2020 Frugal Living Challenge

mumof3.12kindebt

I'd love to be able to do £4k a year but our mortgage alone is £5k a year ... what do people include in the £4k a year? 

We live pretty frugally .. but there is always room for improvement  
We do have Netflix and disney plus but we use them everyday and we don't really go out so we have a lot of movie nights and date nights at home using these services.  

I have done through our budget and there is nothing we can really cut from it. 

We do grow our own during the spring and summer. I would love to learn what I can grow the rest of the year  

ldee2111

mumof3.12kindebt said:

Hi everyone. 
I hope you are all okay. I've been feeling quite low about my health the last few days, but I'm trying to turn it around into a positive. The biggest thing that hit me was standing on the scales at 4 foot 11 inches and weighing 11 stone! I could of cried and that night I felt awful I began to have this fear that if I don't change it I'll die. (Abit drastic now I think about it but its a genuine fear now that if I don't do something about it I'll either end up in much worse health or die way before my time) 
Anyway wanting to stick to no spend I've found a very basic workout I'm going to try and I've told myself it doesn't matter if I only do 5 mins its better than non and this is a starting point. I've also joined slimming World group on fb instead of paying for slimming World. And the obvious drink more water, try to move more (even if I have to keep taking breaks its better than doing nothing) slow and steady is better than non at all. And obviously eating better. I'm hoping it will help my health. If I do 30 days of exercise for at least 10 minutes  (even if its 10 1 min exercises throughout the day) then I will allow myself £30 to buy or go towards exercise equipment etc. Although my goal is too workout without spending a penny! 

I really need to do this and I'm hoping it will help with what I am currently going through.. I'm also going to stick to my good morning routine I've started i always feel better when I have i get up earlier than the kids. 

No spend here other than food shop that I have ordered to be delivered on Tuesday  

Will try and catch up on posts now  

Have a good evening everyone 😊 

I’m short too (5ft) and joined SW when I put on almost 2 stone. I think when your shorter you really feel the weight. Hope the weight loss goes well - if you stick to the SW plan you will lose weight. I found it very good and it has changed the way I eat. 

in_my_wellies

mumof3.12kindebt said:

I'd love to be able to do £4k a year but our mortgage alone is £5k a year ... what do people include in the £4k a year? 

We live pretty frugally .. but there is always room for improvement  
We do have Netflix and disney plus but we use them everyday and we don't really go out so we have a lot of movie nights and date nights at home using these services.  

I have done through our budget and there is nothing we can really cut from it. 

We do grow our own during the spring and summer. I would love to learn what I can grow the rest of the year  

I don't think mortgage or rent was included in the £4k challenge. Or council tax but I might be wrong. You need to decide your own budget. I don't have any subscription channels or mobile phone contract but I can see that for some people they would be a necessity and could work out cheaper than taking a family out for an evening. 

My mum was right years ago when she said you get money at the wrong time of life. She said don't try to save when the children are little, use your time and money to enjoy them. There will be plenty of time when they've flown the nest to build up savings. She's 88 now and in lucid moments she still says this. What can an 80+ with dementia spend her money on? 

Kale, carrots and leeks keep me going until Christmas. After Christmas is kale, sprouts and sprouting broccoli until March/April. Then there is a bit of a gap until June when the broad beans and carrots start. I'm not so good at growing salad leaves, only enough for a taste, not to feed a family. Fruit starts with rhubarb, then gooseberries, strawberries, red currants, black currants, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and apples. The bramley apples keep until March and I have a tradition to make a crumble with the last of the apple and the first of the rhubarb to join the end and the start of the year! 

sashacat

I am still eating cabbage and leeks from the garden and I have 2 freezers full. 
I have planted a few potatoes in the greenhouse more in hope than expectation. 
I have worked out that I have spent £69 this year on compost. I have 3 compost bins on the go and waste nothing but I never seem to have enough. And I get as much horse manure as I want from the horses next door.
I have stocked up for next spring because I may need it and there was a shortage this year. 
I went for a walk today in the wind and rain but felt much better afterwards as the fresh air always makes me feel better. My mother always said it didn’t matter about the rain as your skin is waterproof and she was right.

YORKSHIRELASS

Mumof3 Well done, you are doing the right thing starting off small and building up over time.  I made myself a pledge that I would exercise outside every day in November, even it wasnt for long.  I work from home and it really helps to lift my mood.

Been feeling a bit flat today, not sure why really.  Have done our budget for November, I am hoping we can pay £3000 off the debts this month but that will be the last bumper month for quite a while.  DH earns less through the winter and he takes a bit of time off at Christmas which is unpaid because he is self employed.  I have got some money set aside for this but his winter work is very much weather dependent so the next 3 months are always a bit of an unknown.

I had veggie curry for tea, DH had chicken curry with a jar of sauce, washing dried over airer, I bought a couple of Christmas presents online but that's all.  Have kept heating off and we have lit the fire.  We need to go out tomorrow and drop off a birthday present, it will be good to get out even if we dont actually see anyone!

Frugaldom

mumof3.12kindebt said:

I'd love to be able to do £4k a year but our mortgage alone is £5k a year ... what do people include in the £4k a year?

The links to all the original challenges are on page 1. The £4000 is fully explained and is after deducting essential payments like mortgage, council tax and debt repayments, as these things need to be paid before working out household cost of living. 👍 For me, it is about needs or wants. £4000 is for all needs and then some luxuries, like TV licence, telephone, gifts & pets. 
I'll be posting my budget next month, if that helps.

willow_loulou

My desk top has arrived and is up and running so I’m looking forward getting the spreadsheets filled properly this year. 

My list of needs is long, but they’re repairs and household things that need replacing. How to prioritise is the question! 

Any tips on getting materials cheaper ? 

mumof3.12kindebt

Thank you @Frugaldom
We will continue to do a no spend / low spend zero based budget next year. 
The goal is to save for a car to buy in cash and to overpay our debts. We hope to be debt free January 2023. It will only be possible if we stick to our plan. 

We spend around £600 a month on food, household (cleaning and toiletries) tobacco (yep I still haven't quit. Full of excuses but it is definitely one of my next targets) and fuel for the car (enough to get me to work and go and see family once / twice a month (not happening at the moment but once I'm better ill be back to visiting them regularly) family is so important to me so this is something that I make sure I can budget for. 

I try to be as frugal as possible. Sometimes its simple things like making sure we take drinks, food and snacks whenever we go out so we aren't tempted to buy things while we are out. But like i said there is always room for improvement.  

I have a chicken In the oven and veg in the steamer for tonight's dinner. 

I also did one of Joe wicks beginners workouts today . It's one where you workout for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds.. and I did 1.5 miles on our exercise bike on the easiest gear. I've also drank and litre and a half of water so far today. I'm very proud of myself and I know it may seem extremely small to some of you lovely lot but I'm a firm believer that everyone has to start somewhere. So here I am. No more excuses. Id like to incorporate yoga/meditation and prayer into my day by the new year. Small steps though..and that is something I realised today, its not the big things but the small decisions I make throughout the day that makes a difference. 

Speaking to my gp tomorrow.. hoping to go back to work at the beginning of December. 

Hope everyone has had a lovely day. Its been raining all day here. We have had a no spend day today which is good.  

Take care all x

CraftyLittleLisa

Hello all I hope this post finds you all well.  I haven't posted for a while but I have been trying to organise my finances and budgets.  This is the time of year when my big expenses happen.  I have recently had to sort out insurance for my car,  I had to get the MOT and service sorted and obviously the usual Christmas organised.  I am pleased to say that I have managed to pay for all that and I had some money left from my car fund so I have saved that in an emergency fund.  I didn't have any money left from my Christmas fund but I didn't expect to.  I have actually bought myself a Christmas dinner and a Christmas pudding to put in the freezer and I have also bought some sweet treats and drink in case I am stuck at home on my own for the duration.  Normally I would go round to one or other of my siblings or my parents but I haven't spent too much.  I thought if I prepare in case of a lockdown then Christmas won't be a completely depressive experience.

My TV licence is due next month but I have the money saved for that as well as the contents insurance and car tax which is due in January.  Taking all that into consideration I seem to have about £700 left.  I'm thinking this is going to be put towards a new laptop.  Mine has done me well (its over 15 years old) but it is being a bit glitchy and in this day and age I don't think I will cope without one what with the zoom chats, yoga classes and dance classes I am now doing online instead of in person.  I am lucky enough to have £150 worth of John Lewis vouchers as well so that could go towards it.  I need to do some research but I think I want a Dell but I'm not sure about software to purchase.  I could subscribe to Microsoft for about £50.00 plus the subscriptions or just outright buy it for £80.00.  I really don't like technology but I know its a way of life now.  I need to really look hard at this.

My spreadsheet has been prepared for next year and I have reviewed this years one.  I was rather surprised at the amount of money I have spent on crafting and gardening.  I'm not out of pocket as such as I have saved on other things this year due to Covid but in my new plan for next year I have put down some limits on these hobbies so that I don't overspend next year.  Its the Covid issue that has caused me to spend on gardening and crafting because I have had nothing else to do that I really enjoy.  With both of these hobbies though at least I am getting something back such as food and making presents and clothes so the money hasn't been wasted.  I harvested the last of my carrots and onions the other day in my garden and I picked the last of the apples from my allotment.  I still have parsnips to harvest but I will dig them up nearer to Christmas for whatever Christmas dinner the family and I end up having.

I hope you are all well and stay safe.

mumtoomany

@CraftyLittleLisa I pay the tv licence monthly by DD. Around £13 a month. It's the only thing I've found where you're not charged extra for paying by instalments. Won't make it any cheaper overall, but spreading the cost might help. mumtoomany.