2020 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

mumtoomany said:

Thanks @cw18, I hadn't realised that you pay for the tv licence, effectively six months in advance. I've been paying monthly for as long as I can remember. I don't think it's worth swapping to one payment and keep the other six months in the bank. Don't think I'll get much interest! lol.

I used to pay monthly (back in the days I needed a licence).   Once you're on that scheme it's as broad as it's long - they get 6 months in advance, but the other 6 months in arrears.   But for someone moving onto most schemes when they've previously paid annually, they need to be aware that they need 18 months money in the first 12 months.   Paying quarterly doesn't mean you pay in advance, but you pay an extra £5/year (£1.25/quarter).   Using a payment card is the same as monthly by Direct Debit (first over 6 months), but can be done by weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments.

mumtoomany

Thanks for the information. I would rather not pay it at all, but as there are another seven people here who all watch, that won't be happening.

[Deleted User]

Thank you @cw18 for that incredibly useful post. Lots for me to think about there, and I'm going to do some research as WFH today. 

Free kindling sawn up to light the fire later, £8.50 spent on F&V, purse firmly away for the week now. Lunch of YS bagel and some beans with a hen egg on top xx

willow_loulou

If you make an outlook email account or a Microsoft account you can access the software online for free. It’s not the whole package but more than enough for a home user I believe.

I’ve just cancelled the £5:99 package of full 365 and got 2 free months. 

 

sashacat

I have just worked my budget out for next year. 
I am veggie and grow most of what I eat.
I don’t drink
I don’t own a television (bit autistic and can’t watch it).
I scavenge for firewood and neighbours donate it. 
I cut my own hair, don’t wear makeup and rarely if ever buy clothes because I have a friend who has put on weight and has given me lots of really good clothes that I like.
So my budget for just me is:
electricity and oil    £520.94 (oil tank is full so will easily last a year
water £96 (£8 per month and a lot of waterbutts for the garden)
car £800 to include MOT, tax, green flag, petrol, service, repairs
internet £558.12... my village can only get BT Open Reach but we do have super fast broadband....we were a pilot village.
mobile phone....£442.80....can only get vodaphone here and I have a fairly new handset.
garden £50
presents for grandchildren £200
eating out....treats for grandchildren £200
house insurance £200
So, that’s £2967.84
and if I take that from £4000 that leaves £1032.16, or £20 per week for food.
we’ll see how it pans out.
But, today my oven has just broken and can’t be repaired so I have ordered a new one but will pay for it from savings.

sashacat

Sorry, Frugaldom, I meant to ask you about composting horse manure. Do I just put it in the compost bin or do I do something else with it? It is well rotten and I just go with my wheelbarrow and collect it.
thanks 

ldee2111

Quick update from me: spent 89p today on a loaf and had last night’s leftovers for lunch. Planning to do the same tomorrow.

My bulk buy of peanut butter arrived today. Annoyingly, one of the jars was smashed to bits. I was straight on to the seller for a replacement. 👍🏻

I’ve got holidays from work next week so I’m going to take a good look at our budget for 2021 and see where I can make savings. 

Frugaldom

sashacat said:

Sorry, Frugaldom, I meant to ask you about composting horse manure. Do I just put it in the compost bin or do I do something else with it? It is well rotten and I just go with my wheelbarrow and collect it.
thanks 

Hi @sashacat, if it is already well rotted then it will be fine. We set up some composting heaps separately to try and speed up the process, as we were desperate for compost during this year's shortage. It's just the same as composting anything else, but with horse manure. It needs turned over now and again and kept frm getting too wet but other than that, it's pretty straight forward and a fairly quick process. We have been planting straight into it and the herbs are all doing well. We've also had a visit from the moles again so their molehills are being scooped up and added to the raised beds.   Well done with your budget - your place of residence sounds a bit like ours, only we don;t get the superfast broadband nor the mobile signal. My mobile is vodafone and I switch between that and a Three PAYG sim card for out at Frugaldom & staying overnights in the caravan. 

YORKSHIRELASS

Well a bit of a spend today, it is DS1s 22nd birthday, and those who know me will probably know that we nearly lost him a year ago to Lymphoma, so today felt like a real milestone.  I went to a posh local farm shop and splashed out on treats to go with some cheaper bits I already had to make him a hamper, so things like local beer, bread, cheese, crackers, crisps, chocolates and biscuits.  But oh my frugal friends, the price of stuff in there!!!  It's like a parallel universe, I had a peek in the freezer section and they had a gateaux type pudding for £14.  One small packet of posh biscuits were £3.99.  I was happy because I had a budget in mind, knew what I wanted and it felt like a carefully planned spend.  I cant imagine I would ever shop there even if I had that sort of money though.  The smile on his face was worth every penny.

DS and GF had takeaway, DH and I had home made chicken casserole, I had an evening meeting at work so we avoided the extra spending.

I think I need to look at next years budget a bit more, not totally sure I have got it right yet, but that's for another day.

[Deleted User]

Morning frugal friends,
@YORKSHIRELASS I am glad your DS had a lovely day, it must have been so emotional for you all. I meant to say upthread a big WOW at your debt busting goals for this month, £3k would be a phenomenal achievement. 

I am packed up and we are ready for work/school. Leaving my purse at home has become a habit now as there is nowhere to spend money at my work anyway (large secondary school), so no point taking it with me! Dinner has been selected from the freezer (YS fish that we got for free from the food waste group), and it is very mild here today so no heating needed at all. Doubt I will even light the fire later, if it gets chilly I'll give us each a hot water bottle. I like getting cosy in bed to watch GBBO so that is to look forward to.

A small frugal win - I purchased some socks for DD from M&S a month ago, and one of the pairs has already worn a hole in the heel. I emailed them to complain, and they have refunded me the full cost of the multi pack of socks (£7) today. That will cover the cost of the underpants DS needs 😊😊.