2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Asparklierblonde

@Frugaldom, do you spend much time at home or do you tend to live mainly on the Frugaldom site? X

nannygladys

Thank you ancientmum, I feel I have to start 'living' my life to the full before I get too old🤣🤣🤣 and not centre it around my dds all the time, so I'm trying to get out a bit more and say 'no' sometimes🤣🤣 not sure if it's going to work but as I've turned 70shhh i thought I'd better start pretty soon🤣🤣 mind you i don't feel that old! But we'll see.

nannygladys

No money has left my purse and not much more to spend before next week, just on milk really. Next week I'm hoping I have enough in the house to last me all week, although I may need some more milk by then. I'm hoping to end the year as I mean to go on, and have a very low spend grocery wise throughout January. Still tweaking the budget a little but just about there now.
Nannyg 

Madbat60

Morning all
I've just about got all of my food together for the next 10 days or so.  I'm very glad today is the shortest day.  I always struggle with everything as the light goes.  Next year I will be used to being retired and hopefully have strategies in place to deal with all of this.  I want to give up my job in my friends gym too, but i'll wait for a bit and see how the money pans out. 

I was looking at things to do for DP's birthday in January.  I've booked tickets for the Natural History and science museum.  Now all I need is some decent train and hotel accommodation.  He doesn't really need anything and being a Northerner, hasn't done much in London.  

Talking about trades people, DP and I do painting and gardening for others, usually by word of mouth.  The money pays for treats and time away.  I'm hoping things calm down a bit financially next year and this rampant inflation goes down.  At least I'm out of my energy deal in June, I will be leaving EDF and never going back. 

Frugaldom

Asparklierblonde said:

@Frugaldom, do you spend much time at home or do you tend to live mainly on the Frugaldom site? X

Time needs split between home, Frugaldom and the cottage renovation project but with most of the livestock being at Frugaldom, that's where most of my time is spent. It's a crazy juggling act trying to fit anything else in so I've been nowhere since lockdown. We've no services at all at Frugaldom so I can't do computer work. We also had a caravan on a nearby site that was used for renting out but I no longer wanted to subject any holidaymakers to that environment so got out as quickly as possible.  Holiday parks are, in my opinion, like the pits of hell that can, and often will, bleed a soul dry. Well shot of that situation, free from the manipulative, money grabbing, lying, cheating... Need I say more?   
Note to all - my suggestion is to rent caravans for holidays, never be tempted to buy into an unregulated industry unless you have the cost of the caravan to burn. Far better siting a tourer on a pitch then you can, at least, move on when you choose. (IMHO)

Frugaldom

I should also add that our caravans adequately served their purposes when we had them and it cost less as we had a constant stream of volunteers, exchange students and renters. Caravan no longer needed after the huts were completed this year but I wouldn't sell to a private buyer as I didn't want it on my conscience, knowing what holiday park management and sales tactics are like.  

London_1

My eldest DD and her husband own one on a very small site in Deal.They aren't allowed animals, BBQs or to rent it out, and they use it for weekends from March to October. They love it as its only about 40 minutes from where they live and its their bolt hole at weekend and they enjoy the peacefulness of it.The site rent isn't too expensive and the facilities are good .it suits them as they are not ones for going out much and prefer just to relax from their busy weekday lives.Its about a ten minute drive from the town and Dover and Deal are easily reachable if they need a shop for anything. I think the site owner keeps a good eye on the place during the winter and its securely looked after .

JackieO  xx

RavenRover

Frugaldom said:

Asparklierblonde said:

@Frugaldom, do you spend much time at home or do you tend to live mainly on the Frugaldom site? X

Time needs split between home, Frugaldom and the cottage renovation project but with most of the livestock being at Frugaldom, that's where most of my time is spent. It's a crazy juggling act trying to fit anything else in so I've been nowhere since lockdown. We've no services at all at Frugaldom so I can't do computer work. We also had a caravan on a nearby site that was used for renting out but I no longer wanted to subject any holidaymakers to that environment so got out as quickly as possible.  Holiday parks are, in my opinion, like the pits of hell that can, and often will, bleed a soul dry. Well shot of that situation, free from the manipulative, money grabbing, lying, cheating... Need I say more?   
Note to all - my suggestion is to rent caravans for holidays, never be tempted to buy into an unregulated industry unless you have the cost of the caravan to burn. Far better siting a tourer on a pitch then you can, at least, move on when you choose. (IMHO)

I agree with you whole heartedly about holiday parks.  I had mine on a site in Kirkcudbrightshire but the price of the rent for what you were getting was not great, but did love the area.  Moved it to another one last year which is like something from the village of the damned, and as a regular solo traveller didn't feel safe.  So I don't drink, smoke, and look after my money so I can have this one luxury, so it is back to the more expensive but safer for me site!

Frugaldom

Don't get me wrong, I loved the caravan for midweek or when there was nobody renting it but the depreciation makes them worthless as investments and the lack of regulation means the site owners or management will always dictate and change rules (or ownership) at the drop of a hat. I've heard so many horror stories about unsuspecting individuals being led to believe they can live on holiday parks or, worse still, buying on finance that they wouldn't normally qualify to get but for cheating sales people falsifying figures, among other things. Everything is fine until you want off their sites, that's where the trouble can start. Anyhow, there's plenty out there on the'net about how these places operate and the action groups lobbying parliament to introduce some form of regulation have social media pages.  

It's still raining here and the wind is still howling. I'm determined to sort out my budget for next week but have so many quirks in my lifestyle that it's over-complicating things.

Asparklierblonde

I for one am very much looking forward to your finalised budget for next year Frugaldom. Windy and wet here too, so very muddy and boggy!