A Year of Living Frugabulously

Lula-Hula

Thats it ^^.

The Plan in all it's simple yet shimmering, sparkly glory .

I am going to live frugabulously for an entire year.

For those who don't know, 'Frugabulous' is my very own word to describe a lovingly nurtured, hand picked, carefully blended lifestyle which combines the elements of frugality, frivolity & fabulosity.

Yes, I know the real word is fabulousness, but in my world we have beautifully tailored, made to measure words to suit the purpose.

I aim to do something FRUGAL & something FABULOUS every day

I am the haute couturier of my own language so get used to it .

I've spent quite some time attempting to clear my CC debts, increasing them at times to suit my needs & have finally achieved a state where I am comfortable to just have one CC ( custard coloured co op cashback credit card) with a teeny weeny limit of £2,000 - enough to get oneself out of a cheapish crisis & yet not large enough to do too much damage should I suffer an attack of The Spends -

I don't actually intend to use it for a while; at least not until I have the entire amount spent sat in an account ready to be paid off in full.

I will get there one day, just not for the next month because I'm taking things easy while I settle in to being DF & there is that large-ish & potentially extortionately expensive Midwinter Festival heading this way.

I'm liking the concept of cash for weekly spending on groceries & household items & that's what we're living on this week.

I'm now pretty good at stashing money away for future expenses such as car costs & fuel bills, & I'm hoping this learned behaviour will provide the base for my savings & spendings from now on.

During my time on the Quest for Debt Freedom the one area we really budget slashed was entertainment & going out. We did have a couple of holidays, but really made the most of what we already had to keep us amused. I want to get out & about again, I couldn't give up having new stuff ( ebay is my friend) but this was at the expense of other activities.

I now want us to have more fun & am prepared to cut back in other areas to achieve this. Growing veg is going to play a role here, as will more visits to charity shops, the library, ebay & also using my railcard.

I'm reserving the next 2 posts for details of my savings plans & proposed methods to achieve them.


Your company will be very welcome ( bring large sticks for beating me when I stray too far from the path)





ps - I'll still be shopping in Waitrose & paying someone else to clean my car :rotfl:

Lula-Hula

Best fill this space up before it becomes a tumbleweed race track :undecided

I already have my regular savings funds for ongoing expenses & I just cannot recommend these enough, for helping to combat debt & also as an excellent method of cash control.

The joy & relief in being able to pay a bill using money that is already saved is just about the most fun & satisfaction a money saving nerd can have :rotfl:

I currently have 3 sets of funds, as follows :

- 1. Online savings account linked to current account

Gas & Electricity - pay £100 a month
Car Tax - pay £10 a month
Car Insurance - pay £25 a month ( just increased by £5 a month)
Car Maintenance - pay £25 a month (just increased by £5 a month)

- 2. Cash savings funded weekly from meagre home-job

Childcare - pay £15 a week ( almost covers a year as I only have to pay during school holidays)
Presents - £10 a week + topped up with survey rewards
Fun - £10 a week but hope to increase that soon.
Emergency cash - £10 a week (when I earn enough & after pocket money paid)



- 3. Cash/Debit card Account for Clothes

I'm aiming to put £50 a month into this
This will be for both DD & myself & I [STRIKE]expect[/STRIKE] hope to have some left over at the end of the year :rotfl:



So, those are the regular ongoing funds & I also have the 2 following funds for longer term purposes

Cashcard only Black Beauty Bank Account for Holidays

Funded by :Child Benefit - £81.20 paid in every 4 weeks
Quidco - £**.** paid in whenever a payment is due.


Jasper the Cat sealed-ish Pot

Funded by £2 coins - whenever they appear ... no particular purpose or reason for this fund at the moment, I just like it but it may well become a Fabulous Boots & Shoes saving fund.

I have a gorgeous purple terramundi with various beautiful shoes painted on it, that DD1 bought me some time ago. I can't bear to use it though as it will have to be smashed when full.

Lula-Hula

Also reserved - always been a greedy so & so

hypno06

**snaffles the first un-reserved post on the diary**

:D:D

moo2moo

Ooooooh shiny new debt free diary. Wishing you much frivolitiy and fabulousity in your quest for fun and frugality.

Karmacat

Post Number Six! Got it :j:j:j

Happy New Diary, Lula! Long may your frugabugalousness grace these boards ....


**subscribes**

The_Dragon

I just started a new diary as well - must be the season! Good luck with your new plans

freshair_2

Hi Lula,

Have been lurking on and off on your previous diaries and challenges, and just wanted to say good luck, love your attitude to Mseing, and how you have changed soooooo much without changing too much iyswim???

**subscribes**

taxi73

Happy new diary and duly subscribed

museumworker

Number 10! Happy new diary, well done on debt free ness and look forward to a year of Frugabulousness! Don't forget to make more visits to museums part of the plan .

*keeps stick just in line of vision*

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Frugafabolously hope i spelt right i love it!!!!