2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Blackcats

Bala - well done on your shopping - your careful planning and use of resources saved you real, hard cash!  

I have also noticed that even small changes can save money.  I've created an "accumulation of marginal gains" savings pot.  It's just my fancy name for an account where I put savings that I've made by shopping around or downshifting a brand or getting cash back etc.  I also round down my current account to a nice neat even amount once a week and skim the odd amount into this account.  When I reach £500, I will do a happy dance and move it to main savings and then start again.  

I love this thread too - I save reading it till about this time every evening.  All chores done and I'm sitting and relaxing.  

Tightpants24

Frugaldom said:

... Motivational March will begin on Monday 1st March and I'd like to hear everyone's motivation for pursuing frugal living....

Thanks for the inspiration.  My motivation for March is to reduce my grocery spend - aiming for £100 less but this might be a tall order.

savingmore

after being inspired by frugal jo’s £100 month food challenge, decided to trim my £250 month supermarket spend.   this does include, food, toiletries, bday cards, tv paper, and bunch of flowers a week (i.e,£1 daffs).  I want to get it down to about £180.  i am saving for retirement, hopefully in two years.  i want to squirrel as much away as possible.  absolutely gutted at moment.  been making £20 on prolific academic but realised didn’t get any surveys over christmas.  wrote to them..apparently i have been banned.  they won’t tell you why, and it’s a lifetime ban.  i got a list of possibilities including using a vpn, is address etc, but i know there s nothing wrong with any of that.  apparently some legit people can get caught up in banning so i am assuming i am one of them.  it’s quite upset me, and lost a source of enjoyable income.  😭😭😭

roblou27

Frugaldom said:

Good evening frugalers, I'm just preparing my own personal mini-challenge for March (Motivational March) as I usually set myself some form of goal each month, year, decade so I can see my own progress. It isn't always easy with such a long-running challenge as this frugal living one and it can get a little bit frustrating out there, especially during what seems like never-ending lockdown for many.  Motivational March will begin on Monday 1st March and I'd like to hear everyone's motivation for pursuing frugal living. Mine is, as always, to maintain debt freedom and pursue a lifestyle I enjoy without worrying about being pressurised into doing what I don't want to do. We may not always be able to achieve goals but pursuing them relentlessly can keep us focussed. Only 4 days remaining in February so good luck to all who have set their own mini goals - I hope you are keeping with your plans. Yell if you need a hand back onto the frugal bandwagon.

Great idea Frugaldom. We were chatting the other day and saying that the last 12 months has bought into sharp focus what and who we have missed. We will concentrate on paying off our CC as quick as we can but without jeopardising doing the things we love. Doing all those challenges, however small like the 1p challenge, zero food waste, budgeting and meal planning will hopefully enable us to enjoy an uncomplicated simple life with the benefit of doing the things that brings us joy. I would hate to think that our past financial mistakes will define our future. In a way it is those mistakes that have made us who we are today.  We are still a work in progress and there is more we can do but I know we are on the right track.

roblou27

savingmore said:

after being inspired by frugal jo’s £100 month food challenge, decided to trim my £250 month supermarket spend.   this does include, food, toiletries, bday cards, tv paper, and bunch of flowers a week (i.e,£1 daffs).  I want to get it down to about £180.  i am saving for retirement, hopefully in two years.  i want to squirrel as much away as possible.  absolutely gutted at moment.  been making £20 on prolific academic but realised didn’t get any surveys over christmas.  wrote to them..apparently i have been banned.  they won’t tell you why, and it’s a lifetime ban.  i got a list of possibilities including using a vpn, is address etc, but i know there s nothing wrong with any of that.  apparently some legit people can get caught up in banning so i am assuming i am one of them.  it’s quite upset me, and lost a source of enjoyable income.  😭😭😭

Aww what a shame, could it be that you were earning to much, I mean in their estimation? I would be really upset too, I like you would want to know why. Have you tried Valued Opinions? It’s nowhere near as quick to get to the target but may be worth a look.  

savingmore

roblou27 said:

savingmore said:

after being inspired by frugal jo’s £100 month food challenge, decided to trim my £250 month supermarket spend.   this does include, food, toiletries, bday cards, tv paper, and bunch of flowers a week (i.e,£1 daffs).  I want to get it down to about £180.  i am saving for retirement, hopefully in two years.  i want to squirrel as much away as possible.  absolutely gutted at moment.  been making £20 on prolific academic but realised didn’t get any surveys over christmas.  wrote to them..apparently i have been banned.  they won’t tell you why, and it’s a lifetime ban.  i got a list of possibilities including using a vpn, is address etc, but i know there s nothing wrong with any of that.  apparently some legit people can get caught up in banning so i am assuming i am one of them.  it’s quite upset me, and lost a source of enjoyable income.  😭😭😭

Aww what a shame, could it be that you were earning to much, I mean in their estimation? I would be really upset too, I like you would want to know why. Have you tried Valued Opinions? It’s nowhere near as quick to get to the target but may be worth a look.  

thank you, no i haven’t tried them but will have a look.   no i wasn’t earning too much, others earn far more than me.  that also wasn’t on the list of possible options.  just seems very final that it’s a lifetime ban.  i feel like a criminal!  

balabooberlies

Motivational March......tackle my technophobia.....and start selling things no longer wanted online.  I keep promising myself this....now I have set it as a goal within a timeframe.  All monies received to be applied to debts.

Thank you for the boost Blackcats.  Love your AMG idea.  Am not there yet but great idea for the future.

bala

x

Bluegreen143

My motivations are security and freedom. I want to know that I’m building towards security and the ability to leave work when I want when I’m older, not forced to work til 68 or 70 or whatever the pension age will be by then! I may choose to work on, but I want it to be choice, not financial necessity. My main focus for the moment is building an emergency fund (offering security + freedom from debt when an emergency comes up!) and starting to make mortgage overpayments. I know not everyone agrees that overpaying is the best use of money but the idea of owning my house outright completely appeals to my need for security and freedom.

roblou27

savingmore said:

roblou27 said:

savingmore said:

after being inspired by frugal jo’s £100 month food challenge, decided to trim my £250 month supermarket spend.   this does include, food, toiletries, bday cards, tv paper, and bunch of flowers a week (i.e,£1 daffs).  I want to get it down to about £180.  i am saving for retirement, hopefully in two years.  i want to squirrel as much away as possible.  absolutely gutted at moment.  been making £20 on prolific academic but realised didn’t get any surveys over christmas.  wrote to them..apparently i have been banned.  they won’t tell you why, and it’s a lifetime ban.  i got a list of possibilities including using a vpn, is address etc, but i know there s nothing wrong with any of that.  apparently some legit people can get caught up in banning so i am assuming i am one of them.  it’s quite upset me, and lost a source of enjoyable income.  😭😭😭

Aww what a shame, could it be that you were earning to much, I mean in their estimation? I would be really upset too, I like you would want to know why. Have you tried Valued Opinions? It’s nowhere near as quick to get to the target but may be worth a look.  

thank you, no i haven’t tried them but will have a look.   no i wasn’t earning too much, others earn far more than me.  that also wasn’t on the list of possible options.  just seems very final that it’s a lifetime ban.  i feel like a criminal!  

It seems very unfair, you should be allowed to at least know why. Mind you if it’s a computer generated thing there is probably no reason, just a random calculation.  I have a friend who does Swagbucks, this is can be a bit monotonous I think but might be worth a look.  ❤️

CRANKY40

Like bala my March target is to get online and start selling. This should reduce the pile of junk  collectable things that my son no longer wants to have cluttering up his bedroom. I'm sure that there's money to be made there....

My overall motivation for being frugal is to pay off my debts, have a clean and tidy house with reduced clutter and then to go on a holiday with my son some time after his 18th birthday (he's 16 now). I want to be financially secure enough to have a good last "mum and son" holiday so we're going nowhere for the next couple of years. I also want to have the funds available to buy a new car when the one I have is no longer viable to keep. I need a car for work and because my son struggles to walk any great distance due to hypermoble joints.  I also think that we eat better and more healthily when we're being frugal. That's my list folks.