2020 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

OLaney  thank you for your kind comments, they are appreciated, as are everyone else's. Look after yourself and don't get too exhausted. This is more the type of thing I have been seeing - companies struggling to keep up with demand, whether it be post, deliveries, distribution, parts and general supplies, as well as the basic food production at all levels - these providers are the people who seem to be getting overlooked by the mass media so hat's off to all who are keeping the country running and the public supplied with what they need (and want). Keep on frugaling, though, as we need as many frugalers as we can to help balance the books, so to speak.

Frugaldom

MY MINI CASH CHALLENGE
I love mini challenges s this is my current one. I last spent cash on 3rd May and that was to pay the hay delivery but since our bank closed and the one remaining cashline in the local store runs out of cash so often now with everyone on lockdown, I'm challenging myself not to use cash for anything - strictly card only, whether online banking, contactless or otherwise. I am a debtfree plastic spender who gets cashback on all my card spends, so I make the most of that, despite the percentage cashback now being minimal, plus I have a direct debit to clear total amount each month. It means I have a running total at all times of my own spending by way of paperfree statements and it also means, for me, spending less. The hay bill was the last regular (every fortnight) bill I paid in cash but I've now set up a BACS transfer / direct debit for that, too. My virtual cyberdosh world is becoming my reality as I wave bye-bye to cash.

Thrifty_Taylor

Had a great day yesterday. Started with a walk in the rain, then I picked & prepped half our Rhubarb patch. After lunch I made Rhubarb cordial for the first time (delicious!) then used the fruit, after straining the liquid off for the cordial, to make a crumble. Still had lots of flavour, which hubby doubted before tasting. I then moved soil into the last raised bed, so felt like I had achieved lots before heading back to work today 😊

Shopaholic_no_more

Thankyou Frugaldom... I am going to be one of those people that are going to be even more conscientious with their money than I was before rest assured
I have not used my credit card for months ...tbh I don’t even think about it anymore ..just the need to keep paying it off! My plan is to be debt free by the end of 2021 by which time I hope things will all be ok by then. The intention is to sell up and move to a smaller place so we can cut our working hours so I will get more time eventually to get an allotment and be more self sufficient. This episode has highlighted to me how utterly dependent we are on others (ie supermarkets, clothes shops etc...)
I also want to get a sewing machine and start learning how to make my own clothes....well I work in the right place to get me started 😂...why have I never done this before I ask myself??!! 

I am also starting on a journey of more sustainability and zero waste...little steps big results hopefully! 

patentgirl

Morning all still here frugaldom too I am not sure where time goes another one apart from missing family welcoming more time to spend in the garden and baking. I live by the coast noticed how busier it is getting on my way to work. Still being frugal very important still to us still but not sure if you have all noticed how lazy people have got! in our area they have set up a website for everyone who can still delivering from food plants practically everything really it has been excellent I have had fruit and veg boxes, home Made sourgh dough bread and even had couple of Indian takeaways as treats for mother's day and DH bday but now it seems everyone got on the band wagon they deliver everything from breakfasts,coffees,cocktails,burgers,cup cakes,afternoon teas sweets ,roast dinners,pie and chips could go on and on all seem to sell out I know everyone likes a treat but seems like an awful lot of waste of money to me! Maybe it's me but some people  like spending!!

willow_loulou

@patentgirl yeah you can get pretty much everything delivered here, though I admit to getting afternoon tea on VE Day! I looked at it as supporting a local business to justify the spend. I’m friendly with then cafe owners so it felt nice to order from them. 

Trying to readjust my budget, having struggled to get any cleaning products and toiletries we ventured out yesterday. Everything except my toothpaste which was on offer has gone up! So my budget went completely out of the window once I’d picked up everything on the list. 

We did manage to get some cheaper range stuff this time though so that helped a little. Still spending £70 when your monthly budget is £160 feels very extravagant. On the plus side I actually got my red lentils for the first time in a long long time! 

A local organisation is posting their charitable items online so I’ve managed to get some more things for dd uni box for not a lot. I admit I’m a bit sad we need to get so much second hand but it is what it is. Hopefully it will still last as long as if it were new. 

I think I’ve designed some rain catchers from empty plastics to hang on my fence when rain is due. I might decorate them if they work. 

Frugaldom

@patentgirl keep up the good work!
@willow_loulou, I'd love to see your fence rain-catchers as I need to colelct all the rain I can during dry season to keep the 10 ponies watered without having to trudge to the burn.

Today, I'm making use of some of last year's blackcurrants that were still in the freezer and have turned some into a litre of blackcurrant cordial. I did thnk of making ice lollies but no space in the freezer. I may manage to squeeze in a plastic cup and call it a 'kwenchy' cup. My next worry is that sugar will be in short supply for jam making. Out here in the rural areas,  there are no cheap shops or regular deliveries for anything 'foodie' so I can't imagine what it must be like having local community about you all making, baking and delivering meals etc. Wow! We don't even get farmers' markets here as there aren't enough customers to make them viable. Gate sales of eggs and a plant swap in town are about the nearest things I have heard of and travelling into town for that just is not essential. I've already been stopped by police once and asked what I was doing out on the road!

Frugaldom

PS: I'm in Scotland, where we are still on full lockdown until at least 28th May.

willow_loulou

@Frugaldom I’ll be making them in the next day or so, will post pictures! 

Today I painted some canvases for gifts and made more guineapig chew enrichment things.  I’m all out of willow now though, i wonder if I can grow it from a cutting .... 

Frugaldom

willow_loulou said:

@Frugaldom I’ll be making them in the next day or so, will post pictures! 

Today I painted some canvases for gifts and made more guineapig chew enrichment things.  I’m all out of willow now though, i wonder if I can grow it from a cutting .... 

I grow willow, several varieties, so let me know what you need and I can post you some cuttings, if you'd like? It is really easy to grow and I have the fast-growing salix viminalis type, which grows straight up at an amazing rate once it gets going.  I have an info page at justwillows.co.uk