2020 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

For those of you who keep poultry (or captive birds) of any type.....

This just came up in a FB group I'm a member of.   First I've heard of it (connected to Avian Flu), but as I don't keep poultry I don't know if registered keepers have been contacted directly.

"Update 3 December 2020: The Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to bring in new measures to help protect poultry and captive birds. The new housing measures announced on the 3 December 2020, which will come into force on the 14 December 2020, mean that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease.

These housing measures build on the strengthened biosecurity regulations that were brought in as part of the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) on 11 November 2020. The AIPZ means all bird keepers (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) are required by law to take a range of biosecurity precautions."

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu?fbclid=IwAR1zAMU17-E-JeEaCkMaylXWc4BISB6NSr-6pXZVfA_EAH9fLdmfgefhEL4#latest-situation

Frugaldom

cw18 said:

For those of you who keep poultry (or captive birds) of any type.....

This just came up in a FB group I'm a member of.   First I've heard of it (connected to Avian Flu), but as I don't keep poultry I don't know if registered keepers have been contacted directly.

"Update 3 December 2020: The Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to bring in new measures to help protect poultry and captive birds. The new housing measures announced on the 3 December 2020, which will come into force on the 14 December 2020, mean that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease.

These housing measures build on the strengthened biosecurity regulations that were brought in as part of the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) on 11 November 2020. The AIPZ means all bird keepers (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) are required by law to take a range of biosecurity precautions."

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu?fbclid=IwAR1zAMU17-E-JeEaCkMaylXWc4BISB6NSr-6pXZVfA_EAH9fLdmfgefhEL4#latest-situation

cw18 As far as I'm aware we are all notified directly. I've been sharing updates on social media since the first cases were tested positive a few months ago. However, very few garden hen owners bother to register so I'm amazed by how few seem to realise that it is ALL birds, regardless of whether you have 2 or 3 or you have thousands. Keep sharing it on social media in the hope more people see it. I have been reported so often in the past for posting links that I am now loathe to do so, especially on here.

Frugaldom

For the self-employed, don't forget the 3rd grant payments from HMRC are now open for application. Log into your online account and see 'Self-Employment Income Support Scheme' to complete the application. These have been processing really quickly and in some cases, payments are reaching banks within just a few days. Every little helps if your income has been hit by the Covid restrictions. I've added the link above so hopefully it will stay in place.

willow_loulou

@Frugaldom some will never bother to protect their birds, even with Covid making it obvious how bad a cross over of virus can be! Idiots don’t understand it only takes one. I’m a firm believer we should have to register even 1 bird. 

I’ve finally ordered bias binding to make towels into dog jackets for after swimming/rain.
I need to find a good source of it as several people want one! My curtains arrived to remake into door window blinds. Lots of sewing ahead for me! 

frostie101

Hi Everyone
Starting to think more about what I spend, if it's  a want or a need,  ready to go full on frugal living in 2021. 
Also unsubscribing from as many email lists for shops etc as I can so temptation is not there.
Budget will be finalised over Christmas/New Year break.
Stay Safe. x

[Deleted User]

Hi folks, sorry I have been MIA on here for a while.  @frostie101 I did the same over the summer this year with the email.  I have unsubscribed from everything that isn't necessary including all shops and special offers.  It's actually a relief and reduces the time spent trawing through email as well as reducing temptation.  I am currently getting myself organised for next year finances wise as well.  Just thinking about my goals for next year which are financial and health based and frugal living will be a big part of that.  This year I realised that I don't miss going to the gym at all so one thing that won't get renewed next yeat is my gym membership.  I am happy doing home based or outdoors based free exercise.

[Deleted User]

Good evening frugal friends,
Milkman bill paid yesterday, today has been a NSD and I don't have any reason or plans to spend any money at all until Saturday, when I need some mince. Leaving my purse at home every day has become a habit and, with just over one week to go until payday, I have sent £600 to savings 🥳🥳. 

I have exactly £221 left in my account, £8 of that will be taken for my mobile bill but I am planning to spend no more than a further £13, if indeed I need to spend that, which would allow me a further £200 into savings. This is no mean feat and really quite extraordinary for me. 

I have managed to keep the heating off and just using the woodburner. Yes it takes me around 15 mins each day after work to chop the wood I need for the evenings, but it's really worth it and so much better environmentally that whacking the gas central heating up. Our duel fuel bill, based on actual readings for last month was £52. 18 months ago I was paying over £135, how times change. 

I am actually finding extreme frugality to be hard work in some respects, eg the time it takes to queue for food shares in an evening, chopping wood, making soups and sauces, but I get such huge satisfaction from the results that it outweighs the bad bits. Tonight I was eating leftovers of mash and veg (from the food waste share), and a YS breaded fish piece, sat in front of the fire that is belting out heat from free wood. What's not to be satisfied about? The children are tucked up in bed fast asleep with hot water bottles and onesies on (though they never actually feel the cold!), and I'm about to read my library book. I can honestly say the idea of going shopping, for anything, at the moment fills me with dread. 

I am collecting some more bits from Olio tomorrow from a lady I have collected from before, it really seems to be catching on round here.

Take care all xx

cw18

[Deleted User] said:

This year I realised that I don't miss going to the gym at all so one thing that won't get renewed next yeat is my gym membership.  I am happy doing home based or outdoors based free exercise.

Given how little time I spend at the gym, I'd like to have been able to say the same (the unpredictability of when I finish work each day makes it hard to book classes as it takes me at least a half hour to get there unless I have use of the car).

Unfortunately my sciatica flared up shortly after the first lockdown (I had a short stretch of time with it last year), and it's looking as if the loss of access to the swimming pool is a key factor - despite the fact I was lucky to fit in more than a couple of sessions a month!    (I generally did 66 lengths - just over a mile - each time I went, mainly as breast stroke.)    It would be cheaper to use my local pool on a pay-as-you-go basis, but they don't have any sessions for length swimming (meaning you have to fight around the people doing widths or just generally messing around in the water), don't allow the use of waterproof MP3 players (I can't do more than about a dozen lengths without music as I get bored), and they often limit how long you can stay in the water (meaning I wouldn't make the mile as I'm slow).

My membership is currently frozen until Jan 1st, as I haven't fancied venturing back while all the Covid restrictions are in place (limits time in the water, but biggest problem is having to book a specific arrival time).   I'm off work the week after that which gives me freedom to book sessions, and I have another week off in February.   And I'm off the week that moves from March to April (though I may try and get a few days in the Lakes that week).   So I'm aiming to get back to swimming (and possibly using the rowing machines) from then, and will keep fingers crossed that it won't be too long after that before they can start relaxing the requirements to book for swim and/or gym.

If my sciatica stays back under control with that (once I get it there - physio appts by phone and video really haven't been helping ), then I keep my membership.   If I get another flare-up then I guess that'll be time to reconsider, although swimming and rowing are good cross-training exercises for my running as well as general health

YORKSHIRELASS

cw18 one of the things I am learning about frugal living is deciding what is really important to me, cost wise.  This means not spending just because I feel pressure from other people or society to spend, but because something has real value to me (assuming I can afford it of course).  Your gym membership sounds like a great example of this.

The house was freezing when we got home tonight, heating had been off all day.  In fact the timer on our heating packed up last year and we have never done anything about it, I have this idea that no timer means only switching it on when we need it!  I am under my heated blanket now but dont want to move.

Bedtime now, might see if I can get to the foodshare tomorrow.

MazzieD

Well it's been quite a revelation finding out what I actually spend my money on via the spreadsheet this year. I'm more frugal than I thought and that's without doing much cutting back or a definite budget.  

I'm now working on a definite budget for 2021.  Emergency fund has been rebuilt so I'm now concentrating on savings and a car fund, mainly for repairs but possibly a newer car depending on how much I need to spend to keep current one on the road.  Getting rid of the car is not an option at the moment with a heavy cat who gets into serious fights and has to go to the vet and other essential journeys for work etc.

asb and yorkshire lass I noticed you have both mentioned a food share group.  Is this a local thing or possibly national and is that what it's called?.  Food goes so quickly on Olio here I rarely manage to get anything so looking for alternatives.