2015 Frugal Living Challenge

lynnejk

kb_soma wrote: »

Thanks parsniphead. It sounds ridiculous, but I'm a bit scared of being debt free. I've had this debt for such a long time that it feels like a shadow, or an old friend. Stupid, I know. The thing I'm most worried about is wasting the money that I've managed 'without'. It's very silly and I think I need to have a good look at my finances before I even consider all the things I could have, that's what got me into trouble in the first place. Good luck with yours. Xx

I think you've done soo well to get rid of your debt. I'm going to cheer you on to get to the end as quickly as possible


Maybe you could then put the same amount into an interest-paying account and save for what you want. That way you'll enjoy it even more and maybe even enjoy seeing the money building up and not be tempted to 'fritter' it


Good luck and hope you can hear me cheering :rotfl:
Lx

Frugaldom

kb_soma wrote: »

Thanks parsniphead. It sounds ridiculous, but I'm a bit scared of being debt free. I've had this debt for such a long time that it feels like a shadow, or an old friend. Stupid, I know. The thing I'm most worried about is wasting the money that I've managed 'without'. It's very silly and I think I need to have a good look at my finances before I even consider all the things I could have, that's what got me into trouble in the first place.

kb - I fully understand what you are experiencing and have gone through similar on a number of occasions. Having fought to reach complete debt freedom for so many years, you suddenly think it's the end of the road and something awful will happen to trip you up before even getting to reap the benefits. But then I learned that clearing every penny of the debt (I'm mortgage free) was just the start of the journey and what a journey it is! I suddenly realised that I was the bank - my savings re[resented the finance companies and every penny I spent from there had to be repaid in full, with interest. It may sound obsessive and it may seem, to some, absurd that someone with zero debts should choose to live on £75 a week but the way I see it, the less I spend on existing, the more I can spend on living, if that makes sense?


Leaving the debt behind is like being cut free, you need to know what direction you want to go and remain in control but once the savings have grown, a good old gallop won't do you much harm if you remember that what you spend is your life and your existence. It's a lifestyle choice that I wish I had been knowledgeable enough to have made almost 30 years ago.


Good luck and love the life that's coming your way very soon - frugal freedom, otherwise known as frugaldom!

kb_soma

Thanks lynnejk and frugaldom. I think I need words of encouragement to get there. I'm slightly frustrated as the end is so near.

I am looking forward to the day it comes and will continue to live as I have been. I love saving money where possible. Xx

Faith76

New to this challenge so signing up Hope it will inspire me to think up some frugal stuff. So first off today my frugal bit is I have a tiny whole at the toe I'm my sock. I always get wholes in the toes of my socks and normally don't hesitate to just chuck out and buy new. However no, not this time I am going to get out my sewing kit, make do and mend unless my socks are beyond redemption of course. So that will be my job for the next few days darning my socks.

Another frugal thing is I have signed up to Tesco Orchard and got some vouchers for free in exchange for writing a review etc. It's for their fruit and veg so pretty chuffed with this bit ofof a frugal.

kb_soma

Tk faith76. Off to check out tesco Orchard...

Pollygarter

Hi all, been reading through the last pp and feeling for Wombachops. I am past the hen do stage thankfully as back in my day they were generally much cheaper affairs. I'm sure you have to put a lot of thought and care into making sure friends realise you care in the way you can. True friends won't mind. The others, well...you might get to lose them more quickly. And I'm not sure that is a bad thing. I asked my own husband to go when he was having yet another affair and I decided I'd had enough. He has stayed on the doorstep with this other woman. And all of my married "friends" bar one have dropped me from a great height. I grieved long and hard for that. Then thought good, now I know they are not my friends rather than work that one out when I am old or sick and I need waste no more time or life on pointless facade. I saw a lady in the street yesterday who was a great friend on the married party circuit...she could barely stop to acknowledge I existed. So it goes eh. I read Frugaldoms words with interest. This is about a much deeper journey than just clearing a credit card debt. It's about simplicity and working hard for the things that matter, not about conforming to financial slavery. My debts are just a symptom and the change is underway. Hard work isn't it. Good work? Certainly. Onwards x

Wombatchops

Pollygarter, I am so sorry to hear what you have been through, sometimes people can be (insert your own desription here), but I think your attitude is great, and I am in awe of your positivity. When I grow up, I want to be a positive person just like you.

Pollygarter

Have you ever seen The Jerk? A film by Steve Martin back in the 80s. It's a ridiculous comedy but the message is just wonderful. White nerd goes from rags to riches and back again tale. It's just perfect on loss. I've learned a lot about loss over the last few years. One of the best things is that it's OK. Pain is actually OK, and whilst it keeps on coming you are still alive! So here's to making the best of that life eh? Not owing anyone anything is a great foundation for that. I still feel like I'm clearing up after a twenty year party!

his_missus

Hi all,


Been plodding along and reading but not posted recently.


Treated myself yesterday to a new cookbook as I'm getting stuck in a food rut - Delia Smith's Frugal Food (first pub. 1970s then updated in the 2000s) for £3 (originally £17.99, hmmm...not a very frugal price in my opinion) I do usually just google recipes but sometimes I lack inspiration and don't even know what to google


Anyhoo, I thought some of the recipes weren't necessarily that frugal especially the meat based ones. Made me wonder how much meat has really increased in price in the last 7 years as one recipe I worked out would cost me £6 for 2 of us! Some were good though and I'm going to try and only spend £40 on food this week (I know that seems a lot to some of you more frugal guys but I do prefer to buy my meat at the butchers - more expensive but better quality)


Pollygarter, I empathise with you completely and glad you have come through the other side.


I also use Tesco Orchard and Bzz agent (similar to Orchard). I don't always get the campaigns but every little helps as they say

Wombatchops

I was wondering what those parents with school children do about cards and presents for the teachers at the end of the school year, and what those who are teachers expect or want from their pupils.

I live in a really affluent part of the country, although we have incredibly modest incomes comparative to many of the other parents from school, and that would still be true even if I wasn't on maternity leave.

Now my DD1, who is my eldest, is just about to finish her first year of school, but it hadn't occurred to me to get a present, or even a card, for the teacher and the teaching assistant, because that was definitely not a thing when I was at school, and it wasn't that long ago that I left school.

Anyway, on Tuesday one of the mums of a girl in my daughter's class handed me a slip of paper, which she was handing out to all of the mums in the class. She wants to get a joint personalised Mo0np1g card for the teacher, and a further two for each of the teaching assistants, along with flowers for each of them, and a gift each. She is looking for contributions of £15 - £20 from each parent, and then she actually put in brackets "or more if you wish". However, she did say that we needn't feel that we have to contribute if we are planning to do our own thing.

Now I suspect that many of you, like I, think this is outrageous and OTT (correct me if I am wrong), and I shall tell this mum that we are doing our own thing. What I would like to know is, given what the other parents are doing, what do you think is acceptable for me to do? I wasn't going to do anything, but I now feel obliged to do something, so I was thinking a card for each of them made by my daughter, and no gift of any kind. Do you all think that is OK? Or is that a frugality too far?