2017 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Hi guys and gals... here's the copy of the basic budget showing the essential (and some not so essential) expenses over the past 12 months:

Groceries - £915.00
Toiletries etc - £50.00
Electricity - £940.00
Coal & Logs - £40.00
Mobiles - 10.00
Telephone & Internet - £575.00
TV - £145.50
Footwear & Clothing - £45.00
Gifts - £320.00
Transport - £365.00
Postage & Deliveries - £25.00
Insurances - £315.00
Pets & Livestock - £200.00
Other/Misc - £44.50

Total £4,000.00 + Council Tax

I had £57.88 remaining, so bought a £50 Argos voucher via TCB (got £4.00 cashback) to use during next year's sales. I now have £7.88 left to see out the next 11 days. Thankfully, all the bills are paid, shopping's done and there are zero debts. I now need to finalise my 2018 budget and make the appropriate adjustments. The main aim of the year was to get away from buying coal for the fire and using as much wood as possible collected from Frugaldom. Everything else was electricity. The biggest increases seem to be for telephone and Internet services!

As well as my £50 Argos voucher, I have about £45 accrued in topcashback, almost £10 accrued in Nectar Points and then there will be my 1% cashback frm the credit card so that will get me quite a lot of extras during 2018.

[Deleted User]

Happy Solstice!!

evuka

Frugaldom wrote: »

Groceries - £915.00
Toiletries etc - £50.00
Electricity - £940.00
Coal & Logs - £40.00
Mobiles - 10.00
Telephone & Internet - £575.00
TV - £145.50
Footwear & Clothing - £45.00
Gifts - £320.00
Transport - £365.00

I envy your transport budget... Mine - if all stays like it is now - is £4,368 for a year For 2017 it was defo more as I only bought an annual train ticket in October.

How do you keep your mobile phone budget so low?

I've created my budget for 2018, my new financial year started yesterday as I get paid on 20th. Looking at it, I think I need to move (back) to be closer to my workplace. Living in Glasgow and working in Edinburgh is way too dear.
I moved to a closer village but had some hard time there (mixed with my depression getting worse) and I was longing back to Glasgow so I moved in September. At the time it looked my work wouldn't keep up for too long with as many staff as we had and I panicked that I'd be made redundant and got stuck in a village without any job.

I calculated and if I were still living there, my transport cost would only be £2,292 and my whole budget would be approx £3k less :eek:

So from now on, I'm going to comment on the new thread.

:xmastree: Merry Christmas :xmassign::santa2:all Frugallers and here's to a happy, peaceful and financially wise 2018! :beer:

Frugaldom

Happy Solstice!

Evuka, sorry this is so long but it will hopefully explain things.

I live in an area where we have no mobile phone signals at all - zero, nadda, zilch - so I have no need for a mobile phone other than carrying it with me for incoming messages or emergencies. (Every second website wants to send you a security code before letting you do anything these days - MOST ANNOYING, as it means I need to be away from home (usually at Frugaldom) just to pick up a signal. Other than that, any mobile use for Internet access etc is work expenditure and not tied in with my household budget. I don't commute to work, as I'm self employed and work fulltime at the project,, where I base myself in a caravan. Tis is also where I also host the volunteers and work exchange students, so travel is minimal. What I include is just a sum equivalent to £1 per day for putting petrol into the borrowed car for running errands etc and even then, if I'm visiting family further afield, I would either lift share or get the train or bus via Glasgow. Having livesock to look after means not getting away often and now that we have holiday accommodation (frugal breaks) available for our visitors, most friends & family come and stay here.

Also, remember that work expenses are not part of the cost of living - they are part of the cost of working. It costs me very, very little to work for myself from home, so no commuting and no loss of a substantial part of my meagre earnings - literally, I can survive on much less. Would changing job (even to one paying £4k less if you can walk to it) be out of the quesion? For peace of mind and a happier lifestyle, it could be so worth it even based on stress reduction alone. I tried the Glasgow commute many years ago - it would have driven me bonkers if I hadn't quit and that's probably when I decided to live within tiny means rather than make myself ill earning a city salary. I've never regretted it once.

Frugaldom

In advance of tomorrow - MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Kerry_Woman

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

cw18

Hasn't been an NSD here :whistle:

I have seasons 1, 2, 3 and 5 of a TV show on DVD, and last night season 4 dropped to close to the price I was prepared to pay - with a few sellers competing on price. This afternoon I ordered it at 51p less than my 'ideal' price, and almost £1 less than it was last night

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

Hasn't been an NSD here :whistle:

I have seasons 1, 2, 3 and 5 of a TV show on DVD, and last night season 4 dropped to close to the price I was prepared to pay - with a few sellers competing on price. This afternoon I ordered it at 51p less than my 'ideal' price, and almost £1 less than it was last night

I love it when a plan comes together. I'm hoping to get my bargains in the Argos sale after buying my £50 voucher during the secial cashback offer, so £46 for £50 voucher plus only using it for stuff at least 50% off should be like spending £46 on £100 worth of potential pressies for the coming year.

I watched the extreme couponing programme on TV but doubted whether that would even be allowed here in UK. Anyone know?

Kerry_Woman

I have added my spends for December, which was expensive. Also added up what has been spent for the whole year as I have not intention to spend the last few days of the year. Total spends for the year is £8698.61 - that is general and food/household spends added together. I have included everything I spend.

Overall the year has been ok, apart for the last 2 months of the year with my Mum's health and her passing away. I am very grateful for having her as part of my life and miss her very much. My brother and sister and their families have been great and supportive. Also have a couple of other friends who have been supportive. I have to look to my future and what to make of my life now. Have to be even more frugal now.

Frugaldom

Thanks for sharing your end of year round-up with us, Kerry Woman. Things will certainly be different for you in the new year but I'm sure your frugalling experience to date will stand you in good stead for the unexpected adjustments. I hope you're doing OK and that your mum had a good send off. It will take time to adjust to the changes but we have our fellow frugalers both here and in the Facebook group if you need some virtual company at any time.