2014 Frugal Living Challenge

Florenceem

cw18 wrote: »

I never turn my heating off. I leave the thermostat set to 18 all year, and if the natural ambient temperature in my hallway's that or higher it just doesn't kick in. I know it's still warming up a bit in the mornings as I notice it slightly from the hall radiator when I come downstairs, but I'm not so sure it's still warming up in the evenings (if it is then it's certainly not as much as it was a few weeks ago).

This is my first year with a hall thermostat - I have it set at 16 and turn it up when I feel cold. Don't go higher than 18.

[Deleted User]

Shortie wrote: »

I've been having quite a serious talk with my self over money the last couple of days - a few thoughts have been boiling to the surface over pensions, overpaying the mortgage, the building work, etc.... and I had a meeting in work yesterday where I saw my first (small) payrise in years, and a little bonus too, which have allowed me to get a the rest of the self assessment tax savings ready. Phew

So, after much debating, worrying about extra financial commitments and worrying about the impact of Not making the changes... (lol... yes, I can really flap) I've decided to:

- Start paying into DS2's child trust fund monthly - we've done this for DD1 since he was born and there is a nice nest egg for him. We've not done anything for DS2 yet and planned to 'find' the equivilent amount as would be in DS1's when his comea to an end - but I was worrying about finding a large lump sum suddenly. So, I'm trying to reduce the amount we have to 'find' come the time by saving into DS2's now as well
- Start paying into a private pension for Mr Shortie - this will be a joint effort and I'm going to help boost the savings he makes. I already have a work pension so I'm sorted at the mo
- Start a Rainy Day savings pot
- Start to make small overpayments on the mortgage (which I hope will ramp up when the savings pot is adequet and the building work loan (that I don't yet have, lol) is paid off
- Start saving for the building work in the hope to reduce the amount I need to borrow

It feels like a huge and sudden financial change but I'm hoping that once I start, it will become routine and I then won't think about it... I'm goign to still be quite strapped for a while yet but it'll be in a good cause and I can stop the savings pots and mortgage overpayments if I need to at any point.

Hopefully I'll feel a little bit more in control now and most of the things that have been bugging me (eg not overpaying the mortgage, not saving for DS2, Mr Shortie not having a personal pension, not having savings) will quieten down. Then I can focus just on worrying about funding the building work, lol

Shortie, I love this post and it has really inspired me. I too need to have a serious talk with myself over money as I am just not in a frame of mind to keep frugalling just now. I did phone up Scottish Widows and started putting £300 per month into a private pension but I have got several other areas I really need to sort out.

I am going to take some time this weekend to have a look at where I am at and set some goals.

mrsinvisible

I thought I'd clocked up an NSD yesterday, but remembered I bought a paper (treat) for 30p. I am a cross-with-myself MrsI. Today will be NSD though, even though I have an appointment with my GP.
Fave cous coming for lunch, so the soup dragon has made cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus stalk soup.
Then must remove cobwebs from staircase, or spray them gold!

SAVVYJADE

Hi all

I've been a bit if a lurker over the last few months but want to say thank you to you all for your hints and tips I've picked up along the way. I'm currently back with parents at the moment, after a break up, and am trying to sort my finances so I can move back out again. I've been cutting back in certain areas but also still allowing myself some treats and this month two debts have come to an end! So excited it's unreal...

It's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I haven't felt like I've been getting anywhere for the last year and when paying extra money off my debts I've still felt that I'm getting nowhere, the last few months I've noticed how close I'm getting and all I want to do is to pay off extra money here and there. With the money I'm no longer paying off these two debts, I will be paying a larger of my final debt so hopefully it won't be too long now!

Sorry for the essay, it just feels so nice telling people! I've also started putting bits away for Christmas

Thank you all again x

tatabubbly

Hey Savvyjane, sorry to hear about your breakup, take care of yourself!

Today will be a NSD. Again I plan to work out. Going tutoring later which is good to tot up my money here.. Trying to put as much as possible away into my pot before I head home next wednesday 26th! At least on the plane home I can't spend money, going to ask mother dearest to pick me up from the airport if she is swinging by that way anyways.

I don't want to be dipping into our savings but it'll be a total spendy week anyways as I need to get wedding related stuffs.

Lunch today will be out of leftovers in the fridge! I've so much so I'm gonna pop the stew I made into the freezer as there is no way I'll get to it in time!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

talking about heating etc..


we have a coal fire, which does the central heating, but over the last few years we have been burning wood instead, and just using coal if the weather is really cold, just to tick it over during the night... we are lucky we do have land with some trees.


This year we are really going through the trees, cutting back all the dead wood, branches that have grown, and are now in the way etc ( the previous owner did nothing with the land for at least 30 plus years)


we have also decided to keep the thin branches too, to use for the fire... as this winter we found ourselves buying the sawdust blocks from home bargains to top up our wood supply...


I can see it getting a struggle for us in general this year... and what makes me so made is that the government are saying things are starting to look rosey again...NOW THATS A JOKE!!

Shortie

[Deleted User] wrote:

Shortie, I love this post and it has really inspired me. I too need to have a serious talk with myself over money as I am just not in a frame of mind to keep frugalling just now. I did phone up Scottish Widows and started putting £300 per month into a private pension but I have got several other areas I really need to sort out.

I am going to take some time this weekend to have a look at where I am at and set some goals.

Hope manage to work out some changes Allie that will help sort things. I'm a natural born worrier so anything can escalate for me. Sigh. But having the plans sorted have helped me to put some worries aside

I have changed my plan slightly though - I'm still going to save for DS2 and pay into Mr Shortie's pension but all the savings will go into a savings account to earn better interest than if I was just leaving it in my bank account, and I will also put the mortgage overpayments in there as I have a low rate mortgage at the mo so I recon I might be able to get more from saving the overpayments in interest

It also giveas me flexibility that if I lost my job I would have more aside to keep me afloat and the building work would just have to push back a bit

The biggest mental hurdle for me was accepting that the building work wouldn't be happening this year, which happened yeaterday hence the change of how the savings will work

Becky_2

I have finally finished reading this inspiring thread.

We are doing pretty well at the moment. It also helps that OH has worked away a lot during the last couple of months so we have bought less food and drinks and have instead used what we have got already. We are hoping to move into our first owned property this autumn so we must continue to save every penny that we can.

I must start selling unwanted items again which I used to do.

Good luck to you with your frugal living.

lhead123

Had a very low spend day today - grand total of £1 for dd's toddler group.

After some foodie advice - we have zome broccoli that needs eating and an abundance of potatoes as I manged to order 2 bags!
Thinking of making a broccoli/potato layer bake with cheesy sauce for tomorrows dinner.
I'm wondering about the stalks and any leftover broccoli, would a broccoli and cheddar soup work ( instead of stilton?) Anyone ever tried anything like that? I hate trowing away broccoli stalks...

L

SarahB1989_2

Can't convince the flatmate that we can turn the heating off completely, but have knocked an hour and ten minutes off the timer. Will just keep taking ten minutes off each week and see if he notices!