2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Manxcottageonthehill

Frugaldom said:

Welcome on board, frugal folks, there is always room for newcomers and returning frugalers. This is the lifestyle choice that provides more choice for less.

Thank you, I’ve always wanted to live more frugal but things just got in the way and well it was easier to put my head in the sand, happy that I’m finally going to do something about It and I guess admitting there is a problem is a step in the right direction

Frugaldom

@sashacat It is definitely better for me as a) their chicken has zero water injected so is better value and b) we don't have a supermarket within 10 miles so home delivery costs less than driving the car into town. I posted a referral link somewhere - it will get you some freebies if there aren't any better codes on site. They seem to have new offers every other day so you need to watch weights and measures to ensure you're getting a bargain. I find it all to be top qualty and have been using the company for years. Initially, it was because DS was body-building but he's long since left home, got married, had family and I'm still using Muscle food.

MazzieD

Sashacat, just a quick note about Muscle Foods.  They are now very popular and delivery times can vary considerably to what is stated on their website.  I placed an order in April for a standard hamper, had to pay up front and delivery was three weeks later, no choice of dates!.  It might depend on what you order and what delivery charges you are prepared to pay.  I agree with Frugaldom, it really is top quality meat and was worth the wait. 

It's going to take quite a while to use it all, plenty of time to decide whether to place another order.

Frugaldom

MazzieD, perhaps that was during early weeks of panic buying? I ordered as normal and delivery was same week.

Had to tax the car this week so £125 extra spend. Insurance will be next but I'll shop around for cadhback and/or best deal. I've more fencing to be done, too, so all my readily available savings are going on that and planning permission related costs as lockdown changed the order of things for us here. 

MazzieD

Frugaldom said:

MazzieD, perhaps that was during early weeks of panic buying? I ordered as normal and delivery was same week.

That's interesting.  I just checked and they have discontinued the hamper I ordered, so probably had something to do with the delay and it was panic buying in full swing as well.  Good that they are back to normal delivery times.

nannygladys

Hello everyone, still frugalling away. Been to the lottie and picked stacks of strawberries so made lots of jam to last me and my dds until next year and the following one as well! Its raspberry jam coming up next!! I only make it every other year as we don't eat jam that much, so I freeze the fruit in between. Everything else down there is growing well. I haven't been doing much else, Im not going out much but have had dd in my 'bubble' so at last seen some of my dgc! thank goodness for the internet. Still only shopping every other week and its saving me money and I have at last got my head around meal planning, in the past I made the plan but didnt stick to it - that's why it never worked for me!!!! I think I will stick to it now and the shopping once a fortnight, mind you I could do with a couple of new bras, but Im still not happy about going upto town so I'll hang about a bit longer ha, ha! Right off to get my tea, hope everyone is fine and dandy
nannyg

willow_loulou

I have mice again 🙄 I suppose they’ve chewed through the cavity again. It’s so frustrating! Today I moved things around in my kitchen and ordered 2 lidded containers for packet food (biscuits and soups) that normally live on the top shelf of an open cupboard. It’s given me the push to deep clean and I’ve written a list of the food I have. It’s been very useful in that way. I do need a spaghetti jar! 

Ive been really cutting back and now - excluding car costs as I’ve not worked them out yet -  my monthly bill outgoings are down to £270 give or take £1 And food budget is now £125. 

I’m considering a veg box delivery as my local delivery the veg is very much end of life stuff it seems. Shame. Hopefully next year I’ll have more veg growing earlier. 

MazzieD

It's taken a while, but managed to contact Gas and Electric supplier this morning (was given the wrong number by the webchat adviser). They got straight onto it when I mentioned they hadn't been paid since November!. Should know what the electricity bill is in next couple of weeks.  It's at times like this that I really appreciate having savings, depending on the bill amount I might have to dip in to them again.  Water Butt (no luck on freecycle, just people wanting them!), car repairs and any other purchases/bills that are not urgent or necessary are on hold until this is sorted out.

Managed to save £3.17 on my grocery budget for June, quite an achievement as have been overspending for several months,  can't grow my own veg at the moment, it really makes a difference.

Think my main priority now is trying to build my savings back up.  Just been looking at my spreadsheet, have had to spend nearly £6k on repairs to chimneys and car so far this year.  No emergency fund left and savings account is looking really depleted.  
 
Still, I sat in the garden this morning for an hour and just enjoyed the sunshine, bees busy collecting nectar from all the flowering shrubs and bushes and watched my cat trying to catch butterflies.  He's a huge 7kg fluffy monster and just isn't fast enough.  So lucky to have a garden to sit in and generally quite content despite all the setbacks to my finances.  Still ploughing through the previous years frugal challenges.

Frugaldom, I really don't know how you manage to achieve as much as you do in a day, post on here and keep us all in order as well!.  You must have so much energy and enthusiasm 
 

willow_loulou

Today we planted up some seedlings and plants - we’re using all manner of things for pot! China cups, empty bottles and jars. It’s all quite nice to look at. Takes quite a while to water everything now! Every windowsill has at least one plant on it now. Half edible and half for good air. 

Frugaldom

@MazzieD I am starting to feel my age and gradually going to have to start gearing down on web-time as I kee gettbg eye strain and RSI from the combination of typing and poop-picking at the field. My final push is going to be to continue with extreme budgeting and frugal living until I have a cabin and a productive orchard. The typical 'cabin in the woods' would have been great but our 'woodland' needs to grow first.   It seems like an eternity since the first of our frugalers got together with all our hopes and dreams - the sad part is that most leae as soon as they have achieved their hoals and we never get to hear how they progressed. I've no intentions of giving up - my plan involves more than one cabin so friends of frugaldom can als enjoy the ultimate 'getaway' frugal living experience, even if just for a weekend. Like you, savings here have taken a massive hit this year so far but I'm not going to worry about it - I have a roof over my head, food in the cupboards and a handful of fabulous sponsors who help cover the costs of keeping all the animals and at the project. Today, we are one more tiny mouth to attempt to feed, although I'm not convinced this will be a success story. A tiny, newly hatched chick of indeterminate species. No signs of which nest it had fallen from or if it had been pushed out, picked out and dropped or simply fell. It is miniscule! I'll put phptos on my FB page as my ability to post them on here always ends up with massive photos. 

Biggst household spend of the week so far -  my second musclefoods order of the year (it arrived today)