2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

zagubov

rictus123 wrote: »

Yep I think it will be a macbook folks! Where do o buy from?

Does it have to be a laptop? many of the desktops are OK. My main computer is a 10-yo mac tower with great software and I can view TV streams, surf the web, send emails type letters. Games are a problem - but I'm not into that!
My system cost less than £200. If I had my way I'd downgrade my version of system OSX as the new versions stop old software from running.
You could save money by a) visiting the mac educational sales web-page. http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/education_routing
You need a student/school pupil in the family to buy it for you or someone who works in the education sector. It's about 10% off I believe.
b) Also their refurb store
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

I'm skeptical everyone needs a new computer and I believe most computers became fully functional several years ago and don't need any further "improvements".

Do some homeowrk and I'll bet you'll find a good second-hand mac on ebay with useable software that'l do everything cheaply and reliably.

c) Have a look at http://www.software4students.co.uk/

seriouslyfrugal

Morning


I found this and thought it would be useful - coupon thread


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3628257

rictus123

Yeh i think it does have to be a laptop as i need it mobile. I use it in different rooms of the house and it will be alot easier to shift into my own house end of next year if it is a laptop as opposed to a desktop. I only use it for internet but this one iv got is getting so slow and keys are missing off keyboard. Anyway thats only if i can raise enough through overtime to pay for it. Cannot wait to get going in 2012 with this challenge and the save 12k in 12 where i am going for 15k.

cw18

I'm back with this challenge for next year - with even more of a need to stick to it than ever before 'cos I finished work 2 week ago and don't have another job to go to (I handed in my resignation after doing a lot of number crunching, as there were a few things I wasn't happy with - one of which caused me major problems last winter and was already starting to do this time around - which means I'm now living off money I'd put to one side for either a house move or home improvements, but I decided my health was a lot more important which makes it worthwhile as long as I can control my costs).

Still trying to decide whether to downsize my property or not, but still not done much about downsizing my belongings to figure out how viable it is. So the plan was to get seriously stuck into that in the hope I'd be well done by Easter (suspect I'll have to go through everything several times, getting rid of more on each cycle until it becomes manageable) - but have done very little so far as finishing work co-incided with me starting to see a new chap who's been taking up a lot of my time (He works shifts, so for the last two weeks several hours each day has been spent texting him due to his working pattern! But he's on nights this week so I've made him promise to text/phone around 6:45am before he turns in to make sure I'm up - and he's then in bed until around 3:30pm so that gives me a few hours to get on without any distractions from there.)

I'm also spending several hours a week pounding the streets I've entered the Manchester Marathon which takes place on 29th April, so am now following a serious training schedule for that which means 4 runs almost every week until New year..... and then 5 a week :eek:

Once I make a decision about the downsizing issue I'm planning to look into getting registered as a child-minder. There's not a lot of point doing it now, as if I move I may move back to where I came from - and as that's a change of council it would mean a lot more paperwork to be done. But decluttering the house would have to be done even if I register to do it here, so whatever I decide about the house the downsizing of belongings needs to be done !!!

Erme

zagubov wrote: »

Does it have to be a laptop? many of the desktops are OK. My main computer is a 10-yo mac tower with greaqt software and I can view TV streams, surf the web, send emails type letters. Games are a problem - but I'm not into that!
My sytem cost less than £200. If I had my way I'd downgrade my version of system OSX as the new versions stop old software from running.
You could save money by a) visiting the mac educational sales web-page. http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/education_routing
You need a student/school pupil in the family to buy it for you or someone who works in the education sector. It's about 10% off I believe.
Also their refurb store
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

I'm skeptical everyone needs a new computer and I believe most computers became fully functional several years ago and don't need any further "improvements".

Do some homeowrk and I'll bet you'll find a good second-hand mac on ebay with useable software that'l do everything cheaply and reliably.

Have a look at http://www.software4students.co.uk/

You should be able to get one for about £500 then rictus...I have snow leopard on mine and it's fine. So long as you get an intel one it'll be fine.

Try the links above man and also ebay in January or whenever you have the funds..

Am too embarrassed to say where I got mine from (on HP :eek:) :rotfl:

But I like it and am happy with it..Funny you say all this. Last night I was dreaming about getting a fossilized thick tablet for about £40. Don't know if I need a tablet or not. Mainly want it for diary and like reading e-books and I figure that with mac getting rid of the kindle app android is the way to go.

Though it needs not to be wifi as I can't have wifi in my flat due to it getting hacked

E

rictus123

Well il look into it. £1,000 figure was my very top end. No way going to spend more than that. I agree £500 is plenty for a decent one but i believe with laptops its one of them things you get what you pay for. I will see how much overtime i get before i decide if i am going to splash right out or find the cheapest decent one that will do. I will ask about on here again nearer the time.

I was considering a kindle but there is a few books i have to read before i do. On Duncan Bannatyres : anyone can do it book and its a good read. Iv read rich dad poor dad on ebook...any others like that i should go for next? I have great ambitions for 2012, this thread will be a great help.

Erme

I just researched android tablets and they are better value than a kindle...

On these you can upgrade the memory (Mini SD card) and like kindle is tops 4gb memory - so you could get an android tablet with all the things and like 16gb memory for same price as kindle

They start about £60 rising to about £100 for a non branded though obviously if you get them from china they are even cheaper

e

zagubov

rictus123 wrote: »

Yeh i think it does have to be a laptop as i need it mobile. I use it in different rooms of the house and it will be alot easier to shift into my own house end of next year if it is a laptop as opposed to a desktop. I only use it for internet but this one iv got is getting so slow and keys are missing off keyboard. Anyway thats only if i can raise enough through overtime to pay for it. Cannot wait to get going in 2012 with this challenge and the save 12k in 12 where i am going for 15k.

OK for laptops there's not so many bargains. I stand by my claim that you don't need the mostb up-to-date models at their crazy prices.

Erme wrote: »

You should be able to get one for about £500 then rictus...I have snow leopard on mine and it's fine. So long as you get an intel one it'll be fine.

Try the links above man and also ebay in January or whenever you have the funds..

Am too embarrassed to say where I got mine from (on HP :eek:) :rotfl:

But I like it and am happy with it..Funny you say all this. Last night I was dreaming about getting a fossilized thick tablet for about £40. Don't know if I need a tablet or not. Mainly want it for diary and like reading e-books and I figure that with mac getting rid of the kindle app android is the way to go.

Though it needs not to be wifi as I can't have wifi in my flat due to it getting hacked

E

I'm not even sure you need an intel mac. Sure if you want to run Windows on your mac as well and for spotify and tunnelbear it would be necessary but if you're surfing the web ask how people are getting on with the old PPC macs (G4/G5). There's stacks of great old software out there that doesn't run on the new ones.

It's not as if yu have to keep updating to avoid viruses and malware- they're really rare on the mac platform.

Anyway look at lowend mac and ebay. Can anyone remember that company up in me rseyside that does refurb printers and computers?


If someone told you you had to throw out your knives and forks as new cutlery was so much more advanced you'd be skeptical (I hope). We all need to be more skeptical when the same thing is claimed aout home computers. We're not planning moon missions on them!

Pauper1

Hi,
Can I be added on to the list please?
I don't really have a budget as such, because pretty much all of my bills/payments etc are fixed, but this is what next year looks like for us:

36% of our income will go to bills
27% to debt repayments

Pets - £240
Cars - £4363
Groceries - £2400
Presents/holidays - £950
Misc - £1560

To be honest, the cars section has shocked me, but there isn't a lot we can do about it, as it's mostly the petrol costs. Being out in the sticks means there isn't a lot of alternative to cars, as public transport is shot, and everything (work etc) is so far away from each other...

The debt part doesn't even include paying much off, it's mostly charges & minimum payments but we do have a few fixed debt payments ending this year, so they will then be added on to a different debt payment.

We'll get there.

Good luck everyone.

icontinuetodream

OMG!!!!!:eek::eek::eek: have just worked out budget for the last and next 12 months and it makes really scary reading....._pale_

Dh pays the mortgage (although I pay the main OP), his car expenses, some debts and contributes to the food budget.....other than that...I pay everything else... it works out relatively evenly, but looking at the figures has been the most scary thing I have done all year!!!:mad:

My current annual expenditure is £17987!!! :eek: and, as I said, that doesn't include the normal mortgage payment!! I don't live an extravagant lifestyle, but there are 6 adults in the house and two very expensive puppies.....one of them thinks he is made from titanium and has a habit of costing a fortune in vets bills on a regular basis:wall:...we are insured, but the insurance is very expensive because of his stupidity!!:o

As this is going to be my first year of really frugal living....I will set my budget according to how much it is currently costing me to live:whistle:....and try to get it down as much as possible..... so I have updated my sig accordingly....lets hope I succeed!!!