2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

snowgo

purpleorchid wrote: »

evening all

hope this is of some use to someone, on amazon you can get a 100 wash box of persil biological for £12 and free delivery, plus 24 cans of kitekat mixed flavours in jelly for £10.60 and free delivery.

hth
Luv P
xx

Tesco currently have 50 wash size persil non-bio on offer for £6. They're saying it is half-price. I've only seen it in tesco priced at £10-95 full price in the past for this size, but down to £6 is still a good reduction.

SandraScarlett

happycrafter wrote: »

:j just moved over my left over cash to a savings account ready for wages going in tomorrow. This is the first time in years I have ever done this so really really happy today.

AN ODE TO US ALL

Now trying to be frugal, can make you tired and low
And when Week One had finished, our progress did seem slow

But though things seem impossible, you'll soon be filled with laughter
Just look at all the savings made by MrsHappyCrafter! :T

It really doesn't matter if she saved a pound or penny
Cos, by her own admission, for yonks she ain't saved any!

Yes, slowly, you will build those bricks and, with determination
You'll soon be feeling better with your fiscal situation!

Cos now Week Three has started and your debts will slowly fall
And one fine day, you'll proudly say "My debts? I've cleared them all" :D:D

It won't be instantaneous, the effort won't seem funny
But we will beat The Enemy :mad: - and Win The War Of Money!

xx


(Apparently tomorrow is when most New Year resolutions drop by the wayside, so I'm just helping all us soldiers march on!)

silvasava

Another brilliant ode Sandra - thanks for all your words of encouragement to us all

slowlyfading

Sandra - that's brilliant!

Not much to update in the SF household - I've been to Mr Ts today for some food and have done a meal plan for the week. Me and OH have also been to see War Horse tonight, which was really good, but sad too. Still, a good film for anyone, I recommend it not much else to report!

paidinchickens

Igamogam wrote: »

Have had a difficult start to 2012 and the plans have been scuppered so far - I am ill in bed at the moment with what I can only assume is flu - I have never had it before and can understand why people want a flu jab! So,inbetween sleping and sneezing,I have been catching up with some threads I subscribe to in the company of a box or tissues lems!p and radio 4. Crikey this thread moves quickly and I have to confess I have skimmed a lot of it but thanks to all posters with their valuable tips. Hopefully once I have caught up with all the threads I will update my own diary - certainly when I am feeling better.

Somebody a few pages back mentioned buying curry sauce that is similar to that used in takeaways well I can certainly recommend the 'Takeaway Secret Book' - I make double the quantity of the curry sauce recipe and freeze in portion size - will NEVER buy an Indian take out again or use a sauce in a jar. Book cost 99p in B00kworks

twas me who went to the Chinese wholesaler for the curry I have got the takeaway secret book and so far have tried the sausage muffin, kebab, bigmac and fried chicken. All were excellent apart form the fried chicken which I think I will have another go at. I haven't tried the curry sauce yet as I thought it was Indian curry which I don't like but will check it is Chinese curry and give it a go.

Hope you feel better soon xxx

slowlyfading wrote: »

Sandra - that's brilliant!

Not much to update in the SF household - I've been to Mr Ts today for some food and have done a meal plan for the week. Me and OH have also been to see War Horse tonight, which was really good, but sad too. Still, a good film for anyone, I recommend it not much else to report!

Did you cry?? I can't watch anything to do with animals as I sob like a baby :rotfl:

Wellies I got from the jumble for 40p yesterday have been cleaned and worn and they are blinkin fab :j they are similar to hunters and about 150% less in price :rotfl:

DH has just asked if I want a hand cleaning the cooker :eek::eek: At gone 10pm I think he has lost the plot :rotfl:

Nite folks

PIC x

SandraScarlett

paidinchickens wrote: »

DH has just asked if I want a hand cleaning the cooker :eek::eek: At gone 10pm I think he has lost the plot :rotfl:

Nite folks

PIC x

Lost the plot? No sweetie, I think he's just found a new, helpful and witty way to seduce you! Go on chickens, go and get your feathers ruffled!!;)

xx

Igamogam

slowlyfading wrote: »

Me and OH have also been to see War Horse tonight, which was really good, but sad too. Still, a good film for anyone, I recommend it not much else to report!

The horses (and the goose) deserve an Oscar because the actors surely dont!

Kerfuffle

aeb, thanks for the tips about making butter, I'm really tempted to give this a go as you've made it sound so easy.

SandraScarlett, loving the poems, very well done.

cagneuk

Frugaldom wrote: »

This challenge is about living a frugal lifestyle - establishing your true cost of living, sticking to your budget, clearing any debts and making savings wherever and however you can to enable you to live the life you really want.

Frugal living isn't for everyone, but everyone is welcome to join us. Methods employed by our merry band of frugalers include batch cooking, stockpiling, preserving, foraging, mending, shopping in charity shops, reducing, reusing, recycling, Local Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS), Vegetable and fruit growing, allotments, keeping hens, using cashback sites and earning whatever it takes to become self sufficient in managing the cost of living without incurring debt.

For some it is initially about clearing debt, for others it's about increasing savings, buying property, becoming stay at home mums or paying off the mortgage early. Some choose the lifestyle on ethical grounds. Above all, this is a fun and supportive way to manage your budget so you have control of your own cost of living. It's about NEEDS and not WANTS.

Living on a budget = living within our means.
Frugal = thrifty, living without waste

Hi,
hope you don't mind me re quoting the opening paragraph but it has really grabbed my attention. I admire everyone who is currently living this way. I'm 35 and have tried this a number of times and always lost my way after a few month.
Last august, my marriage ended, I lost my way again, I live in a rented flat which the tenancy ends in March.
I have stepped away from my high pressure job, currently on sick leave with depression.
I won't bore you with details, but now, more than ever, I need to turn my life around and I truly believe that the frugal/freegan lifestyle is the lifestyle that is for me.
I'm not anti-commercialism/ capitalism/ or any other related ism, but I do know that too many people waste and throw away things which could easily be reused and is damaging our planet (or our childrens planet) and if I can make even a small difference to this, I intend to.
So first, thanks for this thread, I hope to find it extremely inspirational over the coming year.
Secondly, I don't use the internet that much so I will only post now and again. Also my i button on my keyboard sticks so please ignore/accept words where it is mssng (lol)
Finally, can I join?

Jo.Mo

Cagneuk, we will be thrilled to have you. Can you please send a private message to frugaldom asking to join, then he'll add you to the challenger list.

Sandra, I am so loving your poems! They are inspired!

I have had a super frugal week, making my own bread (yuuuuuuuum) and my own yoghurt (yuuuuuuuuuuuk... oh well, can't win them all )

Wornoutmumoftwo, if you just want a 'chuck it together' recipe, the one in the River Cottage family cookbook is fantastic (the whole book is brill), if you really want to get into breadmaking I can really recommend the River Cottage bread book, it's absolutely great.

I've had a huge breakthrough this week... after 15 months of moneysaving, I'm now debt free (except the house) with a grand in the bank for emergencies! My financial situation has never been this stable. It was worth the hard work ten times over. I'm now building up a £10k emergency fund. Onwards and upwards!

Well done everyone, I'm loving this thread. Jo xxx