2018 Frugal Living Challenge

FrankieM

Frugaldom I feel your pain. It was so much easier when I was younger, and when I was younger I spent so much time trying to lose weight when I was actually fine. Youth is wasted on the young!
My plan is to work out a monthly weight loss amount and that's my target. It sounds weird when I try to explain it but it makes sense to me and I'm hoping the monthly weigh in will keep me focused but also take off the constant pressure that weighing all the time adds. Fingers crossed.


A weekend of epiphanies for me which has my general mindset and focus.


Time spent with a couple of my daughters, seeing grandchildren Spent some time with a friend at the pub and pottered around in the house and did some weeding in the front garden. It's looking very much like DS won't be doing the gardening, so I'll have to decided what to do sort out his half finished job. lol

FrankieM

Morning

It sometimes feels like this thread has turned into my personal diary! lolol

I'm slowly getting through the veg in the fridge, so much so that I needed to pick a bit of salad yesterday.

No other spending, though and I think I won't need to until shopping day.

I'm still getting on with making lunches and cooking tea. I've got quite a routine with it so long may it last.

DS asked if he could not pay board cause it's birthday next week....ummm, sure if you don't want to eat! That's a no then
I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.

littlesimplelivingcottage

Hello, I know the year is almost finished but can I join in on this to keep my accountable? We've managed to get into a right little pickle and I'm going to need every spare penny to sort it out

FrankieM

Welcome littlesimplelivingcottage the more the merrier


It's a rainy day here...still, it means I can wear my tights and a warmer top without looking daft to everyone else!


Other than that it's another day of work and home made meals...look at me go

Frugaldom

littlesimplelivingcottage wrote: »

Hello, I know the year is almost finished but can I join in on this to keep my accountable? We've managed to get into a right little pickle and I'm going to need every spare penny to sort it out

Everyone is welcome here, however, not many seem to be posting this year, or else the wonder that is Facebook has taken over from forums. I do tend to favour the latter, nowadays. I hope you enjoy reading about our journeys to debt freedom and enjoy taking part.

Welcome on board! :beer:

I have now added your user name to the challenger list on page 1. Feel free to chart your progress, ask questions and share your trials and tribulations.

Frugaldom

Hi Frankie, I often feel like I am boring everyone with my updates on here, possibly because I have posting for so long on the same subject. It seems there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm / support / interest / participation but I do read all the updates and respond whenever possible. My personal journey has been long, thankfully now it is about maintaining my debtfree lifestyle. The main reason I no longer chart daily updates here is owing to the rules governing this particular site/forum. But you know where I am if you want a chat/moan/vent Just keep up the good work because frugal living and debt freedom (frugaldom) is most definitley the best thing ever.

cuddlymarm

Hi Frugaldom
Don’t feel that everyone has lost interest. I personally read along but as frugal has become the norm there’s not much to say. We are frugal, firstly because of necessity but now because we are out the other side and it’s the way we fund lovely holidays.
It’s also quiet I think because lots of folks are on their hols, they will soon be back when the kids are back at school, heating goes on, Xmas is nearly here.
Cuddles

Nonnadiluca

Another here who reads more than posts, but I find this thread brilliant for keeping me focused. I will make the effort to post more regularly!

DawnW

I'm still here, too
Still reading every post, and keeping my spreadsheet up to date. It has been a tough year so far, with health issues and big car bills, but being able to get through difficult times without having to worry about every penny / in relative comfort is why I am frugal these days

Just made a batch of blueberry and raspberry muffins, chopped up a big pile of rhubarb for the freezer and just about to freeze some green beans, so making good use of garden produce, for now and squirrelling away for the winter

Frugaldom

Thank you for sticking with us and lettig me know you are still reading.

From now until the end of the year is a busy time and I've just started a money challenge 'game' of EEK and RACK, which is basically about
trying to earn extra to put funds into the Everything Else Kitty (EEK) and also top up the Readily Available Cash Kitty (RACK). For this, I have taken on some writing work.

The hens and ducks are laying less & less as they all begin their moults (they seldom lay eggs during moult) and one has gone broody (they stop laying when broody) so egg sales are falling away. However, we have successfully hatched out 14 new ducklings, so that should provide us with at least a few new egg layers next year. Let's hope there are more girls than boys among them. Last year we made a new pond so it's looking great now that all the greenery has regenerated round it - can't wait to see the ducks swimming on it. BUt first, I need to build them a secure run so they can be closed in at nights, safe from foxes.

Not sure if many of you have been with us since the start but our journey has been a long one that has reaped many rewards along the way. This lifestyle is one that I probably will never change so I'll recap on the things that we do that I often forget are even frugal.

1. Budget every penny, recording every spend
2. Keep a good store cupboard of long shelf life bargains, like pasta, rice, tinned goods, herbs, spices, sugar and flour.
3. Grow whatever I can, even if it's just a pot of herbs & lettuce outside the door
4. Shop in charity shops
5. Swap and share rather than buy
6. Barter
7. Make do, mend, recycle, upcycle and reuse
8. Compost food waste and save my tealeaves from the bags for the garden
9. Make homemade laundry liquid and use soap nuts - although I do use shop bought detergent for the holiday let linen
10. Avoid buying processed foodstuffs that incure VAT at 20%
11. Very seldom eat out or have takeaway
12. Quit smoking several years ago
13. Socialise mostly at home (or in the caravan)
14. Read the meters regularly and keep on top of energy use
15. Only travel into town if I really need to and do as much as possible while in there to save making several trips.
16. If time permits, walk or cycle instead of drive... this needs addressing as I finally got around to buying my own car recently and the novelty hasn't worn off yet.
17. I returned to my very expensive hobbies, but pursue them as frugally as possible and in favour of doing or having other things.
18. I compromise a lot
19. I don't waste my money on 'stuff'
20. I've been debt free for over 10 years and mortgage/rent free for the past 7, but still live off my original £4,000 per year while investing everything else into creating a passive income that will hopefully serve me through retirement.

I hope that my journey can inspire others to walk the path of frugality and get to where you want to be. For me, it is mostly about being my own person, working for myself and maintaining some form of financial self-sustainability. Frugal living provides me with financial freedom and I am more than happy to help anyone who needs a little bit extra encouragement or support to get you to where you want to be.

There! That's my mid-August round-up of what frugal living means to me... what does it mean to you?