2020 Frugal Living Challenge

nananibbles

Thanks for the advice re - uni mumtoomany I will check with that out for sure.
Frugaldom - your pond looks so tranquil.

Although lockdown has had a significant impact on my finances, I am naturally a frugal person who derives pleasure from things that don't really cost much, so although I will need to tighten my belt somewhat, I find that to be a positive challenge rather than something I fear. On a socialable basis - I prefer my own company  . 
Being in lockdown with my DD, partner and DGD has been mainly a positive experience and it's been wonderful to spend time with DGD (I would ordinarily stay here 2 days a week anyway to help out). I have been mindful to stay out of their way as much as possible so have spent much of my time renovating the back garden, which I don't think had been touched by the previous owners for 10 years given the state of it. I was aiming to set up my own balcony veggie garden at home but ended up transporting all my seedlings and pots up here and creating a small veggie plot around the garden - spending time in the garden has been my absolute haven and I will definitely be getting those veggies growing on my balcony next year. 
Both my children suffer with mental health illnesses, partially as a result of past trauma in their lives, and DDs partner does too. It has been hard work dealing with heightened levels of anxiety and the need for constant re-assurance and support. I am lucky that both my children have been in the mental health system for some time and therefore have continued support but we have struggled to get the support required for DDs partner despite promised call backs from a much over-burdened system.
I have discovered this is a beautiful area to walk - surrounded by woodland and hills. Getting up at sunrise and walking in the solitude of the woods is definitely something I shall continue to do. 
To summarise on how this will change the way I live: Appreciating the way I already live, being grateful that I don't live pay cheque to pay cheque , ensuring I continue this way and acknowledging that living the simple life is definitely the right thing to do. Smelling the roses a little more

NN

Fizzyisbusy

Good morning everyone! I haven’t posted on here in months, I’ve struggled mentally with lockdown. I was supposed to move back to Scotland as I haven’t settled well down here. Since lockdown I was ill at the beginning of March so then had to self isolate then we went into our long lockdown! I’ve been homeschooling my granddaughters at their parents house as they are both key workers which got me out a few hours each day. I’ve gradually got myself into a state where I can live and function as long as I don’t think deeply. My relationship with my wee granddaughters is now rick solid which makes me wonder if I will really leave and go home to where my friends are. Frugally I’ve not done so well as I’ve started sewing again, which has required supplies in order to produce items! I’m very thankful for this group, you are so supportive and inspiring. Anyways, that’s sort of me up to date for now, keep safe! 😊

willow_loulou

Welcome back Fizzy, I’m sorry you’ve had such a struggle settling. Moving is hard even without the added illness and lockdown effects. 

I must admit it’s been trying on my mental health too, I hadn’t realised to what extent until life started back again and I’ve had to apply myself to work things. I’m still officially in furlough but obviously we have to discuss and plan for our return. I’m thankful that my company by its very nature is compassionate. 

Today I’m doing some work and tidying my bedroom. I’m looking for things to repurpose in the garden or to donate. Home is always the best place to start that hunt. Plus it’s a mess lol. 

My oldest has gone back to work, it was a physical struggle and people have been getting very drunk. They have a zero tolerance policy so are chucking out much sooner. He’s quite enjoying that bit I think 

Fizzyisbusy

Thank you x yes I just keep telling myself at least I have a roof over my head, warmth and food, and the wee girls keep me going. I miss having friends to socially distant chat to or go for walks with. I’ve struggled for some reason here, first time I’ve not found that ‘group’ if you like who you just click with. Still onwards and upwards eh? 😊

[Deleted User]

I am loving reading the responses to Frugaldom's question.  One thing I really realised as this whole lockdown situation started was the advantages of living a frugal lifestyle, particularly with keeping a well stocked pantry and having batch-cooked meals in the freezer.  Also from years of myself and OH cooking from scratch we are both confident home cooks and can adapt recipes to suit what we have in at the time.  My frugal lifestyle is so ingrained in me now that it's not going to change but the value of this lifestyle really hit home when things got tough.

[Deleted User]

Hello everyone, is it possible for me to sneak onboard with this challenge for the remainder of the year? If so I'll do a full post with more about me and my situation 😊. Although I fully understand if you'd rather not have newcomers this late to the party x

mumtoomany

Hi asparklyblonde, welcome aboard, the more the merrier, mumtoomany.

Tanya12345

Hi All, loving the responses to Frugaldom's post.
lockdown for me was not much of a change, I'm lucky to be starting out on the homesteading journey so my time is spent at home anyway - my sport of rowing was pretty much cancelled and not sure when it'll recover !  To some extent the situation has allowed me to be a  hermit without having to make excuses. I still struggle with the system that doesn't value self reliance and working at home. I vastly overspent during lockdown - thinking about it not really sure why ( maybe knee jerk online delivery groceries and supplies ? Not sure). Now gripping the reins and aiming to be in a position where I can calmly respond to the outside world. For me it has been a massive lesson in how precarious I have allowed my life to become, I have never wanted to go down the "prepper" route -'scares me ! But I now appreciate a storecupboard and supplies to withstand a disruption in our normal " anything anytime"  lifestyle.
Right now Ive made it my job to save, shore up the supplies - who envisaged a time when seeds were scarce and precious ( we know they are but.....) and think about what next ......xx

sashacat

Hello asparklyblonde and welcome. 
Frugaldom, I am envious of your pond. My soil is blue clay...you could make pots out of it...but if I just dig a hole and leave it the water drains away. So I need to line it. I have the stuff ready and a bit of a hole but I need to make it bigger. 
Flag lillies are gorgeous. What colour are they?
It is really interesting reading how everyone has coped during lockdown. I am naturally a loner so I have been ok. 
And I have had a socially distanced builder, building an extension, everyday. 

Frugaldom

Deleted_User said:

Hello everyone, is it possible for me to sneak onboard with this challenge for the remainder of the year? If so I'll do a full post with more about me and my situation 😊. Although I fully understand if you'd rather not have newcomers this late to the party x

No need to sneak, just come right in, make yourself at home and join the frugal party - there's always room for one more here

@sashacat the irises are yellow, but I have some purple at home that I'm tempted to transplant, as I love purple. It's such a shame that these plants are treated as invasive species, a bit like bamboo and rhododendrons etc. We don't have many rhodies but my patch of bamboo is getting huge. Thankfully, the ponies like bamboo so they are preventing it from spreading too far. The birds love it!

Discovering Morrisons deliver in our area has given me too much choice. I've another week to wait for my delivery slot so I keep editing the order and adding in more. It is easy to see the prices of things escalating and, in many cases, the pack sizes shrinking. Basic items like non-branded flour are still unavailable so my stock is slowly running down. I'm not payng four times what I usually pay just for a bag of flour so, once again, the diet is being adjusted to reflect food costs. This will be my first supermarket shop this year so I am seeing huge leaps in pricing. As someone who would normally buy the non-branded shop's own basics, I'm seeing prices doubled on several items! I will be really, really hard-pushed to keep a varied diet on my original £1 per person per day for all meals challenge but, being such a stubborn old goat, I'll still be trying.