2020 Frugal Living Challenge

MisterPym

willow_loulou said:

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. 

Hi, delurking to ask...what do you mean by their 65p range?

thanks

mumtoomany

Hi all, hope everyone is well. I've lost track of the budget this year. I started well with spreadsheets. Then mid year the computer broke! Of course I had not backed up anything. So, even though the computer is back and working again, the budget went out of the window. Still been as frugal as possible. I am going to start again, with a new budget and the old paper and pencil system. I'm planning on starting the new budget from 1st November, budget to follow. That way I won't be trying to play catch up at the most expensive time of the year. House insurance due next month, (expensive, this is a big house, with the, not yet finished, 4 bed extension, and out buildings) gas will need filling up over winter and then Christmas.
Will be logging all spends. mumtoomany.

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster

I am going to join in too.

I took out a loan in January that consolidated a home improvement loan and gave me the money to buy a new to me car. Firstly l shouldn't have consolidated and second.. l should have bought a cheaper car 🙄 anyway it's done now. I've paid off my credit card (first time as an adult with no cc debt 🤗) so l can fully concentrate on the loan. I am aiming for it to be gone by the end of 2021. 
I have set up pots for all spends and have made Christmas presents for extended family. I have a £1300 emergency fund. I am being very careful with the food shopping as we have been over spending - October will come in on budget with five weekly shops so really pleased with that. Loan is reduced by 4 months already. I am pleased to have this page, it feels like a massive task at the moment, even though l know others have had far more debt. 

willow_loulou

@MisterPym
They have a range of fruit and veg for 65p that they change every 2 weeks I think.
This week is cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, pumpkins or similar, potatoes and something that escapes my memory.. I think it’s seasonal. I got 3 avocados, new potatoes and bananas last time. 

They also have a range of bread at 65p, white, brown and best of both. Oh I think rolls too, not certain though. Their ketchup is also 65p. I’ll see if there’s anything else next time I go. 

LivingInTheBlack

Hi all

I decided to give the year budget thing a go. Its harder than i thought. I use YNAB and thought that would make it a doddle. Nope. Still takes a fair bit of working out. Not least because i wont be spending like i was early in the year now i have started changing my habits.

Speaking of habit, i am on a weight loss mission, logging my meals and eating better. As a result i am eating less (mainly less snacks).  Who knew lots of fruit and veg would fill you up so much?? I also havent spent money on quick shop bought lunches. And my portions. Turns out i was eating about double the recommended amount of some things 😬 this has all made for a much happier purse!

Bluegreen143

Been doing OK the last few days but an over budget this month and had to take £50 out of savings which made me really annoyed at myself. It doesn’t help that I lost track of YNAB partly because I can’t reconcile on my phone or tablet and haven’t got a working computer (and it’s not in the budget to replace the laptop either!). Still, my spending this month is much better than earlier this year so that’s something. 

Have got YNAB up to date again and will do my November budget soon and tweak the annual one to get a final goal. Hoping to pay off my last £300 of debt to my MIL in November 😁 will be debt free except for the mortgage and student loan. The student loan I’m not touching as if I don’t ever get a well paid full time job it’ll get written off (and if I do I can deal with it then). Once the debt is paid off my first goal is to beef up my emergency fund (currently just over £300) to £1,000. Wanting to split the money I’ve been putting into debt repayment between savings for wants (cheap holiday/weekend away, new car), emergency fund, and long term (mortgage overpayment, a pension for me, an investment account to keep longer term).

mumtoomany

Ok, I think I have a workable budget for the next year, 1st November 2020 to 31st October 2021. It is as follows:
Bills, (council tax, electric, gas, wood, water, phone, tv licence, house insurance,) £3000. This covers our half of all these. Difficult to reduce them by much as the other half paid by, far less frugal, DD1 and DS-i-L1. 
Food and groceries. £1500. Again DD1 pays another £1440 towards these. I will be including mobile phones in this too. PAYG two phones, usually less than £100 per year.
Car expenses. £1500. To include diesel, MOT, insurance, tax, and any maintenance.
Household maintenance, repairs. £1000.
Animal costs, feed, vets, etc. £1000. Although we should see this back through the sale of lambs etc, but still money that needs paying, so will be logged.
Clothes/Christmas birthday/ Entertainment/Personal spends. £1000.
DD3 £500. She is still living at home, attending college, (virus permitting) and only works part time. This should cover any driving lessons she may still need, at least until the test centres reopen.
Last but not least, £1500 to savings. This is a minimum, hoping to do a lot better. 2020 has been a spendy year, changed or car for a new, (old) one, and bought a car for DD3, also taxed and insured it for her.
This adds up to £11000. Let battle commence! Mumtoomany.

MisterPym

willow_loulou said:

@MisterPym
They have a range of fruit and veg for 65p that they change every 2 weeks I think.
This week is cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, pumpkins or similar, potatoes and something that escapes my memory.. I think it’s seasonal. I got 3 avocados, new potatoes and bananas last time. 

They also have a range of bread at 65p, white, brown and best of both. Oh I think rolls too, not certain though. Their ketchup is also 65p. I’ll see if there’s anything else next time I go. 

Ahh, I see...thanks for answering.

Frugaldom

Welcome to the newcomers and hello to the delurkers
I'm getting fed up with all this rain, going to have to invest in proper waterproof gear for working outdoors at some point. I keep making do with cheap wellies and waterproofs because I'm scared to fork out a fortune then find out the expensive stuff doesn't live up to expectations.  Anyhow, the savings are still safe and aimed at building our long-awaited hut. We also need a bigger hay store so we don't need deliveries every fortnight but that all needs planning permission and prior notifications etc via council .. more expense. Sigh!
Fingers crossed for some freebies this weekend via Olio. Every penny counts.

Bluegreen143

@mumtoomany I LOVE your idea of starting your annual budget in November, and thus not potentially ending the year on a downer if you overspend at Christmas - instead you can adjust to make it back up later on. Now I’m tempted to do the same.