2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Couldsavemore

@BarbCh
I'm going to go in that nope... your tea lights are way!! more expensive.
lets say your paying 16.6p/KWhr (google said this is average!)
That works out at 0.0166p/hr for 1 watt
Quick google search for energy efficient light bulb comes up with 13w
So cost per hour would be 0.2158p/hr
so for 5 hours 1.079p
I hear a cry of what about the cost of the bulb...
Costs 319p with a average hours use of 15000hrs
Cost of bulb per hour is 0.0208p
Cost for 5 hours is 0.104p
So cost of electricity and factoring in cost of bulb for 5 hours is 1.183p/hr
Hope this makes sense

BarbCh

Couldsavemore said:

@BarbCh
I'm going to go in that nope... your tea lights are way!! more expensive.
lets say your paying 16.6p/KWhr (google said this is average!)
That works out at 0.0166p/hr for 1 watt
Quick google search for energy efficient light bulb comes up with 13w
So cost per hour would be 0.2158p/hr
so for 5 hours 1.079p
I hear a cry of what about the cost of the bulb...
Costs 319p with a average hours use of 15000hrs
Cost of bulb per hour is 0.0208p
Cost for 5 hours is 0.104p
So cost of electricity and factoring in cost of bulb for 5 hours is 1.183p/hr
Hope this makes sense

Fantastic thanks.... I love the fact that you looked at this and did the research.  I'm all about efficiency and cost effectiveness and you are so right in what you say.... it's been a good exercise to write this post and get such valuable feedback. 
Truth is I light the candles anyway, I love the ambiance, so I  may as well turn off the lights and enjoy it.... I  personally am not fuel poor as such, but every penny helps. 
Maybe you could give your thoughts as to using outdoor solar lights inside the home.... not that I  personally need them, but I  do like to throw ideas out there. 
Someone may find the info useful to them.... and I'm sure that your comments here... will help others. 
You have highlighted that in our attempts to save money.... on utilities etc..... then it can often be false economy!
Thankyou

willow_loulou

I have to admit i hoard candles, I buy them in charity shops and always pick them up from reduced bins. I live in an area where we get high winds and it’s not uncommon (tho much less so recently) to have power knocked out. I also use them when I’ve got to save the pennies on electric because I’m on the emergency. It’s good to know the comparison, thank you! I’ll definitely keep getting them when silly priced rather than full price. I’d recommend looking for them in charity shops - I got a designer £25 candle for 25p once, it smell was amazing. 

BarbCh

@willow_loulou.... great to know that I'm not alone. The comments from @:Couldsavemore is very useful and I'm sure that we can all benefit from the information.... but you have a very valid point about saving pennies when you are using emergency on your meter and particularly when the power goes out! 
I recycle my used candles when they get low or the wick becomes non existent! 
I melt all the bits in an old pan and dip string in it to create a wick.... then pour melted wax into jars etc. 
I also think that although minimal effects, it does help to warm a room.... remembering that it is the multiple flames that create the heat and that it's not down to the size of the candles! And yes, the aromas are a bonus.

Shopaholic_no_more

Hi everyone 😊

@Frugaldom I love your budgeting ideas for getting the most out of any food...preserving, dehydrating etc....I have been experimenting with my meals lately and replacing some ingredients with other items due to not having the recommended ingredients and so far they are turning out ok....even DOH is enjoying them and he is what I call a ‘fussy’ eater so making strides in that dept and I’m enjoying it too....to see how they turn out!

@AskYouWillGet I’ve never heard of WeBuyBooks....will look in to this because I also have some books I can sell. Interesting, thankyou! I wonder if they do vintage magazines as well...as I have a few of them around somewhere too. My mum has a fabulous plum tree....I could maybe try growing one from her plums...why have I not thought of this before haha??!! 

I only ever get soya candles now because traditional candles give off quite a few toxic fumes (in very small amounts  
but even so) and they made a complete mess of my ceiling!! One year I ended up having to repaint a whole living room ceiling because after painting the walls I could see how much greyer and duller my white ceiling was especially just above where I burned the candles 😳. Soya ones give off no smoke and this I like a lot 👍🏻. However, saying that once this latest one has gone I shall be buying no more for the foreseeable as these will be classed as a treat for me from now on.

After much deliberation and blog watching and reading I have decided I am going to do the cash envelope system as after watching Budget Mom (mentioned on another thread on here, ty) I have come to realise I am definitely a visual budgeter. I seem to treat real cash with more respect than digits on my online bank. Thankyou to all of you who recommended different types of bank accounts I could try and how they worked, I totally appreciate it. It does worry me that we are heading to be a cashless society and this would have a detrimental impact on a lot of people who still rely on cash these days ( my mum being one of them). I am sure I will come across a few hurdles along the way but hopefully they will be far and few between.

I have a budgeting book on it’s way in the post and here begins a new era for me.....my goal is to pay off my £5,000 credit card debt by Feb of next year....if I do it before then you guys on here will know about it first I can assure you of that 😂.

I am feeling very positive and it is thanks to this forum which is helping me get to grips with things by offering their wisdom....so thankyou one and all. Like BM says “it’s gonna be a tough ride but you can do it!”

Have a great day x 

willow_loulou

I saw a thing once about candles under upturned terracotta plant pots, about how they become a heater, I’ve not tried it as my nutty dogs would probably knock anything I tried lol though it’s a thought for the kitchen. 

BarbCh

willow_loulou said:

I saw a thing once about candles under upturned terracotta plant pots, about how they become a heater, I’ve not tried it as my nutty dogs would probably knock anything I tried lol though it’s a thought for the kitchen. 

I've tried it but only a half hearted attempt! I can see how it works as I just used an upturned baking pan... it got hot but I think it would take a lot to heat a room.... as a quick fix to get warm and 'hover your hands above it's it works! 

mumsiemum

Hi everyone
I usually lurk but am so enjoying the inspirational posts on this thread.  I have just retired (early - I am 60) from a very stressful job and have switched from being money 'rich' to being time rich.  I have soooo done the right thing, a weight is off my shoulders and I feel like I can breath again.
I used to follow various threads back in 2011/13 and was able to pay off my debts as a result of the brilliant advise/tips/encouragement on this forum.  Since then we have also been able to settle our mortgage.
I have a small pension which I will get monthly and I want to stretch it as far as possible so will be following this thread with keen interest!
I have a quick question about red lentils - I have a sealed packet of dried red lentils with a BBE April 2018 - can they still be used or am I pushing my luck?!?!?!?!?
MM

fionaandphil

welshspendthrift said:

@fionaandphil £83 that’s amazing! I am struggling to cut down on our food budget and there is only2 of us! We do eat a fresh cooked meal each night, am trying to plan meals weekly, as I need to lose weight for my health. Olio isn’t very productive here, some things but usually 14+ km away. Any tips / ideas gratefully received on how to cut down the food budget. Thank you 

No real secret, other than meal planning and a lot of what everybody on here is doing.  We shop at A1di mainly, buy our meat from the local market in bulk and freeze in individual portions and grow some of our own fruit and veg.  We are lucky to live in an area where food is fairly cheap and the local farm shops have some good bulk buy prices.  The potatoes and onion sacks we picked up before Christmas were £6 each and will probably last until early March.  We cook from scratch and I freeze portions that aren't used for another day.  I also have some frugal friends who grow different things to us so am lucky  that we can swap when we have a glut; we swap our blackcurrant jam for their apple jelly which mixes it up a bit.  We've been lucky in that we have fully stocked cupboards and freezers so are using them up at this time of year ready for the next crops in spring and summer.

Shopaholic_no_more

@mumsiemum this is my goal too....to be time rich instead of time poor....life is too short for it to be any other way.
 I don’t think I’m ever going to be money rich though 😂 debt free would be good enough for me !
55 this year so gotta get on with it now....