2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

mishmogs

Yea thanks Frugaldom, my names on the list so no backing out now.... gulp!

CheapsKate_3

Thanks for adding me too - very excited about the challenges ahead! My current project is actually trying to plan my veg growing for next year, as opposed to what I usually do, which is randomly buy seeds/plants and then try to find somewhere to stuff 'em.

Two major changes for this coming year - I have a got a tree man coming to fell the gruesome spruces which an ancestor planted as a Christmas tree crop and never felled and are now so ginormous they shade out my veggies in anything but the absolute height of summer. Too large to tackle on our own by far so had to get in a professional (gulpingly expensive, but hey, Me and the veg are going to be basking in the sun next year)!:rotfl:Luckily Grannie's fancy teapots and Edwardian knick knacks have raised enough on ebay to pay this bill, hope she would have approved, although I think it may have been her who planted the *&^&* trees in the first place....

I live in scotland where sunshine is at somewhat of a premium at the best of times.

The second thing is I have a somewhat underused large stone lean to on my house which is south facing - OH has agreed we can put in Velux type windows on the roof - voila! somewhere I can raise plants early ready for planting out. Difficult to do this in the house as old fashioned small windows mean that any seedlings quickly become leggy and drawn.

And they say nothing exciting happens in the country.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

CheapsKate wrote: »

Thanks for adding me too - very excited about the challenges ahead! My current project is actually trying to plan my veg growing for next year, as opposed to what I usually do, which is randomly buy seeds/plants and then try to find somewhere to stuff 'em.

:rotfl:This made me laugh

I thought it was just me that did this!

tink1981_2

CheapsKate wrote: »

My current project is actually trying to plan my veg growing for next year, as opposed to what I usually do, which is randomly buy seeds/plants and then try to find somewhere to stuff 'em.

Will be showing your post to my hubby when he gets home, he was giving me very strange looks the other night when I was sat with all the grow your own veg books planning out what to grow this year

We've just turned over half our garden to be a veg patch so want to make sure we're getting the most out of it.

Good luck with yours CheapsKate

tink x

prepareathome

tink1981 wrote: »

Will be showing your post to my hubby when he gets home, he was giving me very strange looks the other night when I was sat with all the grow your own veg books planning out what to grow this year

We've just turned over half our garden to be a veg patch so want to make sure we're getting the most out of it.

Good luck with yours CheapsKate

tink x

Have to admit I am doing the same, getting garden dug over next week, so have to have my plans sorted by then as only want the beds dug not the whole area, but I do a plan then think no maybe if I have this here and this there and cannot make up my mind. Up till now i have only grown in pots in back garden, but as its on a slope growing in ground does not work so its side garden that is being dug up but I want to leave areas as paths and want beds to be raised - took delivery of compost and top soil for that today, but getting wood to go round them is expensive so still have to work that out as when and if I get some wood might not have enough to go round all the beds, oh well will find something.

Good luck and lets hope by end of next year we will be happy knowing we fed ourselves out of our own gardens, even if only a small amount.:)

CheapsKate_3

but getting wood to go round them is expensive so still have to work that out as when and if I get some wood might not have enough to go round all the beds,

Freecycle? Builders merchants sometimes have skips of scrap wood which you can help yourself to? We used fenceposts which we got free from local fencing company - they often have to take down and remove old fences when they're putting up new ones. The old fenceposts are usually fine, maybe a bit rotten where they've been in the ground but just cut the end off and burn it in your wood-burning stove if you've got one! (Not good for open fires though, too sparky.)

We laid the fenceposts horizontally and nailed 'em together with 6" nails. Very strong and VERY frugal.

Just created my wish list for everything I want to grow this coming year. May have to buy the farm next door to have room for everything - not so very frugal!

prepareathome

Sadly no wood burning stove, one day I hope, not even open fire in livingroom as last people took out the back boiler and damaged the chimney and at moment we cannot afford to have it repaired, there is just a horrible gas fire in there - chimney safe enough for that, but I refuse to buy another one as we never use it and I hide it behind a big picture. There wasn't even a fireplace but we have put a proper one it - well I did and am proud of it, gives focus to the room, one day there will be nice real fire. Bedrooms still have open fireplaces but at moment cushions up them and furniture in front and I keep forgetting to organise a chimney sweep to come and clean them as they are useable but need cleaned but were told are safe enough to use. So if we ever needed we could move furniture and light fire in the rooms.

I will look for builders yards, none nearby but maybe some not to far away - I know there is a farm not far that has a sign up old pallets for sale, so might get hubby to take me down there to see what they charge and if they deliver ( we only have a kia picanto so not very long. Only fencing place is in the village and I cannot see them giving anything away free, they are so dear ( priced a front gate years ago and they wanted £325 for a gate one metre square, nothing fancy just top, botton and slats in between, but will look and see if anywhere else around not to far away. On freecycle people are always asking for wood for joinery or firewood so doubt will get any but will keep my eyes peeled.

Thanks so much

cocoribbon

Hi,Can I sign up please,had disasterous year and really need a much better year.

gien

Can I join this list please? I did post a bit on the old thread but am looking forward to really getting stuck in with the new year. Our biggest aim is to finish the renovations on our house but we need a lot of money to do that!!

Erme

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Count me in too please:)

The 2011 Challenge has kept me on track (and is the only challenge I've faithfully stuck to all year:o).

My Spreadsheet of Wonder was dutifully completed until mid-September when I managed to booger it up:mad: (and stupidly hadn't backed it up for months - lesson learnt!) and I'm really missing it!

I have got my spends since in a new spreadsheet but it's no-where near as good as Cheryl's one - will need to try to work all the totals out at the end of the year (job for a rainy day I think).

Goals for 2012 ..... oh my... first thoughts:

• I became DF in 2011 and am determined to stay that way (finding it hard as budgets are so squeezed with everything going up & 2nd year of a pay freeze)
• Cut the budgets down on this years expenditure (hard for the reasons above)
• Learn to budget properly:o
• Learn to save:o
• (may be more to add after more thought!)

Buffy for this years budget (my first year), I put in known figures (such as council tax, mortgage etc) and made an educated guess along the lines of what I thought I spent for other things.

Next year I'm hoping to reduce these further as I've now got "solid proof" of what I have spent over the past year. HTH:)

I wish I'd done that 2 years ago then I might not have been so hard on myself and fallen off the wagon so spectacularly 2 years running :eek:

prepareathome wrote: »

I have done on of those statement of affairs, can someone point me to where I should put it please? Should I put it on here? We thankfully no longer have debts but incoming could drop drastically, depends on whether I get ESA or not so have done two statements one with income the way it is and one if I lose my Incapacity Ben and don't get ESA - which means we don't have enough to live on, which is what I thought and why I have joined the challenge and somehow I have to save to go to Melbourne in March 2014 as oldest son is getting married and I cannot not go ( doctor has told me she has some meds up her sleeve that would keep me going to get there and back, and for wedding, so it is just money that would stop me). He and his fianc!e have actually chosen this date to give us as much time as possible to save up, but they are both now in their 30's and don't want to put it off to long as they do want to have a family.

ESA is the one thing I dread....and the replacement for DLA..hence I'm trying to get debt free :A. I have a lot of support but still it's a worry..

So yeah..hugs hun...and welcome...

PM me the details of your illness if you feel up to it....I don't mean to pry but I have a little experience of this whole debt busting and disability thing but if you don't want to that's cool also...:A

Anyhow...good to see so many new folk. Will be interesting to see who falls off the wagon first.

For the ppl wanting to quit the demon cigs there's a fab thread on here with loads of support (the giving up smoking thread or something? Do a search)...they really are gems on there...(hence I know when I'm sick when I start misinterpreting stuff on there :eek:)..

Hope that helps someone. Two good night's sleep so am happy...

Now to find my crochet hooks LOL

E