2015 Frugal Living Challenge

parsniphead

Frugal wise I had a good and bad day yesterday.

The bad. The veggie plot has had a raiding party. I don't usually suffer too much with slugs but this weekend they have moved in big style. Mmmmm revenge will be mine.

The good. I had broke the oval pand of glass in my front door. I can't afford to get it replaced at the moment so decided I would board it and paint it for now. My house has victorian panelled doors which were boarded over in the sixties. I had removed all boards but one. So off it came to use for the front door and I even managed to salvage many of the panel pins to fix it. I still had half a tin of paint so no problems there. Anyway a couple of hours work yesterday and it was fixed and is looking good if I say so myself. Another coat of paint is needed but it will be fine until it can be glazed. But most I,ports toy not a penny spent.:):D

kb_soma

Good morning all, good news. Checked my balances of debt last night and I have £1095.37 to pay off. What a slog this has been... Planning that in 3 months I will be debt free. It's disheartening to see how much I've struggled to meet means, until I started to budget. Now, a treat is a treat, not a necessity.

I must thank you all for the encouraging words and inspiration.

Now, I need to edit my debt free date from April 2016 to August 2015...

Frugaldom

Parsniphead - May is our month of the Make, Do and Mend Challenge and certainly think you have done all three! Great to hear of your successful 'fix' of the door. You've probably saved a small fortune!


kb_soma, you are so close! Just keep chipping away at that, rounding it down and down and down until it's a a big fat zero with a smile! Well done.

Skintandscared

Frugaldom you have inspired me!
I am taking the first steps to becoming more frugal too. But there's a sticking point that (in the past) I just STOP doing it and start the old "I deserve a reward" mindset and splurge!!
Well, last night I gave myself a really good kick up the bum (double jointed see!lol), and am dedicated to:
1) Trying to get it for free
2) If I can't get it for free, try and replace it with another alternative I already have
3) If I really have to spend on something, what is the cheapest possible, yet most effective way of doing it?
4) Making littlest expenditure/biggest saving/most effective money based decisions

My first step is making bread, rather than spending ridiculous amounts a week on bread - I need to work out the savings I am making, but I know it's a considerable amount for my weekly shopping budget.

Good luck to everyone on your frugal journeys! x

[Deleted User]

kb_soma well done on paying off your debt. You are almost there, keep plugging away.

lynnejk

kb_soma wrote: »

Good morning all, good news. Checked my balances of debt last night and I have £1095.37 to pay off. What a slog this has been... Planning that in 3 months I will be debt free. It's disheartening to see how much I've struggled to meet means, until I started to budget. Now, a treat is a treat, not a necessity.

I must thank you all for the encouraging words and inspiration.

Now, I need to edit my debt free date from April 2016 to August 2015...

WOW - well done so far. You're so nearly there now and then you'll be celebrating :dance: :dance: Keep going !
Lx

kb_soma

Thanks lynne, I just want rid of it now!

Bambywamby

Hello all


I have been AWOL for a couple of months, I have been distracted by real life - family, health issues and other bits and pieces that come along and bite us in the backside every now and again. However, I haven't lost my frugal genes in that time and I have managed to save money, lose excess weight and take on more hours at work.


There have been talks in the Bamby household and the plan is to get our very small and pokey kitchen (which is falling apart) gutted and a new one fitted. The kitchen will still be small but new and sparkly. The intention is to sell up in 2019 and move to our forever home by the sea.
So we need to be incredibly frugal.... to save for the kitchen and over pay the mortgage so we have more to play with in 2019.


So starting today I shall/will/have;


*Listed like a mad woman on Ebay
*Follow meal plan which is based on Slimming World and Gluten Free. I have lost two stone in the last three months and would like to continue dropping a few pounds until I fit back in my lovely wardrobe of size 10/12 clothes.
*Walked to the shops rather than drove.
*Put OVO direct debit down by £20 per month to reflect summer usage of utilities. I love the fact you can do all this online rather than ring up and be given the run-around.
*Found a couple of very low cost/free toddler classes with messy and fun play for my little girl. She starts school in September and the more group play with other children the better for her preparation. She is only 4 on the 30th August, so will probably be the youngest in her class.
*I am planting more spring onions, beetroot and broad beans today as well as weeding and tending to the veggie plot in general.
*I have taken some cuttings from the honeysuckle bush (fingers crossed they take.)
*I collected five garden snails from the veggie plot and took them with the wee one to the grass park across the road and left them to roam. I am sure they will sludge it back in a few days but I would rather that than kill them.
*Making a birthday tea for O/H from in house stock and knocking together some gluten free cupcakes for afterwards.
*Using up old herbal tea bags in cupboard and drinking less coffee. So far I have had one coffee today, which is good for me.
*Walk pooch and dance madly around living room with wee one for some free fun exercise.


I hope all you Frugalisters have a lovely weekend and you have this gorgeous sun that is blessing the East Yorks today.


XX

Wombatchops

Hi Bambywamby, welcome back. I too have gone off the radar. I am finding that things are getting on top of me. I am really trying to be frugal, but I seem to have lost my way. I need to get back onto the frugal wagon. I have decided that my new money buzzword is discipline. But, out of curiosity, what does everyone else do to kick start their efforts when they have lost their frugal way? Because I feel like I am floundering at the moment.

parsniphead

I really need to start do in this frugal challenge properly if I'm going to succeed.

One major change this week is getting a new to us car. Now this sounds like a major extravagance but with work, child care and timings is unfortunately a necessary evil. It will be a miracle if the one we have lasts until Thursday. Also my husband has brought it..........he did get half a house when we married.;)

Anyway the savings per month are going to be fab. I currently pay £220 per year road tax, this one is £30 perbefore:j I can get insurance for £30 per month including breakdown cover. My current one is £50. Also I can drop AA cover which was increased to £10.99 per month on the last renewal. Finally it does an average of 52 mpg compared to the 34 mpg I get now so a food saving in fuel too hopefully. I will have to look at this on my first months use. I would like to get to a tank fill up every two months rather than monthly. I do tend to be disorganised and end up using it for silly journeys. Organisation, organisation, organisation.

Now next Friday its monthly shopping. I going to go through my cupboards again today, redo the weekly food plan and see what's left to plan some meals for next month before shopping.

Finally I have a bedroom to decorate for the little one so I will be heading into the cellar to source some paint to do it. I have to go over a very, very dark grey - don't ask, teenagers, so its going to take a few coats. If I can get this sorted this week and the bedrooms swapped all the little ones toys can go into his room and I can have my sewing room back and try to get my little business going again. I will have two days a week to work on it when DS starts school in September as I only work three days at the moment.

This year I want to pay at least 1/3 of my in comings to debt to pay off as soon as possible and get £1000 emergency fund saved. Oh and all the monthly DD's which can be paid annually need to be to save more money.