Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

SandraScarlett

No, I still don't get it ..... why has somebody, on ebay, bid £51 for a £50 Tesco Gift Card - and there's still 2 days to go!! If you're money laundering, why not just go into Mr T's and buy a card? I would never make a good criminal - seems like a lot of hard work!

Somebody asked what is included in a budget. I, for instance, don't "count" council tax, or water rates, because much as I'd like to stand on the steps of the Town Hall and yell "you can stick your bill where the sun don't shine, matey", I can't.

I also carry out a Household MOT in early April, and hunt around for better deals on the house insurance and energy companies, :cool: though I reckon they're all in a gang, and as soon as one puts their prices up, the others follow suit. And they draw matchsticks every year to determine the order! So once I've finished that, I don't include those either.

It's all personal really isn't it. I'm inclined not to include my weekly spend of 2 small bars of chocolate, that I ration myself to, without which, I'm sure I couldn't function!!

Going to watch Big Fat Gypsy Weddings now. Those dresses are amazing!

xx

midwinter

23rdspiral wrote: »

oh, and the cheese scones from TESCOS were reduced but mouldy by the time i got them home! 1 hour later! not impressed.

I've had the same thing happen with reduced doughnuts from Mr T's

Now I just buy reduced cakes etc from Mr M's

LolaLemon

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Aw thank you
That's lovely that you all still get together. I think true friends are the ones were you don't have to see each other all the time, but when you do, even if it's months down the line, you can just pick up were you left off as if it was yesterday. I wonder if we had a meet up whether we'd look completely different to how we think each other may look?
Luv Dizzy x
♥

my image of many people on here (and OS) is of 'commune' type people, amish even, we all wear (rephrase that, you all wear... lol) floral pinnies, (y)our hair is scaped back and we have a different purses for different things.... reality is soo different from stereotypical images eh? lol

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

i am soo envyious of your lifestyle.

CRANKY40

SandraScarlett wrote: »

No, I still don't get it ..... why has somebody, on ebay, bid £51 for a £50 Tesco Gift Card - and there's still 2 days to go!! If you're money laundering, why not just go into Mr T's and buy a card? I would never make a good criminal - seems like a lot of hard work!

Say you were on benefits and had sold some stuff on ebay...you wouldn't want amounts showing on your bank statements as payments in because if you had to show your bank statements, the social would want to know where the money was coming from. If you used your paypal balance to buy gift cards, then even if it cost you a couple of pounds extra, you could trot off and spend your ebay money on groceries without income support thinking you had a secret trustfund, when you'd only been selling your treasures to try and feed your kids.

I'm not on means tested benefits, but that's my thoughts....

JayneC

SandraScarlett wrote: »

It's all personal really isn't it. I'm inclined not to include my weekly spend of 2 small bars of chocolate, that I ration myself to, without which, I'm sure I couldn't function!!

giggles:rotfl::rotfl:

Did mystery shop this eve, bill £22.00 refund £15 so £7 spent, which was quite high really - wouldn't have spent that on a meal at home but DS and DD enjoyed it. Strict directions beforehand one drink and one main course ONLY!! No whingeing for dessert. DS did a little whinge but didn't push it! Now where to put the spend?? I thought maybe I should just show it as a minus figure in my extra income budget, then maybe the grocery budget (eat out/takeaway section) but thinking I might plump for family leisure?

Went for a wander round the shops with colleagues from work on lunchbreak and bought NOTHING:j Actually have run out of cash ( and money in the bank(s)) now so not too easy to spend. Would have to be on cc and I've now developed a severe aversion to spending on cc these days - thanks goodness

DS not on his xbox this eve (not sure what's happened there!) he's playing with LEGO on the living room floor, not complaining though, nice to see him out of his room TBH!

Artichoke welcome can I come live with you? Your life sounds fab, it's what I'm aiming for:) I'm involved in a CSA scheme but just buying a share of the produce, don't actually get to help with the livestock - though they are lambs that free range on th NY Moors so might be difficult to do a great deal!! We do get to go visit the farm at some point tho. I'm part of a local food group so we're looking at promoting local producers, feel a bit lost at the moment I have to say though not really sure where we're going, what are objectives are if you like. We put on a showing of the film FOOD INC - scary :eek: MacDonalds have a lot to answer for!!!

Anyways off for a bath and bed.

Back soon x

mooomin

LolaLemon wrote: »

my image of many people on here (and OS) is of 'commune' type people, amish even, we all wear (rephrase that, you all wear... lol) floral pinnies, (y)our hair is scaped back and we have a different purses for different things.... reality is soo different from stereotypical images eh? lol

Currently wearing pink jammies and a large checked "lumberjack shirt" to keep warm while watching rubbish telly

Barros

I'm feeling under pressure to save and not buy [EMAIL="!!!!"]!!!![/EMAIL] this month! Desperate to hit my savings target for the year, my biggest danger is FOOD! when i 'feel as though i need to treat myself' i dont take a lunch or i go out for dinner or just go to the shops and buy food for the fun of it.

anyway i have about £15 to do me to payday and there is NO way i am taking more cash out so ill just be stubborn about it

trying to flog some stuff this month too to make extra doe whoopee!

LolaLemon

flying_fresian wrote: »

Currently wearing pink jammies and a large checked "lumberjack shirt" to keep warm while watching rubbish telly

Lumberjack was also in my images :rotfl:

Im sitting in a very short losely pleated demin skirt (that fans out when i twirl, got in NewLook sale £25 down to £5 in August for a party, the 1st night out in nearly a year!) and a green vest top (£3), hair is scraped high with a sparkly £1 hairband added for 'wow' but really just to tame a bit of the frizz,thankfully, at the moment my naturally frizzy curls is in fashion!
just to add to my 'glam' look, i have on a pair of alpachia slipper boots that i got in sale (£10 tho!) from millets... and i have hairy legs!!! hahaha been too skint to go get waxed and i shave only if i think anyone will see my legs -- (i do put up with the shaving rash on the underarms tho )

to think, a few years ago, i would have been mortified to tell people i was 'only' wearing £19 worth of clothes (oh make that £20 to include the knickers - having a no bra day today :rotfl:)

mooomin

I always assume that people on here are the same age as me (occupational hazard of using the internet, you reflect yourself in others!) so always get a wee jolt when people talk about their grandkids

A good frugal day for me...

I didn't end up going to the shops, so it's a NSD for me. I can't remember who asked, but NSDs for me are any days where I don't spend either cash or use my card. Anything coming out of my account by direct debit is a bill so isn't anything I'm willingly spending

I've had a day of good eating today:

Breakfast - wholegrain toast (loaf was whoopsied to 45p)
Lunch - sandwich with the same tasty bread
Snacks - pear, raisins, bits from my Graze box, banana
Dinner - "student dinner" made with tinned tomatoes, garlic, onion, chickpeas and peas. I had it with pasta and have made enough for lunch tomorrow too :A

I did also eat Maltesers, but my boss bought them for me and I thought it would be rude to say no

A big thank you to whoever said to try and cancel the Graze box - I am getting the next few for £3.19 which is a small saving but a saving nonetheless - woo!!

SandraScarlett

LolaLemon wrote: »

to think, a few years ago, i would have been mortified to tell people i was 'only' wearing £19 worth of clothes (oh make that £20 to include the knickers - having a no bra day today :rotfl:)

If I had a no-bra day, I'd hit everyone in the face!

flying_fresian wrote: »

I always assume that people on here are the same age as me (occupational hazard of using the internet, you reflect yourself in others!) so always get a wee jolt when people talk about their grandkids

Aaah, but we can still feel young ...... and still want to learn how to be more frugal. You, for instance, have generously posted a load of tips. Thank you. :T

CRANKY40 wrote: »

Say you were on benefits and had sold some stuff on ebay...you wouldn't want amounts showing on your bank statements as payments in because if you had to show your bank statements, the social would want to know where the money was coming from. If you used your paypal balance to buy gift cards, then even if it cost you a couple of pounds extra, you could trot off and spend your ebay money on groceries without income support thinking you had a secret trustfund, when you'd only been selling your treasures to try and feed your kids.

I'm not on means tested benefits, but that's my thoughts....

Oh ...... I see (penny drops), but why couldn't you just tell the social that you sold some unwanted clothes/gifts etc, on ebay? Or would you have your benefits cut if you did that? I don't know much about benefits, except when I've helped friends complete claim forms for Attendance Allowance, which is like writing War & Peace!

And I wish I knew more. I only know what I glean from the media, and I know that those reports can seem biased. I was pleased to see the banks are going to have to pay a tax levy, but it's not enough IMHO. It's shameful when you read the salaries of some of the officials, whose actions have caused so much misery for so many.

I do hope that those who have been made/are going to be made redundant are having/have success in their searches.

xx