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2015 Frugal Living Challenge

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Comments

  • Can I play? I'm still fine tuning my years budget, but I'm almost there! I've got a lot of debt and our money will be dropping by quite a bit later in the year, so I need to get as much off of the debts as possible.

    Seeing the comments about Facebook above, is there a Facebook page for chatting about this challenge or do we do all our chatting here?
    Jan NSD 4/15
    2015 Pay £7000 Off Debt No. 107 £566.51/£7000
  • COOLTRIKERCHICK
    COOLTRIKERCHICK Posts: 10,510 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Can I play? I'm still fine tuning my years budget, but I'm almost there! I've got a lot of debt and our money will be dropping by quite a bit later in the year, so I need to get as much off of the debts as possible.

    Seeing the comments about Facebook above, is there a Facebook page for chatting about this challenge or do we do all our chatting here?


    sorry I kept on talking about FB pages on here... don't want to confuse things....


    there are different pages on FB.. for frugal living and slow cookers.. which I have joined lately...


    This is the best place to be..a good friend chat, with great advice and ideas...what ever the topic is on trying to be more savvy and frugal
    Work to live= not live to work
  • macwah97
    macwah97 Posts: 126 Forumite
    quidsy wrote: »

    Glad you posted this - I was having the same debate with myself earlier today. I was grilling bacon and cursing the grill for being so slow when I realised I have a G.Frman sitting beside me!!! DOH!! Bacon done in half the time. I would assume that GF is cheaper to run that Oven grill?

    I have three slow cookers but need to dust them off and get down to this properly.
    Live as cheaply as possible
    ,
    Current debt £85k (includes mortgage):(
    ,
    Taxman £7500 :mad: bank of FiL 760 Simply B 945 Jacamo 150 Ccs 3000
    A lurker not a shirker, part-time worker and carer for DH (recovering from Cancer and recently diagnosed as a Diabetic with Heart problems) and DS who is suffering from MH issues
    £1 a day Xmas 2015 7/364
  • cw18 wrote: »
    Budgets for 2015

    Categories that can’t be avoided :-

    Council Tax : £1212 (£909 me, £303 DS1)
    Gas & Electric : £900 (£540 me, £360 DS1)
    Water : £288 (£168 me, £120 DS1)
    House Insurance : £270
    Groceries : £2980 (£1720 me, £1260 DS1)
    Toiletries : £180 (£168 me, £12 DS1)
    Cleaning Products : £120 (£75 me, £45 DS1)

    Categories that could be ditched if things got desperate, but which I class as essentials :-

    Central Heating Cover : £240
    Landline & Broadband : £264
    Mobile Phone : £150
    Window Cleaner : £78
    Optical Related : £300
    Dental Related : £72
    Prescriptions & Flu Jab : £48
    Over Counter Medications : £24
    Vitamins : £144
    Presents : £480

    Pure luxuries I prefer to try and keep :-

    Gym : £480
    Lottery : £372
    Diet & Fitness Website Subscription : £96

    Car Related :-

    Car Insurance : £480 (£360 me, £120 DS1)
    Petrol : £864 (£384 me, £480 DS1)

    Breakdown : £78
    Road Tax : £132
    MOT : £48
    Annual Service : £132
    Repairs : £600
    (total costs £510 me, £480 DS1)

    Total figures : £11032 (£7852 me, £3180 DS1)

    like the look of that CW - think I'll pinch it, if you don't mind!!

    Sadly I've no-one to split the bills with so many things are a similar level to yours (eg Council Tax, Gas & Elec etc) but no split of the costs

    1st draft .....

    Categories that can’t be avoided :-

    Have added my mortgage in which adds a lot unfortunately!

    Mortgage : £3600
    Council Tax : £1176
    Gas & Electric : £900
    Water : £0
    House Insurance : £240
    Groceries : £2400 (specialist diet)
    Toiletries : £0 incl above
    Cleaning Products : £0 incl above

    Categories that could be ditched if things got desperate, but which I class as essentials :-

    Central Heating Cover : £240
    Landline & Broadband : £292 (restricted area)
    Mobile Phone : £252
    Window Cleaner : £0 (cancelled recently:))
    Optical Related : £120
    Dental Related : £240
    Prescriptions & Flu Jab : £0
    Over Counter Medications : £60
    Vitamins : £0 incl above
    Presents : £120

    Hoping to have a better year dental wise - just had to get a bridge which cost £550 :eek:

    Pure luxuries I prefer to try and keep :-

    Swimming : £104
    Lottery : £0

    Car Related :-

    Car Insurance : £240
    Petrol : £1560
    Breakdown : £0
    Road Tax : £140
    MOT : £0
    Annual Service : £0
    Repairs : £0

    If only I could get rid of the petrol this would be ok!

    Total figures : £11684

    Will be a few things I need to add - notably pet costs & clothes but a great starting point, thanks CW! :)
    Grocery Challenge £211/£455 (01/01-31/03)
    2016 Sell: £125/£250
    £1,000 Emergency Fund Challenge #78 £3.96 / £1,000
    Vet Fund: £410.93 / £1,000
    Debt free & determined to stay that way!
  • Viv0147, I just wanted to say that you are really inspiring. Thank you for sharing. Can I please ask where you find coupons, vouchers and what cash back is about?

    Thank you.
  • trudij
    trudij Posts: 1,905 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Please can I join? Im on maternity leave, about to finish my 6 weeks at 90% and as that means a 50% pay cut for the rest of my time away from work (baby due Friday) i need to save as much as possible - mum and I would like to save for a new kitchen at some point as well, which means getting in control of everything before we can do that !!

    Looks amazing - first job for tomorrow is to make some mint cordial to use up some mint I bought (3 for 2 before christmas for fresh stuff, am planning to freeze the sage and rosemary in icecubes (no idea if it will work but it might) to chuck in stews and was going to do that with the mint too (for drinks!) but I like the sound of the cordial.... I do grow mint in the garden, but dont have a lot at the moment.

    getting excited now!!
    Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup
  • Viv0147, I just wanted to say that you are really inspiring. Thank you for sharing. Can I please ask where you find coupons, vouchers and what cash back is about?

    Thank you.

    happybird you read my mind. That is exactly what I wanted to ask.I can see that I have a lot to learn Viv0147. Thanks for sharing.
  • Could I join please! Thank you!
  • viv0147
    viv0147 Posts: 1,713 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic I've been Money Tipped!
    http://www.cloudfreebies.co.uk/2014/10/ultimate-guide-to-couponing/

    This should explain what you need to know to save money lots of money
    Low Carb High Fat is the way forward I lost 80 lbs

    Since first using Martins I have saved thousands
  • Racing_towards_retirement
    Racing_towards_retirement Posts: 9 Forumite
    edited 2 January 2015 at 4:18AM
    So glad to see this challenge, so I'm coming along for the ride, after bills and essentials I am setting a £7000 max spend for the year . Which should mean I can get rid of some debt ��
    Debt free by 2017:j
    grocery 228/334
    NSD 8/18 :j:j
    Weigh in 13st12lb/ 14 stone
    target 12 by 12/8/15:eek:
    Debt target 5000, Jan 465/5000
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