2021 Frugal Living Challenge

sashacat

Good afternoon and Happy New Year. 
Thank you Frugaldom for restarting this challenge. 
I hope to get my spending to £4000 or maybe just a touch higher. I use Olio and grow most of my veggies and fruit like gooseberries. I don’t eat meat and don’t drink so that is a less expensive lifestyle. 
In late summer and autumn I batch cooked soups and other meals that I froze. I reckon I have enough different soups to provide lunch every day for January at least. 
Trouble is my boiler is broken and has been on and off over Christmas. Luckily I have a wood burning stove and, like Sparkly, I use scrap wood. In the nearly 5 years I’ve had the fire I have never bought wood but I spend a lot of time sawing it up. Friends and neighbours give me all their old and scrap wood and pallets.
I am hoping to have a decent holiday next year and to go up to see my friends in Scotland, get my boiler sorted and get paving laid around the house. So, frugal living is essential.

Couldsavemore

Happy new year.
I did my first shop yesterday... spent 70 of my 200 food budget. Although I should get away with just buyibg bread and fruit/veg for the next couple of weeks.
Have some olio food to pick up on monday on the way home from work.
I've looked in my wardrobe... lots of tops but short on bottoms.. reckon that if I loose a stone I'll fit in 5 pairs of nice triusers and 4 pairs of nice shorts... so my weight loose will save me money... I'll also feel better about me.
To help I've jojned some virtual running races... I have all the running stuff and I miss racing.
Also started making a new work skirt from my material stash.. Again occupying myself for free.
Good luck all.

the_cross_rabbit

veggie stew and leek and potatoe soup made from veggies from the alloment and homemade bread for tea. One item sold via facebrook, £3 in the floor kitty.
CRx

3secondmemory

Looking for free entertainment, I signed up for the RSB Birdwatch for the end of the month. A quick Google is all it takes to find it 😃

KatyLovesCats

Nonnadiluca said:

Katy, have you tried Prolific Academic? I'd read about it a lot on these forums and signed up at the end of July and by yesterday I had earned just over £160 so am hoping for about £300 this year. DD signed up in September and has had over £80, so it's well worth doing if you have the time.

I haven't but I will look into it. Thank you!

[Deleted User]

Happy New Year frugalers. I hope you've all have a good one. OH and I have been out walking in the snow this afternoon, it's been a beautiful day.  

KatyLovesCats

HelpNeeded15 said:

KatyLovesCats said:

Good morning and Happy New Year. I have a bit of a problem. My yearly outgoings (as it stands) are higher than my incomings. I suspected they would be and there's also a lot of uncertainty with my money this year as well. I can certainly try and lower my energy & water DD's per month as I think they are set too high, I can cut down on my shopping per month (currently set at £140) I just need to be savvy with the food I already have and can reduce my 'extras' budget (which includes toiletries, cleaning products, clothes etc). When I think about it, I don't 'need' anything it's a case of want with me and this is where I've always fallen down. However, I'm no longer in a position to piddle about with money any longer so it's tough love for me now. I mentioned up-thread about that I had been offered a bank position job with the NHS, they are still doing all the bits and pieces they need to do behind the scenes so hopefully in a few weeks I can actually start doing a shift a week. That will help for sure. I'm locked into Sky and my broadband for another year and I've already tried to lower them and they're as low as they can go for now. In August my phone contract can be drastically lowered and can even sell the phone I have and get a lower priced one. As I also mentioned before, my DD turns 18 in May and the money I get for her will be gone (this is already factored into my calculations) I am not sure how long it rolls on for after she turns 18 or it just stops. I also have a bloody stupid Provident loan (I know!) that I could kick myself for taking out but it is what it is and it needs to be paid for. 

Sorry for the ramble, I just needed to get it all down. My calculations are as follows:

Incomings (as it stands) - £8088.72
Outgoings (as it stands) - £8665.72
Which equates to a deficit of £577.00
It's terrifying to look at (and think about) but I will work my behind off to get through it and hopefully very soon I'll be strong enough to come off ESA and earn more money to help me through this financial hell pit.

Hi Katy, I couldn't read your post without replying. Maybe this is something your thinking about? Is their anyway your provident loan can be negotiated? or any other debts if you have any and go through citizens advise for to them to negotiate payment back? i did this and yes it did hurt my credit scoring but I have managed to pay it off over 4 years and now my credit is being built back up. It looks like you are in a bit of a predicament. Maybe if you can get a loan/credit card that has less APR maybe look into paying it off and paying the new loan/credit card. 
Best of luck hun trying to sort it out, the main thing is you've made a start by looking at it next is having a plan xx

Ahh thank you, it was either that or bury my head in the sand and that can't happen so here we are. The stupid loan is due to be paid off in August (I'm currently £140 behind on it) but it's costing me £210 per month. My representative is very nice and understanding so I could see if I can lower the payments but I'd really like to just pay it off as soon as possible if I can and just cut back on everything else. I will have a talk with her though. My credit rating is quite poor so credit cards are out of the question. Thanks for your advice, Help xx

HelpNeeded15

KatyLovesCats said:

HelpNeeded15 said:

KatyLovesCats said:

Good morning and Happy New Year. I have a bit of a problem. My yearly outgoings (as it stands) are higher than my incomings. I suspected they would be and there's also a lot of uncertainty with my money this year as well. I can certainly try and lower my energy & water DD's per month as I think they are set too high, I can cut down on my shopping per month (currently set at £140) I just need to be savvy with the food I already have and can reduce my 'extras' budget (which includes toiletries, cleaning products, clothes etc). When I think about it, I don't 'need' anything it's a case of want with me and this is where I've always fallen down. However, I'm no longer in a position to piddle about with money any longer so it's tough love for me now. I mentioned up-thread about that I had been offered a bank position job with the NHS, they are still doing all the bits and pieces they need to do behind the scenes so hopefully in a few weeks I can actually start doing a shift a week. That will help for sure. I'm locked into Sky and my broadband for another year and I've already tried to lower them and they're as low as they can go for now. In August my phone contract can be drastically lowered and can even sell the phone I have and get a lower priced one. As I also mentioned before, my DD turns 18 in May and the money I get for her will be gone (this is already factored into my calculations) I am not sure how long it rolls on for after she turns 18 or it just stops. I also have a bloody stupid Provident loan (I know!) that I could kick myself for taking out but it is what it is and it needs to be paid for. 

Sorry for the ramble, I just needed to get it all down. My calculations are as follows:

Incomings (as it stands) - £8088.72
Outgoings (as it stands) - £8665.72
Which equates to a deficit of £577.00
It's terrifying to look at (and think about) but I will work my behind off to get through it and hopefully very soon I'll be strong enough to come off ESA and earn more money to help me through this financial hell pit.

Hi Katy, I couldn't read your post without replying. Maybe this is something your thinking about? Is their anyway your provident loan can be negotiated? or any other debts if you have any and go through citizens advise for to them to negotiate payment back? i did this and yes it did hurt my credit scoring but I have managed to pay it off over 4 years and now my credit is being built back up. It looks like you are in a bit of a predicament. Maybe if you can get a loan/credit card that has less APR maybe look into paying it off and paying the new loan/credit card. 
Best of luck hun trying to sort it out, the main thing is you've made a start by looking at it next is having a plan xx

Ahh thank you, it was either that or bury my head in the sand and that can't happen so here we are. The stupid loan is due to be paid off in August (I'm currently £140 behind on it) but it's costing me £210 per month. My representative is very nice and understanding so I could see if I can lower the payments but I'd really like to just pay it off as soon as possible if I can and just cut back on everything else. I will have a talk with her though. My credit rating is quite poor so credit cards are out of the question. Thanks for your advice, Help xx

It's ok, I've sort of been there, ex left me with debts and doesn't help with child maintenance I was paying the mortgage on my own too its been hard it was 4 years of struggle but you have made a start at that's the main thing. You will find a way, keep positive. xx

stellata

I ate a very frugal macaroni cheese for dinner which didnt have much cheese in, but i only had a small bag of grated in the freezer. also the LO half of a tin of evap so that went with the macaroni. I felt like I'd invented a new dish, macaroni evap . Ah well Ive had worse and i'm really trying not to go to the shops this month at all. Have got out some veg soup for tomorrow. 

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
Happy New Year
My first chunk was knocked off the credit this yesterday due to being paid a day early. I get paid weekly on a Friday. So due to having so much food left I’ve managed to pay £100 off this week.
Our frugal healthy eating/lose weight starts tomorrow with leftover lamb curry. Lunch will be either cheese and crackers ( we’ve a cheese glut at the moment) or home made soup for the next few days then we’ll work through the freezer and cupboards healthily only buying if absolutely necessary.
Good luck guys