for bed and board so will try to get some experience by doing that. I'm quite prepared to live in a caravan (at least intially) just got to persuade the family to join me!!

Hey Jayne, we get lots of WWOOFERS over here, it's very common with the backpackers as they get free food and accommodation http://www.wwoof.co.nz/ We also have places where you can attend workshops on sustainable living / permaculture projects. Perhaps you might have somewhere a bit closer to home that offer these types of courses.

I'm still on my leccy mission and have now arranged for my meter to be changed on 23rd March (Woohooo!) to give us the night time economy rates. I am thrilled and yet again kicking myself that I didn't look into this previously.
Sure focusses the mind this challenge! I will have to impose some strict rules on myself, no washing machine or dishwasher before 11pm. I have bought a timer for the dehumidifier so that will strictly be on during the cheap rate only and I'm sure I can think of some more creative ways to make the most of what I hope will ultimately be a windfall to my 2010 budget. :T

Our highest electric bill last winter was :eek: $338.05 (£122) for one month (June), so I hope we don't EVER go there again. It will be good to compare anyway.

Other things ticking along fine, it's my turn this weekend to cook dinner for friends, so trying to think up something I can make that is mostly already in the freezer or larder / or cheap and in season at the shops, to make up for the beer and wine I will have to get. I will also have to buy a decent sized bit of meat as well, fortunately I already got most ingredients to make a cheesecake out of last week's budget.