2021 Frugal Living Challenge

Shopaholic_no_more

Hi All

I have fallen off the wagon a bit lately and I definitely benefit from keeping up to date with everyone on here!

I have recently signed up to YNAB and after a few false starts I seem to be getting the hang of it now. Anyone else on here use it? You do have to pay for the privilege to use it these days but it is becoming so handy for me and making me check everything that I feel it is worth it.  

Also, just discovered an app called Latest Deals and looks to be quite a good one. Great reviews…so will be checking this out as well.

Still, have my 2 credit cards to pay off and one in particular is going in the wrong direction…..😭… but we had an emergency vet bill after discovering my 15 year old cat has chronic kidney disease 😪.

This is why I need something like YNAB as it keeps me mindful of where my money is going. I’ve tried to do it by myself but sadly I need pushing….hence paying for it makes me more likely to use it. 🤷‍♀️

Hope everyone is well
Enjoy the rest of the day 😃

joedenise

I use YNAB and have done for years, think it was 2014 when I bought mine so I'm still using the Classic version so I paid a lump sum of £60, which at the time I thought was expensive but glad I did now so that I don't have to pay out every month now that I've retired.  I agree it really does help to keep you focused - I'd be lost without it!

Shopaholic_no_more

joedenise said:

I use YNAB and have done for years, think it was 2014 when I bought mine so I'm still using the Classic version so I paid a lump sum of £60, which at the time I thought was expensive but glad I did now so that I don't have to pay out every month now that I've retired.  I agree it really does help to keep you focused - I'd be lost without it!

@joedenise...brilliant! I don't pay monthly ...I am going to do it yearly...so I have a goal set up in my categories so the money should be there when it comes round again 😃🙌

I am hearing very good things about it although the focusing bit took a while for me 😆🤦‍♀️

willow_loulou

£7 food budget this week. We’ve things we can use in the
fridge and freezer so I’m just getting bread, milk and a few ingredients. I’m only working Friday so will have time to cook properly. Fingers crossed I keep to it! 

t14cy_t

just collected potatoes, lemons, peppers and apples free on a local fb page. lemon curd here we come!!! 

Jellytotts

Hello all, I've been reading along for a few weeks but thought it was time to jump in.

We (DH and I) are trying to be very aware of our finances, our outgoings and our impact on the planet.  We are already avid freecyclers, use Olio where we can (hit and miss here) and try and reuse everything.  We have an allotment plot that hasn't be used as much as it should this year and a very large garden so grow lots at home too.  We are great scavengers and all our raised beds are made with scrap wood and we've collected free water butts and composters from freecycle.  

Food waste is minimal, any left over cat food and suitable scraps get fed to our resident foxes and I can't remember the last time we used our kerb side food waste bin.  Olio is very sporadic here and mostly bread and pastries but seeing as I'm coeliac it's not helpful.  But last autumn it was amazing for veg so fingers crossed it goes that way again.

Ive lost a lot of weight recently thanks to a medical issue and have needed to replace my entire wardrobe (3 dress sizes down), I only ever buy new underwear and socks but everything else is charity shops finest.  Ive managed to get enough clothes (I expect to go down at least another size yet) to make do for £11 and this week someone was offering 4 black sacks of mixed sized clothes on freecycle.  They provided me with some lovely stuff in my current size and next size down.  

We live in a small bungalow (downsized from a big 3 bed semi) and have been refurbishing it ourselves.  Kitchen has been built from scratch, no flat packs here.  I've made curtains, I've sanded and refinished wooden floors and laid tiles.  Ive been up ladders painting the exterior and Ive been laying concrete and tarmac and repairing pointing.  If I don't know how to do something myself then I'll watch a few you tube videos and work it out. 

We had solar panels fitted last year and earlier this year we collected our electric car.  It's currently cost us £8 extra in electric over 3 months to charge (trying to charge during the day when the panels are doing their thing) 

DH is unable to work due to disability, thanks to a car accident 10 years ago so took early retirement and we have a very small income but equally small outgoings thanks to our frugal lifestyle.  

Having read about community larders on here I've just looked up to see if we have one and we do! I shall pop along during the week and see what it's all about (online info for it is very scant).

I'm looking forward to reading along and to being around like minded people on here.

willow_loulou

Very cool @Jellytotts I love the can do attitude. 

I just got given 5 more empty jars, that’s all the storage I need covered and one to put by for potential pickle experiments. 

Found a £5 voucher in my emails for Hcraft so taking a trip there Monday for some yarn and material.  Christmas present production will commence next weekend. 

mumof3.12kindebt

Morning frugal friends.

Car bill means we need to be even more frugal than we are currently. 🙄

I will try and get stuff listed for sale this week too, I've picked up some extra hours at work so that's a bonus. But it's not enough to cover the cost hopefully by the end of the month I would of made enough money to cover the cost. 

Will go back through spreadsheet and bank accounts and see what else can be cut too. 

Have a lovely weekend 

balabooberlies

Welcome Jellytots

great inspirational attitude

bala

t14cy_t

bumper bounty on our walk this morning!!! some people are funny!! came home with 3 tins tuna, 6 packets crisps, jar nutella, 2 tubs custard, a bar of fancy chocolate, 3 different takeaways and 5p for the pot!! zeus will soon need a trailer!! just cant understand why or how people waste so much, alien to me!!