2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Elisheba

I'll definitely be taking part in this challenge this year . I've started a diary on Debt Free Wannabe, and also signed up to WW2 Clothes Rationing challenge, and Make do, Mend and Minimise.

I need to reduce debt, and have my eyes set on the big prize of a deposit for a house. I also just want to consume less though. We are all being told we need stuff, so we buy stuff, to keep other people rich, and it's polluting and poisoning the planet at the same time. It's utter madness.

So this year its all about frugality for me. Make do and mend, reuse and recycle. How low can I go in terms of buying stuff? I'm really excited to see how I get on!

And to the person on here who mentioned the severe lack of Xmas puddings in the post Christmas sales, I know! Where are they all? I love Xmas pudding!

Someone also asked about toilet roll recommendations. You can get them for 0.33 per roll at Home Bargains and Lidl, but I've just seen on a bulk buying post that if you buy 135 on Groupon they come in at 0.26 a roll. At 0.07 a roll cheaper, that's £9.45 saving. It will probably take me 2 plus years to use all those loo rolls, but I can store them under my bed and thats a tenner I can spend on something that's not literally going down the drain :rotfl:

sams247

My exciting find today was a christmas cake reduced to 90p in M&S. It is now cut into slices and living in my freezer. I know cake keeps for ages, but the truth is if its out of the freezer I will eat it.

My frugal move today is going back to leaving the ketchup etc in the cupboard when the meal is taken to the table. Put some on in the kitchen, then go. If I take it to the table I use three times as much.

sams247

Frugallife wrote: »

Ooh, was thinking about loo roll yesterday and looked through the forum, but couldn’t find much. What did you go with? Sorry you had such stress. I find posting and delivery of things such a pain generally x

I chose Panda, mainly as its made from Bamboo and the wrapping is recyclable. To be personal - it is also soft and doesnt fall into pieces on use.

I finally had it delievered on a day I told them I wasnt in but luckily my neighbour took it in for me

miss_empty_piggy

Jazee wrote: »

My personal spending has just taken a hit. Was on £4 so far but have just spent £20 getting my greenhouse cleaned.

Do greenhouses need to be cleaned by a specialist? I'm worried now as I just cleaned mine with a mop and bucket and then some eco-friendly kitchen cleaner. Could I have harmed my plants? Advice would be really appreciated as I'm about to do it again this year once it's all cleared out of the old stuff from last year? TIA.

miss_empty_piggy

Decided to sort fridge etc out tonight and made soup from scraggy veg, stock from loads of veg scraps I've saved all week - I will bottle up and freeze in the morning (sick of buying stock cubes and then composting potential stock), bread and am soaking chick peas for the long-awaited chick pea curry. Can't wait.

Also, been through the inventory and made a rough meal plan. This really worked for us this week, and although we didn't have exactly what was on the plan it helped to keep my mind focused on what was possible - rather than falling back on takeaways etc.

The shopping list looks pretty small so will report back with figures once I've survived SM shopping on a Saturday (might leave it until Sunday to regain some semblance of sanity). Have a great weekend fellow frugallers. xxx

DawnW

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Do greenhouses need to be cleaned by a specialist? I'm worried now as I just cleaned mine with a mop and bucket and then some eco-friendly kitchen cleaner. Could I have harmed my plants? Advice would be really appreciated as I'm about to do it again this year once it's all cleared out of the old stuff from last year? TIA.

No they don't. I always cleaned mine myself, and grew good crops. I only have a mini greenhouse now, and also clean that myself. I didn't even realise that specialist greenhouse cleaning was a thing Maybe it is something new that has sprung up, like getting wheelie bins cleaned??? Some of my neighbours have this done, but I'm afraid I just attack mine now and then with a bucket of soapy water and an old broom I'm sure these things are very useful for those who can't, or don't have time to, do it themselves though.
One thing that you need to be aware of is the risk of spreading disease from last year's crops (particularly thinking of tomato blight). Take out all the old plant material before you clean, and if you grow directly in the soil consider growing in pots alternate years, or rotating the crops you grow in the soil as you would outside.

Jazee

miss_empty_piggy wrote: »

Do greenhouses need to be cleaned by a specialist? I'm worried now as I just cleaned mine with a mop and bucket and then some eco-friendly kitchen cleaner. Could I have harmed my plants? Advice would be really appreciated as I'm about to do it again this year once it's all cleared out of the old stuff from last year? TIA.

Agree, no you don't need a specialist but it's my least favourite gardening job so worth the £20 for me.

[Deleted User]

sams247 wrote: »

I chose Panda, mainly as its made from Bamboo and the wrapping is recyclable. To be personal - it is also soft and doesnt fall into pieces on use.

Love the sound of that, sams:T

The real cheap stuff isn't cost-effective as I find it so thin I need to use double the amount of the slightly thicker type:eek:. Also, although I do whatever I can to be frugal with the earth's resources and recycle and reuse (well, not reuse the loo roll anyway:rotfl:) the whole issue of frugality for me this year is to spend as little as possible.

I know buying in bulk is often a cheaper option but if the loo roll is very expensive to start with, as often the case with anything environmentally-friendly /recycled, it's a non-starter for me, sadly:o

You may have already told us in a previous post but where did you buy your bulk loo-roll order from and how much did it work out per roll please? Sorry if you think the questions intrusive:o

[Deleted User]

Elisheba wrote: »

I'll definitely be taking part in this challenge this year . I've started a diary on Debt Free Wannabe, and also signed up to WW2 Clothes Rationing challenge, and Make do, Mend and Minimise.

And to the person on here who mentioned the severe lack of Xmas puddings in the post Christmas sales, I know! Where are they all? I love Xmas pudding!

Someone also asked about toilet roll recommendations. You can get them for 0.33 per roll at Home Bargains and Lidl, but I've just seen on a bulk buying post that if you buy 135 on Groupon they come in at 0.26 a roll. At 0.07 a roll cheaper, that's £9.45 saving. It will probably take me 2 plus years to use all those loo rolls, but I can store them under my bed and thats a tenner I can spend on something that's not literally going down the drain :rotfl:

Love the sound of your challenges, especially the Make Do, Mend and Minimize one:T:beer:. I won't be buying ANY clothes at all this year, unless my sandals finally fall apart during the summer. I said that about these sandals last year but they just about saw me through to Autumn:j. I have 'funny' feet and shoes and sandals become much-loved old friends. I'd do anything to avoid the ordeal of buying new ones and then the pain and discomfort of 'breaking them in':o.

Will look at Groupon for loo rolls. I buy my huge bulk-buy laundry detergent on there:j

Sorry you've had as little success with your Christmas pud search as I have. I find I'm popping into all sorts of little shops I've never set foot in before, just on the off chance I might spot a stray pudding:rotfl:

Jazee

At the store where DH works, they deliberately ordered their Christmas puddings wanting them to be sold out in the week before Christmas so they didn't have to take the hit with reductions afterwards.