2016 Frugal Living Challenge

Munchin

Hi all

I would like to join please and my budget is £6000 which doesn't include diesel or rent but it includes everything else.

Frugaldom

Welcome to all our newcomers! Not long to go now, I hope everyone is prepared and succeeds with their 2016 challenges. Happy frugal living, people.

FunBrum

I think it was back in 2003 that I joined the challenge. It was £4,000 a year challenge, and was doing well but since then I have fallen off the wagon over the years. Now, to remain in early retirement, I need a challenge to keep me in check. :money:
I suppose it's easier for me as there is only me at home, and I live quite a frugal life as it is. However there is a £2,500 debt I want to shift by the end of 2016 if not sooner.

I'm looking forward to the challenge :T

melweeks73

Hi,

Can I join in too please. My money will be cut in August when my tax credits and child benefit stops as my daughter finishes her A-Levels but my spend will go up when she starts Uni in September. I want to help her out as much as possible so that she doesn't have to rush out in a new city to get a job. Hoping to stick to a £8000 yearly budget.

I am a really bad boredom buyer, I.e when I'm bored around the house, I walk into town and end up in the shops. Bad enough in any town but when you live in central London.....!!

New year new thought processes:j

Merle

Hi Everyone
Count me in for the 2016 challenge.:)

his_missus

I plan to spend no more than £80 a week (£4,160 yearly total) on food, clothes, entertainment etc. which should allow me to put just over £700 a month into our savings account. This doesn't include the mortgage, water, electric & gas and other household bills, they're all paid for with Hubby's wage.

Savvy_sewing

I have been looking at the budget, and playing around with figures, and after listening to my motivational tapes the plan is to now stop putting money into the savings as the return is negligeable and instead pay the 10% I usually add to savings to pay off the debts. They have crept up to around £3,300!
So adding 10% to the regular payments I make, I have decided to pay 20%
To the smallest debt, and the DD as normal to the other card, and then once that one has gone transfer the 20% to the other card, plus the usual amount I pay.
So I am hoping to pay £84 a week to my debts.
Hence the food bill is cut to £25 a week while I use up the freezer and stock cupboards.
I plan to walk to work at least twice a week, and save fuel costs, with the current amount of driving I'm making £30 last me two weeks. Two years ago I was spending £60 a week!!
But I need to do something with my sky package. Research required as no tv aerial and virgin media don't do this area.

cw18

Mooloo wrote: »

But I need to do something with my sky package. Research required as no tv aerial and virgin media don't do this area.

What do you watch on it? Could you drop to FreeSat? That's all my DD has, and she finds it quite enough.

Or ditch 'live' TV completely. I did that 5 years ago tomorrow and haven't missed it at all. I watch DVDs, and am adding to my collection by purchasing second-hand (mostly on Amaz0n). I monitor the prices until they drop to a price I'm happy to pay including postage and then grab them In most cases I don't pay more than £1.27 for a film, and have managed some box sets for that price though some I go up to £5 (rarely more - though I just paid £10 for a set with 37 hours of viewing)

quidsy

Amazon fire stick with kodi. 50 quid on ebay, unlimited tele.

crazy_cat_lady

Well after a bit of a stressful run up to Christmas, then a really lovely few days on the day and then away on holiday I'm back and ready to go with my frugal 2016. Having just managed to get out of debt, my dh is now ill and off work for the foreseeable future - which means budget is tighter than ever.
I am aiming for no more than £550 a month after essentials to include me and dh, 2 kids and 6 cats.
First thing I need to do is sort out meals and plans for the entirety of January. I still have Christmas leftovers in the fridge, which have passed the sniff test so are about to be made into something else once I've surfed the OS thread and Mr S love your leftovers for inspiration.