2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Sallyp2

[Deleted User] said:

Hi folks, I am on a frugal mission just now as I feel I have fallen off the wagon recently.  Last month alone OH burned through his money and and extra £200.  We need to rethink how we budget and how we are spending.  The first few days after pay day went ok but we are off track again.  I am going to set myself a July (rest of July) challange to minimise spending.

1.  If it's in my local area - walk there!  OH and I are too much in the habit of getting in the car.  Walking is free and we need the exercise.  This includes getting our weekly food shopping.  

2.  No eating out for the rest of the month.  This will be quite hard as I am on Summer break just now and friends will want to catch up.  I will invite them to mine or suggest we meet in the park and take a picnic.

3.  No takeaways for the rest of the month.

4.  Make use of the facilities we have already paid for - like the swimming pool, gym, oh and my Yoga mat!

5.  If we must use the car save all errands to be done in one journey rather than jump in the car every time for single journeys.

6.  Eat what we actually have planned that day.  Drink water from the tap.  Put it in the nice glass bottles we have to make it appealing.

7.  Do a freezer and pantry inventory and plan meals around what we have first.  

8.  Set a challenge of zero spent for the rest of the month on entertainment and £30 per week for food.

9.  Post on here regulalry for accountability and inspiration.

Good luck, keep going, it's hard saving £££
Keep posting updates. See also the July No Spend Challenge thread and July grocery challenge thread. Think they are on the old style money saving board. A search will throw them up

QueenJess

Some small wins today:
- Found some second hand jumpers for the local school that DS is going to in September for £1.50 each (full price is £9.50 for new ones).
- The in laws are coming round this weekend. I already have a large pile of meringues in the freezer (I make them each time I open a tin of chickpeas with the water) and so will just add yogurt (already in the fridge), free redcurrants from the garden and some shop bought strawberries for a dessert (I ate all the ones in the garden!).
- Need a book bag for DS for September. Found a free one we got from the book trust back when he was born. Saved £1, but it all helps and we don't use it anyway.
- DS also needs a PE bag and I don't have anything suitable. Mentioned to DH and he pulled one out of his wardrobe DS can have (DH has lots of tat..). Another £1 saved.

Edit: should have also said that in laws are going to be fed dinner from existing freezer/cupboard stocks: fish, chips and peas (or baked beans). Only thing bought was strawberries for a two course dinner

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Now that is what I call shopping from ‘stores’ QueenJess 👏🙂

[Deleted User]

Hi,

I’m new to MSE and have spent the last few weeks reading through all 246 pages of this thread and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

We have been in super frugal mode for years now. Initially, I reduced our spending (by tracking and budgeting) and then I started looking for work which fitted around our family. I also encouraged my husband to pick up more work. Through this, we have drastically reduced our mortgage and will pay it off at the end of the year.  We are on the home straight to being mortgage free but last month I fell off the wagon. This thread has encouraged me to continue as it’s lovely to see a community of like-minded people. I have picked up tips from the thread and I love seeing how everyone makes every penny count whilst still enjoying their life.

I would love to join your inspirational community if possible.

fionaandphil

We are also 'shopping from stores' as we've just gone into isolation as we've had another outbreak at school.  Its a good reason to make use of what we have and use up what is in the freezers and cupboards.  I'm hoping that the weather will stay nice and we will at least be able to get out into the garden and we are lucky that myself and DH are WFH now.  Hope you all have a great weekend.

And welcome @Freetosave there is always lots of inspiration on here

willow_loulou

Of course @Freetosave you’re most welcome! 

I may have bought a couple of things I didn’t need (a puzzle and a magazine) but it was another prophetic moment from me as we have had an app ping and are isolating! I now have no excuse to not tidy my room and declutter some more. I just can’t tip it for a while if no one wants my junk. 

I’m going to leave my pc on and see if I can prolific my spends money back 😂

[Deleted User]

Thank you to everyone for welcoming me.

Sorry to hear that some of you are back in isolation. I hope that the sun keeps shining for you.

I never share the frugal things that I do because although it seems normal to me it isn’t to most people. However, I thought I’d share them here as it helps me to stay motivated!

Todays frugal endeavours:

1. Went to L*dl and picked up bread and jam for our road trip to go stay with friends rather purchase food on the way. We’re having 2 “holidays” this Summer but both are with friends and family so accommodation is free! (we’re also doing a night at a theme park but it is far from free).
2. Picked up a fruit and veg box at L*dl so between this, stores already in and the garden produce, I decide to cancel my veg boxes from the farm for July. Trying to keep food shop costs down to cover holiday costs.
3. Chose this L*dl as it allowed us to park for free to go to the play park.
4. Made slow cooker soup with veg, quinoa and dried beans.
5. Line dried 5 loads of washing.
6. Instead of buying new school shirts for my children I used a clothes whitener (husbands idea) and it’s brought them up sparkly white. Will also leave on the line for a while to let the Sun bleach them more.
7. Instead of buying new school jumpers I am currently dyeing them in the washing machine with a pair of old jeans. They will look good as new!
8. Took a packed lunch/water bottles to the park and my children bought sweets with their monthly allowance.
9. Husband picked up a 25p bag of spinach to add some greens to the soup.
10. Gratefully accepted a rhubarb crown from my neighbour.
11. Would love to have the monoblock around the house professionally cleaned and sanded but it would take money away from our goal to be mortgage free this year so instead I use a little hand tool each week and clean between the blocks to keep them weed-free. Also had a garden weed and cut the grass.
12. My husband looked after the tomato plants to ensure they put their energy into the fruit.

So cool to share my frugal routines and ideas! We’ve got more planned for tomorrow as a family.

-taff

Borrow a pressure washer and a bag of sand, it'll be cheaper.

[Deleted User]

-taff said:

Borrow a pressure washer and a bag of sand, it'll be cheaper.

Thanks for the idea. We were gifted a pressure washer a few years ago but the sand won’t be in my budget until the mortgage is gone. So hopefully next Summer 😀.

savingmore

Freetosave said:

Thank you to everyone for welcoming me.



Sorry to hear that some of you are back in isolation. I hope that the sun keeps shining for you.

I never share the frugal things that I do because although it seems normal to me it isn’t to most people. However, I thought I’d share them here as it helps me to stay motivated!

Todays frugal endeavours:

1. Went to L*dl and picked up bread and jam for our road trip to go stay with friends rather purchase food on the way. We’re having 2 “holidays” this Summer but both are with friends and family so accommodation is free! (we’re also doing a night at a theme park but it is far from free).
2. Picked up a fruit and veg box at L*dl so between this, stores already in and the garden produce, I decide to cancel my veg boxes from the farm for July. Trying to keep food shop costs down to cover holiday costs.
3. Chose this L*dl as it allowed us to park for free to go to the play park.
4. Made slow cooker soup with veg, quinoa and dried beans.
5. Line dried 5 loads of washing.
6. Instead of buying new school shirts for my children I used a clothes whitener (husbands idea) and it’s brought them up sparkly white. Will also leave on the line for a while to let the Sun bleach them more.
7. Instead of buying new school jumpers I am currently dyeing them in the washing machine with a pair of old jeans. They will look good as new!
8. Took a packed lunch/water bottles to the park and my children bought sweets with their monthly allowance.
9. Husband picked up a 25p bag of spinach to add some greens to the soup.
10. Gratefully accepted a rhubarb crown from my neighbour.
11. Would love to have the monoblock around the house professionally cleaned and sanded but it would take money away from our goal to be mortgage free this year so instead I use a little hand tool each week and clean between the blocks to keep them weed-free. Also had a garden weed and cut the grass.
12. My husband looked after the tomato plants to ensure they put their energy into the fruit.

So cool to share my frugal routines and ideas! We’ve got more planned for tomorrow as a family.

Delurking 😀😀. Been reading this thread for a while and decided to come out and comment today.   I love hearing how everyone saves pennies.  We are in throes of saving every penny we can for retirement, hopefully in two years, or earlier if finances add up.  I try to save every Penny I can, whilst still living.  So if I fancy a cup coffee out and resist and make own, I squirrel away the savings into an online investment account.  It is a great incentive seeing that account increase every month 😀.   Keep the ideas and motivation coming everyone 😀