2018 Frugal Living Challenge

FrankieM

Thanks everyone

I've given myself a stern talking to.

Using up the cupboard and freezer contents for lunches and teas.

Had ham & spinach frittata for lunch yesterday and it's sausage, veg & couscous today and tomorrow.

DS made tea last night. Chicken & veg curry & chuncky houmous (tin of chick peas and some frozen carrots) and brown rice with added peas. That boy knows how to pack the veg in!

I've got a chicken burger thingy from muscle foods tonight. I'm not keen but I'm on my own for tea and it's on it's own so it's a perfect match. There's curry sauce from last night left over so I'll have that with it.

Tomorrow is payday, so it's going to be a trip to Aldi on the way home from work to get some shopping in!

Having my DS around has been really helpful. I can't afford to put anything on the credit card for 2 people and so it's made me be very inventive and strict with not spending money.

Frugaldom

Tanya12345 wrote: »

... Ps Frugaldom that's brilliant " make my life my holiday" do you mind if Isteal that for my mantra ? Xx

Be my guest, we like to share about here.

FrankieM, you've stuck with us for years so perhaps a little look back at how things were before you set off en route to frugal living might help you see that you're on the right path and highlight any areas where you may be drifting a bit? I think being able to see the overall purpose in altering lifestyle to any degree is paramount. I want life to be easy but with the ability to be spontaneous at the same time, without having to do things that drag me down. My goals have never really changed, they have just gathered a few (OK, many) more along the way.

mizmir

Congratulations MadamMim on becoming debt free! Fabulous.

Well in preparation for frugalness starting in July I have had a good look at my incomings and outgoings. Things are just about balancing with my minimum income which is good and any extras I make (am self employed so income varies) can go for treats and saving. I have a pension from when I was employed which I took early - but I am saving it all for now so am not counting that.

So anything I can save will definitely help - and the first place to start is with my grocery budget. I've allowed £200 to include food, household and toiletries but not dog expenses (they have their own budget - one is on regular meds!). I am sure I can get that down with help from this thread. I have also just started a diet so that will help!

lessonlearned

Make My Life My Holiday - Absolutley love it. I'm going to borrow that one too.

With my house move I won't be going on holiday much for the next few years because the house will need some work and money will be tight fur a while. I do have a trip to Iceland booked for next year but that will probably be it. I don't mind I have done a bit of travelling the last couple of years so I'm happy to be a home bird for a while.

I will make the "Make My Life My Holiday"my mantra and look for nice inexpensive ways to have frugal fun. As I'm retired anyway that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Simply being retired now is like one long holiday anyway.

Have done a freezer and cupboard inventory. Need to get stocks down before I move. There might be some "interesting" meals. :rotfl:

I too really need to work on my grocery budget.

FrankieM

Pay Day!! The excitment is real!

I've paid off my credit card. I've had to dip into this months wages to do it, which is sad but at least I'm starting with a clean slate.
The only thing that'll be on my credit card at the end of July will be my flights. Unless I come into some money.

A stone chipped my windscreen last week and after looking at my insurance (£75) a work colleague mentioned that Halfords repair them for £25, so I'm going there after work to see what they can do. A saving there if they can repair it.

I've also been invited to my DD1's for a bbq tonight so I may not get the shopping done until tomorrow night, or I may do it afterwards. I'm looking forward to seeing some food in my fridge and seeing my fuel tank full!
Also if I don't go tonight then there's not anything in for lunch, so I'll have to work something out.

You're right Frugaldom I think I take my eye off the ball and get swayed by others just plodding along in the non frugal life, having no real plans or focus. I start to feel weird after a while and find myself putting my plans on hold so I 'fit in' but I think I never really do, so I've decided to embrace the weird and to embrace what I have to do to achieve my goals and plans.

There's an American finance guy, Dave Ramsey, who says 'Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else' and that's going to me now.

indigowarrior

FrankieM wrote: »

There's an American finance guy, Dave Ramsey, who says 'Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else' and that's going to me now.

Love Dave Ramsey :rotfl:

indigowarrior

Right I have sat down and worked out a budget. There is seven months left in the year and allowing my self 333 a month starting tomorrow. I work it out as:
Yearly Budget:
Food: £840 (This works out as 120 per month)
Mobile Phone: £350 ( Works out average £50 a month at the moment as dont have broadband where I live at the moment and use a lot of data. Once I move this should reduce)
Spotify: £70
Cashplus 41.65 (For there credit builder account)
Coffee: 70 (I meet her once a week or so for a coffee.)
Clothes: £100 for the year
That still leaves about £800 which I will ear mark for bills and move into a savings account. I am starting tomorrow and hoping I can stick to this. As I would have an amazing amount left at the end of the year even with paying minimums on debts. (Am saving for a new place to live.)

Frugaldom

Indigowarrior, well done breaking down your budget and starting afresh. I always say to people to keep thinking of each day as a day to sort things out and make changes, rather than putting off until 'tomorrow'. I hope you manage successfully. On the broadband front - ours at home is now over £50 per month so you may find a better deal with your mobile is more affordable. Landlines are becoming ridiculously expensive for an ever-worsening service from BT.

I hope everyone is managing to avoid being burned in the UK sunshine. It is sweltering here in the Frugaldom corner of Scotland and I am disappointed to say that I continue to see folks out washing cars, using up our precious water where we have no mains and rely on a spring and a well. Some people just don't ever stop to think where water comes from and where it goes afterwards. I guess it must be a countryside versus city thing.

indigowarrior

Thank you Frugaldom. I was pleasantly surprised at how low I can get my costs at the moment. I may have to shift it around when I move but, no one knows when that will be.

Such a shame that people are wasting water.

spudsmum

Its payday (thank goodness!) so I am doing my half yearly audit to see where I am - well 5 months actually as I didnt start embracing frugality until the end of Jan but lets not split hairs.

:A total debt is now £19482 originally £21050 so down by £1568
:A actual overpayments made £1058
:A emergency fund accrued £1k
:A 50% of money needed already put away for our childrens xmas presents :T
:A husbands overdraft is now less than his weekly wage and will be under £300 for the first time since 2013 when he gets paid this week
:A extra income made in 2018 £2260.19
:A number of months knocked off debt free date 13
:A frugal budget 2018 £4317/£5000

So thats it - fairly pleased with that - i'm pleased that I've menaged to pay an extra £1000 off the debt without compromising our lifestyle too much (so still having holidays, days out etc) but I know we can do better.

Food is still our major outlay but we have freezers and cupboards full and a stockpile in the garage also the homegrown veg is nearly ready so i'll be looking at clever meal ideas to use stuff and hopefully spend very little on food this coming month. Hopefully also potty training the twins is on the agenda soon which would mena a huge saving on nappies and all the attending gubbins like wipes and bum cream.

Equally the budget has taken a hit in recent weeks, we were doing really well and regularly coming in £40-£60 under budget but then disaster struck with a couple of unexpected and expensive car and household repairs needed - we had some money ready in our savings pots but not the whole amount so we had to use the emergency fund and then pay it back.

This has meant for the last few weeks we havent had any surplus money left at the end of each week like previously which has affected the budget - BUT the emergency fund is now replenished as of last week so I'm hopeful that the coming weeks we'll once again have money left over (husband gets paid tomorrow night and i currentlu have £68.50 left of this weeks's budget so a good start)

On a huge positive I havent added anything to the credit cards since christmas and, even though i've been battling depression lately i havent been tempted to spend any money (well thats a lie - I've been hugely tempted but i havent succumbed other than the odd rummage in the charity shop) thats probably the thing i'm most proud of

I'm also loving frugality and still get a little thrill when i make a payment on the credit card or put some pennies in the savings pot.

So all in all i'm going to give myself a tiny pat on the back and set myself a challenge to beat that and do even better in the next 6 months - wish me luck.