2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Welcome back, @FrankieM, exciting times with a house move and another new start for 2021. New starts are great because we can have one anytime we want for budgets and reassessing current spending.
@sashacat, its great that you can keep under £4,000 a year. I doubt if I could get below it with our lifestyle out here in the sticks but I am constantly trying.
I probably spend more than 3/4 of my income on feeding the animals and wildlife at Frugaldom so I can associate with that. The price of peanuts is ridiculous, even buying the cheaper splits, and the rescue ponies cost well over £100 a week to feed. It's scary counting up how much money goes out on such things but if I wasn't living tfrugally o achieve Frugaldom, and everything that has always entailed, then what would be the point of anything? It's my life. Despite all odds, I always find something to set aside and save for the next big step forward - a place to meet and greet those who come to visit / help out at the project and somewhere to make a cuppa and some lunch. That is my main aim for 2021, along with finally getting a greenhouse and growing more food. This year's composting experiment is working well so no excuses next year and I have just ordered a bag of perlite to make up potting compost for cuttings and seed sowings.

Fizzyisbusy

Gosh can’t believe we are already at doing budgets for next year! 

Am hoping to do much better next year, I’ve now joined a gym which is actually helping my mental health! I get to meet people plus it’s a place to go. I don’t have friends here so no one to go out for a meal with or whatever, so I realised I had to get to grips with sorting myself out. 

Going forward I intend to move away from this area as it hasn’t worked out for me, planning to move to places with a friend network established already so I can thrive rather than just survive. 

I value this forum immensely and the tips and support you all give is amazing! 

Thank you, 😊

Bluegreen143

Good for you @Fizzyisbusy! Too many people get stuck in situations which don’t suit them due to inertia. Like you say, it’s about thriving not just surviving. 

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Hope you dont mind me joining you (I know I already have friends on here!).  DH and I are committed to clearing as much as possible of our CC debt of £38244 in the next 3.5 years when our mortgage ends - our main mortgage balance is £14358 and we have additional mortgage borrowing of £28537.  We have both taken on extra work this year, DH is self employed and has been working 6 days a week for months, I have also taken on extra hours which is tough, but needs must.

So, we currently have a fair surplus each month after the essential bills are paid but I am starting to slip back into bad habits, browsing online shops, not mealplanning properly, buying unnecessary stuff, and I need to put a stop to it.  I am hoping by that by posting on here regularly it will help me to keep on track, as well as picking up some tips and inspiration.  As DH is self employed his earnings are never guaranteed, DS1 has health issues so we have helped him out in the past when he hasn't been able to work (I was his full time carer for a while which is one reason why we got into debt in the first place), DS2 is at Uni and is fairly self sufficient but has just lost his part time job due to Covid.

So that's me, looking forward to keeping on the straight and narrow through the rest of this year and through 2021!

cuddlymarm

Hi 
Can I join in too please.
i have joined in in the past but have slipped into bad habits through the lockdown. I’ve let lots of things slip, impulse spending, not meal planning, buying cakes and sweets far too often.
i managed to get a zero % credit card while I was on lockdown which cuts the interest on that money. But it didn’t cover all so I still pay some interest and of course it all needs paying off. There’s less overtime at work too which means what I do get has to stretch even further so onwards and upwards...

[Deleted User]

@YORKSHIRELASS Hello lovely 😊😊😊xxx

Frugaldom

@Fizzyisbusy - plenty space and housing around my area of rural sw Scotland and we always welcome willing helpers at  the Frugaldom project - it's what it's all about here.

@YORKSHIRELASS, good to see you back posting on here. You can always try my t'ried and tested' brick method - draw a block for each item to be pid off with the correct number of squares inside (£50,000 for me was 100 squares) and each square paid (or saved) got coloured in so I could watch the 'brick' fill to goal completion. For mine, it was savings, so I dropped a note into a bank with whatever the current total would cover while saving to buy a house without a mortgage.) Squares can represent as much or as little as you find achievable in a week or month. Good luck with your latest challenges.

@cuddlymarm - welcome back!

I was chatting with friend last night who has been using Olio, which is a fabulous idea to help save food and goods from going to landfill. I joined last March (2019) but didn't have a mobile phone that could run apps until recently, so had never checked it out fully., until lyesterday, when on the phone to a friend. Low and behold, said friend was able to point out a couple of 'food hero' names now registered and within reach of our rural location. Fingers crossed on that one, as I'd simply adapt our eating habits to suit whatever foodstuffs were available at the time. Every penny counts and we all hate waste. The app also allo allows for offering freebies so I should be able to offer surplus eggs, herbs, fruit and anything else I'd like to giveaway.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - I can't believe it's upon us again and we are being encouraged to shop online early. At the rate Amaz0n is going, I think they should be setting aside part of their platform for reduced rate selling so the smaller, local businesses can afford to get listing. I do like that they introduced a hand-made / homemade section but I dislike that a lot of items appear to be UK then turn out to be dropshipping from overseas. I have also rekindled my eBid account and H started listing on Etsy a while back. (Not much success but it's still extra online presence.)

Fizzyisbusy

Thank you Frugaldom! Yes Scotland is so beautiful, I lived in a wee village in the Cairngorms prior to moving here, so moving back there is an option. I rent so it’s just a matter of the places being available! Will investigate south west as well xx 

YORKSHIRELASS

asb hello you xxx

Frugaldom that is such a great suggestion, I think seeing something like that where I can mark off the repayments would be fantastic!  

Great frugal start to the week, we used up some odds and ends from the fridge to make a very acceptable pasta sauce, I managed to get some washing almost dry outside between showers, and I kept the heating off and just used my little oil radiator in my office.  I have some family birthdays coming up (both my parents turn 80 next month) so I need to shop carefully for presents rather than leaving it until the last minute and going to the expensive local shops.

willow_loulou

I picked up my Christmas presents today. I’ve bought Pretty much all the things I’m not making from marks click and collect so free delivery to store and from Etsy. I’m going to wrap everything tomorrow to make sure I’ve not missed anything out. It’s lovely getting it all done before hand. 

I’ve £40 in M&S vouchers left for food or if I’ve missed anything! I will get a few snacky treats for the stockings and I might make some sweet treats myself. See how things go. 

I do need to pop into primarni for a candle. (Their cotton fragrances are fab) 

This weeks food shop was £13.65, from marks, their 65p range is awesome - I adapt to it regularly. Plus I got a bag of Colin catapiller sweets free via the sparks card!  I shopped there as I was collecting my parcels and saved myself the effort if 2 shops. Win win.