2016 Frugal Living Challenge

jess444_2

Thanks for all of your best wishes folks. We did think of paying for the repairs, but would have cost a lot more than the excess. Fortunately it wont impact on our monthly payments as we did have No Claims Protection. The insurance will also supply a courtesy car at no cost while the work is getting done, so that will help.

A NSD today. We have enough food in for about 8 days so hoping for a few more NSD's between now and payday (10th of each month).

FunBrum, noticed your signature about living a frugal retirement. This is what am aiming for. How are you finding it?

FunBrum

Jess444, To tell you the truth, it's great!:)
I'm only 57 and decided last March that I'd had enough of the rat race. I live on a small amount of money each month. I don't claim any benefits, and often barter for things or get them for free! I downsized house 3yrs ago and sold my car. I walk everywhere I need to. I grow veg, hardly spend, as I have everything I need. I hardly use any utilities. I spend my time making do with what I have and enjoy finding ways to cut back and have a good, fun life, without using too much of the planet's resources.
I go on holidays aboard that cost next to nothing. In fact you can have a great life and it doesn't cost you much if you do your research.
I do go through patches when I panic and think, "what happens if I run out of money"? I have to check my self and tell myself, I've come through 57years of managing, so not to worry.
I'm happier than I've ever been, and don't get stressed now. It's a good life.
I could write a book, but I won't bore you all!::rotfl:D

jess444_2

Thanks Funbrum, I am hoping to go in Sept on 57th birthday as work has
just become too stressful. I am quite scared about how we will manage, so it is good to hear from someone who has made it work.

[Deleted User]

Morning All.

Jess - sorry to hear about your car. I'm glad you had protected NCB in place.

Wombatchops - you seem to be tackling this challenge head on, good for you.

My plans for today are:
1. Housework - strip beds, washing on and fresh bedding on bed.
2. Food plan and food shop.
3. Fill up my car with petrol. Last month one fill up did me for the whole month so I am hoping for similar this month.
4. I have a massage booked this afternoon - I don't often have one but it's a little indulgence as my Achilles is very tight and I am really struggling with it.

BettyBoof

FunBrum have you read the book Down to Earth by Rhonda Hetzel? if not think you'd love it :-)

I'd love to hear more about your frugal retirement if you feel like sharing. It's a while off for me at the moment but it's good to plan and to know it's possible. How did you find the downsizing? DH and I were talking about it last night but we're not sure we could do it as we'd like to have room for our children and (hopefully) grandchildren to come and stay. (It's all hypothetical of course as our kids are still really young and who knows, they may live in the same town as us so won't need to stay over anyway.).

Wombatchops you're doing a great job! I'm so impressed that you underspent in almost all areas of your budget - that's the challenge I am going to set myself next month!

Things are about to get serious for me as I am doubling our savings as of the end of this month (we're saving for a house deposit) so budgeting, earning a little extra here and there and frugalling generally are going to be more important than ever. I'll be tapping in to the collective wisdom of this thread a lot.

What's your no.1 belt-tightening tip please?

FunBrum

jess444...it can be scary, but I thought, 'you know..... how will I know if It will work if I don't give it a go'?! It's not for everyone, but I knew I wanted to jack the stress and to feel free. In fact, I'm so busy now, I really don't know when I found the time to work, and I worked 12 hrs a day! The difference is, I choose the things I want to do, not anyone else.;)

Thanks for your interest Bettyboof, I would love to share and have mentioned a few snippets from my life on these challenge threads. I'm looking into constructing a blog, but I know I would have to dedicate a chunk of my time to it. When I get my head around it I will.
I would hate to push my thoughts and challenges of my life on here, and bore anyone, but if you want me to pm you and tell you anything you want to know, I will.;):)

bobobski

Very pleased with a deal I just got to upgrade with EE. I'm currently paying about £27.50 per month for a Samsung S4 which I bought in March 2014. 3G network, 1GB data, can't remember minutes and texts because I don't really use them.

I just managed to upgrade to the S6 for no upfront cost, the same monthly payment and upgrading to 4G network. The lady insisted that I would have to pay for postage of c. £7, since I didn't want to pay £2 more per month for 2GB data, but I said in that case I wouldn't proceed. So she "went and spoke to her manager" and came back 10 seconds later saying that was fine.

Hoorah! So at no extra cost, I'm vastly improving my handset (mine is cracked and dying - it regularly has senior moments) and improving my data speed, and not even paying postage. They're delivering the handset to my workplace tomorrow. I could have found the deal slightly cheaper elsewhere but for the sake of staying with a network I know and not going through the PAC faff, I'm happy.

For reference, mobilephonesdirect have a similar deal for £25 per month, but on Vodafone - my work iphone is on Vodafone so it makes sense to me to stick to a different network in case one goes down.

Cheers :beer:

Wombatchops

Thank you for all of your encouragement. I'm trying to stay positive and just get on with it, but I do have regular wobbles. Getting ready for bed last night I had a teary few moments.

I don't know what my top belt tightening tip would be cos we've struggled for so long that it's become normality. I try not to buy things I don't need, or drive places that I don't need to drive to. If I'm out with the kids I try to take drinks and snacks from home, but they are very noisy and constantly trying to climb all over me, so I often get distracted and forget. The hardest thing has been saying no to things and people. No, I can't go to the planned night out with work. No, I can't get together for dinner out with the girls. No, I can't go to your hen do. It's upsetting, and people don't always understand, but it has to be done.

Recently I've signed up to freebie websites to get as many things for free as possible. I try and research prices and deals as much as possible (not always that easy with three kids, and two of them under three, but I do what I can). I love books, they're my weakness and what I splash out on, but I've been doing my best to read for free (books from the library, buying books with loyalty points, asking for books, or book vouchers, for Christmas and my birthday).

The real killer will be March, when I am back at work and the kids are in childcare. Childcare not only costs more than my mortgage, council tax and all other fixed bills combined, but we were going to be cutting it fine with mine and my DH's salary, plus child benefit and child tax credit, as it was. Now, it's going to be impossible, unless child tax credits make up the shortfall. However, my DH is in no fit state to look after the two little ones when I'm at work - he's now complaining that his hip has started to hurt. Plus, if I pull them out of nursery, we won't get their places back. I was lucky to get them in when I did. In fact, they can only offer us three specific days for each of them, so those are the days I'll be working. The free hours for my DS don't kick in until September. My DD1 is at school, and my DH will just have to walk her there and walk her home. We can't justify breakfast and after school care. And if he's unable to pick her up, my MIL finishes work by then and has said she'll do the pick up.

We can survive until summer due to savings, and hopefully DH will have had treatment and be back at work by then. However, if something goes wrong (some kind of car or boiler breakdown, for example), or he's still unfit to work by then, well we'll be up a dark, smelly creek without a paddle.

In the meantime, I appreciate all of your support and advice.

bobobski

Wombat, if books are your vice, have you tried buying second hand? I managed to get 4 books from Amazon for about £12 over the summer, and I don't think that's anything special.

Sorry this is all the advice I have....

FunBrum

wombatchops...You are amazing and doing so well!:T

Please take time to breathe, and remember that no one is super human and you can't juggle everything!:eek:

I've had four children. All grown and flown, but one thing I know for sure. Don't give them 100 of you. You need to still be you. Take care of yourself and you will be a better person for them and others.:cool:

I think you are fab for everything you already do!:j