2013 Frugal Living Challenge

out_of_debt_at_last

natnat13 wrote: »

This is an interesting read - http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1641364/How-I-lived-on-1-a-day-for-a-year.html

NSD for me today hopefully. Fuel light on on car so going to try and walk everywhere til Fri night then it will be three weeks since I filled up.

your right interesting, not sure about the hitchhiking, but get her point about all the other points, interesting read!

natnat13

No slightly dangerous, she was very determined to say the least!

lbnblbnb

natnat13 wrote: »

This is an interesting read - http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1641364/How-I-lived-on-1-a-day-for-a-year.html

NSD for me today hopefully. Fuel light on on car so going to try and walk everywhere til Fri night then it will be three weeks since I filled up.

Good article, thanks.

cw18

Month 1 over and done with, and I'm over budget !!!



Over on Council Tax due to budgetting it over 12 but paying over 10.
Over on Gas/Electricity due to reduced payments starting in February.
Over on Breakdown Cover and Road Tax due to these being annual bills that fall due in January (so will be over until December).
Over on Personal Trainer, but this will balance out over the year - especially as there's at least 4 sessions to be cancelled due to holidays. Not due to be paid again until March.
Over on Swimming Lessons due to advance paying (to allow me to collect NSDs). Shouldn't need to find more money for that until March.
Over on 'Everything Else' for various reasons. £50 of that spend is on various things for swimming (additional kit as I'm going several times a week, plus 'toys' to aid performance improvement), so explains most of the overspend!

DJ's contribution (son's "rent") is actually a shortfall, as we've agree a rise starting February (and possibly again once I get my Council Tax bill, as he pays the 25% I'd get it reduced by if he didn't live here).


Not sure how February will pan out as I'm going to have to buy a new combi oven (really, really missing having one in the couple of weeks since mine stopped working), and the ones I've shortlisted are top end of the price range :eek: I've got some birthday money from my parents to put towards, but I'm still going to have to find a huuuuuge chunk to cover the balance

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhh thanks for the reminder Cheryl - just crept in before Feb's figures go in!




So ..... where to start!

Groceries *sigh* - still struggling with this :eek: - have loads in freezer so will be trying to catch up a bit in Feb!

Dog / Cats - have done a fair bit of stocking up as good offers on. Dog set for wet food for around 5 - 6 months so will only need dry. Cats have lots of dry of type 1 & 2 but have found an alternative they'll eat so will be getting more of that at some point & they'll also need litter but that's about it!

Emergency fund - not actually overspent - conditional formatting must need looked at!

Hair - only get it cut twice a year so should be able to catch up on this!

Clothes bought some extra thermals as a) had MOC to use and b) saves having the heating on as much!:money:


Hope everyone's sticking to their budgets OK!

Gas / Elec over due to paying the shortfall - didn't think £12.25 was too bad after being housebound for 3+ months! :T

LolaLemon

how are you getting yours to look like that, when i posted my original sheet it was just a lot of numbers ;(

LolaLemon

[STRIKE]I might have it! [/STRIKE]

cant link the picture, it is on my blog. how do i do it so i can post it here like you two have?

rising_from_the_ashes

Lola it took me ages to figure it out!

You have to copy the columns you want, paste it into Paint (you should have this is you've got Office) and then save as a JPEG file

Then go into Photobucket (or another pic hosting site) and upload the file - then copy the link and insert as a picture. HTH:)

LolaLemon

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Lola it took me ages to figure it out!

You have to copy the columns you want, paste it into Paint (you should have this is you've got Office) and then save as a JPEG file

Then go into Photobucket (or another pic hosting site) and upload the file - then copy the link and insert as a picture. HTH:)

I completely forgot it was photobucket that i used to upload picures on here! Thank you very much




I still havent got an amount set, but this will help me see what i am spending and where it goes. i still have to input some areas and fix a few that i have got.
But at least it is a start :T:j:T

cw18

I think the headache of paying for a new combi oven may be solved :T

Been dreading spending on that, as my shortlisted ones are all in the £150-£270 range, with my favourites being £245-£270 :eek: I've got £100 towards it (birthday cheque from parents), but that still left me a lot to find - until tonight

Last weekend I had an email inviting me to take part in a user group meeting for my phone & b/band provider - with those who attend being paid £125 for doing so (£100 after Mr TaxMan takes his cut, as I shall have to declare it on my tax return). Had a phonecall on Tuesday from someone related to this asking some questions to help them pick the successful candidates from those who applied - and I've had an email this evening to say I'm in So I no longer had to starve myself for weeks in order to get one of the machines I had at the top of my list :T