Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

Nichelette

Hi all...

I've popped in every now and again on some of the older threads for this challenge and have decided to make an effort to join in.

I spent the last year paying off a £11.5k loan for my dad (long story, related to my parents divorce, see the first post of my diary if you're curious). I cleared this in Nov 10 and then went a bit mad with my spending it seems.

I work full time but I'm not paid very well, so I was literally going to the bank every Friday when I was paid and using 80% of my pay on the loan. Not the most fun for a 23/24 year old, and since I've had that massive weight lifted my spending has gone a bit awol. That said, I've just had to pay for my car insurance, and MOT, and obviously Christmas was a big one too..

Anyhoo, at the moment I'm taking home a paltry £933 a month. This should be more like £1070 but due to being made permanant at work I'm overpaying tax at the moment. I was planning to survive on what I've got and get a rebate come April, but I've realised that as I'm going to have to pay some extra income tax as I run a small jewellery business making & selling it on the internet. I'll probably submit my tax return for the 10/11 tax year very early, then their website can work out what I do/don't owe them. I'm pretty sure I'll still be due a rebate of around £300ish, but it means I won't have to find the extra to pay for the income tax from the jewellery business as it will come out of what I'm owed.

I'd like to try and live on 5k for the rest of the year. I'm going to go away and work out the figures later, but it should be achievable provided I don't buy lots of junk I don't need...

SandraScarlett

natnat13 wrote: »

Hi all was working for 14 hours yesterday so just catching up on posts. I must start thinking about what to grow this year!
I popped into DP yesterday lunch, I really needed a new coat as my zip had broken. There was a really nice one in the sale but it was £35, before I would have just bought it but since doing this challenge that's a lot of money! Anyway, one of the buttons was hanging off so I took it to the counter and asked for a discount! I would never have done that before. The lady said she would knock another 10% off. She then scanned it and it came up at £20, she then had to do the 10% as well so I got a lovely coat for £18! I was beaming down the street!!

Anyway, I am off to Lidls in a minute for a few bits and bobs, I am then going to sit down and work out exactly how I have done this month with all my DDs etc. I don't think it's anything groundbreaking however I am definatly spending less on food and eating healthier, less on fuel and using the tumble dryer less so I'm happy with that.

Thank you for the pastry reply, am going to make my pies later.

Nat x

What a super bargain coat! And well done you for asking for money off. BTW, you say your monthly accounts won't be groundbreaking, but remember - we're not trying to break the whole Earth!

If your little personal allotment is in better shape than it was a month ago, that's all that matters. Enjoy wearing your lovely coat.

xx

minnie2

so ive worked out our finances this month £1728 has gone out on direct debits £285 on petrol £156.81 groceries £176.05 on other bits this month, dogs funeral and a couple of meals out.Need to buy dog food next month which is going to cost.Theres always something every month!!

mogan6

Good morning everyone, a complete newbie here.

I have just discovered this forum and it really appeals to me, so I wondered if it's not too late, please may I join you all.

I have read all the posts in the preparation thread and have had a look at Cheryl's spreadsheet - WOW it's fantastic!! - I hope you don't mind Cheryl but I have downloaded it and adapted it to suit my needs.

I'm hoping to catch up with this thread over the next couple of days and I'm sure I'll get lots of ideas. I've learned about soap nuts already - I'd never heard of them before - so I just need to look on tinterweb to find out more and then I'll be placing an order I'm sure.

I'm sorry I'm writing loads but I'm really excited and can't wait to get started even though it's a bit late.

xx

cw18

Welcome aboard Nichelette and mogan6 :T

mogan6 wrote: »

....and have had a look at Cheryl's spreadsheet - WOW it's fantastic!! - I hope you don't mind Cheryl but I have downloaded it and adapted it to suit my needs.

I'm more than happy for people to adapt it - it's very difficult to design a 'one size fits all' spreadsheet, so I just released a simplified version of the one I use in the hope it would help people out

slowlyfading

:hello: and welcome to Nichelette and mogan6!

I'm just sat watching the tennis and getting annoyed, still hanging in there though! I'm off for a walk in a bit and having some lamb for sunday lunch so I have a feeling it's going to be a good day

I've joined our local library too - when we first moved I read over 30 books in one month! I must admit that I have bought some books since, as I love getting new books to read I have been much better though - I'm a fast reader and books cost a fortune, so going to the library, which is about a 1 minute walk from our house, is a good thing

ceridwen - I love your OS ways in a day thing. I've been trying to have a think about the ones I do:
- breakfast - I always buy cereal when they're on offer and have some kind of fruit on - it's not free though
- I get free lunches at work, so always make the most of this, and normally get some extra fruit to bring home with me.
- do washing in the cheap electricity time and then hang it out to dry - we only tumble dry sheets as we've got nowhere to dry them.
- meal plan every week so only buy what is needed from supermarket - we've got our weekly spends around £25 a week and considering I couldn't really cook before August, I feel we're doing well!
- OH only buys alcohol when it's on offer or for special occasions - I don't really drink much so it lasts for ages!

HowlinWolf

It seems like we have all been rediscovering the library this month. We went yesterday for the first time in ages (helped by new longer saturday opening hours). I positively eat books and have been trying hard over the last 12 months not to buy them. Unfortunately it means I have now read most of the books in the house for the third or fourth time and I'm starting to struggle to find anymore books in the house that are light enough to take on the train. Thank goodness for the library service, I found some crackers yesterday that should keep me occupied for a couple of weeks and what's more it's free.

I will definitely be trying the pastry trick, I think that's a work of absolute genius and, like other posters have said, one I would never have thought of on my own.

Erme

I've not been to kirk :eek:

Say no more.......it's Sabbath after all and I am Frugaldom's supposedly resident Sabbatarian...:o

Anyhow...whilst semi complying grocery lists for tuesday (another thing I shouldn'tbe doing on Sabbath even by my worldly standards :eek:)...I remembered a site I found last year or someone told me about that may help some folk = http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/

So yeah just had a lovely frugal lunch of green veg with some cottage cheese I bought for a recipe that I didn't make.....(BB 7th or something) in a pitta (40p max for 6 @ Mr L...Never seen them so cheap :T - even in the Asian stores 2 years ago I was paying 50p a packet even if I bought 2)...yum....

Said I was going to write a note to dear Uncle K who lost his helpmeet in December and I can't phone due to his deafness but that's as far as I've got....so much for a good Sabbath (it's going pretty derriere up by all accounts )

Dee dum...

So glad about your bargain (I just forgot whom it was) with the coat....really pleased for you :T...

and so glad that ppl are rediscovering the libraries cos with all the cut backs if we don't use them we'll lose them and that'd be such a shame

One mad thought in the midst of all these mad Non Sabbath shenanigans is that after reading little women on the new phone I wonder if I can read all my other e-books on it? If so I just need a new memory card @ £20 inc p+p and I can sell my kindle (though don't know how much I'll get for it...was going to put on ebay tomorrow night)...tell me if it's a crazy idea someone? Or does it make perfect frugal sense? Why have 2 things for an e-reader? Plus the phone fits anywhere whereas the kindle is a tad wide... And everything is backed up on pc anyways....

Do I sound nuts again or am I making sense?

E

mogan6

My budget figures as follows:

Council Tax 1370
Water Rates 447
BT Phone incl calls 228
TV Licence 148
Mortgage 7482
Gas/Electric 1512
Life Insurance 250
Broadband 250
Sky package 624
Bldgs/Cont Ins 302
Car Insurance 355
Car MOT/Service/Repairs 500
RAC 107
Groceries 3750
Toiletries & Cleaning 250
Petrol 1500
Mobile Phones 594
C Cards 2400
Anything Else 3819
Totals 25888

I can't believe this:eek: but I have tried to include everything I can think of. Definately room to make some savings I think - I'm so glad I found this forum!!

youngmummy

gonna save a few pennies tonight. was gonna go and have my nails done tommorrow at the salon but have decided as i have got all the stuff im going to do them myself. saves £25-£35 as was going to have acrylics with black tips but i have decided i will attept to do them myself. how is everyone doing ? x