2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Sallyp2

Siebrie said:

Couldsavemore said:

Solar panels are definately not cheap but will pay for themselves long term.
I would like enough free electricity to run my house and an electric car... eventually...

Are you sure? They last about 25 years, need care in the meantime, may break. We only use €120/month on gas and electricity per month and for us, it would have taken about 60 years before it would have paid for itself. Even more, now that the Belgian government has made a decision about not rewarding the meters running backwards.

Sorry for delay in commenting on this - it’s taking ages to read through the thread to date
We have a solar panel hot water system and it is a total PITA!!
it has to be serviced every year, £250, spare parts are not included in that. Also there are very few plumbers who service solar systems, so they have you over a barrel.The savings on hot water heating are much less than the servicing and maintenance costs. If I could remove it I would. 

willow_loulou

Bargain birthday gifting from me today. I bought a parlour palm and gifted it in a clay pot I already had - it looked fab. Wrapped in the box my live herbs came in from Ocado. I also gave them a bottle or Prosecco I had and won’t drink. Wrapped in recycled tissue. Plus a bargain funny card. Total cost £3:49! Very pleased with that. Payday tomorrow. Thank heavens! 

skint_chick

Just back from 2 weeks visiting my elderly parents on a huge road trip - haven't seen them since Feb 2020 so it was nice to reassure myself they are still doing OK, despite my dad having been in hospital a few times. Had a couple of nights stays in Travelodges (£27 a night with Cashback on Quidco coming off this too) and we took our sandwich toaster and had toasties and made picnics for some hiking days too. It was just lovely to be finally able to get back to hiking after shielding and having horrible sciatica, tight muscles, and pain last year. Only spends were a couple of beers at the pub with friends and taking my parents out to lunch in a pub garden, plus petrol for the trip. A lot cheaper than our usual holidays and OH and I actually both enjoyed the journey and talking to each other and spending more time together than usual.

Despite pubs etc being open again my friends are all so used to having each other over to gardens we've just continued to do that, so I've been a bit more social but not spent any more money. Got a new pair of Nike trainers at an outlet for £19.97 on a 30% off special, and a pack of trainer socks from Primark for £2 but the rest of my wardrobe is 2019's summer outfits again since no-one saw them last year and I've managed to lose my lockdown weight gain. The hot weather has given me a chance to finally use all the ice cube trays I have, and I've cut back on caffeinated drinks in favour of plain tap water with a bit of sugar free squash and lots of ice, in a reusable cup with a stainless steel straw it almost feels like a store bought drink.

willow_loulou

Toasty maker in a hotel room. Genius!! Banking that @skint_chick Cheers! 

Just transferred every penny remaining into my loan account and £12 into emergency/garden fund. Feels good to see it go down.
I also had a surprise, I moved my 2 lemon saplings (in same pot) and to my amazement there’s another shooting up! Could be cherry or lemon. So excited! 

willow_loulou

Tumble dryer died 🙄 
I’ve decided to try a heated airer as they’re cheaper to buy and to run. I found Lakeland have a reconditioned service on eBay so got one half price with warranty. It’s on the credit card as I’ve not budgeted for it. But I’ll shave the food budget etc. Sigh! Still it’s a 3rd of the cost of a dryer. 

elbree

Very sensible @willow_loulou! I'm sure you can soon chip it away from the CC. Back from camping which was lovely weather and was glad I had done proper research on what to spend my money on and what to not bother with. Almost a whole week of NSDs too, I don't normally manage that on a school holiday! Some camping food to polish off so trying to resist popping to the shops until back at school. 

skint_chick

willow_loulou said:

Toasty maker in a hotel room. Genius!! Banking that @skint_chick Cheers! 

We also took a small kitchen knife, small chopping board, a plastic picnic plate, bowl, and cup each, travel cutlery and straw set, teatowel, travel bottle with washing up liquid, cleaning brush and a wet bag for storage. We had our cool bag with cheese slices, ham slices, travel bottle filled with ketchup, little squash'd bottle for making drinks in our reusable Decathlon bottles, and a selection of food bags for picnics and sealing leftovers. Our toastie maker is actually a panini press so you can do subs and ciabattas as well as regular bread, it was £7.99 from Argos! I would definitely take it next time, it saved a fortune on getting takeaways and eating out and it felt less heavy than eating a full main course in a restaurant.

Wraithlady

Although not quite as appliance-heavy as yours, skint_chick, we always take our picnic rucksack (£5 from a motorway service station, reduced to clear) when we go anywhere - which apart from the usual plastic plates and cups, also has pretty much the same stuff as you, as well as coffee bags, a bottle of squash (diluted),several teaspoons, salt and pepper in little clip-top boxes and a bag of sugar sachets (rescued from various hotel stays). Perishable food lives in the coolbag.

It's saved us a fortune in lunches out over the years

annieb64

We have a picnic rucksack like that too although minus the squash. It also includes a corkscrew, rubbish bags, napkins and klippits . Over the years it has saved us a fortune too .Last year we had to stay in a Travel Lodge  for two nights while we attended my Dad's funeral. Normally we would have stayed  with or at least eaten with family but couldn't  because of the restrictions.  We took food with us for the first night and breakfasts then got a takeaway  pizza for the second night. 
I might take our panini/sandwich maker with us in future.

willow_loulou

I usually take coffee, instant porridge pots, a set of plastic cutlery and nibbles. You lot are geniuses I swear! Lol