2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

dizzy_lizzie

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Anyone any ideas what they're adding to their budgets for next year
Bring it on!

I think I'll be doing the same as this year. Being more mindful with my spending. Keeping my money in my purse/bank rather than frivolous spends and also joining and keeping up with a few more of the mse challenges on here like the store cupboard challenge and weekly grocery spends.
I want to be saving a lot more than I am at the moment and that's going to be my focus next year.
x

[Deleted User]

Hi All
Frugal happenings today:
1. Take packed lunch to work.Done
2. Reheat dinner from last night left over for tonights dinner. Done
3. Shopping for some new bits and bobs as I am decorating - going to charity shops to see what I can find first. Done but no luck

This weekend:
1. Making a list and sticking to it for food shopping
2. Using up some fruit in the freezer to make Jam - will be redcurrant jelly which I use to make a great sauce to go with lamb.
3. Get the tax return finalised and then submit on Monday of next week. Want it done and out of the way so I am not using my Christmas holidays to do it!
4. Possible non-frugal item - go to cinema to see The Hobbit. I am really looking forward to this one:j:j.

Looking forward to the 2013 thread. I do need to look at my budget for next year and will do that after the dreaded tax return next weekend or during my holidays (strangely I find that quite enjoyable)!

Allie

freedom2011

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi All


Looking forward to the 2013 thread. I do need to look at my budget for next year and will do that after the dreaded tax return next weekedn or during my holidays (strangely I find that quite enjoyable)!

Allie

me too. perhaps it is the getting things in control part of it?

quintwins

I don't think i could squeeze my budget anymore tbh, and if i did it would inpact on our lifestyle and made us unhappy (or even worse unhealthy which would also make us unhappy)

I've been whoospie shopping at my new asda, they do 75% reductions at half 2, 3 days a week my older kids need picked up at 2.50 and it's only up the road so i may do this more often if i did (and the amount of bargains stayed the same) i could easily half my shopping budget and feed us really well on about £25 a week, i've got things like

whole chickens £1.12/£1.60, finest meatballs £1.45, mince 50p,breaded cod fillets 65p, bbq chicken btreasts £1.30, bread 15p, bananas 40p, grapes 37p, tomatoes 44p, season veg packs 50p

So i really good mix of food, in general my food budget is £3 per day £1 for breakfast and lunch and £2 for tea.Then i add £10 for fruit and milk.

Today i will have

Breakfast

(kids had fruit we were running late)

Toast 3p (reduced bread) eggs 30p (i sent hubby for eggs and he brought me the wrong ones usually this would be about 15p) bacon 12p = 45p that was for me a ds

lunch
baked tatie 10p (reduced spuds) cheese 15p (reduced cheese) coleslaw 2p (reduced)= 27p

Dinner
2 packets of fish £1.30 homemade chips 30p, hoemmade onions rings 15p, beans 25p= £2

so well under budget and a very indulgent day with a cooked breakfast and fish and chips

tomorrow i will have

breakfast
porridge all round 20p

lunch
sausage rolls 45p (reduced)

dinner
chicken £1.12 (reduced) mash 20p, roastoes 20p, carrots and parsnips 10p (reduced) yorshire puddings 15p, gravy 10p - £1.87

and the chicken will then be mondays dinner aswell when i'll do chicken casarole, and tue when i'll do pasta, i won't make soup or stock from the bones as i don't like it but i will stipe the carcass right down.


It's very cold i'm using my fire alot more, i got a few more bags of coal because i think it may go up in price abit, i worked out that in winter it costs me £32 to run my fire pretty much constant for a month, but i only do that in winter, when my oil runs out if we're still here i think i won't bother with more and i'll get an oil filled radiator for the kids room as thats the only room the fire doesn't heat.It doesn't seem worth spending £550 on a fill of oil when acually the fire heats the house better, i am hoping the oil lasts us til we move tho.

Frugaldom

IF It helps, the Frugaldom budget is an 'all in' excluding rent/mortgage and, once again, I am attempting £4,000 for the year including council tax. Not sure how feasible this is, as things keep changing, but there's no longer a car to run and I don't live near any shops, so can't be tempted to spend on unneccessary 'stuff'. That and the fact I work from home, which means no travel expenses.

For 2013, houseshare and myself have bought econdhand bikes to replace the scrapped car. 2013 has already been named my !!!!!! year, as I attempt an even more minimalist lifestyle - Worse Than Frugal!

Welcome to all who want to join. As usual, I have very little time to keep up on all the forums but you know where I am if you have any questions.

rising_from_the_ashes

Frugaldom wrote: »

IF It helps, the Frugaldom budget is an 'all in' excluding rent/mortgage and, once again, I am attempting £4,000 for the year including council tax.

I would love to see a breakdown of your costs Frugaldom as I have no idea how you manage on £4k:T

Even if I excluded my mortgage payments (£3,400) and car costs (£2,210), I can't get anywhere near that - my CT is over £1,100 so that would leave me less than £2,900 for everything else....

dizzy_lizzie

[Deleted User] wrote:

4. Possible non-frugal item - go to cinema to see The Hobbit. I am really looking forward to this one:j:j
Allie

Ooh enjoy yourself. I wouldn't mind watching this either

Haven't done anything today aside from take DS to the post office to pick something up.
Just chilled out on the sofa even though I've got present wrapping to do. So plan for later on is to get wrapping! When I was younger I loved doing this using all matching paper, bows etc. Now it's just one of those jobs that need doing like writing Christmas cards!
I sound a right misery today, I do love Christmas really though
x

Thriftkitten

Hi does anyone know how to get CW's spreadsheet please, I have been going round in circles for the best part of the morning trying to find one and al i can come up with is martin's bugetting tool which isnt the one I used a couple of years ago, thanks Lisa xx

[Deleted User]

Thriftkitten wrote: »

Hi does anyone know how to get CW's spreadsheet please, I have been going round in circles for the best part of the morning trying to find one and al i can come up with is martin's bugetting tool which isnt the one I used a couple of years ago, thanks Lisa xx

I think the one you are after is in the box of useful links on the first page of this thread. Look for the link 'My free spread sheet' and it should take you to CW18s links.

rising_from_the_ashes

Thriftkitten wrote: »

Hi does anyone know how to get CW's spreadsheet please, I have been going round in circles for the best part of the morning trying to find one and al i can come up with is martin's bugetting tool which isnt the one I used a couple of years ago, thanks Lisa xx

[Deleted User] wrote:

I think the one you are after is in the box of useful links on the first page of this thread. Look for the link 'My free spread sheet' and it should take you to CW18s links.

It's still there on the front page but unfortunately doesn't seem to be working anymore

If anyone is in touch with Cheryl could they ask her to have a look?