2022 Frugal Living Challenge

EskarinaWeatherwax

Hi everyone

Great to see your news @t14cy_t! That’s a win

NSD here and a few olio collects arranged for tomorrow.

I’m not sure why but I’m shattered at the moment. The good thing is, early
nights are very frugal! 

Sweetlittledaydreams

10% mortgage overpayment made!! I do feel like I should get myself something as a little treat but not sure if I want to break my no buy run just yet. I'm very lucky that houses are cheaper round here than the national average and I was able to buy a doer upper at a reasonable price, and have a Dad who was able to help with a lot of the work. Feel like I should celebrate but I'm also in pain so it's a hot bath, a glass of gin at home and probably an early night, it's a very rock and roll lifestyle I lead!!
So far this month I've had a £75 win on the premium bonds and a £50 switching reward card from the Internet company, also got some items listed for sale but no interest yet. Going to take a look at the from £9.50 newspaper holidays and see if I can get some friends interested - looks like a great price for accommodation for a fun holiday. Was looking at Christmas breaks in the Highlands yesterday, some gorgeous places but all very expensive so may not happen this year, we'll see.
Really enjoy reading everyone's updates, it's a lovely little community, thanks for letting me be part of it.

cw18

RainbowHippie said:

- Make space in my budget for some costs to enjoy our new area. There seems to be a lot going on in our new town, and we'll want to be able to get involved, meet new people and explore the area. We'll also be close to the Lake District and even just going there to walk generally means expensive parking (or a bus/train journey).

Depending on how often you're likely to nip into the Lakes and who owns the car parks you're likely to use, have you considered National Trust membership?   If you get an individual membership (currently £72 year), it includes free parking in most NT car parks.     We used to get it for being a member of a (cheaper) affiliated organisation, but that now only gives free entry into properties and all parking has to be paid for so we didn't renew - and we don't use their car parks enough to warrant the NT price as we don't live on the doorstep of anywhere to use it.

elbree

Sounds like a wonderful adventure @RainbowHippie! Thanks for sharing your frugal goals as that's given me some food for thought. 

spudsmum

Fairly frugal day today. 

£5.02 spent on tea for eldest son. He goes to athletics club on aTuesday and there's no time to feed him before we go. He's Vegetarian and a bit fussy so I tend to nip into asda and get him a pasta salad to eat on the way home as its too late to do tea when we get home.

I used to take him to Mcdonalds but then the younger kids would want it too and it would end up not far off £15. Now I make the younger two a pack up to eat in the car while he's training so not only does it feed them, it keeps them occupied - win-win!

Normally when I go into Asda for his tea I have a mooch around but, other than a quick look in the yellow sticker fridge (nowt there) I resisted 

Also put £30 diesel in my car which I'm hoping will last me til the end of the month. 

Tea was some of the monster piece of pork I got from the community pantry last week. I cut it up into loin chops, chunks and a small rack of ribs - had some chops last night and did the ribs tonight. I'll probably do a curry tomorrow and some sort of Chinese noodle thing on Thursday. If there's any bits left on Friday I'll do a pasta bake with it. I served the ribs with some more of the 20p Christmas veg and used the dregs of some ancient Bbq sauce from the back of the cupboard to marinade it. It was nice and cost me pennies. 

It's my afternoon off tomorrow. I finish at lunch time on Wednesday and Friday and it is traditionally a dangerous time time when I go into the village and buy stuff - need to either find something else to do or just window shop without buying - watch this space. 

nannygladys

Hope everybody who is feeling poorly is starting to feel better.

Still working on my frugal simple life, no money has been spent yet, but I'm running out of milk, now do I go to the farm and support a local supplier or just buy the cheapest to be more frugal. Just thinking about it and I think I will use the farm, but use less milk in tea and coffee, and I will feel happier supporting a local farmer, and feeling some inner peace within myself which is what I'm working on.

I will go to the food hub tomorrow but they don't seem to getting as much donated, so I will have a look before I decide to have any, I'm always conscious there may be someone needing it more than me,  I suppose the sm are back to normal ordering now Xmas is over, but I will be going to the community pantry on Thursday for a couple of bits.

I've been on grandma duties today and dgs still isn't over his ear ache, cold etc that is a usual toddler thing each winter, poor little mite slept all morning on my lap, which was fine but cbeebies was on tv and I couldn't reach the remote

Anyway, going to try for an earlier night, it's all part of my 'be kind to myself', 'inner peace' that I'm trying to achieve
Nannyg
Ps I will be entering my 70th year this year, so thought I'd better start trying to live how I feel I want to, not being somebody that I'm expected to be and conforming to how other people live, I know I'm on my correct path now!

balabooberlies

Nannyg

rooting for you all the way.

bala

x

Floss

bargainbetty said:

Hiya, 

Post-covid/long covid fatigue is genuinely a thing - I tested positive on Dec 1 and am still struggling with tiredness and an ongoing cough. A nurse at the hospital said hers took 9 weeks to lift and it often takes 12 weeks to fully recover if you have it. I asked for advice and she said 'Listen to your body. if it needs to sleep, then you sleep.'

Best wishes for a speedier recovery!

I don't think lingering fatigue & cough after 6 weeks should be classed as long covid (a chest infection can take that time to clear) as it can take up to 12 weeks to recover.

Long covid is generally accepted as when symptoms last longer than 12 weeks and a friend of mine who was infected in March / April 2020 has long covid & is involved in the research studies.

MazzieD

Really pleased with the extra curtain linings, have made such a difference.  Hadn't realised how much the floodlight (had a good look yesterday it is not the average motion sensor type of thing) next door was waking me up.  It also woke up the cat who then climbed on me for a cuddle each time.  Two decent night sleeps in a row for both of us..  It's going to take a while to stop waking up but only once both nights which is a vast improvement.

Almost half way through the month, my no spend January is going really well.  Like a lot of people I classify food shops and petrol as 'essential' spends.   So just a small food shop so far, no petrol needed at the moment. 

 I've changed my monthly budget for this year so it is far more concentrated  on setting each month individually (if that makes sense) as last year I just divided the total budget for the year up into 12 equal amounts as a starting point for my first serious attempt at budgeting which didn't really work for me. 

I still have a yearly budget that I stick to but my outgoings vary depending on how many DD instalments each bill has .  Some are 10 months, some 12 months and also annual payments.  Work in progress, with everything going up in price it's going to take some flexibility and juggling.

Frugaldom

Sorry fruguys and gals but I am finding it impossible to keep up with everything so have had to turn off notifications. As usual, my own frugal living progress is charted elsewhere so if you want to highlight anything, please tag me in so I receive the alert. You just use the @ symbol in front of a username, so @Frugaldom will email me a copy of whatever is being posted.

Very busy again, trying to complete the hut for February's frugal  off-grid challenge while looking after all the ponies & goats, working on the project, preparing for next attempt at a food garden and fitting in my paid work. Not complaining, though, as I am doing all the things I love doing while still number crunching a shoestring budget. 😊👍

PS - Yes, I somehow managed to post this in the wrong place and had to come back and move it. Oops 😊😜