2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

skint_chick

hi everyone

as usual i did the typical thing of joining up in jan again and then vanishing for months on end although I have been lurking. Had a bit of a disaster this year as the tenants in one of my rentals managed to bring the kitchen ceiling down by dripping water from the bathroom, so I had to evict them and repair the damage. I also bought my garden and got it sorted from an overgrown jungle to a veggie growing paradise. So I'm just under £8000 in debt from all this, but luckily it's interest free for 18 months so I have time to clear it! Also I'm going down to 3 days a week at work next year so my income will be reducing, and I started another Masters in September so I'm paying my fees monthly too!! I'm volunteering in my free time for some worthwhile projects and learning lots of crafts so that I relax more.

Next year needs to be frugal and my aims are to become self sufficient in veggies, lose weight by walking more - esp now we're down to one car and I'll have to get the bus to work - and to get my debt repaid while saving for more home improvements, next year's fees and to be able to reduce my hours even more

cw18

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

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?

Thrift Kitten sent me a PM - and luckily today was the first time in weeks I thought to check this site.... must have felt my ears burning :rotfl:

It looks like it's down to some major changes with Google Docs, as I can't even access my account and the password reminder things aren't working (or aren't sending me the texts/emails they should be). So I've set up a new account and uploaded copies set for 2013, but I'll not post the links until I hear from Thrift Kitten that they're working

rising_from_the_ashes

cw18 wrote: »

Thrift Kitten sent me a PM - and luckily today was the first time in weeks I thought to check this site.... must have felt my ears burning :rotfl:

It looks like it's down to some major changes with Google Docs, as I can't even access my account and the password reminder things aren't working (or aren't sending me the texts/emails they should be). So I've set up a new account and uploaded copies set for 2013, but I'll not post the links until I hear from Thrift Kitten that they're working

Ahhh Cheryl fantastic! :T

I can honestly say that your spreadsheet has managed to keep me (more or less ) on track with my budgeting and where it's fallen down it's been entirely my fault:rotfl:

I'd be absolutely lost without it now!

Hope things are good for you & yours - wishing you a fab Christmas & prosperous NY xx

LolaLemon

Great to hear from you Cheryl! Hope alls well with you

I fully intend to utilise the spread sheet this year, and actually post up what my frugal amount is for the year. My first year ever!

cw18

Quick (but long!) update on what's been happening here - other than I've not entered anything to the spreadsheet since February, and don't have a clue how this years figures stack up :eek:

Those with long memories may recall that in November of last year I gave up my job and started seeing a new chap at the same time. Well, I started a new job (as a cleaner at the gym I've been a member of for 2 years) at the end of September, and I'm still seeing the same chap

There's not been a weekend this year that I've not seen him, and a few times he's also come over mid-week for tea. We've been away 4 times (a week in the Lakes just the two of us, a weekend camping with friends from another forum I'm on, a weekend in the Lakes with his niece who was almost 22 months old at the time, and this last weekend for his works Christmas do), and have been out to 3 (I think - could be 4!) food festivals where I've spent rather more than I should and have developed a taste for better quality foods. For his birthday (last month) I bought him a kite which he loves, and having spent an hour watching him fly it I went and bought myself one so I don't have to be a 'kite widow' :rotfl:

Health wise the year hasn't been good, and I've managed to put on 2.5 stone in the 13 months I've been seeing him - putting me at my heaviest for 5 or 6 years :eek: So from 2nd Jan I'm totally back to calorie counting and trying to shift it all again. It's not as bad as it could have been though as he's not noticed/doesn't care (if I don't) so it's not had any impact on us, and my exercising has meant I'm not back into the size clothes I was even 2 years ago as I'm more toned with it.

But the exercise hasn't been as good as it should have been due to major breathing issues! GP initially diagnosed asthma, but it wasn't helped by the use on an inhaler and the asthma nurse ruled it out after doing tests. Then the GP said heart failure, so I've had a chest X-ray, 2 ECGs, an echocardiogram and a fitness test - which resulted in the cardiologist saying there's nothing wrong with my heart. So the GP decided it's "lung function problems" - whatever that means. I've now given up smoking (I last lit up on 1st October), but there's no signs of any improvement. In the meantime my chap and I have been monitoring the situation, and it appears to us that it's down to lactose intolerance (doesn't always happen when I exercise, but always happens after I've consumed a reasonable amount of dairy whether I've exercised or not). GP says I show all the classic symptoms, but won't approve testing until she's ruled out "some other things" - and won't tell me what those are or how long it may take!!! She also wants to put me on statins as my cholesterol count came back high - but it was actually slightly better than a couple of years before so I refused. I should have been retested by now (have managed to dodge the issue so far, and I'm not due to see her again until the end of next month), but am hoping to sort out my diet so that I can show an improvement from that - in which case I can fight taking the tablets for longer.

As a result my running's been non-existant, and I had to pull from every race I'd entered for this year My exercise now consists of two sessions a week with the personal trainer (the cardio one I've been doing for a while plus an upper body one) and a swimming lesson (I can potter up and down a pool, but my legs don't do enough of the work and I was never taught the breathing techniques) - plus I also try and practise once or twice between swimming lessons. I've started the 2nd PT session and the swimming lesson since I started working at the gym, but I'm still digging into savings as the 2 PTs and swimming lesson wipe out half my salary (currently working for three 8 hour days a week). But I get free membership of the gym, so what I save from that covers the cost of using the car to get there and back meaning my commute is effectively cost neutral - and 2 of my sessions are after working days, so I've no extra travel for those.

Frugaldom

How lovely to catch up with your progress, Cheryl! So pleased your relationship is still going strong. (Still a pity you hadn't moved up here a few years back, though! LOL)

Just about to prepare for the 2013 challenge thread but I'll link it in to here so nobody gets lost.Slowlyfading has agreed to keep an eye on this version of the challenge while I'm elsewhere again but I do try to keep up with the posts via the email updates.

quintwins

Wow cheryl interesting year, hope your feel better soon and glad thinsg are going well with your chap

Well we got some xmas pressies today, safely tucked under the tree and money from the kids cards stashed away for the clothes fund, which stands at £59 i took £6 out to buy ds some shoes from ebay which are in prefect condition, however i have relised my mum has lost his nursery clothes i sent to her house when moving (all his clothes in the next size infact) if i have to replace these in sep instead of having no clothes budget i will end up witha very heafty one.

Someone just gave me some jigsaw puzzles which i'm very tempted to wrap and pop under the tree (is it tight to give free items to your kids to bulk out pressies?) i'm panicing abit about xmas because i don't think i have much for the kids but as i havnet sorted the gifts yet i don't know and i'm not buying more until i check.

4 out of 5 puppies now have new homes and my savings account looks very healthy.

This time next week we'll all be sittingd own stuffed and it will be all over and done with then i can real jump on the savings wagon

freedom2011

quintwins wrote: »

Someone just gave me some jigsaw puzzles which i'm very tempted to wrap and pop under the tree (is it tight to give free items to your kids to bulk out pressies?) i'm panicing abit about xmas because i don't think i have much for the kids but as i havnet sorted the gifts yet i don't know and i'm not buying more until i check.



This time next week we'll all be sittingd own stuffed
and it will be all over and done with then i can real jump on the savings wagon

No it isn't tight it is sensible:j I always 'repurpose' presents!

My Christmas planning is going ok just a few more bits to get and the last min fresh veggies. Can't wait to finish work and start making some mince pies.x

quintwins

freedom2011 wrote: »

No it isn't tight it is sensible:j I always 'repurpose' presents!

My Christmas planning is going ok just a few more bits to get and the last min fresh veggies. Can't wait to finish work and start making some mince pies.x

I think i'm all done xmas shopping ect, now i just need to get wrapping :eek:

slowlyfading

New thread here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4350077