2023 Frugal Living Challenge

mama67

Good to see this is open again. 

Admittedly life has got in the way again. 

I am one of the lucky ones who have visited Frugaldom and seen exactly what goes on.
Hopefully I will return before you retire and hand the reins over xx 

RavenRover

Any chance I can join in too please?   Still trying to get on my feet after divorce so could do with a structured way to be even more frugal with my cash and live rather than exist.

Since I have a snow day from work I will work out my budget today.

Ax

RavenRover

Well what an exercise that was. I should be able to save lots more than I am.  Everything got pared back when  my ex left, so I have no subscriptions  - I miss my audible one, especially for my ridiculously long commute- and am paying the absolute minimum on everything I can. 

Thankfully my work pays for my diesel once I am in the area, so at least that halves my feul bill, otherwise that would be around £600 a month!

Unfortunately because of my job there are some expectations around meetings in cafes/restaurants which I need to try and reduce if at all in  my control.  Thankfully I am a crafty type and enjoy making cards and other things and am good at repairing my clothes.  It is going to be the general rise in the cost of things which will trip me up.

But I am looking forward to the challenge of spending less on crap and saving more for a good life and experiences.  It might even teach me to spend less and I can get a simpler stress free job!  Bring on the challenge of an even more frugal life.
A x

Frugaldom

Welcome on board, fru guys and gals, good to see some familiar names popping up again, including several of you who are also part of our Frugaldom group!

I'll be continuing in the 2022 challenge hread before starting in this one so take a trip over there to keep up with the end of year roundups.See you there.

fionaandphil

I'll join you again this year. You are such a great bunch and come up with so many great ideas. This coming year will be especially challenging for just about everyone so a bit of encouragement will help. None of us will be able to match you Frugaldom but you keep us inspired 

frostie101

I will be joining in this year to.
Lots has changed since I was here back in 2020. We are now in rented accommodation, my health has got worse to the point I can no longer work. I had been working self-employed from home but due to covid and illness, that has gone to.
Now I need to live a simple life, which also means frugal as I try to enjoy the best life I can.

mumtoomany

Hello, @RavenRover. I don't know if you want audible for books or podcasts, but have you looked at BBC sounds? Some great podcasts, and FREE. If it's books there is a site that has a lot of old classic books in audio from, for free. Not sure what it's called, but there may be others too.

Welcome onboard, If you've time then reading through the earlier threads, first post, may give you some great ideas. Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

ancientmum

Hello, I've been watching and learning from the sidelines, and am looking forward to continuing next year.  

RavenRover, I agree with mumtoomany about BBC Sounds.  You can also get free audio books through local libraries.  I have found BorrowBox is good, but different areas of the country may have other sites.

Thank you Frugaldom for being an inspiration.

CarolWHerts

Re Audible - there is also the Borrowbox app available free from many local libraries, which covers both e-books and audio books. The range isn't so vast, but I always check there first before spending my Audible credit or buying on Kindle. They do seem to have a lot of the latest releases available, although they are in demand, just like your real life library.

You're still effectively borrowing, so you may have to wait for a new title to be 'returned' and have to listen or read within a couple of weeks, but that hasn't been a problem for me as, with the world of podcasts as well, there's always more stuff waiting for me to get through than I have time to read or listen to.

They also offer a similar app called Libby, which gives free access to  newspapers and a huge range of magazines. 

Siebrie

RavenRover said:

Unfortunately because of my job there are some expectations around meetings in cafes/restaurants which I need to try and reduce if at all in  my control.

Time to discuss your entertainment budget with your employer! If it is to the benefit of the company that you have these meetings, and they reap the rewards, then you should not suffer for it.

If your employer is unwilling, maybe talk to the cafe/restaurant for a frequent diner discount?