2023 Frugal Living Challenge

mumf

Our 33 years of marriage have always been financially careful.It’s rather interesting watching cyclical ‘hard times’. When we wed we bought the house we are in,and worked hard to pay it off,indeed it was our priority. Wages were not the best ( that’s ann understatement !) and mortgage interest rates were at peak 15.25%! 

  About six years ago we started to get more comfortable, a change in job was well paid ( for us)  and we were  looking forward to retirement to be honest. We’ve never been flash on holidays and cars,we just like comfort and zero debt. Even when the children came along,frugality was still there,it’s always been there,but we’ve never felt hard up. Nor did the children. Does that make sense? 

   Anyhow,a year ago I fell very ill. I no longer work. Indeed I am beating the illness right now,as I was told that I had a year to live. So right now frugality is very important! 

Our lifetime attitude is not adventurous for many,but comfortable survival is our priority. I have made sure that my wife will be as comfortable as possible financially ,and I know that she is capable and easy with frugality. She is the expert to be honest! During all the time we’ve been together our jobs have been very moderate in pay,in fact only just above minimum wage as a guide. In her words,” This time is no different to any other”. 

So food/groceries? We have a weekly budget. We eat well and my wife is an absolute expert there. That budget also covers the dog and cats. We keep a stock too,and don’t run out of stuff. Great when I am back and forth to hospital! We have a large vegetable garden which we both look after,and a lot of preserving and freezing is done. Our cooking is now done very much using air fryer,microwave and slow cooker,as we are all electric here out in the sticks. We stick to that budget. 

Fuel? No gas out here in the sticks,so all electric. Up until this last weekend we were always solid fuel heating. Our coal ,now smokeless has gone up in price by double in the last 15 months. Our firewood however has always been for nothing. Over the years that made a big difference. However,my illness has meant no additional stock this year ( we always have at least two years). My dear wife wanted the two stoves removing . Long and short son in law and me removed,swept chimneys and sealed appropriately. We installed ‘pretend’ wood stoves. Remote controlled!🤣 What a difference! Along with those we have always had electric radiators for each room. Our rooms a small and have doors. Easy to heat,and frankly not as dear as some may believe with leccy. Unlike us,some of our neighbours are using up to £500 per month on purchased logs! Unbelievable! However,my wife always checks our prices and is fully aware. She refuses to pay eventually ,that much for solid fuel etc. I was informed that we are changing electricity company too. No surprise there.👍

I think fuel and food are the ‘big’ issues. However,we eat well,we keep economically warm. 

retiredinfrance

Sorry to read about your illness and best wishes,, We’re out in the sticks here and all electric is the way to go. 

Yes, comfortable survival is a priority.

[Deleted User]

mumf said:

Our 33 years of marriage have always been financially careful.It’s rather interesting watching cyclical ‘hard times’. When we wed we bought the house we are in,and worked hard to pay it off,indeed it was our priority. Wages were not the best ( that’s ann understatement !) and mortgage interest rates were at peak 15.25%! 

  About six years ago we started to get more comfortable, a change in job was well paid ( for us)  and we were  looking forward to retirement to be honest. We’ve never been flash on holidays and cars,we just like comfort and zero debt. Even when the children came along,frugality was still there,it’s always been there,but we’ve never felt hard up. Nor did the children. Does that make sense? 

   Anyhow,a year ago I fell very ill. I no longer work. Indeed I am beating the illness right now,as I was told that I had a year to live. So right now frugality is very important! 

Our lifetime attitude is not adventurous for many,but comfortable survival is our priority. I have made sure that my wife will be as comfortable as possible financially ,and I know that she is capable and easy with frugality. She is the expert to be honest! During all the time we’ve been together our jobs have been very moderate in pay,in fact only just above minimum wage as a guide. In her words,” This time is no different to any other”. 

So food/groceries? We have a weekly budget. We eat well and my wife is an absolute expert there. That budget also covers the dog and cats. We keep a stock too,and don’t run out of stuff. Great when I am back and forth to hospital! We have a large vegetable garden which we both look after,and a lot of preserving and freezing is done. Our cooking is now done very much using air fryer,microwave and slow cooker,as we are all electric here out in the sticks. We stick to that budget. 

Fuel? No gas out here in the sticks,so all electric. Up until this last weekend we were always solid fuel heating. Our coal ,now smokeless has gone up in price by double in the last 15 months. Our firewood however has always been for nothing. Over the years that made a big difference. However,my illness has meant no additional stock this year ( we always have at least two years). My dear wife wanted the two stoves removing . Long and short son in law and me removed,swept chimneys and sealed appropriately. We installed ‘pretend’ wood stoves. Remote controlled!🤣 What a difference! Along with those we have always had electric radiators for each room. Our rooms a small and have doors. Easy to heat,and frankly not as dear as some may believe with leccy. Unlike us,some of our neighbours are using up to £500 per month on purchased logs! Unbelievable! However,my wife always checks our prices and is fully aware. She refuses to pay eventually ,that much for solid fuel etc. I was informed that we are changing electricity company too. No surprise there.👍

I think fuel and food are the ‘big’ issues. However,we eat well,we keep economically warm. 

Hi @mumf, I'm so sorry to hear about your illness and glad to hear that you are beating it right now.

I've never been flash on cars either, altough we do have 2 as needed for work and the cost of running the two cars is our biggest expense.  I have been a bit too flash with holidays the past couple of years so that is getting pulled back next years and beyond because I too value comfort and debt free living.  

I have a log burner and I can't imagine spending that much on logs each month!!

Looking back at the things I've listed to get my annual budget down, they are all things I used to do but have allowed to fall away.  I am sure it's because I had drifted away from posting (and reading) on the forum here.  

Have a good week everyone  

willow_loulou

Hello all, I’ve been absent a while. Life has thrown just about every curve ball at me in the last month and every budget and good intention went out the window. 

But I’m all in for next year, I’ve reevaluated my life priorities over the last year and I need to really focus on living well and doing the things I want to do. 

I’m going to work on next years budget over the next few days and give myself a reality check. 

I need to do lots in the house so I need to learn some new skills. But hey, if I can fix a dishwasher I can tackle
most things! 

weenancyinAmerica

@willow_loulou - I need to do the same things - focus on living well and doing the things I want to do. We cheering you on.

willow_loulou

Thank you @weenancyinAmerica I’m cheering you on too x 

The hardest thing for me is prioritising. I really need another side hustle that’s only time investment rather than too much financial. The beauty of soon to be living alone is any project I start I can leave mid way rather than be considerate of others. (I’m really quite excited!) 

Siebrie

I'm on a watching binge of youtube 'under the median', currently enjoying the episode 'How we met and married'. It's as if your (grand)parents are giving you advice, and the way most of us here live (I think). Very low on ads, and very high on passing on how they live(d).

nannygladys

The last few weeks have not good for my family but hopefully it's starting to look more positive now and it's bought it home to me that you have to look after yourselves and not take life for granted, so my frugal journey is going to change course a little from now on, but even more so in 2024 and as I need a little time to work it all out. 
From now to the new year I will only spending £20 weekly on food with an extra £50 for Xmas and any cheap veggies that are hopefully on offer just before/after Xmas that I can buy and freeze for next year.
I have made a list of jobs that need doing on and in the house already and made a start on that as and next year I want the Lottie and back garden to be more productive to provide as much fresh veg and fruit for the family. Hopefully by being extra extra careful I'll be able to achieve quite a lot off my list, but I'll have to re-evaluate it as I go along.
I'm normally careful with money as an OAP on state pension but I need to pull the strings even tighter to achieve my dreams. I need to find better ways  (cheaper,) of heating, eating etc etc which is going to hard as I'm already on cheapest tariffs etc. Anyway, I will be reading all about the different frugal ways people live well and healthy and glean (hopefully) loads of ideas that I can implement in my life to make it better.
Nannyg 

nannygladys

Still being very careful with food but eating healthy and cheaply, mostly food I have in. My leeks in the back garden are growing really well and I have a bucket full of carrots that need pulling soon and I have been given a few potatoes as well, so with what I have in that's a few more meals🙂
I can now fit into a coat I bought about four years go and never wore, put on weight so it didn't fit properly, lost weight and now it does 🤣🤣🤣 so I won't need another one this winter after all. 
Tonight I have opted to take part in a - not sure what's it's called now but my energy company will credit my account if I cut down on electricity on a certain day during some hours they choose and at a percentage they choose, I can back out of it I want to but thought it may be worth a try, they asked me last year but I declined, I'll let everyone how it goes when it happens😂😂😂
I have been looking at next year's budgets and it's a bit depressing really, I'm nearly at a point where I can't cut back any further but I'll continue looking to see what I can do. I think perhaps one thing I can do is buy dried beans and cook them myself instead of buying canned and I've acquired a tomato press from my DD - who's never used it so hopefully I'll have loads of home grown tomatoes (or cheap bought ones) to make tomato puree next year. I have to think more laterally now.
Nannyg 

joedenise

Cooking dried beans is really easy particularly if you've got a pressure cooker or a slow cooker - both cheaper than just a pan on the hob.  The tinned ones I buy are kidney beans - I'm a bit wary of cooking the dried ones myself so don't bother.  I don't actually use very many so doesn't cost too much to buy the tins.  They are usually the cheapest tinned ones to buy anyway.

I a sort of tomato puree this year with some of my tomatoes - I just stewed them and then blitzed them in my liquidiser before freezing in usable amounts.

Will definitely save money to do both those things.