FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE part 3, July - Dec 2010

JayneC

Hi again

Nuala thanks for asking, I'm doing ok really, I know separating was for the best. Off Grid was brilliant I thoroughly enjoyed it although my DS wasn't that impressed!! There was loads going on, workshops on producing off grid energy, permaculture workshops including bee keeping, forest gardening, foraging for food and medicine, plus yoga, tai chi, improvisation drama workshops, making compost toilets, massage, information on planning permission in rural areas, freeman discussions, music, kids activities and loads loads more. The most interesting thing I went to was a talk by Mark Boyle who is living without money - he started as a year long experiment but has kept going since. He's written a book - The moneyless man - which I'm thinking of getting. The proceeds are going into a trust to buy some land in Wales to create a moneyless community. It was very inspriational! You really have to completely duck out of out conventional society to be able to do it but he seems very happy. I was quite sad to come home actually!! I have to say living in a tent - even for a few days- really puts into perspective all the 'stuff' we have that really don't need at all! I have realised I spend most of my time just moving 'stuff' around the house!

I'm hoping to get to my other garden today to get on with more clearing. Eventually I hope it will provide all our fruit and veg requirements and possible some firewood too (just need to get that wood burner;))

Have got back to some knitting too lately - think it's the chilly weather and darker nights! have loads of wool so am thinking lots of knitted goods for christmas presents!:D (Is it too early to mention the C word?)

Anyway I'm going to see if DS is showing any signs of life - he's still in bed. He had a mate sleepover last night and I had to tell them off for still being on the xbox at 3am!!! See you all soon x

Kerry_Woman

JayneC - Off Grid sounds to be a great event. Is it a yearly event?

NualaBuala

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

NualaBuala I read an article also and found out I'm poor as well but like you I dont feel it, I look around me and all I can see I own, no debts at all apart from my D/D that havn't been paid so far this month and I suppose they are not debts really. You seem to be having a tough time at the moment, I hope things improve soon especially your health just look after your self, you have no need to explain yourself to anybody if you dont want to.

Thanks EFC, I am in good company then on the so called poverty front! Thanks for your kind words - I guess like everyone I have good and bad patches. I count myself lucky in most ways.

Glad you're doing ok Jayne - separation was the best thing for me too but I wasn't sure about it till it actually happened. Off The Grid sounds amazing, don't know if I'll ever end up living that dream (if you can call a compost toilet a dream lol) but it all fascinates me. I think I saw the Moneyless Man on TV - his life sounds tough but wonderful. I quite like the idea of living in a moneyless commune ... so long as I can still have internet access!

Hope everyone else is ok - how are Erme and Cheryl?

I had another NSD today! But tomorrow will be a spendy day - need food and want to look at trousers as mine don't fit properly. I will have a quick gander in charity shops but never seem to have much luck in them. I have been plotting over my budget spreadsheet and setting goals for myself for the next 4 months. It's looking ok - I won't be debt free by the end of the year but I will be able to pay off enough to bring my loan down to a nice round number. And the loan will be repaid fully next year I reckon which is well ahead of schedule - bring it on!:j

slowlyfading

I survived the first day! :j

Lots of meeting and lots of information but generally okay I definitely need an early night though - as it's all to do again tomorrow! :rotfl:

Kerry_Woman

slowlyfading - Glad you survived your first day. Hope it all works out for you alright.

Kerry_Woman

NualaBuala - Happy to hear about your loan. Bet you will be glad it gets paid off fully.

cw18

I'm still here - and still bobbing in to read posts every now and then, even if I don't post myself

((hugs)) to this who need one

and

Congratulations where appropriate



I've been busy with work, running, seeing OH, running, updating my spreadsheet, running........ guess you get the idea
I'm now up to 4 runs a week, with my longest to date (last Wed morn) being 7.8 miles and weekly total in the 20-22 mile vicinity (still increasing every week). These are normally Mon evening, Wed morning, Thur evening (with the club) and Sunday mornings (even when I'm at OH's - I've sloped off for a run 3 times now!)


Just finished updating my spreadsheet for the month (had a couple of D/Debits and a few grocery bits from today to get entered)

It now looks something like this


Overspends are :-
C/H cover : due to cost having come down (after I threatened to move elsewhere). Should be straight by year end
Mobile Phone : not going to panic about 10p
Windows : 'cos I've already paid for September
Dog Expenses : 90p is no great shakes, but need to restock on food in the next 4-5 weeks so likely to be further into the red by end Sept
Vets Bills : overspend is decreasing each month. Next (and hopefully last) charge to this budget is in October
Car Insurance : annual bill already paid in full
Breakdown cover : ditto
Road Tax : ditto
MOT : ditto
Service : ditto
Groceries : this is the most worrying one - more later
Toiletries/Cleaning : hope to be straight by year end
Anything Else : hmmmmm!!! just need to stay away from books, CDs, DVDs etc. Spends this month (£24.50) were some baking items (tins etc) a skirt, a 2011 calendar (with memo board - useful for noting down when I open last of a grocery item to help compile accurate shopping lists) and some pain meds/anti-inflamms



I'm expecting to blow most of the rest of my 'work related' budget in September. The trousers I bought for work in Nov '09 were threatening to fall off, so on 7th Aug I replaced them with the next size down (which were snug but comfortable). However I've lost another 'few' pounds since then, and the smaller ones are already turning into hipsters..... so I'm going to have to try on/buy the next size down again !!!!!!!!


Groceries...... least said about the figure so far probably the better. Though my over-spend is less than I've moved into my 'stock pile' fund, so it wouldn't have actually put me into the red at the bank had finances been that tight. I'm still hoping to claw it back before year end, but after DS moves out (and in with my parents) on 12th Sept my monthly budget will only be just over £50......

This means I effectively have a whole months budget to pull back BUT the good news is that I've also been busy doing stock-takes around my kitchen (and boxes full of tins, jars and dry goods still scattered around the house), and I reckon it's not necessary for me to buy anything apart from tea bags, milk, yoghurt, eggs, and fresh/frozen fruit/veg before the end of the year while still eating 3 good meals, 2 snacks and supper every day I have all my breakfasts, snacks and suppers meal-planned already, and am now working on cooked meals (then will move onto lunches, which will probably require a little more creativity).


ETA: My contingency fund is going to be hit again in the next day or two. We had a power outage last night (whole area for 1.5hrs or so), so I went to bed early (8:45pm) as there was nothing to do and it was dark. Got up this morning to find everything back on, so reset clock on my combi oven so I could make my breakfast (porridge). Set the power level, set the timer, pressed 'start' and wandered away until the end of program alarm sounded. But the milk was still fridge cold, so thought I must have hit the wrong (and very low) power setting. Set it up again on a higher setting, but still cold milk and uncooked porridge came out..... so something inside the machine has been frazzled :mad: Need to get a replacement ASAP (use it quite a lot, and will a lot more once DS moves out), so have been looking at options. Two possibles in Arg0s - both about a third what I paid for the one I'm replacing (which was in the Arg0s sale in Jan 2002), so plan to get one hopefully tomorrow - but Friday morning at the latest.

JayneC

Kerry woman - yes I believe Off Grid is a yearly event, it's an off shoot of the sunrise festival that's held at the same venue. I'm hoping to get there again next year if I can persuade DS!! I believe the Big Green Gathering is also held there but not sure about what that entails (just overheard a conversation!)

Nuala - yes it took me a while to build the courage to separate - we actaully separated before (for about a year) and then decided to get back together, which I think actually made it harder to separate again, but it made it clear that it's definately for the best. We managed to get on much better apart,which is why we decided to give it another go. It's weird but despite the fact that I've spent my entire adult life with him (we'd been together since I was 15!) I don't miss him at all!!

SF - good to hear you've survived. DS starts high school tomorrow and is not looking forward to it!

Cheryl - good to hear what you're up to. Sounds like life is treating you ok? you sound happy.

I'm planning to get to my other garden today to do more clearing, contemplating getting some overwintering plants in if I can get a decent patch cleared, or maybe just some fruit bushes?
Also, having been inspired by minimilist living in a tent and getting increasingly frustrated with the amount of 'stuff' we have, I'm planning to have a huge clear out, possibly a car boot sale beckons

back later x

NualaBuala

Hi everyone :wave:

After that brief flurry of catch-ups it's gone all quiet again!

Thanks for the good wishes KerryWoman, I have even done a pie chart in my spreadsheet so I can see the "owed" slice getting smaller! I'm determined to clear this thing asap!

Glad you're settling in well SF.:T

JayneC wrote: »

Nuala - yes it took me a while to build the courage to separate - we actaully separated before (for about a year) and then decided to get back together, which I think actually made it harder to separate again, but it made it clear that it's definately for the best. We managed to get on much better apart,which is why we decided to give it another go. It's weird but despite the fact that I've spent my entire adult life with him (we'd been together since I was 15!) I don't miss him at all!!

Same here Jayne - it took me ages to decide to do it cos I knew I'd never go back once it's over even though we still get on well and care a lot about each other. At least we had no children to think of, that makes it easier I guess. I'm well impressed with you and your multiple gardens. Also, I'm with you on the minimalist thing - I'm far from being one but I'm trying to get rid of stuff, I don't need it and it just bogs me down.

Glad the running and relationship are going well Cheryl, and your finances look healthy too.:T

I did my sums and I am actually under budget by €350 so far this year (even taking into account my trip away) so I am happy! And I am now saving an extra €15 a month on health insurance - I was going to save even more by getting rid of it but decided to keep it on for peace of mind. So that is the last of my regular bills sorted - I have gone through them all and switched to get better deals. I feel very organised and on top of things! :A

Hope everyone is well and hugs to anyone who could do with one.:) If anyone is in touch with Erme by phone/text, send my love.

Erme

NualaBuala wrote: »

Hi everyone :wave:

Hey Erme, hope you're able to eat something, how are you doing today? I'm so sorry to hear about the people close to you. Have you got other people to support you right now? Cos your life sounds quite hectic these days what with applying for jobs and everything and I'm sure you could do with it. How come you're going to a different kirk? (Is that the same as church?) I'm not too bad, thanks for asking but some days are horrendous - I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (pain) and M.E. (aka Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but some people don't like that name for it). Depression-wise I've been ok but there are times I feel it's starting up again and I have to fight hard to keep it at bay. What I find hard is pacing myself and not burning myself out on a good day - am supposed to ration out my energy gradually.

It was a crazy few weeks. DV (God willing) stuff will settle down soon. I went into the psych unit for a few days cos the emotional pain and anxiety was just too much and I couldn't walk and couldn't look after myself. But I'm back home now ..

Anyhow I still have the emotional pain but I know I can get help in the community so why worry :A.

I sat here this am, half asleep and began to be aware of my inner child which is part of the personality disorder because my Community Nurse said I had to make space for the pain and I just wanted to hug it. I didn't want to squash it - just hug it....It's scary thinking about death - the last enemy but I start work soon (pending disclosure - 3 weeks unpaid trial then work) so I have to face my fears pretty soon. It's going to be a really fab place to work and it's just 12 hours a week (plus one hour bus journey each way) so it's pretty neat. I will chill out and read on the bus and sleep on the way back ...I will get LOADS of reading done to and from work :j....

So yeah...just trying to get life back to normal and despite the lack of sleep it feels okay. I needed the radio on for reassurance and the light on next week and I'm sure as I spend more time looking after the inner child the budget will get better. I see how the wordly fixations are related to her and the smoking which is interesting.

I also got given a soldering iron by some manic patient in hospital so who knows what that will lead to - maybe jewellery making or something? Any ideas what productive things I can do with a soldering iron?

So yeah...off to get dressed, get pills and get breakfast soon....

It's sunny here today and tomorrow is a frugal treat of a picnic and cycle ride out to the country:D

E