Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

SandraScarlett

What an interesting life you have had Artichoke! Your mother sounds a very skilful lady to be able to do butchery and such things, and you must have saved yourself a fortune by not taking your children to a shopping centre!!

As I read your post, I was visualising your Dad (in my mind's eye, he was ruggedly handsome, with a pipe and a fairisle jumper!) taking the bags of produce that your mates had picked, whilst your Mum, who had dark curly hair and dimples, wearing a floral wraparound pinafore, cheerfully baked masses of cakes for your friends!

Then afterwards, you all munched apples and drank home made ginger beer - I think you're morphing into an Enid Blyton tale now, so I'll stop! I love reading about other peoples' lives.

xx

Erme

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

Hi Folks

in view of the tongue in cheek AA type thing for spending, thought you might be interested in this

I have been reading a Paul McKenna book, I Can Make You Happy. I have tried his slimming one, and his techniques really do work if you put them into practice and not just think, yeah, yeah, I knew that, or that sounds silly, I'm not doing it

There is quite a lot in this book, not as snappy as the slimming one, although there a few snappy techniques and I'm looking forward to listening to the cd etc

The point of the post is that I think if part of spending more than you would like is linked to your emotions, using this book could well break that cycle, and who knows where that may lead.

I have found, whilst reading it, that some of the things that I think are making me less happy than I would like to be, are things I can change by changing my attitude towards them.

Maybe worth a look?

This sounds good for tips for me as I often spend cos I think 'I'm having a down day - I need a treat' or equally cos I'm happy. I'm not saying I'm a fan of hypnotism but I think it would be a good read none the less...trip to local library before end of week methinks

artichoke wrote: »

hi all

i am dipping my toe into this thread - i will try and find time to read the start / rules/ etc this evening when kids in bed...

but it looks like my kinda thing... i usually stay on OS board and so have never spotted this before - although i have heard a few on OS saying they are doing the Frugal living challenge but i did not know what it was....

a bit about me...

Our household is me and DH DD 6 and DS 5 one dog, one cat .

DH is officially self employed and works at home but suffers from mental health problems so we can not let him get too stressed so we take it easy and live very frugally and it has worked well for us for 7 years...since DD was born (she is 7 in 2 weeks).

I am a SAHM officially but run a livestock Community Supported Agriculture project at an organic farm and i get lamb and pork and eggs in exchange for my time....we grow our own veg at home but struggle with the veg to slugs ratio...

i also am setting up a Local Food Co-op shop which should start trading later this year - late spring or so.

Our annual income has been under £8 thousand for the last 4 years and we manage fine....kids don't expect much stuff (we don't watch TV so they don't see the ads for the latest cr*P) they play lego, and kneks (bought second hand) and we do crafts etc, For holiday we have traditional uk beach holidays and camping etc....we rarely buy clothes, the kids have hand me downs from various places.

I have started a second hand school uniform swap club at our village school - so the logo school uniform bits are now affordable to all in the village if they don't mind second hand..

anyway i will read more later and try and get involved over here...

i am not a great chatterer in posting but post when i have information to share...

so hope to be back later

You're so very welcome Artichoke. I have mental health probs too and am rediscovering my love for the countryside via the student organic veg garden at my old uni.... I live near there and am currently in a high rise that I reckon is due to be pulled down at any given moment (it's over 40 years old but has fab view and they're gorgeous flats). In fact there's a few of us on here who do....

Anyhow after a week of half dose AD's I am now back on them :j but am quite weak and not able to do much. I think it's going to be half days for me for a wee while just doing what I need to do though was quite chuffed I managed to get to sewing class this am :j...though had a row with Ma for her compulsive caring behaviours afterwards cos she texted me with a load of excuses about why she behaves the way she does. I've already postponed the planned visit with her at least once - now it's uncertain depending on debts - I'm in no rush to see her if everything has to be spelled out so clearly (I said yesterday am I was rough but I'd get help if I became at risk. No need to text yesterday evening then panic phone me when I'm trying to rest just cos I don't reply to her texts in time. She's never there for me when I need her and PS...psycho sibling just says I don't realise what Ma does for me - and I enjoy getting sick or words to that effect - which is sheer projection on PS's part)....Argh :mad:

Now I have the dear friend (not) Mr P (as in paranoia) back and am struggling to prepare a meal for myself (even microwaved veggie nut roast I made the other week).....;(

Anyhow I'll make sure I do it before 6 and if Mr P gets any worse I'll take some prn meds and crash

E

midwinter

Hi Artichoke, welcome

Had a dilemma today..... my living room curtains are a "make do" from my last house, saw some today in a charity shop, but would have to have bought both pairs to fit my window, could have sewn them together, and would have been a nice change of colour..... left them in the shop as so wasn't sure they would fit... measured the window and combined they would fit, now I wish I'd got them!

The only saving grace is that the money is still in my purse, but desperately hoping they'll still have them when I can next get to the shop on Friday!

SandraScarlett

Had a big spendy day today. DH bought a lifetime battery for his watch, for £17.99 - I told him he'd better live for a couple of decades more, at least (he's in his 70s).

Then we went to Costco where we spent £85! :eek: We go every 6 weeks or so and like their fish and meat very much. I cut everything up into portions and bagged and froze it, and we have 44 meals each for that money, which I thought good value.

Alas we need more milk and veg, so that's another Mr S visit tomorrow. I salute you ladies who have managed to have so many NSDs, and those of you that grow so much of your own produce, and have livestock. You are to be congratulated! :beer:

xx

saorsie

Sandra ~ I don't mean to embarrass you but can I just say what lovely posts you write :A

-a-

artichoke

hi all

so i know there are no rules as such but do people generally set themselves a budget for the year, month, week and then tally up how they get on ? and tally up the amount of no spend days?

Are NSD just no cash spend? or do you count if say a direct debit has gone out that day?

Most of my days are NSD as i don't go anywhere to spend money! I just work at home or am up at the farm - i walk most places so dont have petrol costs.

I do spend money once a week when i do my top up shop.

hum this will make the think about what i do spend money on...

art

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Erme sounds like you need to take care of yourself and let your mum look after herself, when you are having problems and not feeling so good its not the right time to be generous with your time. Hope you are OK and looking forward to hearing how things are going for you. How about letting the phone ring and the answer phone picking up the message to be answered later on.

Welcome Artichoke and anybody else I havn't said hello to. I expect you might think we all post in rhyme but its not so I can barely write two lines of verse but its super to read what has been written by those clever gifted folk. Your life and that of your family seem to be very interesting and how wonderful that you eventually realized that actually what you just put up with as a child is now of merit.

I also learned how to make do and mend from my mother, she was a Cockney from the East End of London but escaped to the country soon after she and my Dad married in 1932. She was never happier than when she was out in the garden talking to her chickens or walking her goats along the road on a lead looking for fresh grass. I remember also when I was a teenager that she rescued this piglet that was the runt of the litter and had the scours, she called it Horace and it survived with her TLC and would also go on a lead up the road with her for a walk. In the end Horace just grew to big and had to go the way of all pigs, Mum never ever ate bacon again in her life. Dear old Mum I miss her still.:A

SandraScarlett

saorsie wrote: »

Sandra ~ I don't mean to embarrass you but can I just say what lovely posts you write :A

-a-

That is one of the nicest things you could possibly say to me, thank you so much!

xx

redglass_2

Cheryl, when I look at the Spent column of my Totals page on the SoW, the total at the bottom is just red hash signs (yes, I'm over target) although when i run the cursor over it I am able to read the totals figures. Previously I could read the total 'Spent so far' without problems. Any idea why is this happening? (Do the # signs mean that the SoW is swearing at me, as in 'It's #### over target, idiot!' ?)

SandraScarlett

redglass wrote: »

Cheryl, when I look at the Spent column of my Totals page on the SoW, the total at the bottom is just red hash signs (yes, I'm over target) although when i run the cursor over it I am able to read the totals figures. Previously I could read the total 'Spent so far' without problems. Any idea why is this happening? (Do the # signs mean that the SoW is swearing at me, as in 'It's #### over target, idiot!' ?)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

xx