2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

freedom2011

SAVVYJADE wrote: »

I'm finding this month hard already, even though only 6 days in, as I'm trying my best to have a no spend month! Did buy a few essentials yesterday for approx £10, and stocked up on boots 3 for 2 vitamins and paid 31p after a voucher! Had left over food at tea tonight so will be taking that to work for lunch in the morning. MOT due soon and really worried as know a few things need doing, shouldn't get worried as if it needs doing it has to be done as I have to get to work! I'm hoping as the month goes on it'll get easier!

Hope all well

SJ

Hang on in there, sometimes we overspend then other months we shave more off our budgets than expected, but overall win the frugal battle when we look at the big picture. It does get easier.xx

Frugaldom

SavvyJade, don't challenge yourself by setting unrealistic goals, they cause more problems than they're worth.

Frugal living isn't about how often or how much we spend, nor is it about not spending. Frugal living is about how we spend - wisely, carefully, thoughtfully and within our own means.

To everyone who does No Spend Challenges - rather than worry about not spending (or getting spare change into sealed pots while there are debts to pay, for that matter) why not forget those types of challenges? The main aim is for a debtfree life that we're happy to lead. It's a long, hard struggle for many, so try to make that journey fun.

If you have debts, it wasn't the actual spending of the money that got you there, it was the way you spent the money and relative to whose money it was to spend in the first place.

There should be no downers about frugal living, simply slow the pace down a bit and consider how long it took you to realise that you wanted to give this a go in the first place. I know I got quite spiteful in the beginning, it never seemed fair that I'd to skrimp and save while others in possibly less well off circumstances didn't. But after years of practice, I'm glad to have reached where I am.

PS: I do still get a bit green with envy at all the 'whoopsie' bargains many of you can get but not enough to make me want to give up my semi-rural location. No supermarkets, no public transport, no drainage, no takeaways, no central heating etc, etc, etc all add up to a hefty amount of extras. Frugal living means I can afford it.

SandraScarlett

What wise words Frugaldom, and really inspiring. All we can do is what's possible, and not aim for the unattainable. I was hoping for a great February, and had visions of surplus money, sloshing around in our bank account. Ha!!! :rotfl:

The heating's been on non-stop cos DH feels the cold so much. Several things managed to run out together (I'm sure they do this on purpose!) so had to be replenished. Then the poor dog started limping yesterday, I examined his paw but couldn't see anything, then this morning it started bleeding and a claw was hanging off.

When I touched it, he yelped, so off we went to the vet, who held his paw, and the claw fell off, cleaned it, dressed it, gave him an injection, and I got a bill for .....£66.65!!!! :eek: Then when I got back, the kitchen roller blind had fallen down, and the mechanism is b*ggered ......................... so, ok, we won't be dishing out alms to the poor, but, thanks to all the great tips on here, we won't be asking for them either.

And I get a real kick out of spotting the bargains, whoopsying, and using coupons, knowing there'll be money over for treats. Good luck, to everyone who may be stumbling a bit on their Frugal Journey

xx

SAVVYJADE

Thanks for all your advice and support! My aim for the no spend month was to try and help me with my mot. I'm hoping it's more difficult because I'm not used to it so hopefully in another week I'll be getting the gist of it! X

Thrifty_Sister

SandraScarlett wrote: »

What wise words Frugaldom, and really inspiring. All we can do is what's possible, and not aim for the unattainable. I was hoping for a great February, and had visions of surplus money, sloshing around in our bank account. Ha!!! :rotfl:

The heating's been on non-stop cos DH feels the cold so much. Several things managed to run out together (I'm sure they do this on purpose!) so had to be replenished. Then the poor dog started limping yesterday, I examined his paw but couldn't see anything, then this morning it started bleeding and a claw was hanging off.

When I touched it, he yelped, so off we went to the vet, who held his paw, and the claw fell off, cleaned it, dressed it, gave him an injection, and I got a bill for .....£66.65!!!! :eek: Then when I got back, the kitchen roller blind had fallen down, and the mechanism is b*ggered ......................... so, ok, we won't be dishing out alms to the poor, but, thanks to all the great tips on here, we won't be asking for them either.

And I get a real kick out of spotting the bargains, whoopsying, and using coupons, knowing there'll be money over for treats. Good luck, to everyone who may be stumbling a bit on their Frugal Journey

xx

And wise words from you too Sandrascarlett. I can associate with all the things you mention - isn't this what they call sods law:(:(

dizzy_lizzie

Thrifty_Sister wrote: »

Dizzy lizzie - hope you're feeling better today and the pain has settled down a bit. x
Thanks for the link to weezls menus - its brill! Hadn't seen it before so its given me lots of ideas - tackling the finance side of things first and will get down to my menu planner asap.:T:T
Just had a brief look at meal planners on the internet and saw this one - looks quite good.
www.netmums.com/family-food/meal-planning - hth

Aw thanks Thrifty. I was hoping to go into work today and got my soup and roll ready but I feel like someones kicked me in the face, so didn't go in It is easing though.
Really pleased you found Weezls site useful. I've bookmarked it because I can never find it when I google for some reason.
Thank for the netmums info. I do subscribe to 'netmums emails' but I rarely read them. Especially as mine are really grown ups now. I will do in the future though. I like the budget recipes section. I can adapt quite a few of those to vegan. Thanks

****I wonder if anyone is up for the challenge of cooking from a new frugalish recipe, or converting it to a frugal one, and then posting pics. Maybe one a week or even once a month. Whatever anyone fancied. Would it inspire us to try new things?Just an idea****
Think I'll have a little nod. Didn't get much sleep last night and still feel a bit whoozy. Catch everyone later hopefully.
Warm hugs
x

debbiedeejay

Some very wise words have been posted past few days - lovely encouragement from all OP's and received from many of us new to living the frugal way.

Well yesterday was a day off so instead of my usual sit around doing nothing or mooching the shops, I asked my Dad to refit some pine shelves I had taken down the other week. Anyway we managed to cut them to size and fit them in a small unused space in my kitchen,so now I have room for my wire chicken (for eggs) and recipes books and a few bits that I use often but not often enough to keep out on work top. So re- using the shelves kept them out of the shed going dusty.

Plus Dad gave me a quarter tin of white emulsion ,so I finished off the hallway I had started with the left over paint from last weeks job(it was originally left by a neighbour when she moved) so that's two rooms redecorated with free paint:).

Trouble is, I now realise I need to gloss all the woodwork (and yes in an ideal world this would have been first but beggars can't be choosers) but it will have to wait - if anyone asks its called "antique cream":rotfl:

Emmala

Evening everyone! I haven't posted in AGES so I will sit down later and read through to catch up!

Budget wise things are OK here.......we took out a loan to clear the debt around new year and I went through all the DDs to see what could go, be reduced etc.....by doing that we will have an extra £1000 this year!!!! It didn't take too long to do, and I finally managed to get DH to transfer the three DDs which got missed when we moved banks a couple of years back. This means we can close an old account, which is part of our new outlook - no accounts that we don't need, overdraft reduced to a sensible amount, also amount of CCs reduced (DH has two for work expenses) and with that, the amount of credit available to us. When I sat down and worked it all out, between the ODs (2 accounts) and DHs cards (he had about 5) he had nearly 40k of available credit!!!!!! SO, we have cut down, reduced limits and just knowing that we have way less than half of that has made me feel much more positive. Might sound silly, but I do believe that the better frame of mind we're in, the better our finances (and management of) will be!!

I have been meal planning for a few months now, and it has made SUCH a difference!! Two weeks ago, I got out weekly shop for £40!!!!!! I was so pleased, that's a real first for me. I try and challenge myself each week not to go over a set amount (this varies depending on what I know I'll need). That week was just foody bits, no cleaning stuff, washing powder, toiletries etc which really bump up a shop, so that helped. But, overall, I spent within my means in Jan, and am on course to do the same this month.

One thing I was really proud of, was a couple of weeks ago - our shower caddy was minging, really grubby and we thought we'd need to buy a new one BUT I got out the white vinegar and hey presto! It came up like new, brand spanking new!!!!! Wonderful! Only a little something, but for me it was a real achievement!!!!

The other thing I have been doing is 'rounding down' - everytime I go on line to check the joint account, I round down the balance to the nearest £10, just transfer across to the linked savings account. There's more than £30 in there already, and my plan is to let this build up for Christmas. It might only be £1.24 or something or might be £8.50, but we don't notice it and I feel really good knowing we have some 'savings' even if we're not talking thousands!!!!

I do hope everyone is well and that the snow (what snow??? we didn't get as much a snowflake!) hasn't been too disruptive. I will catch up on all your posts later, but send hugs to those in need!

rae xx

mumwithamission

Well done rae18 - we did the same kind of thing a few months ago and psychologically it made a real difference, feeling in control, and knowing everything about our finances. If either of us has a query about our money I can lay my hands on our up-to date records straight away. Not an awful lot has changed in our actual circumstances yet - but we have good intentions :rotfl:

determined_new_ms

rae18 wrote: »

The other thing I have been doing is 'rounding down' - everytime I go on line to check the joint account, I round down the balance to the nearest £10, just transfer across to the linked savings account. There's more than £30 in there already, and my plan is to let this build up for Christmas. It might only be £1.24 or something or might be £8.50, but we don't notice it and I feel really good knowing we have some 'savings' even if we're not talking thousands!!!!


rae xx

I do this rae on the "Virtual sealed pot" thread. Every Friday I round down to the nearest £10 have done it for 2 years now and used the money at Christmas. Its fabulous how quickly it builds up. Last year (sounds so weird saying that when it was less than 2 months ago!) I also saved £20 a month towards Christmas and managed to do all my Christmas shopping & have £100 left over :money: