2014 Frugal Living Challenge

Kerry_Woman

Still plodding along.


Have reduced my food spend from this time last year. But have to try and stay within my budget for this year.


Opened up a savings account quite a few months ago which has a better rate of interest. So closed 2 other savings accounts which had a very poor rate of interest. Put some into my ISA account and the rest into the better rate. Cancelled the 2 standing orders for the old accounts and started a new standing order for the better account.


Last month was quite expensive. Paid for my Mum and I to get a will done. This was one thing that we kept putting off and am pleased that these have finally been all sorted out now.


Also paid for a course, but they had an offer and got some money off. The course is this month.


Finished my temp contract last month, as office was moving and it would be more time to get to and if the trains were on strike, it would have taken me 2 hours and 40 minutes each way. Have some holiday owed so taking some each week. Plus my Mum has quite a few appointments that I have to attend with her as she has mobility issues.


Still sorting out the clutter in the flat. Took some things to the recycling centre this morning. Got a bag to take to the charity shop sometime this week.


Hugs to those who need them.

Frugaldom

Will-making was what got started here in August then lawyer went off on holiday so mine still isn't finalised. Must follow that up today. Will Aid month is November but there is no financial benefit waiting until then.

On the savings front, my ISA is all but empty and the new savings pot is via Premium Bonds and investing in 'stuff' that will, at best, hold its value. Pretty much investing in my own long term security, as I don't contribute to a private pension and am not holding my breath for a State pension.

maria3104

[Deleted User] wrote:

Just had a wee catch up of th thread since not been on for a while. We have beautiful Autumn day here so I am hoping to go out foraging tonight. I may have left it a bit late for Brambles so need to go and check my usual local stock.
Some projects needing finished off which I ideally would like to get done in next week or two are:

1. Finish off shabby chic painted chairs.
2. Make Jam/Jelly.
3. Finish off bunting.
4. Make cushions to go with shabby chic chairs.

It is my sisters 40th in November and, as is usual for her, she is planning something extravagant. I have got part of her present which is a green teapot but not sure what else to get her. Any ideas folks?

Hi. Our hedges in Wales are dripping with sloes and damsons, can I suggest a kilner of sloe gin, prepped so all she needs is to decant at XMAS. Something to enjoy on her 40th Christmas! Or perhaps blackberry jelly? Damson jelly? Difficulty is in beating the hedge trimmers to the goodies.

Have a lovely event.Maria

mummy2threeboys

Allie, what about a nice shawl if you can knit/crochet?

Finally managed to stay within my od, which means no horrendous fees for me next month. I transfered about £250 over to another bank, as im ditching my current account. I plan to live on that and use my account with od as a debt to be paid off i find it really hard to pay it off as its my current account, plus we do not have that bank in my high street anymore and its a 3 mile round trip with 3 young ones if i want to pay cash in. Feels like a made a good positive move!
had loads of free fun over the weekend a mammoth geocaching trip over 3 days and the endglish hertiage free weekend, we walked 10 miles last week and exhausted the legs of the boys. Downside little one lost his coat, thankfully we have a spare that was waiting to be grown into which is a little chunky but hey it will keep him snug. swapped all the winter clothes over ..As t shirts are just not doing it anymore. Hopeing to finish a thick cardi in the next two days . Have a good day all x

Just_be_2

Thank you for the preparing for winter links and all advice have an expensive month with one thing or another- car tax (hoping I can pay monthly as it runs out on 30th sept- only if monthly doesn't carry a fee) wanting to change car insurance providers on renewal next month as I e found a better quote and I think (fingers crossed) that I can manage to pay the year in full and avoid paying extra! That will be the first time I've vet done that!! Also need to pay for a DBS check and renewal of driving licence. A lot in one go Will struggle through though

cw18

Just_be wrote: »

car tax (hoping I can pay monthly as it runs out on 30th sept- only if monthly doesn't carry a fee)

Annual or 6 monthly, and the latter works out dearer (by £13 a year for my car)

Shortie

I've yet to read up on the changes to the tax discs... As I understand it they will be online and not paperbased any more. Not sure how that works though when you have 6 months left on your tax disc at the mo though..

I need to check the local weather forecast for the weekend as I'm hoping to get down to the newly aquired allotment to start digging over before the winter hits.

I've been seeing posts around the boards about crochet. I love crocheting but I'm only really happy with my granny squares and I don't need more crochet blankets in the house. I've tried my hand at hats for the kids and while they work out right according to the pattern, I'm never happy with how the things I make look. I might go for a scarf pattern? I have some bits that I made for the boys last year that haven't been used which I might as well unpick and reuse the wool


So, I've just gone overdrawn on my account. Only by a little bit (less than £2) but I'm annoyed at myself as it's happened as I've let my discipline slip around food at work.

I get paid on Friday and I have already budgetted for the knowns. Come Monday I should have a payment hit my account too that will cover the money I borrowed out of the tax savings, so that will be filled back up again.

Next month I have budgetted to put a 'top up' amount of money aside for our holiday in the October half term, I'm potentially paying for a weekend long school trip for DS1 (waiting for the school to confirm the place), we're getting our male dog 'done', and will be in the full swing of the boys' pocket money and school food money too.

According to the budget I should be doing okay next month (provided I behave with lunch and take out spends!!) and I should be able to save a big chunk of the rest of the 'building plans' money.

cw18

Shortie wrote: »

I've yet to read up on the changes to the tax discs... As I understand it they will be online and not paperbased any more. Not sure how that works though when you have 6 months left on your tax disc at the mo though..

As of 1st October everyone can remove their tax disk from display - and I intend to

The biggest change (in my eyes) is the fact you can't sell a car with tax. So if I were to sell mine privately in the middle of October I can only get a refund from 1st Nov (if I get the change of ownership paperwork sent in fast enough), but the buyer has to tax from 1st October.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vehicle-tax-changes

I'm not convinced it's a good move. If I see a badly parked vehicle in the same spot for several days with an out of date disk I always report it to the police. If the disk is in date I tend to leave it a bit longer. Now I've no way of knowing whether the vehicle is taxed or not.....

Frugaldom

I am glad we gave up the car in favour of bikes. Iknow we are very lucky to be in a situation that allows us to do this. Almost 2 years now and not missing motoring expenses at all.

Biggest piece of news is that since actually managing to get sufficient land to make 'Frugaldom' a reality, The Woodland Trust approved our application and we have been awarded 420 baby trees to plant as part of the foraging woodland project. For those of you who have been with this challenge since the start, you may remember my ultimate ambition. For those newer to it, the long term dream was to prepare a real self-sustainable frugal project that could be shared by all like-minded people - foraging woodland, edible hedging, veg beds, herb beds and nature conservation with crafting and arty stuff. All off grid, but at the moment that simply means our tiny wilderness has no electrical supply, water supply or toilet facilities.

Happy polling day to all who abide in Scotland. Regardless of the outcome, big changes are upon us and I am guessing that frugal living will be what gets us through them. It has certainly been the solution to most of my problems over the years.

Kantankrus_Mare

That sounds really interesting frugaldom and good luck to you with it. Will be interesting to hear your updates!

Well my sale of rental property went through without any problems except for the council saying we have missed a council tax payment in September when the completion of property sale was end of August. :eek: Just spent an hour waiting in the council offices to clear up the matter and despite me informing them by telephone before completion date with the new owners details etc....she said it hadn't gone through the system yet and no we don't owe a months council tax. They are useless!! Whats the betting I get another letter saying we owe money?

On a more positive note, I have scrapped using our credit card for all monthly spends and reverted to cash for everything, putting amounts in various envelopes to cover what we need to pay out.

We are only a couple of weeks into it but wish I had done it ages ago. My OH who was a bu**er for sticking anything and everything on the card with us often getting a bill for over £1200 a month is being very careful and keeping to budget. We are even having some left each week which we are going to start saving as we have booked a holiday for next September.

We haven't been abroad for about ten years and as it is our silver wedding anniversary next year, we are going to go back to Corfu where we went on our honeymoon but stay in a far nicer hotel than the little room we had above a taverna last time. :rotfl:


It seems that when OH has a goal to save for, he can be more careful with money so heres hoping my plan pays off.