2021 Frugal Living Challenge

StrawberrySuze

Pixiehouse55 said:

I've not had chance to get on here yet this year. Payday for us tomorrow so let the fun begin.  £449.67  left in the bank from last month's pay, that will go on paying extra on our mortgage this month. I need to sit down and do the spreadsheet for wages coming in and what's going out for this year. Hubby retires in July. Selling our house (fingers crossed) buying our narrowboat and living on the canals. That is our plan. Hope it all goes to plan, knowing our luck there will be a crash in the market and we won't get the price we want. Happy Days are on the way. Keep safe everyone X 

Sounds like a good plan 😊 I watched a program tonight 'Bargain Hunters on Benefits ' not a typical benefits program! There was a couple on there that had done what you are planning to do, she is an artist and he does some freelance IT work. They both work on the boat, very cozy! and sell the art on the towpath when they moor up. They move on every day so they don't have mooring fees. I'd quite fancy it but would want to stay a few days in each place and fees can be quite a lot especially around here.

Do you think you will move on every day or stay a while? Have you done narrowboating before? You must be quite excited 🤗 

Pixiehouse55

StrawberrySuze said:

Pixiehouse55 said:

I've not had chance to get on here yet this year. Payday for us tomorrow so let the fun begin.  £449.67  left in the bank from last month's pay, that will go on paying extra on our mortgage this month. I need to sit down and do the spreadsheet for wages coming in and what's going out for this year. Hubby retires in July. Selling our house (fingers crossed) buying our narrowboat and living on the canals. That is our plan. Hope it all goes to plan, knowing our luck there will be a crash in the market and we won't get the price we want. Happy Days are on the way. Keep safe everyone X 

Sounds like a good plan 😊 I watched a program tonight 'Bargain Hunters on Benefits ' not a typical benefits program! There was a couple on there that had done what you are planning to do, she is an artist and he does some freelance IT work. They both work on the boat, very cozy! and sell the art on the towpath when they moor up. They move on every day so they don't have mooring fees. I'd quite fancy it but would want to stay a few days in each place and fees can be quite a lot especially around here.

Do you think you will move on every day or stay a while? Have you done narrowboating before? You must be quite excited 🤗 

Hi @StrawberrySuze. We plan to be CC (continous cruisers) so we can moor up wherever we want but no mooring fees.  I think I'm right in saying that you can moor up along the canal but not in the marinas where you do pay. Only 1 night, but I guess you could go along a short distance then moor up again like a mile or so away so you could stay sort of same place? . Yes we've had a few holidays on a narrowboat andcloved it. Hubby will be on the tiller and I will be doing the locks. Its all very exciting but a hell of a downsize. Its going to be hard deciding what stuff out of my craft room I can take with me, also what clothes I choose to take with me as there won't be a lot of storage on the boat. So we are on countdown now. My friends giggle on fb  when we put 190 days but no one comments as they know I've not told my daughter yet!! Valid reason why I havnt yet. Oh well, bed time. I will pop on and update when I can. 

MazzieD

Had an uneventful trip to L*dl this morning.  Due to my lack of success on Olio have decided to concentrate on L*dl's fruit and veg boxes as they always have some each day in my local one, got a nice selection this morning.  No shortages of anything but noticed some price rises now on a few things I normally buy.  Still, happy with my grocery spends this month despite stocking up with all the cleaning and toiletries which pushed it up a bit.  Hopefully shouldn't need to go again this month unless it's for another box of fruit and veg!.

Apart from that, just working and trying to get out in the garden.  Cold weather has turned to rain so not much chance at the moment.  

Interesting that all the non food items are still there on Olio, nothing seems to be shifting so wondering if people are having the same thoughts about whether items are 'essential'.  

MandM90

Went to see the money pit new house last night with surveyor. He thinks we were lucky to get it for that price (let's see if bank agrees) and kept commenting what a lovely plot, village and unusual property it is . Took DD for the first time - she was very impressed. Wants us to turn the snooker room into a party room for her. No chance, there will be a bar going in though!
It was £695 for the survey, but apart from that no spends yesterday. Made carrot soup for lunch and spaghetti for supper. DD is going to make us a veggie stew and dumplings for supper, doing super well with meal planning and it feels good to be back on the wagon.
Unfortunately work is relentless but they are couriering me a screen, laptop stand, keyboard etc (I only joined in December) and I've plans to buy another desk as we only have one and I'm typing this now perched up on DD's electric piano...she has the dining table for her home schooling. Getting a better position for my back/neck will certainly make it less stressful.

nannygladys

Hi everyone, I get paid tomorrow so just started my accounts and done ok this pay period considered it contained Christmas. I just have one birthday this month and Im afraid it will be money in a card as Im not going shopping for presents! I will be going food shopping next week  but I will last out as long as I can, weighed myself this morning and its no more cake and biscuit making for me for a bit lol!!
Off to heat up my veggie stew I made yesterday, there will be enough for tomorrow as well.
Nannyg

wishus

Up early this morning to get Job 2 freelance work done, but it has mostly been Windows updates. I think I've spent 3 days clearing the junk on this laptop trying to get it to work better. Sadly, I think my free 'read aloud' software is probably slowing down the functionality. I only downloaded it because it stopped working in Word. I suppose I should fix that properly...
I had some good news - more pay from next month to go with my 'new' job (same job, different part of the company, team 'restructure')! We think hubby might be about to lose his job though as he has not got his contract yet so would miss out on furlough... got so much to fix in this house so we hope that won't happen. 
We are trying to use up our food wisely. Manky banana got turned into breakfast muffins to make it a good grab-n-go brekkie for hubby, last night's dinner was 'surprise turkey rice' as I had half a portion of turkey mince and a quarter tin of pinto beans in the freezer  and today we are having plaice from the Morrison's £5 fish box we got a few months back. My least favourite fish, but it can't stay like Finding Nemo on Ice forever. Come on, Wishus, it's good, solid nutrition!

MandM90

Last night DD (12) made a recipe from the Veganuary budget plan - root veg stew with herby dumplings. It was priced at 57p a service and it was deliiiiicious. We will make it again but double the stew and triple the dumplings to make enough for lunch the next day. All I need to make sure I have in is fresh parsley and root veg as the rest are storecupboard ingredients. Winner winner notchicken dinner!
Woke at 4 today (baby again!) so made apple and blueberry crumble, blueberries from the freezer, and a bean chilli for later. So that's done!

joedenise

@MandM90 I wouldn't worry about the fresh parsley dried parsley will work just as well in the herby dumplings (or if you want to put it in the stew!).

I've got some leek in the fridge so am going to make a creamy leek and barley soup.  It's made using coconut milk which I always freeze in 100ml portions when I open a can so that came out of the freezer this morning!

willow_loulou

Morning. I have a splitting headache today so I’m glad to be sat in the car whilst DD has an appointment. The fresh air is helping. 

I spent sometime on budgets yesterday (payday Friday) I have more money left than I expected so as we’re out I’m going to top up the electric meter and transfer the equivalent Friday into EF. 2 birds! 

I finally got my seed area sorted out by the back door. Lots planted and the free mint I stuck in water a while ago one has really rooted well so I potted it up. 

fiwen30

Morning all. Rocky start to the year so far - partner had an annual charge come out for Norton Antivirus that he’d forgotten about, to the tune of £85! It had an offer on last year for about £20, which is why we got it. He’s not pleased, but it’s still the best thing out there, and covers all our devices, so I’ve just put it down as an expense to remember for next year. Also had to clear the last £50 off his credit card, from Xmas spends.

Dog is going to start costing even more of a small fortune, due to the vet physio coming out and finally having a diagnosis for his 7 week lameness - 2 damaged cruciate ligaments. She’s optimistic, and we’re going with holistic treatments, hydrotherapy, and increased pain medication for now, before looking at surgical options. Trying to sock away as much as we can for when that time comes, but we’re running out of places in the budget to cut down.

Am furloughed for 6 weeks for the first time (NI lockdown), and I’ve absolutely no idea what amount I’m going to get paid at the end of the month. I’m part time, and my contracted 8 hours/week fluctuate between about 11 - 28 hours/week, in the run up to Christmas last year. So goodness knows what is going to land in my account, but it can’t come soon enough!