FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.

Puddleglum

Congratulations RP. Sleep whenever you get the chance! Hope you keep up on good form NB, I really feel for you. No I feel for you both- TWINS!!!

earthgirl

Wow, congratulations to RozeePozee - amazing weights! Glad all is well.

I have got really into this challenge and have logged spends as and when. I have sold quite a lot on ebay, and used this for stretch mark cream I needed :)and a birthday present for my brother.

Anyway overall, I overspent on my £80 food budget by £6, but I didn't top up my phone, so I came in at £1 over OVERALL which I am pleased about, as I had to put up with our builders drinking me out of tea, sugar and milk!

Have had an overspend on petrol by £8 - to be expected as later in the year I won't be using so much petrol.

My biggest issue is getting OH onside. He doesn't like the soapnuts but is willing to give them another go when we get our new washing machine. He doesn't want to reduce our sky packages (£47/month ) I have also had to add £200/year on wine to my budget for OH, which I am not pleased about, but would rather update the budget so I set a target and stick to it.

I've also blown my toiletries budget for may by buying OHs razor blades in bulk. Hopefully we can make all our other toiletries 'do' or use points to buy essentials.

So targets for May include, no toiletry spending, sticking to grocery budget, and trying to reduce electricity usage.

Hope everyone is enjoying the bank hol!

slowlyfading

congrats rozeepozee :j :j

lynzpower

Hiya everyone :wave:

Well sorry I have been MIA but life has just taken over Im afraid.

I have finally had an opinion on my hand, its really not good at all to be honest and Im now questioning everything. I have a few different irons in the fire all of which I cant really discuss on here sadly, but they will all involve spending money so Im trying not to spend too much- however its not been working!

Emotionally Im feeling a lot stronger and things at home are a ton better. It is hard to think that my hand might not ever really recover and ill never get the use back in it or be left with long term pain.

UNfortunately Ive had to spend quite a bit extra as I had to go private (and its not covered on the prupolicy I got as it doesnt cover outpatients, that was me trying to be thrify i think! ) as the pain has been going on for a year, and the hour session with as hard splint was 90.00. On top of that I had to have a dentist appointment and I know I have to go and spend rather a lot of money on my teeth. Not sure what is happening with the works bupa dental plan but there is talk of it coming in this week, which would be great as it is going to be £££s :eek:

Been eating out a lot these last few days as ive been away to a freinds and a couple of train and coach fares to see friends, plus a big 100.00 shop as the cupboard was rather bare-hope it lasts. Ive also started slimming world so had to buy the lowest fat things rather than the cheapest but Im hoping the savings will outweigh by not having to buy more clothes as Im growing out of them :eek:

Gardening is going well and the salad is now eatable as is the spinach so should stop spending on those fairly soon, thank heavens. Feeling very pleased with the growing as it all seems to be working and should sae us a lot of quid in the next few months. Am trying to keep a running tally of what the veg has "saved" So far about £3 in salad leaves.

Huge congrats to Rozee, its amazing, well done you, must be exhausting :eek:

Love to everyone else, likewise i only have time to skim read but hoping to knuckle down in the next few days and catch up properly.

cw18

Just finished updating my spreadsheet - and what a nightmare it was finding all the info for my groceries page :eek: I must not leave it so long between updates again (had 16 days worth to find receipts for!!!)

Anyway, my figures stacked up (as of close of business on Friday) as follows



Of my total £8k annual budget, my individual categories allowed for a spend of £2646 - of which I've spent £2142.75

Overspends on a few categories, but most should balance by year end.

Mobile phone is likely to stay the 10p out, but it's close enough I'm not adjusting the budget there

Dog expenses is showing as having spent double what I should have, but this is due to stocking up on his food when it was on a fantastic offer - I should have enough until October

Vets bills should balance by year end, as will breakdown cover and road tax

Groceries is showing as being over budget, but this is due to the way I'm moving money into my 'stock pile fund' if I use up things I had in the house at New Year. Overall I'm still £26.85 under budget, despite three large orders from App Foods that have stocked me up on some items for months

The one I've got a 'minor' issue with is petrol. If DD moves over the summer as planned then I'll lose school runs 2 days a week (about 7.5 miles total) - but will have a 70 mile round-trip to visit her and GDs (unless I combine it with a visit to my OH, in which case it will add on about an additional 20).

And I'm already overspent, due to my visits to OH. I'm trying to find a way to charge petrol for this to my 'social life' budget which is outside of the challenge for this year (funded by extra hours done at work, whereas the budget for this challenge is based on only working my basic hours along with additional 'flat rate' pension and Tax Credit income). The best way I can see is to keep a running total of the mileage involved in visits and days out (I keep a detailed log of journey mileage in the car, along with details of refuelling), and then when I do a fill up where I've done at least as many miles for 'social life' as I've done since previous fill-up I charge that tank to my other budget. (Can't be bothered working it out as a percentage on a tank-by-tank basis, which seems to be the only other way). I've already used about a third of my last fill-up (only 8 days ago :eek: ) and am going up again on Wednesday. At least I currently have a healthy 'contingency fund' if I decide to just leave it all against my challenge budget



The one I'm most impressed with this month is my 'other' category - a total monthly spend of £5.60, and £4.60 of that was my bus fare for when I was at the hospital getting my eye sorted

top_drawer_2

hello everyone!

Congratulations to Rozee - your girls sound beautiful, looking forward to some pics.

Hey to everyone else too :wave: I hope everyone is enjoying the bank holiday.

I've been working hard on my budget and have set it up in a spreadsheet thinking then I wont need to do it again and again. Thank you so much Fruguldom for the email, it was very helpful. I printed it out and have been using it as a basis to work from.

I havent been able to link the columns - spent ages trying to work out how to multiply but just cant find that function! CW's looks waaaay beyond me just yet. Thanks for any suggestions. I also havent worked how to screenshot yet ;(



Budget







AmountHow many timesTotalIncoming


Cleaning £105.00x52
Bar work£48.00x12












Outgoing


Rent£75.00x12
Milk£15/2x12
Guinea pigs£6.00x52
Food£12.50x52
Window cleaner£5/3x12
Sewing classes£17x10x3
Travel to sewing £5.00x4
Matierals


Pilates £49.00x3
Mobile phone £23.00x12








Total outgoing per year


Outgoing per calendar month


Outgoing per four weeks


Outgoing per week

cha97michelle

Evening everyone.

Huge congratualtions to Rozee pozee and family. What fantastic news. Brilliant weights. I was in hospital with a woman who had twins when i had DS1, and they were tiny. Both 4Ib something. They looked tiny next to DS1 at 7Ib13oz. I never made it to the ward with DS2. Thank god as his 9IB2oz would have made him look like a giant.

No wonder it was hard for you. I always look on it as good though when they are good weights as less likely to suffer if they pick up a bug. Enjoy some special time and hope all goes well for you in the next few weeks.

We are trying to keep spends low here as DH's tax code is still not right so still surviving on basic monthly wage. It's DS2's 2nd birthday so we are planning a frugal party at home tomorrow. I seem to have spent the whole day in the kitchen making birthday cake, quiche, tomato and cheese rolls, twinks hobnobs, butterfly buns and some mince pies cos my two love them and we still had mince meat. We went to the local factory foods place that is like app. food but more frozen food, and they were doing 40 sausages for £3 as there bargain of the week. They were the ones you get at the chop shop, and despite the price were tasty. We are doing a bit of a BBQ to go with the stuff i made. I hope i've made enough as we have 16 adults and 6 kids here to eat it.

We also have a wedding to go to next weekend which won't be cheap. It is in London, so we have travel and cattery costs. We are staying at the in-laws luckily, but we will need to pay to get into central london, and also have to walk a good distance with kids on the way home to save paying a horrendous taxi bill the budget won't stretch too. Dreadful to think it, but i am dreading it already. It will be lovely to see close family, but i am not looking forward to the expense, or the hectic weekend so close to this one. Am i dreadful?

I am still trying to be frugal anyway, so at least that has got to count for something.

enjoyfinancialchallenges

RoPo am delighted to read that your daughters have arrived and what fantastic weights they were! Well done and remember to say yes whenever anybody offers you help of any sort. :j

Iv'e had a pretty awfull week actually, I'm fed up with being ill, really bored with it now and want to get back to normal. I can't drive yet and when neighbors ask if I want something from the shops I tend not to say yes but am running out of cash and other bits and pieces but becoming very creative I have to admit.:) My friend said to me yesterday you are not doing yourself any favours by pretending you can cope and do it all so today I've been asking and getting and life is much easier and I feel happier. To be honest Iv'e been really lucky with food as everybody is bringing me meals to either put in the freezer or to eat now.....and sometimes something for today and more for next time, I'm extremely grateful for that and more so that they want to do it for me, yes me!!!:D Wow! pretty humbling really.

In the garden weeds are growing at express rate and my vegs need potting on but are going to have to wait till I can stand more without my solar powered walking stick. I did manage to plant up a hanging basket with fuchsia plants I bought a few weeks back and will do the other tomorrow if all well, I will also try and manage to plant a tomato plant in a tub, I cant bend over the ground yet.

There are many people I want thank and comment on but sorry I'm exhausted and its bed time now. Another day tomorrow.:D please God.

Stay well everyone. Just love this site.:A

aeb_2

Congratulations Rozeepozee and family on the twin girls.

Frugaldom

CONGRATULATIONS RO-PO & FAMILY!

Hello to everyone, I've just read back over yesterday's posts and, in general, things are sounding OK despited a few health problems and the usual balancing acts involved in tight budgeting.

CW - I wouldn't count the extra travel that your new relationship involves if it's within your real means. It's more of an investment in your own happiness and that shouldn't be thought of in financial terms unless it has a negative impact, in which case the relationship is on a rocky road from the start, IMO. Make the most of it, frugalise wherever else you can and let the romance blossom and flourish knowing that your finances aren't suffering adversely.

Lynz, I hope they can come up with something conclusive that will help with your hand problem.

NualaBuala I am really pleased to hear that you're trying to rid yourself of the anti-depressants, just don't shock your system too much. It may sound silly but I know several people who swear by eating a banana every day to help raise their serotonin levels. Mind you, now that it's been mentioned, banana prices will probably escalate!

EFC - I read your post and had to smile - on the one hand you are recommending someone accepts all help offered and on the other, you're explaining exactly why this is such a difficult thing to do, especially for an independent individual. I think it's difficult for us all and I HATE if anyone asks if they can do something for me, it's like why don't they just do it and then accept the reaction they get rather than make a show of asking. (Sorry, just a personal gripe of mine.) Try and soak up as many of those solar rays as possible for yourself and see if it energises you.

Cha - you are not awful, coping with anything that's outside of our personal plans, especially cost related ones, is never easy. Unfortunately, these occasions just keep on arriving and we need to keep on trying to weave them into the fabric of our lives. Just try to see it as umm... the planning and production of a future memory. In that way, it's an investment in your old age, should you be fortunate enough to attain it with marbles all intact.

Aeb, nice to see your name on the board again, hope things are going OK with you and your army of little helpers.

Frosty start to bank holiday Monday here, with ice over the hens' water dishes, but the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the washing is on, so let's hope it's a great day for everyone.

Apologies if I've forgotten anyone, best wishes to all and keep on frugaling!