2022 Frugal Living Challenge

Kim1965

Lots of tips on here, having read the thread not many people give a total of 21 spending and spending aim for 22.
Its difficult to quantify peoples success at being frugal

Kim1965

How many have set saving targets? And how is it going? 

nannygladys

I lead a frugal lifestyle as I'm on a fixed state pension and have no private pension. So after I have put money away for all direct debits and a fixed amount for annual bills and as much I dare towards the window and door canopy I have to live on what's left. Thank goodness I own my own house and don't have any debt, I do run a car though, and also grow veggies on an allotment. At present any money left over from my grocery 'Jar' goes on building food stocks up, and I do have an emergency fund I don't touch, but mainly all my money is allocated to something, so I have to be frugal to stay solvent, can I just say it has taken me a fair while to be this organised and strict with myself, but I think it's worth it for peace of mind.
Nannyg

2Scratters

@cuddlymarm re the soup quantity in the freezer. I have much veg soup but have started to pickup chicken thighs. DH doesn't like either so not an issue. I have started to add the chicken to the veg soup it give it a good bulk and it also gives me the benefit of adding different types of herbs and spices.

MazzieD

Just out of interest has anyone received their £150 Council Tax rebate yet?.

Mine is supposedly due by the end of April so should be this week but I'm not holding my breath!!

cw18

Not yet, but my council have only said they plan to START making payments by the end of the month.

Floss

Mine is due next week, w/c 2nd May

2Scratters

What I don't understand about the rebate (pardon me for having some common sense or forbid my cynicism) Why was it not simply knocked off the bill? Would it not be more cost effective the the council to have done this (!!!!!! the staff welfare who have to deal with it) Or are they hoping a very lot of people will fail to claim it back and save some coffers. 

tooldle

My council have paid out. I received mine a week ago, direct into my bank account. Doubly glad that we downsized our property, less of it to heat and the CT rebate.

Bluegreen143

Here in Scotland you get it off your bill, it’s come off my April bill which was reduced to a lovely £7.44!

In terms of quantifying success… I haven’t posted figures on here because I’ve not been all that frugal this year 😆 it’s by design mainly as our income is higher and I’m choosing to invest in my health and wellbeing. I still find this thread incredibly inspiring and helpful though. I also need to keep costs in other areas low so I can afford my priority areas.

My budget/spending is regularly posted on my diary so I’m not hiding anything @kim1968 but just not sure it’s that helpful for others to post it on here when I’m not 100% all in for the frugal living challenge.

Savings targets - aim is to save £2k emergency fund and £3k towards some work we’re getting done in the house, once the work is done it’ll be aiming to get to £5k emergency fund.

Our car totally failed and needed scrapped a month ago so our savings were reduced £3k to buy a new car (meaning we took on no debt), or else we’d have been very close by now. But that’s what emergency savings are for! 

Currently at just over £1k in savings again (not counting £1,700 help to save which I won’t touch til the account is finished as you don’t get the bonus otherwise). So not quite back to the start, and we’ll get there sooner or later!