2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Nonnadiluca

Following a few occasions last year when bank cards/ accounts went t*ts up and people were unable to pay for things by card, I started keeping a cash stash of £50: it's not a lot, but enough to put petrol in the car and feed us for a few days.

Couldsavemore

I have an emeegency £20 in the car for desiel emergencies
Plus £50 in the house.

I also have a 'shrapnel' pot in the car for parking fees...

Couldsavemore

Well I've survived my week on £80. Only 1 day left and still have folding money!

I've still not got a 'year plan'.

But since its a new month tomorrow... I'm going for £300. Although that excludes christmas pressies which I've already saved the money independently for.

Thanks for all the meal advice! I do buy large amounts of fresh fruit. I'm vegan so err already skipping the meat in meals!
I think I've just been lazy with meal planning and prep.

I'm going to take £300 out of the bank and split into 2 envelopes.

Fingers crossed.

[Deleted User]

Hi couldsavemore :wave: Fellow vegan here foodwise, my advice would be to buy some marigold vegan bouillion - it adds a flavour dimension to sooo many dishes that really elevates the basics! One of the favourite (and cheap ) dishes in my house is lentils and quinoa...chop an onion, wash some dark lentils and quinoa, fry the onion in a little oil, add the lentils and quinoa, stir, add stock and then cook. I normally make hommous to go with it as I'm rather partial to hommous leftovers can be used along with additional veg as a pie filling, a base for 'shepherds' pie etc....Although quinoa can be quite expensive, a little goes a very long way and its very filling! Lentils in general are a great on a budget - I love ethiopian red lentils (just get some berbere spice mix ) - and cheap veg with the bouillon added makes amazing soup Tartiflette is also great...potatoes, stock, dijon mustard, vegan chorizo/bacon/sausage and cream ( the rest of the cream used on apple crumble or other yummy dessert ) I honestly think that it's down to the flavourings with vegan food - the main ingredients are generally cheap (mainstream supermarkets sell veg at incredibly low prices) and as long as you're imaginative with dressings etc (and you have an adventerous palette) the food bill can be next to nothing . I think that the biggest expense as a vegan is toiletries and household goods!!:eek: Using homemade cleaners is possible but toiletries are just scary expensive!!:(

Good luck with the frugal living they're all lovely on here and you're bound to get lots of great advice and ideas!

Frugaldom

Being cold - we still have no central heating or double glazing, so heating costs a fortune. Our house is old and stne built, so can't be cavity wall insulated. The loft space is where the bedrooms are, so no access for roof insulation and the building is Listed, so no chance of exterior cladding. Open fire with back boiler here and cylinder gas or electric heater at the caravan, so the choice in winter, for so many, can be between heating or eating.

On the savings side, I am on a very low income as most of my work is voluntary, so I am sitting in awe of the weekly saver - I'd be completely stuffed after about week 10 :rotfl: I do have spare change pots and my egg sales money (which pays for hen food) and I keep hold of any cash I get paid directly. Most payments go direct to bank accounts and with no cashline or bank here, it can safely stay there until card payment each mnth, when I pay in full. Cashback on the card has now been cut to 0.5% and there's zero interest from the bank, but I have zero debts and any savings are in Premium Bonds, just on the off chance of a win.

November is National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, so I like to take part in that - it's free to join. The aim is to produce 50,000 words within 30 days as the basis of a novel.

November is also the start of our tree planting season at Frugaldom, where we hope to complete the final phase of our World War I memorial woodland. It is dedicated to the people and animals that gave their lives to protect our freedom and the trees (saplings) are provided free by the Woodland Trust and their sponsors. (Sainsbury's, Ikea, Yorkshire Tea and the players of People's Postcode Lottery).

We took on another 2 rescue ponies, taking us up to 5 Surprisingly, it could mean a slight decrease in feed bill, as it now allows me to use large bales of hay rather than the more expensive small bales but it's early days, so I'm unable to calculate it just yet, what with the initial costs of getting the new ponies' hooves trimmed, passports sorted out and all ponies wormed. (Frugaldom is a not-forprofits social enterprise so we need to do a lot of fund raising to cover the costs).

That about sums up everything from me to the end of October. November will see the start of decorating the little cottage that gets let out for frugal breaks, hopefully it will be done before 2019 gets here, as things progress very slowly here. If anyone ever gets sick of their life, feel free to cme and volunteer here, you're welcome to stay and share the strange concoction of meals that come about as a result of the £1 per person per day grocery budget. :rotfl: Bring wellies and winter woollies. :rotfl:

Kerry_Woman

Achieved 26 NSD's this month.
Have booked 2 trips that were on my bucket. Going to Belfast next month and to do a coach trip which goes to Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and other places. Booked to go to Memphis next year.
After I come back from Memphis I can concentrate of moving to Norwich.
Tried to be careful regarding. I know that I have to cut back even more.
Been walking nearly every day this month. Did join my local Park Run, but I just walk it.
Have unsubscribed from some emails and closed down some accounts.

FrankieM

Morning

Thank you for all your lovely thoughts. I'm popping the vitamin D in the hope that it kicks in soon and I'm less grumpy!

I think you've hit the nail on the head Frugaldom I start to reassess my life at this point and wonder what it is I really want. It's no bad thing but sometimes painful.
My 'plan' will see it's fruition in 5/6 years. And that feels like forever, so there are lots of tantrum moments along the way it seems!

I also (currently) have no central heating. It was kind of fixed but now broken again. Apparently someone is coming on Friday to fix it, but we'll see. I think it needs replacing not fixing but it's not my property.

More over payments sent to my loan. and some money put into my holiday spending money savings pot.

It's good to see the right things growing and decreasing!

Couldsavemore

Hey Squirrelgirl :T
Ohh yes, the vegan toiletries really add up!
Superdrug have brought out a lot off stuff marked vegan so I've started to pick stuff up in there.
I have a stock pile of rice and oat milk so will not need to go to mr s as much.
I found some nori in the back of a cupboard so planning on sushi in the near future.
I too am a fan of marigold boullion, also a fan of their yeast flakes.

A ban on internet shopping should help.

In the throws of changing bank in november so i think that should help me save!

Frugaldom

WELCOME TO NOVEMBER!

Frankie, my 5 year plan for Frugaldom is almost up already and I haven't a clue where the time went - I had planned on having the place ready to open up free to the public by 2020, so 2019 is all I have left to achieve that. :eek:

Woke to ice inside the windows this morning so it's time to start leaving taps dripping and not risk burst pipes.

Stay warm, frugal folks.

FrankieM

Morning

A cold one here, though I think that's the lac of heating! There's someone coming this evening so hopefully he'll fix it once and for all.

Went to DD1's last night for my grandson's second birthday and ended up staying for food and a chat. It was nice to catch up and to be in a warmer house. lol

I'm trying to break down my plans Frugaldomand just try to focus on the next year, otherwise it feels never ending. It'll be interesting to see where I am at the end of this year so I can plan properly. Not long to go!