2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

quintwins

I was sure i posted a few days ago but i can't see it so maybe i types it but never posted

Anyhoo i was saying i need to get back on the frugal wagon as we've spent a small fortune this month and infact in the last few months, we are savings ore than enough but not as much as we could.

So far today i've hung washing out even tho it's freezing, we're eating from stores (have been since monday and even then i only bought fruit), trying to live off the cash in my purse this week, it's going really well so far.

Need to go shopping tomorrow but i'll only get milk and bread to last us the weekend nothing else.

I'm avoiding takeaways.

I'll mend ds's coat rather than buy a new one.

I'm hoping get get the NHCo 24 hampers, 12 will go to mil and teh rest will be as gifts, i'll keep the baskets and make cheap gifts next year i'll try and get some free bits threw teh year or use my survey vouchers.


I need to start doing shop and scan but i havnet yet because i'm worried it will look like i don't feed my family because i'm only doing top up shops at the mo.

I'm trying to avoid using the drier.

Ok not so frugal we've been using the heat alot, but it is cold so i've flicked it onto the timer and adjusted it so hopefully it will be ok, it wasn't on teh timme in the night which meant it was freezing this morning and as a result it's been on for 3 hrs, on the plus side it heats our water to near roasting point and we have no water rates so lots of nice hot baths.


I'm considering washing my dishes by hand, like i say no water rates and lots of hot water, but really how much elec does a dishwasher use? also i'm not sure doe it use cold water and heats it?


My budget for 2013 is £7,500
monthly this breaks down as

£150 rent
£25 mobiles
£45 internet
£50 electric
£100 food
£150 desil
£20 play money (ds doesn't start school until sep so this is softplay areas and swimming)
£15 insurances

annually i have
£360 heating (hoping we won't need a fill of oil this year as we have the wee fire so aren't using it much, this allows £30 a month for oil, and logs)
£300 xmas
£0 clothes, (kids have birthday/xmas money for small bits, so far we have £50 in this fund, i'd say we'll have another £75 at xmas and another £25 in july, so £150, me and hubby will prob get about £50 aswell but we don't need much now as we both just got new clothes, also the kids get uniform allowance so another £75, i think my total will be £275 just not £275 of my money, mil will prob offer to buy the kids school shoes.


That comes to £7320, the extra little bit is for emergencys of the increase in food costs.

Saving target for next year is £20,000, hopefully i'll have £30,000 by this time next year or nothing and a plot of land to start building.

MuffinTops

Oh my Goodness CherryJack. Well done on the weight loss, but mainly getting through the time on milk alone! An absolute inspiration to doing what you really have to do! I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday when you can have something other than yukky milk!

Brilliant weightloss though. Is this enough to go to your next stage?

rising_from_the_ashes

quintwins wrote: »

My budget for 2013 is £7,500

How on earth do you get it so low?

Mine's currently at nearly £15,000 - still in draft:



It does include everything but still ......

silvasava

Cherryjack - well done, can't believe how quickly the time has gone! (but not so quick for you I think )

[Deleted User]

I need to spend some time getting my 2013 budget done. By far our biggest expense is running 2 cars - there is no way around it given where OH and I both work so it has to be done!

Will post new budget over the weekend at some point. Will be reading my Tightwad gazette for inspirtion!

quintwins

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

How on earth do you get it so low?

Mine's currently at nearly £15,000 - still in draft:



It does include everything but still ......

Drools at your spreadsheet!!! Mine does include everything i used the mse buggetting tool (i love it the fact that you can store 3 at once)

We rent from family so our rent is £150 a month.

The electric in this new house is alot lower as there are less lights, no water heater or electric shower, i use the slowcooker as much as possible, and our bill dropped by £10 a month when we got our new freezer even tho it's the same model and make :undecided

Food wise my budget couldn't get any lower and includes dog food but we still eat well.

We don't have massages (is that right £300?) and hubbys cuts his and the kids hair and mines birthday/xmas pressies.

We don't really have an entertainment budget it's only £20 but for £20 i can take ds swimming and to the soft play area once a week, or we can take them all swimming twice on a saturday and to the cinema once. We tend to do cinema night at home, free film and a packet of microwave popcorn, i also take my own sweets/drinks and popcorn to the cinema.

We have no car costs other than oil and wiper blades, hubby works for his parents it's a company car on paper, in reality i have it all day everyday ecept for maybe once a month, they pay our tax, mot and insurance (we were gonna start paying when i passed my test til we relised it was free to add me to theres)

Dentist, glass and subsciptions are free.

At the moment the kids get free school dinner, but the rules for this and different over here and i can see that going soon,I'll swap them to pack lunches then unless its really cold then i might like them to have diner, i pay £4 a week for there snack as of next year they will be bringing it themselves but my youngest will be starting school so he'll need £2 a week for the next 3 years.

We don't have pet insurance, and seeing how much you pay i'm glad we've never needed to visit a vet other than jabs and our oldest dog is coming 7, we have savinsg should something bad happen.

We don't pay rates (you call it council tax) as we're staying with family and they pay it, there is no water rates here either.

We have no ariel and don't watch live tv anyway so no t.v lisence (and the main house pays it aswell anyway if we did but we don't i stopped watching soaps last mas and that was the only thing we ever watched that wasn't recorded) so no sky aswell.

Like i said above no clothes allowance,i buy from birthday money and they get character things as gifts anyway, i have went slightly over my mas budget this year but it's ok because 1 i had extra in my budget last year aswell and 2 i have some for next year already. i should have enough mas pressies next year to only need birthday pressies.

I think i covered everything, we acually live really well, i can remeber having no heat for 3 years and only eating in work cause it was free so imo i live very very well :rotfl:

rising_from_the_ashes

Wow quintwins! *dreamy wistful look descents on Rising's face ..... one day*:rotfl:

quintwins wrote: »

Drools at your spreadsheet!!! Mine does include everything i used the mse buggetting tool (i love it the fact that you can store 3 at once)

That's Cheryl's (CW18) SOW from the front page - honestly, if anyone's needing one for next year, it is absolutely fab (page for regular monthly spends & others for groceries etc for each month so you can keep track really easily) :T (as always Cheryl if you're around :A)

quintwins wrote: »

We rent from family so our rent is £150 a month.

quintwins wrote: »

We have no car costs other than oil and wiper blades, hubby works for his parents it's a company car on paper, in reality i have it all day everyday ecept for maybe once a month, they pay our tax, mot and insurance (we were gonna start paying when i passed my test til we relised it was free to add me to theres)

quintwins wrote: »

Dentist, glass and subsciptions are free.

quintwins wrote: »

We don't pay rates (you call it council tax) as we're staying with family and they pay it, there is no water rates here either.

Wow - the difference between mortgage and rent & the above other things costs me ...... over £5k!:eek:

quintwins wrote: »

We don't have massages (is that right £300?)

Yup, £25 a shot and allow for 1 / month - and that's with a discount!:eek:

I have big debates about this but unfortunately I knackered my back quite badly several years ago (fell off a horse) and have huge problems with it.

The only thing that really helps is a massage ..... it does make a huge difference so I'd rather go without something else to keep it if at all possible.

In reality, I never end up going as much as this - I've been 8 times this year (and I've had an extra £5 off 3 of these) .... so total cost has been £185. I may reduce this budget to £250 .....

quintwins

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Wow - the difference between mortgage and rent & the above other things costs me ...... over £5k!:eek:



Yup, £25 a shot and allow for 1 / month - and that's with a discount!:eek:

I have big debates about this but unfortunately I knackered my back quite badly several years ago (fell off a horse) and have huge problems with it.

The only thing that really helps is a massage ..... it does make a huge difference so I'd rather go without something else to keep it if at all possible.

In reality, I never end up going as much as this - I've been 8 times this year (and I've had an extra £5 off 3 of these) .... so total cost has been £185. I may reduce this budget to £250 .....

It's suprising how things add up.

I love a back massage but i have a very nice hubby, who gives me them all the time, so i don't need to go i've been for a few proper ones aswell (i'm not frugal never ever treat myself) but i acually prefer hubby, he knows what i like and specific areas i like rubbed more, and i prefer him to a stranger. He on the otehr hand would send me for one everyday and the hairdressers every week because he likes to treat me, it;s a good job i'm in charge of the finances

If you need it you should keep it in the budget, if you don't spend it all well and good if you do atleast it won't ruin your targets. Is it a sports massage?-seriously what are these anyway, if it's justa normal one you could try groupon, or i've noticed loads of local salons completing with deals, one i drive past alot had a head back and neck massage, and a mani/pedi for £25 soooooo tempted but i won't lol.

rising_from_the_ashes

quintwins wrote: »

It's suprising how things add up.

Sure is!:)

quintwins wrote: »

I love a back massage but i have a very nice hubby, who gives me them all the time, so i don't need to go i've been for a few proper ones aswell (i'm not frugal i can't treat myself) but i acually prefer hubby, he knows what i like and specific areas i like rubbed more, and i prefer him to a stranger.

*eyes totally glazed over ....* Ahhhhh - that's where I'm going wrong! Unfortunately I've not got one of those!

I know exactly what you mean about knowing which bits - "my lady" is fab & I've been going to her for years and knows how "my back" works / how to unlock it ..... . she was ill last year and tried someone else - couldn't move for a week!:eek:

quintwins

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

*eyes totally glazed over ....* Ahhhhh - that's where I'm going wrong! Unfortunately I've not got one of those!

I know exactly what you mean about knowing which bits - "my lady" is fab & I've been going to her for years and knows how "my back" works / how to unlock it ..... . she was ill last year and tried someone else - couldn't move for a week!:eek:

lol i'm very aware of how lucky i am, he's 1 in a million.

Oh that doesn't sound good best keep going to her.