2014 Frugal Living Challenge

twiglet98

I'd like to sign up again for 2014. Not great success in the past with the spreadsheet of doom, it's all ok for a few months but I only have to forget to enter receipts at the end of one month for the total to go haywire, or forget some expenditure on the animals, and I can't seem to get it back on track.

On the plus side, I've grown more veg than ever and the freezers are full. Elder DD and her bf have moved into their first house and there is far less food waste without them here - younger DD is rarely around and I don't throw food away, it all gets used when I'm cooking for myself. I stock up on reduced items, bulk buy essentials on offer, and keep at least a few months' supply of pet food, loo rolls and toiletries, pasta and rice, tea and coffee, tins and jars. Only bananas and satsumas really have to be bought weekly, and the cheap fruit yogurts that I take in my packed lunch.

I love to bake cakes and biscuits (esp love Twinks hobnobs!), and I like making bread but struggle to justify the cost of having the electric oven on for it - a sliced value loaf from Aldi is fine for my sandwiches if there are no leftovers from the previous night's supper, and if there's space in a freezer I stock up on reduced bread when it's down to less than 20p a loaf. My brother found a tiny 1 litre slow cooker when clearing my late mother's kitchen, she never used it, and I love it, the nights when I work late aren't so awful when there's a hotpot waiting at home.

My credit card balances are steadily decreasing - I wish I'd recorded how bad it was when I had my LBM, maybe five years ago, and first started switching to 0% deals and making fixed payments instead of the minimum each month. Sometimes it would be good to look back at the progress made. I really think I can clear them by the end of 2015, could be earlier but it only takes a huge car bill or appliance breakdown to blow the plan apart.

I'll carry on working 50-odd hours a week, rubbish pay but it's close to home and plenty of overtime is its main good point, though I'm not sure I can continue such physically demanding work until I qualify for state pension. I don't know if my former husband will continue to help with the mortgage when the last child finally moves out, we aren't divorced and remain good pals as long as we don't talk about money - but the time has to come, and the prospect of moving from here is terrifying. Still, onwards and upwards.

The girls are here and friends of theirs are round this evening. Then any leftover turkey will be frozen, and there's just the pudding for me to polish off!

All the best for 2014 to all MSEers, good luck with your own challenges, and thanks as always to Frugaldom for this thread, and to the countless wonderful people in the MSE community who have shown me ways to change my life.

:beer:

nannygladys

Hi everyone,just a quick post. Been working budgets out,but internet very slow here and can't get some info I need and lost one post already, so hopefully will be able to complete it later.
Looking forwards to 2014 being frugal and going to eat out of cupboards and only use the money I have in my purse for until the next payday, and as I get paid tomorrow it's all starting tomorrow.
Nannyg

millionaire_in_training

Hi folks. Been drilling down my budget today and a couple of shocks for me tbh. I am concerned about the amount I spend on gifts as it is almost what I have for spending on food for us. My petrol and DS's school costs are really high as well. DS's school costs may be less than this but I have budgeted worse case scenario and any excess will help for household budget. Also I will try and earn some vouchers for gifts to save me money from that budget too. I cannot really veer from the overall budget of £5,700 as if I do I will then be using credit to live and this is what has got to stop. So budgets as follows:

£1,600 for DS's school
£1,200 for petrol
£1,200 for birthdays and Christmas
£1,700 on household inc food

This means I only have about £142.00 for each month to pay for food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothes etc etc which is scary stuff. I will need to be able to chip away from other budgets as this is barely doable and certainly not for the long term. Slightly panicking now

January will be not too bad as DS not in school much as he has study leave and a week's work experience. However I will from his school budget need to buy him shirt and ties for the work experience. I will just get white shirt and tie sets from ASDA though as he can then use the shirts for school.
EEK!!

Soworried

I'm starting as I mean to go on!

We have lots of lovely leftovers from yesterday.
The spare mash, parsnips and sprouts will become bubble and squeek tomorrow. I'll serve that with a slice of lo gammon.

The lo pigs in blankets are going on todays buffet and the rest of the lo gammon will become carbonara.

Lo beef and gravy and whole roasted onions will make a pie at the weekend.

I don't know what to do with the lo sausagemeat stuffing yet? It is more like a meatloaf.

Anything lo from tonights buffet will become tomorrows lunch. I am hoping to reduce our grocery spend by £10 a month until it is at £240 a month. That has to cover all meals for the 4 of us and all toiletries and cleaning items.

Any meals out for birthdays or rare treats will be groupons or living social deals.

Our holiday will be a newspaper coupon collect deal and Christmas 2014 will be paid for with what we have collected in loyalty points and 20p collection jar.

I am hoping to grow some onions, and potatoes in sacks as well.

ecodude

evening to all and hope everyone's day has been enjoyable.

I'm sitting here with my pencil and notebook reading through posts to help me organise a coherent thought as to how to achieve stage one of my five year plan in 2014.

points for consideration;1. make more money 2.cut back on everything and all that can be cut down bartered down or cancelled for year.
put saving into highest earning accounts. 3. sell sell sell everything from storage unit and Narnia wardrobes....lol...4..lose weight 5. get most emjoyment out of least spends and plan next step in life.......Phew need a cuppa and bicky to help with thinking thoughts but will be ready with plan for beginning of 2014.

Right kettles on catch you all soon night, keep warm and keep the frugal faith

Savvy_sewing

My income is dropping by £8,000 odd in 2014, so its,back to the drawing board for every aspect of life.
I hope to use my sewing skills to teach others how to make do and Mend, and recycle clothes, duvets etc
i already do some of this as part of my job.
I follow Mortgage free in three, and she has amazing food ideas, and even sewing ones sometimes. The daily tweets, blog posts etc help focus me.

WantToBeSE

Frugal living continues here today...

-Dinner consisted of LO potatoes and veggies (Bubble and Squeak) with the pigs in blankets that i forgot to cook yesterday!

-I have made a food shopping list. Not sure when to go shopping..probably Saturday as i am working tomorrow (groan).

-I have worked out the budget for January.

mum2one

millionaire_in_training wrote: »

January will be not too bad as DS not in school much as he has study leave and a week's work experience. However I will from his school budget need to buy him shirt and ties for the work experience. I will just get white shirt and tie sets from ASDA though as he can then use the shirts for school.
EEK!!

just a thought if you need a couple of cheap ties for work experience, poundland sell ties with cuff links, they might not be the most fashionable, but saves buying something thats not to be used for a while.

You've done well with the budgets, its better to over allocate then if you can claw anything back it be worth it.

I've got a very tight start to the year, this year I changed cars, then that had 2 new tyres, battery and half exhaust... but I saved £700 on the price if I brought else where, so its swings and roundabouts.

Trying to be frugal in sales -
Asda - 5 items £20 (4 clothing for DD and xmas prezzie ready for 2014)
Evans - thats me - £60 - 8 items, (but it cost me £19 for 6 prs kinckers!!)
Argos - Awaiting delievery - parents anniversary present, couple bits for birthdays (dont mind that)

Off to town tomorrow - see whats in sales but being frugal xxx

[Deleted User]

Its lovely to see everyone's ideas for 2014. I must confess I do still use my tumble dryer in the winter months. I do love using the washing line in the summer though. There is something so satisfying about sitting outside in the sun with a cuppa while my washing dries in the warmth.

I haven't really thought properly about goals for 2014. I am going to start doing some volunteering. Our local Community Development Trust has been looking for volunteers to become Money Mentors to help people with things like putting a budget together. I have a meeting arranged with the coordinator on Jan 11th and I am looking forward to it.

We are just back from a lovely day with OHs parents. That's the majority of the celebrations over now and I am looking forward to a good rest and a proper sit down and think about my plans for next year.


Edit: Just noticed I have my 3rd star and am now a 'Serious Money Saving Fan'. Huraay!!!:j

yukkibear

Hi everyone, hope all have had very happy, safe and healthy holidays.

I've been wanting and needing to make the change for a while now, so what better place to start than at the beginning of a year.

We are debt free, have a mortgage but are rubbish with money and budgeting. It goes every single month, and it needs to stop.

We both want some changes in the house and I would love to change lifestyle and declutter the house along the way.

Our Christmas Tree gave me a notebook yesterday and I have started using that to track the first big issue in our lives - the food budget!

I'm fully aware that I cannot change too many things at once otherwise I will fail before the 31st Jan, so the food budget is first, alongside starting to declutter the house. This REALLY needs doing and we may well gain some cash in the process.