2021 Frugal Living Challenge

the_cross_rabbit

been busy sowing lots of future meals today. All need to go in heated props though, chives. basil, sprouts, cabbages, leeks, cauli's, lettuce, kohlrabi, celery, celeriac and indoor cucumbers. Probably too early for cues  but last year we could have had them in the greenhouse by may with the heat we had, only sown 4 so no great tragedy if they don't work out. Last of the new raspberries and strawberries are in too. Just taken the kale out as it is now trying to bolt. Only edible veg/salad left on the plots are a celeriac, winter salad and a couple of winter cabbages. Waiting for the psb and cauli's to start producing, so having to eat out of the freezer at the moment. Hope your all enjoying the sunshine
CRx

Nonnadiluca

February had no unexpected or annual expenses: £1065/11400 annual budget spent. £247 shopping and fuel £74 - £348/£450 so that's good. 
Extra in, £25.33 cashed out from Prolific, £50 premium bonds win, £5 Tesco vouchers and 33p roadkill coins.
Next month will bring vet bill for annual booster and flea and tick collar x 2, and GS2's birthday.
Hope everyone's had a good month, and let's look forward to Spring.

Kerry_Woman

I have been under budget for my food shop this month.  I did buy some eco friendly cleaning products and other eco friendly items this month as I was running low.  Still in my temp job.  I put in leave form for 2 days this week coming in work as it has been quiet and just in case my orders did not arrive at the weekend. It would have been difficult to take time off from work later on in March as it is going to be more busy. Luckily they did and will be able to chill out on Monday and Tuesday.  I will be planning to do my food shop on Monday morning.  Am looking for things to do to improve my mental health which do not cost anything in March as I have been struggling.  I already have mindulness colouring books in which I have had for a while and wordsearch book. I have to cut back how much time I spend on social media.

Onebrokelady

Today's frugal wins were being able to dry my washing outside because it was so sunny and windy and I had my 13th NSD of February which is one more than last month 🎉🎉  I would have had more than that but unfortunately I lost my bus pass last week and had to pay bus fare until I got another one. I'm happy with nearly two weeks of no spending though but I am aiming to increase it in March 😊

Edited to add it was 14 NSDs, I miscounted 😀

Onebrokelady

Frugaldom said:

Onebrokelady said:

Frugaldom said:

@Onebrokelady Just you hold onto that dream of horses as there are so many out there desperate for good, knowledgeable homes. I now have 10 here, despite having given up all hope 20 years ago when getting divorced and up to neck in debt.  All here are rescued, rehomed and rehabs. They take up every penny and every hour I can spare, along with whatever any friends can spare. Just seeing them is reason to get up each morning for some who follow the pony daily diaries.

It would be a dream come true for me. Where can i follow the pony daily diaries 😊

I usually try to post the photos on www.facebook.com/Frugaldom page or else @Frugaldom on Twitter. Frugaldom gets everywhere

I found you on. FB so have followed and liked the page, your horses are gorgeous 😍😍

mumof3.12kindebt

Hello everyone. 

I haven't caught up on thread will try to do that tomorrow. 
Saved about £400 this week by doing loads of skip runs myself instead of hiring a skip  

I have so much to do round the house and I've decided im only going to get workmen in for the stuff we really can't do. 

I'll be removing the ramp from our back door this week. And possibly a wall in the garden. 

I'm also going to sort out out the front more and plant some plants hopefully. I have so much I want to do but not enough time or money. 🤣

Hope everyone is well. Hugs to those that needs or wants one 

-taff

Kerry_Woman said:

 Am looking for things to do to improve my mental health which do not cost anything in March as I have been struggling.

Have a look on eventbrite, they do a lot of free talks and even if they are on zoom, it does feel as if you're listening or joining in even when you aren't.

StrawberrySuze

Hello all 🙂

What a lovely sunny day it's been here today, took the dogs for a lovely walk in a local nature reserve.

Collected a very large, stripey phormium someone was giving away. Have built a stumpery this weekend with a raised bed edged with a tree trunk and logs, the phormium looks lovely so I hope it likes it in there. Added a couple of ferns, heucheras, a primrose and carex. Just need to build another smallish raised bed as I have two wheelbarrows full of soil left. I think I am going to make it out of scaffold boards and make some stakes out of some old fence posts to attach the scaffold boards to. Everything shopped from home 🤗

My March motivation is to be able to keep paying down the debt whilst simultaneously carrying on renovating with no money!

Frugaldom

WELCOME TO MARCH
Hoping for so much this month, especially some positive progress with the hut plans. Household spends were over the average  as I paid an annual insurance in full but grocery shopping was slightly under so I did make some savings there. Total grocery spend for month was £53.52 I was really lucky in that a friend passing by had dropped off a bag of Olio-type produce, including bread, lemons & limes, a pineapple, cauliflower, avocado, lettuce, aubergine.. it's enough for a couple of free meals and I will turn the lemons & limes into more marmalade.
My last bag of free potatoes from are still chitting in their cardboard box on the table - most have now got shoots on them and the few that don't will get used to feed the worms in the wormery. My garlic is growing and while I was doing some garden tidying today I found some carrots still growing - now picked for making some frugal coleslaw. 
All this talk of seed sowing is motivating me to get started sooner rather than later but I need to clear out the potting shed as it's currently being used like a storage shed. My plan is to get it emptied as soon as possible and then try to get it mouse-proofed. The little pests wreaked havoc on my seedlings last year. Compost corner is coming along nicely, te worms are back in action in the wormery and I drew off another litre of 'worm juice' fertiliser. My jobs for this week are 1) straighten up the fruit trees that need re-staked, 2) mulch around them with compost and straw and 3) plant some more willows for growing them into windbreaks.
Good luck this month, frugal friends.
@Onebrokelady I hope you enjoy the photo updates

MazzieD

@Frugaldom I'm aiming to get my household budget down to £4k this year. I honestly haven't given any thought to a lifestyle type budget probably because I'm not spending much apart from groceries.  I'm saving money and might look at a lifestyle budget when restrictions are lifted as like a lot of people I've had to put a lot of things on hold.