2021 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

Just updated my signature, very pleased to have paid more off my loan. I’ve paid the equivalent of 2 extra payments and 2/3rds of a payment in interest saved because of that. 

£5 underspend in birthday gifts for this month. I’m actively trying not to spend the budget just because  ive accounted for it. That’s a real change for me. I’ve also managed to get a Christmas present for 50p - well I’ve not collected it yet so hopefully it’s as good quality as it looks. Either way it came out of the birthday fund and if it’s not I’ll keep it! Small wins saving a fair amount over all. 

Has anyone updated furniture with spray paint? Im
thinking of doing the kitchen cupboard doors. I’ve papered two which looks amazing and has lasted beautifully so need to do something else on the others. The paint designed for it was a massive failure. 

3 listings on eBay. Fingers crossed! 

roblou27

Morning everyone, well it was pay day yesterday and not bad as Hubs had done as much overtime as he could get last month and with lockdowns and isolations have had good NSD so we have managed to distribute a nice amount from surplus from last pay and the over and above budgeted expenses for the next four weeks. Added to that another council tax free month. So we managed an extra £215 off the CC over and above our regular payment of £85 which will come off on the 25th. That will bring it down to £3300. £244 has gone into the EF which brings it to £1250, would like to get this to £2k. And also managed to put £108.50 into 1p a day challenge account. This should cover what would have been December which brings that account up to £137.93. Very pleased with this. Next pay period is not going to good as hubs has not had the opportunity to do extras so even more important to get as many NSD in. A few bob spent this week as car had to have a service as did the lawn mower. Grateful that these sort of things are all budgeted for. We took advantage of hubs extra colleague discount and got our bulky more expensive items on click and collect shopping. So all in all really chuffed this month, we are managing to cut back on our spending which in turn is building up some savings, paying off debt and also putting a bit away to cover a break away. The test will be next pay period. As long as the budget is covered and there is enough to put away for the 1p daily challenge I will be happy. 

MazzieD

Just been for a lovely walk, cold but sunny.  Really quiet in the city centre parks, the birds were singing and the immaculate large flower beds were full of daffodils and lovely plants.  

Had a quick look at Frugal Jo, love her style of chatting.  So far I'm already doing most of what I've seen but only watched about 5 so I'll keep watching as there is always something new to learn.  Must use Y*u Tube more often whilst cat is snoozing on my lap, quite lucky as my laptop has a large wide screen.

Keeping my spends low so far, I'm going to see if I can manage to keep to a maximum of £60 - ideally less for groceries as a one off for March.  As I'm not having much success with F&V boxes or YS yet I'm using frozen veg instead for the moment.  Not my favourite as prefer fresh but it's cheaper.  I'm changing my route on my daily walk to go past as least one of the two L*dl I live near to!.

roblou27

Oh forgot to say I have the appointment for my jab on the 14th..yay. So hopefully come the end of March I can start back trawling for YS and weekly shopping at Mr L or Mrs lid##. That should save a bit.

Bluegreen143

Thank you to everyone for the kind seed offers ❤️ You are all lovely.

I’m very excited to update you that they have arrived!! Now they are here safe and look right I feel I can recommend the seller (Bargain Seeds website) as although the order took a while, they did keep us updated all the way through and explained it was Covid related and due to a sudden surge in orders. But mainly they live up to their name as it was about £15 for all these seeds! You just get a small amount (eg 10 pumpkin seeds, 20 pea, 50 of some things) then each pack is say 30-50p each. We’ve done the annual seed purchase in B&Q mainly with extra from Lidl and it usually costs at least £50! We just need to pick up more lettuce I think as they didn’t have a huge selection on bargain seeds.

moneyonmymindsam

willow_loulou said:

Just updated my signature, very pleased to have paid more off my loan. I’ve paid the equivalent of 2 extra payments and 2/3rds of a payment in interest saved because of that. 

£5 underspend in birthday gifts for this month. I’m actively trying not to spend the budget just because  ive accounted for it. That’s a real change for me. I’ve also managed to get a Christmas present for 50p - well I’ve not collected it yet so hopefully it’s as good quality as it looks. Either way it came out of the birthday fund and if it’s not I’ll keep it! Small wins saving a fair amount over all. 

Has anyone updated furniture with spray paint? Im
thinking of doing the kitchen cupboard doors. I’ve papered two which looks amazing and has lasted beautifully so need to do something else on the others. The paint designed for it was a massive failure. 

3 listings on eBay. Fingers crossed! 

Hi @willow_loulou
Just wondered did you use a brush? I have previously used tile paint on cupboards with fantastic results but the trick for me was to do thin coats (2) using those little gloss fluffy rollers. 
Sam x
 

willow_loulou

@moneyonmymindsam yes I used a brush as that was what it said to use. It never occurred to me to try a sponge. It looks dreadful 🙄 if the spray is a no go I’ll try this. Thanks! 

mumtoomany

Hi all. Been MIA for a week or two. Still reading along on the tablet, but no time to post! All sheep have now been scanned. Twenty three lambs due around Easter time. Five older ewes sent off to market. All remaining ewes, and last years ewe lambs, have been wormed and are now being fed up ready for the new lambs. Lots more seeds started. Broad beans and first lot of peas planted out, (and survived the frost). Lots of childcare done. Sofa cover patched where it had worn thin. Dinning chair recovered again. Fourth seat cover and second cover on the back, but this chair is nearly seventy years old. 
I have at last inventoried the freezers, enough meat and fish for main meal for at least seventy days for all eight of us. Enough vegetables for the month at least. 
Dishwasher tablets arrived, £24.99 for 500 from ebay. They work as well as any others I've used. 
Book going well, I'm up to 11,000 words so far. Mumtoomany.

[Deleted User]

Evening all,

I have had a lovely day of self care, pottering at home and reading. The children have been fussing the hens and generally having fun in the garden. I realised this morning I haven't spent any money at all this week. I have set myself a budget of £20 for everything running from tomorrow for 7 days,  is well below my allocated £45. If I can get to the food waste share on Wednesday that will really help.
I do need to pop out tomorrow for a chicken and some mince, which will form the basis of many many meals for the freezer. I intend to roast the chicken for dinner tomorrow, make a big chicken and ham pie with the leftover meat, and make stock using the carcass. The mince will (hopefully) stretch to 8 portions of chilli (with lots of beans added in of differing varieties), and a bolognese sauce, which will be 4 portions of spaghetti bolognese and a lasagne. I have plenty of veg to bulk things out with too, may put potatoes in the pie as well. The meat will be around £10, but that is because I am choosing to buy it from my local butcher. Happy to sacrifice on other things to be able to do this.

Also the gods must have been listening to me discussing lack of free wood, as a friend turned up with a truck load of off-cuts for me. Free heat until month end, I reckon, by which point no heating should ideally be needed. 

Still aiming and very much on track for my mortgage to be down to £25k by year end. Have lovely weekends everyone.  X

Frugaldom

willow_loulou said:

Morning all. Chilly but sunny here. 

@Frugaldom I’ve just been gifted some willow cuttings, I’ve just popped them in water as google offered too many options of what to do. Please can you tell me how you deal with them. 

I’m hopeful of shutting out the neighbours out front with them. 

Just stick them into the ground. Depending on the size of the cuttings, I just push them into wet ground by about 10cm and leave them to grow. You don't need to root them first as they are really good at rooting as long as they have moisture. Best not plant tem close to underground pipes. You'll be able to take cuttings from them after just a couple of years of growing. Good luck.