2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

FrankieM wrote: »

I'd also like a bit of veg growing advice. I've seen the fruit canes in Aldi and I was wondering if they grow okay in pots? As I'm renting, I don't really want to plant too much in the ground if I can help it so I'm hoping to put things in pots and grow bags. Also , if I buy them now do I need to plant them straight away?

Any advice/guidance welcome

The fruit canes need planted ASAP if it is the bare root ones, otherwise they will start to grow before you get them into the soil. As soon as they are in pots then they should be find and easily kept watered. Fruit canes can grow in tubs but they would need to be quite big, which makes them heavy to lift when they need moved. In all honesty, fruit growing, unless you are gettng almost everything for free or next to nothing, isn't all thet much of a saving (if any) unless you normally eat loads of blackcurrants or whatever. and have plenty of space to keep taking cuttings in future for planting more. I'd try blackcurrants and maybe something like blueberries, but it can be a couple of years before they are cropping properly. Strawberry plants are much faster and they definitely grow in tubs and pots.

FrankieM

Thanks Frugaldom I might just stick with strawberries then, until I'm going to be in the one place for a while.

Berries are something I like to eat but don't often buy because they always seem a bit expensive, which is why I was considering planting some canes but I'll keep it on the back burner for now.

I went to my daughter's for tea last night and my work colleague feed me some much needed chocolate!
Today is going to be a spend day as I'm off to the dentist to (hopefully) get a tooth out.

I had my council tax bill come in and I've organised it for over 12 months so that brings the DD down per month which is quite nice. Just the water bill to wait for. I'm back on the timer for the central heating too so I'm hoping that will (eventually) bring the gas/electric DD down per month too. I just need to find a happy balance of not spending a fortune but not having to sit it the house in my coat!

Have a good day everyone

Kerry_Woman

Still plodding along. Trying to get as many NSD's as I can. Finally managed to get my Mum's gravestone done and put onto the grave. Trying to keep my spending down this month as I have been struggling with my spending this year. Still at the temp job in the school office since February. They are recruiting for administrators, but not applying due to the travelling. Still going round my Dad's house to check on it, until probate is done and the house is sold. Helping my brother out as he lives too far to travel there each weekend.

FrankieM

Morning

That sounds tough Kerry Woman I hope you're doing okay.

Went to the dentist yesterday, tooth is out and it didn't cost as much as I was expecting. It's a bit tender but only in that way of slight trauma of having a couple of people pulling your tooth out!

I'm not a fan of the dentist and my dentist kept telling me how brave I was and to relax and even offered me a sticker at the end...haha!
I had to buy some more painkillers on the way home and some icecream (dentist's orders ) and then had cheesy mashed potato and gravy for tea.

My purse is staying at home today, I really need to concentrate on these no spend days and I still need to update my MS Money. I'm hiding from it, which isn't going to do me any good in the long run. Denial is never a good start.

Hope you all have a good day. xx

PennyGrabber

Hi everyone,

I've had a crazy time at work over the last few weeks, and haven't been sleeping much. It's a bit of a cycle, isn't it?! Anyway, I have still been thinking carefully about my spending in general. I have had a few things go wrong which have cost a lot. Firstly, my car battery completely died during the first snow, which cost £144 to fix. Then, the same week, water was leaking through my kitchen ceiling. Turns out the bath had shoddy workmanship, and had been leaking for ages. My partner has been working to fix it - he's painted the tiles, taken off the wallpaper and painted the ceiling so far, as well as put in a new bath. I want to remove the towel rail, then I need paint for the walls and a new floor. So far sitting at £162. I'll pay partner once all done.

In other news, I have finally started to put stuff on the bay of e. I put three things on and two sold. Only got me £4ish, but they were only small things!! I'd like to put more on - maybe 2 or 3 things each weekend, as Monday is a good posting day for me.

I've also inquired about delivering yellow pages and leaflets. My tax credits will stop in August and I'd like to keep that pot so I'll have to earn it. Before then, it can go towards any of the pots, according to which has priority that month!

Still have a crazy mountain of food but used more this month. Also clearing the alleyway of all the rubbish/recycling that I couldn't put out when I was poorly. It's getting there!

I treated myself on Sunday to six bowls and a wooden serving board. The bowls are all different, but are really cute and look like a set, and all fit onto the board. Love it! The best thing was that they were on sale from £6 each to £2.99 each. At the checkout, the lady changed them to £1.99 each, which sort of meant the board was free! And I love them!!!

Have a great day - I'll be spending but will report back later.

PG x

Tanya12345

Hi all, hope everyone is feeling chipper ! I blew all my eek fund and grocery money !! Just had a mad couple of days and it's all gone. Cupboards are relatively full, freezers ok but I never seem to have enough veg. Got to replan in April - have been keeping note of spends so it should be possible to edit budgets. Think I may have been holding the reins a little too tight.......... Still, seeds are beginning to sprout and we've started work on lottie. Hens are laying and I haven't actually bought 'stuff' just the toiletries and food seem to have stampeded !! Hey ho, plan H on the way ...x

Nonnadiluca

I am going to have to revise my non grocery budget in view of my fall last month: I am probably looking at a dental/orthodontist bill of about £2,000 and my annual budget for non grocery spends is only £4,800! I think I will have to exclude it and give it a category all of its own..
I have no income until I get my state pension in July and OH only works three days a week so I dread to think what I would do if I didn't have a small inheritance - I'm not well enough to work so this money tops up OH's wage, which barely covers our basic costs ;the dental bill will take quite a chunk out of it. It doesn't seem fair that if I'd broken my arm or leg I'd get fixed on the NHS, but as it's my teeth I have to pay,( having paid NI for nearly 50 years) .This isn't just vanity, I can't bite anything so have to cut up all my food and use my back teeth to chew, so I really need to get it sorted. I'm lucky that I have a little money in the bank and won't have to spend the rest of my life with wonky teeth!!!!

spudsmum

Nonnadiluca - wow! That's a hefty dental bill! I'm getting mad at paying £54 for a filling next month so goodness only knows how you feel.

As for me I'm doing ok - slightly shattered as I worked a 16 hour day instead of my usual 4.5 hours work is crazy busy at the moment - I wish we got paid overtime as I'd be quids in it sadly we dont hey ho I'm on holiday next week so will have a chance to recover.

Also drowning in a sea of washing trying to get everything washed, ironed, sorted and packed for our Disney trip tomorrow - as usual everything is last minute and chaotic but I'm sure it will all be right. At least that's meant I've not gone out today so it's been a NSD meaning I am £11.93 under budget this week which is a huge surprise as I was so sure we would be short due to DH only getting half his normal wage.

On the debt busting front I get paid on Monday but won't be here so I've done my monthly reckoning tonight - debt is down to £20,186 down from £20,564 - a reduction of £378 from this time last month!! I've also knocked another 4 months of my debt free date.

I am absolutely thrilled with that. Hoping I can keep up the momentum and get below £20,000 in the next month

FrankieM

Morning everyone

I'm trying to get down to 2 spend days a week only. One of them being being a Friday so that I can get any 'bits' for the weekend.

So my purse is in my handbag and I'll be getting fuel, wine (for Friday night wine night) and some cat crunchies.

I've done a list of meals that I have the ingredients for to see me through to pay day/ shopping delivery day next week so I feel fairly organised with all that.

Sorry to hear about your teeth Nonnadiluca such a big chunk of money to just 'find'.

Well done spudsmum It just shows how much you've dropped your spending if you've been able to budget on so much less. And yay! for the debt busting. It can feel like a hard old slog.

Have a good day everyone

[Deleted User]

Frugality has left the building!!:o

It's been a nightmare 2 weeks...I've had no heating or hot water- we ran out of oil as delivery times have quadrupled as a result of 4 snow days (not sure how their maths works and personally would sack the person in charge of logistics!!) so it's been too cold to do ANYTHING!! :eek:

As a result, electric heaters have been running all the times we've been at home, nothing has been done in the house, food has been eaten out or take outs and we stayed in a hotel one night as I can't stand the chaos at home and was so desperate for a proper shower!!

Hopefully the oil will be delivered today - it should have been Wednesday, then yesterday but I have had assurances that today is as definite as it can be!! :rotfl: one thing is certain- I'll never use this oil supplier again so that's the bitter end of a 20 year relationship!

The main point is that the budget is shot - there's no value in being upset or defeatist over it though, once the oil has arrived i am back on the thrifty wagon, cleaning my hovel and sorting myself out

This weekend will be busy as a result - we have lots of debris to get to the tip as they are starting to charge from 1st April so dh will be doing that and I will be cleaning like a banshee to get the house liveable again. I'm going to end up throwing food away though as there's stuff in the fridge that will be dead by now due to the lack of cooking so I'll have to get a shop in too....

Hope everyone is okay and doing well