2021 Frugal Living Challenge

elbree

Frugaldom said:

Great that you have joined OLi0, Bala. I joined it a couple of years ago but it's only been in the past year or so that there has been anyone near enough me to enable me to become an active member. There's a section in the app that tells you how much you would have saved if you had paid full price for the free food. Mine is currently sitting at £1,921 so it is quite incredible what you can 'rescue' from there.

I've just been looking at setting up the 2022 challenge and suddenly realised that we have a major anniversary! 2022 will be our 15th year of running the challenge on MSE!  It's been 23 years since I began publishing moneysaving challenges but 15 years here is quite a milestone, especially as some of you have been with us since the start!  I believe that 15th anniversaries are celebrated with crystal, so 2022 is about making things crystal clear that to achieve debt freedom you need to prioritise and learn the bottom line in separating needs from wants. My own household became totally debt free 15 years ago but I decided then to continue with the lifestyle and save every unspent penny to invest in a project that would see me through to retirement and beyond. For newcomers, this may sound like a lifetime but trust me when I say it is a lifeSTYLE and one that I won't ever abandon. The rewards are far too great and the freedom to live life the way you want is why we do this.

Some of you may have followed the journey, which has included investing in property, others who join us here can probably find enough reading material linked to page 1 of this challenge to last throughout the year. So, without further ado, I propse to set up the new challenge this coming weekend. I hope you will all join me there and help make 2022 an absolutely dazzling crystal clear year of frugal living.

Congratulations @Frugaldom! I read along daily and am always inspired. I'm debt free after many years of paying back (how I wish I had found the forum then!) However, I still believed money was for spending but after months of inspiration I actually have savings - I'm not sure what my long term goal is yet but when I come up with it at least I'll have a starting point. Thank you! 

mumtoomany

Morning all. Been reading along, but our internet has been too slow to post! Ran a speed test a few days ago on the bt site, it didn't even register as they start at 1! Or download speed that day was 0.27!
Lovely to see everyone's budgets for next year. Am working on ours. Our income will fall again at Easter. Youngest DVD will start full time school, so a little less childcare, although it will free up some more time for planting vegetables. 
We no longer have to pay for driving lessons for DD3. She has, at her fourth attempt, passed her driving test. Still have a problem with her car, it's still overheating. In the last few weeks the car has had a core plug replaced, new clutch, new cam belt, new manifold, new head gasket. OH is out fixing it now. At least we only had to pay for the parts, OH does all the work, with a little help from me. 
We have a new, to us, dishwasher. £70, from the heart foundation shop. The last one was on its last legs, bought third hand nearly twenty years ago. Also a greater room same shop for a fiver. This morning got a fridge freezer for free. Handy as yesterday we slaughtered a ewe. 
For whoever was was asking about fire wood, we buy ours from the local building firm. He sells Ton bags of off cuts for £25, even delivers them if you buy several. We usually have eight a year. 
Hugs to any that need them,speak soon, mumtoomany.

willow_loulou

I actually couldn’t rest last night until my pip went into my bank account. I’m going shopping tonight for 3 households, I’m glad I’ll have the money. Will be taking another few £ of uht milk and tins (plus a tin each of dog/cat food) to the community larder. I can’t bear the thought of people struggling right now. It’s amazing what you can get in Aldi for £3 or so. 

I’ve been trying to sort next years finances. Having looked at last year on frugaldoms £4000 minus the non reducables I’m amazed to find I only spent 6000 or there abouts on food, bills, electric, the car etc - the rest of my very low income went on paying off debts and buying some much needed things like my dishwasher. 

So I think I can easily aim for 5000 over the year. Which should  allow me to clear my debt and save. If I manage to beat that and get near 4 I’ll be so chuffed. But I’m giving myself grace this year with the increase in fuel and travel etc. 

Blimey I’m quite excited! 

[Deleted User]

Hi frugal friends,

Since my pledge on the 14th not to spend any money until January, I am pleased to report success so far. I have also tweaked the food shop that is due on the 20th so it is £4.50 cheaper than it was 😊

Today is a lazy day here and I’m thoroughly enjoying the rest. I’ve chopped a small amount of wood (enough for this afternoon and evening), collected eggs, and will bake a cake tonight whilst the oven is cooking my sausages. I have sliced oranges drying atop the woodburner and a book at my side.

Tomorrow, the chicken hut will be deep cleaned and I will be batch cooking Yorkshire puddings to make some headway in egg mountain.

Hugs to all, keep going and remember, Christmas is just one day and not worth getting into debt or stressed about xx

[Deleted User]

@Frugaldom I am looking forward to reading  about your foray into off grid living. Having been without power for nine days due to the storms, there were elements of it that I found really tricky but others that I could adapt to. My main issue was lighting and the amount of candles we need after dark and the associated cost. On that note, do people have frugal ideas with regard to candles? Does anybody make their own? 

 I am cooking on top of the wood burner a lot more nowadays. As I type, the pasta is simmering away nicely on top (I decided  against baking a cake, and I can’t justify putting the oven on for just a few sausages for me) xx

willow_loulou

I get most of my candles second hand - usually 50p -£1 from various charity shops. Lots are unwanted gifts I think though my last win was a 6 pack of church candles for 50p. I bought a couple that were dusty and didn’t look particularly nice but they washed up in cool
water just fine. I did consider making my own but found the ingredients too expensive. I have a selection of holders and I bought a snuffer for £1 as some candles that are cheap can spit if you blow them. 

If you have a flying tiger near you they do good candles at reasonable prices too. 

Scottiedog_3

I love "proper" wax candles but detest soy candles  - naffness personified. 🤨
Added to explain that I have a friend who keeps gifting me soy candles. The smell is awful and they are probably quite expensive.  I can't think how to tell her tactfully that the smell makes me feel ill.

Tanya12345

Evening All, fab progress everyone ! I'm in awe of your budgets, absolutely determined to stay on top of it all this year. Got some stuff to do to the house....... I have a good income and minimal debt but the  money just seems to seep away !! 
Yay Frugaldom on the hut - really good news xx

balabooberlies

willow_loulou said:

I actually couldn’t rest last night until my pip went into my bank account. I’m going shopping tonight for 3 households, I’m glad I’ll have the money. Will be taking another few £ of uht milk and tins (plus a tin each of dog/cat food) to the community larder. I can’t bear the thought of people struggling right now. It’s amazing what you can get in Aldi for £3 or so. 

I’ve been trying to sort next years finances. Having looked at last year on frugaldoms £4000 minus the non reducables I’m amazed to find I only spent 6000 or there abouts on food, bills, electric, the car etc - the rest of my very low income went on paying off debts and buying some much needed things like my dishwasher. 

So I think I can easily aim for 5000 over the year. Which should  allow me to clear my debt and save. If I manage to beat that and get near 4 I’ll be so chuffed. But I’m giving myself grace this year with the increase in fuel and travel etc. 

Blimey I’m quite excited! 

Really impressive Willow

you all inspire me.

bala

x

marionmgcars

willow_loulou said:

I get most of my candles second hand - usually 50p -£1 from various charity shops. Lots are unwanted gifts I think though my last win was a 6 pack of church candles for 50p. I bought a couple that were dusty and didn’t look particularly nice but they washed up in cool
water just fine. I did consider making my own but found the ingredients too expensive. I have a selection of holders and I bought a snuffer for £1 as some candles that are cheap can spit if you blow them. 

If you have a flying tiger near you they do good candles at reasonable prices too. 

A tip I read to clean dusty candles, was to rub surface with nylon.  I use the nylon net packaging from orange bags.  They are also great knitted to clean baking dishes then thrown out, rather than fill the scouter full of food goo.