2018 Frugal Living Challenge

gien

We are finally home after a long day and longer journey. There is little fresh food in the house so I will pop to Morrison’s tomorrow morning - I’m choosing Morrison’s rather than lidle because they sell bacon and meat off the deli counter and one of our aims this year is to reduce our plastic package burden.. then it’s pick up the cat from the cattery and take my son back to uni (more time in the car!).

Buffythedebtslayer

Need to go to bed in 9 minutes, I have resisted Amazon, Cath Kidston, Hotter, and various temptations on Ebay

I had to renew my driving licence and that cost 14 pounds, other than that a couple things sent back one more return to do to clear the CC (about 70 quid I hope)

Once fly in the ointment is my guinea pig who has a lump but I won't know any more about that till Saturday.

Other than that I have 75 quid in my bank to last as long as it can and a fiver in my purse! (minus the 14 pounds)

MY GOD the Rain is coming down here!

Night all XX

1Saver

My Mother told me about this thread. I'm looking forward to joining the frugal living. Can you add me to the list please?

bustiblondilocks

Household disaster, blew 6 lightbulbs in last 24 hours...the horridly expensive 3pin ones!
Spent 60.93 on online shop to stock up on household bits and fresh fruit and veg. So looking forward to seeing how long the pantry stock will last me! Feeling super optimistic about not spending on groceries for next couple weeks. Have to ..it's all going on lightbulbs hahaha

kb_soma

Check out the homebase sale, I got lots of 2 pin halogen ones, £1 for 6.xx

simplelivingislandlife

Hello all,

Happy New Year!!

I still have to go through our budgets, sadly I doubt the other half will be on target but I can do as much as I can.

I do have a question though as I am sorting out the budget do I include things which I cannot change at all? Like our Phone/Internet there are only two providers here of which they charge the same fee so I cannot change this, also we rent a garage month, again this cannot change.

cw18

It's totally up to you whether you include them or not. Many wouldn't, but I include everything so I can see where every penny is going.

PennyGrabber

simplelivingislandlife wrote: »

Hello all,

Happy New Year!!

I still have to go through our budgets, sadly I doubt the other half will be on target but I can do as much as I can.

I do have a question though as I am sorting out the budget do I include things which I cannot change at all? Like our Phone/Internet there are only two providers here of which they charge the same fee so I cannot change this, also we rent a garage month, again this cannot change.

I'm including stuff that isn't bills. I get my bills as low as possible. Then, my challenge for this group is everything that I can frugalise (see what I did there, Frugaldom?!!). So, I don't include childcare, gas, etc, but I do include food, clothes, fuel, random spends, gifts, etc etc.

HTH

PG x

simplelivingislandlife

Ok, so I've worked out my budget. I know it's going to be ALOT more than most people but I've never really put myself onto a strict budget diet and well it's super expensive to live here so everything isn't nice and cheap like Aldi!

I've done a household budget of 5K for Groceries & toiletries, Fuel & electricity, TV, telephone & Internet, Gifts and an additional overflow just encase.

Then I have a personal budget of 3K which is for my crafting (to keep me sane!!), Weight Watchers, Swimming and any exercise classes I want to do and an additional little buffer which I hope to save. But as my sisters like to be ladies of lunch that is probably what the buffer will get spent on!

Hopefully this is ok? I'd love to do what Frugaldom managed to do and live of 4K for a year and maybe after this year where I learn what I actually need vs what I actually want I might be able to do it next year. Fingers Crossed!

My word for 2018 is Less, so hopefully I can keep that going throughout the year, anyho back to reading the 2008 4K a year for inspiration . Really looking forward to this challenge!

shish100

3 days in to January already!

I have set a budget for household bills and an allowance for birthday presents. Also am keeping track of when things require renewing like insurance, phone and electric so I can shop around.

Otherwise I am aiming for:
£200 a month on food for two of us,
£100 a month for anything not budgeted for. eg socialising, hobbies, takeaways, clothes