2019 Frugal Living Challenge

Hettyhound

Well done! It took me a while to get down to what I spend now. Easter school holidays have nearly blown the grocery budget though but I had £9 left this morning and got 11p change so just squeezed in. Not sure it will last with my boy constantly eating but I’ve told him once it’s gone it’s gone; he’ll have to learn the hard way I’m afraid if he won’t listen :mad:

Puddleglum

Hello,

can I join you all please? I'm just getting a grip on myself and knuckling down to getting out of debt after spending the past 6 months or so with no income. I'm trying to set up my own business and it is taking a bit longer than I thought! Something that wiser people than I were saying back in Sept.

Anyway the belt is pretty tight at the moment but things are starting to move. Would like to stay focused and not allow my expenditure to rise as my income starts to grow!

sinkorswim2018

OLany- I'm not sure if Yolt was the one I tried for a month, all good until they wanted to change a lot for it.

Not been on for a few weeks following a very expensive car bill (£400) prior to my holiday. Dusting myself down and back on it. Accepting I had to go over budget and not using it as an excuse to lose the battle.
My dishwasher also broke, repairs appeared expensive so got itntaken away fornfree and picked up a second hand one for £30 from facepage market place - it's really good. Sorting out a few bits to sell to continue my minimising and taking on some extra shifts to get back on track.

tighteningthebelt

Hi and welcome puddleglum
That's how I started... Skint for a while, realised I could manage, took the opportunity to press the reset button.

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
I really need to get motivated. My food spend has gone up because I stopped menu planning and I’ve spent quite a bit on clothes recently, I did need some but some I’ve bought just because I’ve got down to a roomy size 14. Once I’ve got them they’ll last though and I’ll top up when I really need something. Most of what I’ve bought was in the sales though and some in the CS so my frugal head was still on.
I still need a pair of nice sandals and some shorts and T-shirt’s for my next hol so I will now keep an eye out for offers.
I’ve let myself get too tired because we are short staffed at work and I think this lowers your motivation a bit, but I’m well back on track now. Soup for lunch made with leftover veg from last nights tea, a few frozen peas, a stock cube and some herbs. Costs next to nothing and cuts waste.
I’m quite lucky cos OH has his frugal head on too which makes life easier.
It’s lovely to read how everyone’s doing.
Keep plodding on guys
Cuddles

Kerry_Woman

Have managed 20 NSD's this month.
Did go on my holiday of a lifetime. So can cross that off my bucket list. Did bring back some of the spending money.
Was under my budget for my food shopping.
Used up some toiletries.
Managed to declutter a few things in the flat.
Made a list of food and other things that I need to buy/do tomorrow.
Got a few things planned for next month.
At the moment I am planning to put my flat up for sale in July. Will be visiting area where I want to move to for research.

tighteningthebelt

Hi, here's a link to my May 2019 food waste audit/diary thread, please feel free to visit or join in with me. I'm only doing the one month.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/75761766#Comment_75761766

Frugaldom

Welcome to May! Let's hope we can all make it an amazing monh of money-saving and frugal living.

Welcome on board. Puddleglum, we love seeing new people arrive to join in the frugal fight.

Not much news here, just ploughing along at Frugaldom, waiting for a friend to spare some time to replace the floor in the rescued pin caravan and hoping to entice some frugal holidaymakers to make the most of the one on the holiday park after failing to sell it. (Was hoping to have sold 2 and upgraded to a newer one but that plan now scrapped, so 'Frugal Breaks' are still available this summer).

Still searching for lie-minded others to come join us here so I never seem to have enough time to spend on MSE but you all know where I am if there are any questions you'd like answered.

May your savings grow and debts die this month - even if it is one penny at a time!

chocolatelover93

Hello everyone

Managed to sell an old top box on FB for £55 so used the money to get a few nice bits for the garden and some cheap walking shoes. Money well spent as shoes are really comfy (£7.99 from B&M) and now have some pretty lights in the garden and some colourful windmills for DS (he loves them!). Could have put it towards my CC but now the warmer weather is coming I wanted to make the garden look nice and thought we deserved a little treat.

Made a HM soup yesterday from bits in fridge that were looking a bit sorry, was really yummy and had enough for 5 portions!! Me and mum had 1 each, gave her one to take home, froze one and one tonight for dinner with some chopped up ham in

Started doing an idea my dad suggested with the debt. Went through my CC and counted up to how much I have left on there, each time I pay something off I delete that transaction from my spread sheet. This month I have just paid for a Mcdonalds I had in July last year!!!!!! When you think of it that way it seems so pointless!!

C xx

Hettyhound

Wow Chocolatelover that is really quite scarey just how long it takes to pay things off but fanstastic that you are tackling it head on and with good support from your family. Your garden updates sound lovely. I’ve just dug a wildlife pond in ours using the collection money I was given when I left my previous job. Dug and filled with water and a wildlife pond starter pack of plants on order. It cost me only £15 of my actual money but I love being outside and find it good for my mental health. Enjoy your garden lights and windmills!