2023 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

I tried the lactose free milk, but wasn't keen on it.

It's also harder for me to get hold of than dairy alternatives.  My local A1di desn't stock any, but they do have soya and several other alternatives.  The small Tesc0 across from work sometimes had lactose free, but never the skimmed - and I found even the semi too 'heavy' having had skimmed milk for years.   I found that odd as some of the alternative are definitely 'heavier', but I never compare them to dairy milk - I just decide if they work in things I need milk for or not, and ditch or buy again depending on that

Lactose free milk also works out a lot more expensive that the alternatives at Aldi as well, and I normally get unsweetened soya as a good all-rounder (for everything but coffee, I continue to use powdered coffee whitener in that) which is usually the cheapest option (I believe it's currently 50p/litre).

I'm currently working my way through a good quanity of long-life O@tly milks I bought really cheaply.   I got cases of 6x1 litre for £2, and later got more when they were reduced to £1.   The cartons are £1.80/litre in Tesc0 or £1.09/litre for the A1di own brand (no vanilla option), so it doesn't feel like I'm wasting money when I end up tipping half a carton because it's starting to split after being open for too long as I use very little milk unless I'm in a cereal eating mode, or making a white sauce/milk pudding.   Some are plain unsweetened, some are slightly sweeter with vanilla in.   I use the latter in coffee, on cereal and to make milk puddings, and the former in tea and to make white sauces for savoury meals.

SuperSecretSquirrel

Madbat60 said:

According to what I've done I should have £1000 left a month. I have no idea where it goes so I shall start writing everything in a book. I'm lucky I have no rent or mortgage but I'm disgusted with myself if I fritter away so much money.

Hello old stylers! I usually lurk here, but wanted to voice a suggestion that might help anyone in the above situation. Pay yourself first.

If you have a regular income, the same amount received at regular intervals, and find that you should have a certain amount left over at the end of each month, but don't - instead of waiting until the end of the month to save the remainder, save it as soon as you get paid.

There are easy access accounts paying about 3% interest these days. Using the example above, stick £1000 in there on payday, then try living on what's left in your current account until next payday, and repeat. If your estimate is right it should be doable. If not you might need to adjust the budget and make a withdrawal from savings to cover the shortfall. It's very quick and easy to withdraw from an easy access account, but that one extra step can sometimes make you stop and think... If you would prefer a bit of enforced waiting time, I think premium bonds take a few days to withdraw from, so that could help.

You gain a little interest/prizes along the way, but for me the real benefit is that you manage to save a lot more when you save at the start of the month (and then try to cut your cloth to fit what's left) than you otherwise would.

-taff

That is a great idea...

SecondStar

Had to buy a small electric heater yesterday - £32, but I paid £30 due to a discount scheme through my work.

My friend doesn’t like to run the central heating in her house, and the room I’m staying in has 2 external walls, so it gets very cold. I’d been borrowing a heater that she normally uses in her office, but she needs it back and so I had to get my own. 

Beshki

Big old batch of veg soup made last night and bulked out with pasta and beans, should do three days. We are determined not to overspend this month, and I’m clinging to ‘something’ to go in my savings once paid. Things feel like they’re getting tighter all the time. Trying to focus on free hobbies like reading and walking. Be glad to get back to gardening, intend to sort seeds out this week

Bluegreen143

@cw18 can you freeze 1/2 of every carton of milk when you open it, so you don’t waste it? Cows milk freezes fine, but you’d need to do some research on the non dairy mills you’re buying as I’ve not tried that myself. 

Swayingseaweed

Hi I have frozen oat milk as I can't get through a carton on my own. Defrost fine, just give it a shake before you use it. 

SecondStar

I need some help frugulars.

I appreciate that not every frugular may be a minimalist/downsizer/declutterer/tiny-house-dweller, but I’m sure there might be some overlap of interest?

I went to view the first house I’m interested in, after breaking up with my ex.

It’s a little 1 bed bungalow. It’s 10k within budget, and could be negotiated a bit more. It has a lovely big garden, it has parking nearby, it’s within my search areas. It is lovely, but it is miniature.

31 square meters of miniature.

I have others to view, and I’ll take a second view of this too, but I’m trying to decide in my head if this amount of miniature is ‘bijou, tiny-living, minimalistic, simple-life’ type of miniature, or if it’s just plain ‘too small’.

But too small, for what? For other people’s opinions on it? For the copious amount of craft items I don’t actually use? For the furniture pieces I’ve inherited and would feel bad for getting rid of?

I do want to own less things. I want to buy less things. I want a home that is easy to clean, and not stressful to maintain. But how small is too small, do you think?

cw18

Bluegreen143 said:

@cw18 can you freeze 1/2 of every carton of milk when you open it, so you don’t waste it? Cows milk freezes fine, but you’d need to do some research on the non dairy mills you’re buying as I’ve not tried that myself. 

I see from the following post that it freezes - but to do so would require freezer space, and that's something I don't have

I was planning on trying to make my own oat milk, as that would mean I could make small quantities that I'd use.   But the cheap cartons I managed to get hold of mean it wasn't worth it, especially as homemade doesn't have things like calcium in it.

KajiKita

@SecondStar, I think you have already started identifying what about it would be important for you or not e.g. you don’t have lots of crafting materials so don’t need space for that. 

Also, are you a passionate gardener - if yes, you might find a bigger house an annoying distraction. A large garden will keep you occupied for 9 month# of the year and the rest of the time you will be glad of a smaller space to heat.

Can you see you being able to entertain a couple of friends for a cuppa or a takeaway?

I think you said on your thread that this wouldn’t be your forever home? Well, if that’s the case, try it on for size, see what you do and don’t like about it. You can learn a lot from that. Also, if it is comfortably within your budget you will have some spare cash to decorate it, recarpet it etc. so it will feel like your home really quickly. 

Being comfortably within budget also means you will have some slack in your budget which is no bad thing. 

Finally, I rented a teeny-tiny converted dairy when I first lived on my own after leaving my ex. It was one of the best places I ever lived and if I hadn’t moved in with Mr KK I might still be there now (actually not because it had no garden with it). But we have now bought a small cottage with a big garden and love it 😊

KK