2012 Frugal Living Challenge (Part 1)

Welsh_Poppy

Can I join please need to be frugal this year

[Deleted User]

They had wrapping paper and christmas cards on the cheap in ASDA yesterday. I got a couple of rolls of 10m for 50p, four packs of 15 cards for £1 each and two packs of 10 cards for 50p each. I agree though, the other retailers were not as good, Matalan had very little (in fact out local Matalan had a very poor chrsitmas section this year overall), i tired BHS, Poundstetch, M&S, Clintons.

M&S did have good reductions but I didn't like the cards designs that were reduced. In Clintons i asked if the single cards were reduces also ( you know the ones specifically for mum or dad etc) and the girl looked distainfully and replied that those ones do not get reduced they get sent back. Oh well then.

I too got confused wit the c**p, reading cr*p instead. Thanks for clearing it up!:rotfl::rotfl:

Emmala

Please can someone tell me how to add the challenge to the bit under my post???? I know it's something to do with the Usercp, but I can't fathom it.....:o

Thanks......I'll go hide in shame behind the sofa for a bit now......:o

savingforarainyday

Rae18 - Click on "Thread Tools" on the green bar above the posts and click the subscribe tool and follow instructions.

Hope that helps

Savvy_sewing

Well I didnt get much sleep last night. I was working on my predicted budget for the coming year. Nearly died when it all added up and will be some £3,000 more than I was getting in.
So back to the drawing board. Not only that, but in the coming year my income is due to drop by a further massive amount. Exact not sure but to do with the change from Fostering allowances to Child benefits etc when the guardianship of DGD becomes legal. EEK.
So all the frugal tips I thought I had mastered over the years, and the way that the budget seemed to be going, I have missed out on the one thing I should have known better and that was to keep a very close eye on things and to makesure that I do not slip back into the old ways. So back to the drawing board. I have to cut around £5,000 off of the budget. So thats practically starting it again.
Original amount £17,714.80
Actual income £14,652.18 BEFORE the drop.
Expected income for coming year, to adverage out, to around £9,565??? So thats scarey scarey stuff.
I also have to save for helping my eldest daughter with her wedding in 2013. Lets hope the other 3 kids dont want to get married any time soon!.
As a single parent thats a bill I cannot afford on my own, while still bringing up my granddaughter.

Hence I was up again in the middle of the night, rejigging everything, cutting luxury items, and cutting even necessary budgets.
I was up for hours, and only went back to sleep at 6.30 for an hour, which was interrupted with wierd dreams.

letsdothis

for those of us who are also dieting in the new year (again !) there is a FAB site myfitnesspal.com (sorry not allowed to post links with being a newbie) its FREE works out your calories log exercise etc loads of support on there - like here you are never alone - I Love it !

determined_new_ms

Mooloo wrote: »

Well I didnt get much sleep last night. I was working on my predicted budget for the coming year. Nearly died when it all added up and will be some £3,000 more than I was getting in.
So back to the drawing board. Not only that, but in the coming year my income is due to drop by a further massive amount. Exact not sure but to do with the change from Fostering allowances to Child benefits etc when the guardianship of DGD becomes legal. EEK.
So all the frugal tips I thought I had mastered over the years, and the way that the budget seemed to be going, I have missed out on the one thing I should have known better and that was to keep a very close eye on things and to makesure that I do not slip back into the old ways. So back to the drawing board. I have to cut around £5,000 off of the budget. So thats practically starting it again.
Original amount £17,714.80
Actual income £14,652.18 BEFORE the drop.
Expected income for coming year, to adverage out, to around £9,565??? So thats scarey scarey stuff.
I also have to save for helping my eldest daughter with her wedding in 2013. Lets hope the other 3 kids dont want to get married any time soon!.
As a single parent thats a bill I cannot afford on my own, while still bringing up my granddaughter.

Hence I was up again in the middle of the night, rejigging everything, cutting luxury items, and cutting even necessary budgets.
I was up for hours, and only went back to sleep at 6.30 for an hour, which was interrupted with wierd dreams.

wow that is worrying, no wonder you couldn't sleep! If ur income drops so much would you be entitled to additional benefits? Can you take in a lodger or foreign students in the summer? Really hope you find a solution that gives u some peace of mind x

Frugaldom

vintage43 wrote: »

does anyone know the rules on Freegan, my son went to stay with my niece and her bf recently and they do alot of this...

We have had Freegans on our challenge thread in the past and they were practically (and rather shockingly) run off the site. There are many different views on this subject, some more extreme than others. I would not like to see a repeat performance of what happened last time - it was rather sad, if truth be told.

Everyone with an interest in living within their means in order to clear debts and make some savings is welcome here, but frugal living is different from freegan living. In the eyes of UK law, whether we agree with it or not, taking anything without asking or paying for it is theft and punishable as such. Not sure I've ever heard of anyone being arrested for it, though. :question:

I have just updated the challenger list and added in another 14 names. Please take the time to read post 1 and make use of the handy links. At the rate this thread is already moving, I will need to start a new one for 1st of January but, as always, there will be a direct link from here to there when the time comes. PM me if your username has been missed.

Hope everyone has been making the most of leftovers from Christmas and is well prepared for new year.

bramble1

2012 started today for me. I did my first food shop and will go to lidl tomorrow.

Annoyingly my freezer broke and a few bits have had to be discarded, but it's working again so salvaged most things!

I paid for some of my shopping with £5 of coupons so have put a £5 note in my savings jar for debt repayments. I also bought some reduced oil lanterns for 50p! down from £5. 2 for me, and 2 for the present box. Some scented tealights were 45p for 50 so got 100 of them and will fill the lanterns with them. Got 2 recipe journals for £4.50 each which i paid for with another voucher - thats mothers day presents sorted already!!

I need to muster the enthusiasm to bake some bread as i want to stop buying store bought stuff, but if that enthusiasm doesn't appear i will try to get a reduced loaf later in the day.

Frugaldom

Ayeshalush, sorry you can't stay with us, I've removed your name from the challenger list and wish you well in 2012. Pop in anytime, as frugal living is still about the way we live, it's not just about money.

Those who have PM'd me have now been added to the challenger list. I know it's going to get really hectic, even more so as slowlyfading fits in her wedding! But I'm sure we'll all can pull together and someone, somewhere might have the 'nicety' to pm me anything important I may miss.

Thanks to all who have joined so far and don't worry if you haven't yet - it's never too late to begin 'frugalising'.

PM me your username or post it in coloured, bold text if you would like to be added to the challenger list and don't forget to read post 1 in full.

Buffythedebtslayer :beer: Good luck to you for 2012. It's much appreciated that you explained what happened once the debts were gone. It lets other see how easily we can lose sight of our goals when we've passed the biggest milestone - becoming debt free! Staying clear of it is just as difficult in our consumer driven society, especially with a Government that appears to be hell bent on making everything look affordable so they can keep the economy running 'smoothly'.

In all honesty, I sometimes wonder if a female 'frugalite' chancellor could save our economy, but that would probably spark some sort of war! :rotfl: