2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

Janeryan

Hi all-late joiner alert!

Worked out our 2011 spending this weekend and we exceeded our income by approx £2000! I was made redundant on 2010 so had some redundancy money left which is why we were able to do that but can't afford to do that again this year! DH is waiting to hear regarding his possible redundancy (going through compentency based interview procedure following a restructure of company) so need to make sure that 2012 expenditure not only doesn't exceed income but actually falls well under it!

Our month starts on the 15th so I am currently on 15 jan to 15 feb-spent £19.20 on groceries so far.

Am going to see if I can work out a budget for 2012 and will be back with an update!

Frugaldom

Not keeping up with the posts at all, but still skimming through the daily updates.

Welcome to JaneRyan, I have now added your name to the challenger list.

Welcome to Cagneuk, I just spotted your post but hadn't had a PM from you. I don't post often either, as frugaldom is fulltime work and lifestyle for me.

Frugaldom

Oops, forgot to say, Amazon has a good deal with free delivery on cat food, if anyone's interested. Works out at ust under 45p per tin (KiteKat) with free delivery. I've also renewed my annual line rental saver with BT, so another £120 spent but saves me over £40 per year.

For those of you who need to rely on coal, I'm now getting mine in 25kg plastic bags from our local agricultural merchant - a saving of 2.6p per kilo. Might not sound much, but when you consider we can get through about 100kg per week at this time of year, all those pennies amount to pounds.

LolaLemon

Aw jeez! Itsabsolutly freezing here! Prediction of snow for Thursday, really could do without it .... my pipes will burst :-(

mishmogs

Brr cold out there now but good news frugalisters, have had 3 more days as NSD!! also found out that the sports centre does discounted/cheap swimming sessions so will take advantage of this, works out at £2.10 per session. whilst I was out and about on my walk in an area I havent been to for some time, found a couple of apple trees in no mans land so will keep an eye on them for some apples and a large patch of blackberries so I can jam make later on this year. this has inspired me to walk to other areas I haven't been to for some time and keep my eyes open.

rising_from_the_ashes

slowlyfading wrote: »

see War Horse tonight, which was really good, but sad too. Still, a good film for anyone, I recommend it

I'd really like to see it but having seen a couple of trailers I know I'll howl through practically the whole thing (still can't watch Black Beauty.....) so will have to wait until it's on DVD and can see it in the safety of my own home!

Not a very frugal today ..... was all prepared for a NSD week (all lunch stuff in for the week, filled with liquid gold yesterday so that will last a couple of weeks) but forgot I had the dentist:eek:

One filling and a teeth clean and I emerged £28 poorer. My teeth are terrible which is apparently down to having had Crohn's from an early age ...... I also always need the clean (which I hate as my gums really hurt ) so asked if an electric toothbrush would help with this, to be told "yes".

Headed off to B**ts and found one for 1/2 price .... trying to think of it as a long term investment as if it saves having to have the clean ever 6 months, it will easily pay for itself (fingers crossed anyway!).

ETA My "anything else" budget is now well overspent for the month .... Can I ask where others have budgeted for things like Dentists, Optitions etc? These really aren't in my budget anywhere but I do realise I should have them in somewhere .....

cw18

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

ETA My "anything else" budget is now well overspent for the month .... Can I ask where others have budgeted for things like Dentists, Optitions etc? These really aren't in my budget anywhere but I do realise I should have them in somewhere .....

Mine are in my 'anything else' (as are prescriptions), and I have a check-up on Wednesday which will almost certainly mean a clean as well...... and my 'anything else' is already over-spent this month too :eek:

rising_from_the_ashes

cw18 wrote: »

Mine are in my 'anything else' (as are prescriptions), and I have a check-up on Wednesday which will almost certainly mean a clean as well...... and my 'anything else' is already over-spent this month too :eek:

Thanks Cheryl ..... they were in there last year (and came in under budget for the year - and I have increased it this year to cope with the new shed!).

Think I'm maybe just panicing a bit as it's overspent this month and it's right at the start of the year.

happy_but_skint

Hi

Had a fairly frugal week spent £10.96 on a weeks worth of shopping for 5 of us and thanks to the grabbits board got some nappies at boots using the vitamin discount to get some money off. I also made a huge list of things to do around the house which stopped my husband wasting petrol going for a drive at the weekend and the list should keep him busy for the rest of the month

JayneC

Hi all,

Still plodding on...Managed to exceed my overdraft today - big fat bum Just noticed this evening and have moved money from my savings account (which sounds grand but there was only £27 in it!!) and hoping that counts as bringing it back into the black on the same day. i'm with HSBC who I have to begrudgingly say aren't as bad as some other banks with their charges (such as the red S one!!!). Will have to wait and see what happens. This is what happens when you get seduced by SALE bargains...In my defence it wasn't fancy fashionable heels, cute slinky top, etc, etc. I got some really good walking boots reduced from £99 to £28, which will be needed for dog walking duty if we get snow/ice.

Otherwise still on track, doing quite well with groceries - managing to stay under the £50 per week allowance I've given myself.

Keeping up well with my decluttering too. DS and I had a job getting a broken washing machine and huge TV outside for council collection tomorrow, was like something from Chuckle Brothers More items Freegled too. Have a little pile for ebay but not very good at getting the photos done, need a kick up the behind...

Everyone doing well. Well done to us all:T