2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

FrankieM wrote: »

Frugaldom I'm considering moving further away at some point. Probably in the same county but something perhaps more rural. The reason to move into a city (so the children could get themselves places) is no longer a concern for me as I only have the one child living with me now.
My experience of community and socialising here is that it all happens at the pub and that's just not me....
My other children are doing their own thing and living their own lives. I don't really see much of them so the thought that I should stay close to them is something that I'm realising I don't need to concern myself with. However difficult I might find it.

At the moment though, my frugal journey is about paying my car loan off and so that's this year's plan. I have a 5 year plan on the go, but that takes me to 50 and that's when I start to cry! lol. So, I think a year at a time is the way to go.

As one of our longer standing members of this group you know I live in a very rural community and have never lived in a city. You probably also know that I passed the big 50 a few years ago, which sucks when your life ambition revolves around active, outdoor pursuits like planting woodlands :rotfl: but it's not so bad. It took several years of extreme frugality to become debt free then several more to save for a house but my little network of friends a d associates still grows by the week.

Extreme frugal living is what allows me to save for the big stuff even although I earn less than minimum wage and choose not to claim anything from the Govt. I have never had a house with the option to set central heating at 21degrees. Most know we were lucky to make it to 14degrees! !!!128514; The newest project has night storage heaters, so no options, it being a tiny one bedroom end terrace cottage means not so much space to heat.!!!128522;

spudsmum

FrankieM I have to hold my hands up on the car front too. Mine is a huge gas guzzling MPV - needed for all the kids plus my beast of a double buggy. I bought it second hand and its 15 years old now so definitely on its last legs but living rurally and with the job I do I need a car.

I'd dearly love a sporty little number - we were going to buy a nice little sporty car a couple of years ago but decided to put it off a while because we wanted to try for a baby and I was worried about fitting in to it while pregnant. As it was we ended up with twins so that was the end of that dream for a the next 18 years (not that I would change anything)

I really envy you having a car you love - like you say, these luxuries make all the hard work worthwhile.

frugalish

Frugaldom wrote: »

As one of our longer standing members of this group you know I live in a very rural community and have never lived in a city. You probably also know that I passed the big 50 a few years ago, which sucks when your life ambition revolves around active, outdoor pursuits like planting woodlands :rotfl: but it's not so bad. It took several years of extreme frugality to become debt free then several more to save for a house but my little network of friends a d associates still grows by the week.

Extreme frugal living is what allows me to save for the big stuff even although I earn less than minimum wage and choose not to claim anything from the Govt. I have never had a house with the option to set central heating at 21degrees. Most know we were lucky to make it to 14degrees! !!!128514; The newest project has night storage heaters, so no options, it being a tiny one bedroom end terrace cottage means not so much space to heat.!!!128522;

Frugaldom you are so inspiring! I'm 50 this year, and had kind of given up on the dream of owning my own home again (having lost one previously) and doing a job I love. But earning enough to pay a whopping great mortgage made me physically and mentally ill, so it's been a journey of self-discovery over the past ten or so years, with me finally being able to leave my previous career in 2016. I'm not earning enough (yet!!) but I'm happy! We rent our home, we have no savings and at the moment we're in debt, but we want to turn that around. This is such a lovely little community - I'm very glad I found you all.

Moll

spudsmum wrote: »

Did you mean the compost giveaway Moll?

yes I meant the free compost , thanks for the info , ill definitely keep an eye out for any in my area ,,,thankyou x

Moll

I agree that the key is to all help each other and waste nothing , My daughter ( And her friends) regularly have garden parties in the Summer ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i don't mean the posh kind , Everyone brings a bit of food or drink , and they all bring what tools they have and do whatever job needs doing ............Many hands make light work and all that , ... painting parties is another ,,,,they all bring whatever left over paint they've got ,and thier own brushes etc ,,,so no extra tools need buying ,,, and they do this for each other when anything big needs doing , Now of course I realise some arnt so lucky as to have a network of likeminded friends like that , but could you maybe trade a skill . babysitting for someone to do a job you need doing so you don't have to splash out for tools , Just a thought

FrankieM wrote: »

The first grass cut has now been completed!!

I'm quite proud that I've cracked on and got it done. It would seem in some areas I can procrastinate to the point of laziness.

Now that it's cut I can see what I'm dealing with and it's very uneven/lumpy ground. The grass has a lot of weeds in it and is generally patchy.
I'm in a rented house so I'm happy to spend money on tools but don't want to spend too much on what I can't take with me...what do you frugallers suggest? How can I make it all a bit nicer?

There's also some sort of paving path and some edging that has weeds/grass growing out of the joins, so I'll also need to deal with that. I'm thinking a spade, edger and hard work will sort it out, but not sure how to stop it from coming through again or can't I?

All suggestions appreciated

FrankieM

Morning

It's good to see that I'm not the only one 'around 50' starting again. It can all feel like a bit of a young person's game but I need to just keeping plodding on with what is rather then thinking about what could've been.

One of my colleagues at work made me a shepherd's pie so that's my tea for tonight and tomorrow. I'm just going to get a cabbage to have with it. I'd got bolognaise out so I've made that into a pasta bake to have for lunch for the next few days.

I popped over to my DD's after work and have picked up some of her tools (and had tea!) She thinks I'm silly to buy tools when I can just borrow theirs but we'll see how that works when we both want to use the same tool.
Still for now it lets me get started and the weather is supposed to be nice this week so I'm hoping to get out after work.

I've turned the heating off It's actually not that bad

FrankieM

Morning

Had the Shepherd's pie I was given last night with some cabbage and gravy and I have enough for tea tonight too. It was lovely so I'm looking forward to it.
Pasta bake and salad for lunch, that I made early.

I'm finding that the batch cooking for a weekend really helps and being organised with my main meals means less chance of 'picking something up'. I'm still not good when I have my purse/money on me though. It seems I definitely needed crisps when I bought my cabbage yesterday

It's those spends that just drip the money away. It's only 75p but probably done about 10 times in the month so it all starts to add up.

Yesterday I booked a hair appointment for the beginning of May and I want to plan presents for my parents soon too so I know what those out goings are going to be. I need to start building a money buffer in my bank accounts and that's difficult to do when there are things to spend the money on.

It was raining yesterday evening so no time gardening and no washing on the line. I'm hoping for better weather tonight.

Hope you all have a good day.

PennyGrabber

Morning everyone,

I've not had a very frugal April so far. What with the school hols, taking my two away for a holiday (friend's chalet), falling down the stairs and getting engaged, this month has been very busy! I've used more fuel than usual, 'eaten out' more and let too many treats back in. I'm now very broke until payday, but have my mum visiting on Saturday, for my birthday on Monday. Roll on May!!

PG x

DawnW

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Morning everyone,

I've not had a very frugal April so far. What with the school hols, taking my two away for a holiday (friend's chalet), falling down the stairs and getting engaged, this month has been very busy! I've used more fuel than usual, 'eaten out' more and let too many treats back in. I'm now very broke until payday, but have my mum visiting on Saturday, for my birthday on Monday. Roll on May!!

PG x

Congratulations PennyGrabber

Frugaldom

Congratulations, Pennygrabber! When are you planning on having your big day?

FrankieM if your DD stays within easy distance then I'd share her tools and save the money for other things, priority being debt clearing and then that all-important buffer zone that we all need. Good luck.