2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Cherryfudge

cw18 said:

It's looking like my car has reached the end of her life

Oh no! I hope something can be done... let us know how it goes.

spudsmum

Congratulations @SecondStar

Well today has been a NSD as planned. Unfortunately my budgets will take a hit again this week as I’ll have to buy my youngest son some new trousers - he has disabilities and wrecks clothes like nobody’s business and he’s just gone through the knees of his last pair of jeans - can’t buy cheap ones either as he has a lot of sensory issues so need to be a particular style. 

I also remembered it was our nephews birthday next week so I’ll need to sort a present for that. 

On a more positive note: Spent some time at the weekend decluttering my junk cupboard and the spare room. Put a couple of the kids old toys on marketplace and sold 2 straight away so that was £17 that I’ve paid straight to my debt. 

Petrol has really dropped here thank goodness. My husband managed to fill his car for £46 today - that will help as it was costing over £60 a few weeks ago and he has a 50 mile round trip daily commute to work so it soon adds up.

My mum gifted me her old leather sofa well not exactly old - she’s only had it a year and it’s immaculate. My youngest has picked big holes in mine and I was going to have to replace it so that’s a massive saving - she also brought me a dozen eggs from her hens and some leeks from her allotment. 

Put the oven on to cook my chicken from the pantry as it was too big for the air fryer. While it was in the oven I managed to make full use of the space. I had a bit of a baking session and used a load of dregs from the fridge and some filo pastry I’d bought for Christmas and not used. Managed to make some nice pies and tarts etc from stuff which was probably destined for the bin - I used to do that all the time and really enjoyed seeing how creative I could be with leftovers but its ages since I’ve done it so I’m quite pleased with myself. 

Think that’s it for now. 

weenancyinAmerica

@Sweetlittledaydreams Is there anything you can put over the walls on the inside - emergency blankets - those foil things, blankets, or quilts, while waiting to get proper insulation? You can also make or put up a tent inside the house - and it will be warmer inside.

Treasurequeen

My heating is being serviced in my flat today so I won’t have any heating from 9am to 6pm. It takes 2 hours for the under floor heating to kick in to temperature so it will be a cold night tonight. We usually lose heating a few times a year in my block, so I’m preparing now for future issues. I picked up a wool and cashmere poncho in CS yesterday which is very warm for only £4.50. I also found a chambermaid candle holder for £3.50 which will be useful in a power cut (also happens a lot where I live). 

Lunch has been bought for me as a thank you for pet sitting and tea tonight is YS Cumberland pie from the freezer and a slice of bread and butter. I’ve got £3.30 left of my budget  to spend on groceries this month, the way prices are shooting up I might have to up my food budget. I have to be careful what I eat and am disabled and the foods I buy are getting expensive. My budget for food is £150 a month for 1 adult and includes cat food, and household  products (laundry, cleaning, toiletries, health). 

Soontobeoap

I am sad to report that despite my best efforts no money has been saved into the frugal challenge purse this month. 😕. I am undergoing root canal treatment under a crown! No NHS dentists taking on patients here and havnt been in the 10 years we have lived here so it has to be private. £215 spent on initial appointment. Back in. 2 weeks for the work to be finished and, a new crown fitted which is going to cost nearly 3 times that! I had built a little bit of money up in my account for emergencys but will be eating into that next month! One step forward and 2 steps back! I will be trying for a much more frugal February. Thank goodness that it is a short month 

RavenRover

Sorry I seem to have gone awol this month mainly due to work and a border collie who throws a wobbly everytime I pick up my tablet!😆  I also forgot what the thread was called¡!  I have now bookmarked it

I have pleasantly surprised myself for most of the month by not spending a lot, then fell off the wagon after yesterday's trip for work to the city.  Had a couple of small things which needed replaced and wanted to go to a physical shop rather than tinternet - bad move!😏

Paydays coming up so will still be able to put some money past.  

I had some wee wins, like getting free mags 3rd hand from my wee gran then mum.  Okay they are 2 months out of date and not my normal read but I'm enjoying them.

@Frugaldom how did the ivy washing liquid go?

@mumtoomany thanks it is mainly books I used audible for but have started using podcasts through Google on my way to work. 

@ancientmum thanks 

@Siebrie l work for a not for profit (allegedly) organisation and they cover the majority of my expenses- resources, materials and travel within my work region.  Just looks as though it will have to be bacon butties instead of steak pie!

@Landgirlinthelittlecity I envy you living in I o M.  Haven't been since summer before Covid.  Hoping to get across this year to see family.  I love Shoprite but I am weird! Family have a nick name for the shop which rhymes with its name😆 

I am going to try and engage a wee bit more🤞

otb666

@Soontobeoap I had to wait 9 months to have tooth extracted costs £70 They gave me the option to do root filling under crown but I said just take it out as sooooo painful.  I still have 27 other teeth so was not bothered and since giving up fags I have had no further problems i have an electric toothbrush and floss now twice a day

Soontobeoap

Thanks @otb666. Trouble is it is first molar from top front so the gap would show! Dont smoke so cant cut that out. I think maybe over cleaning with one of those waterjet thingys might have caused the problem as i have a slightly cracked tooth the other side too. 😕

Frugaldom

Good evening to frugalers old and new. Another weekend been and gone with no spends other than the petrol. I'd to renew the annual public liability insurance for Frugaldom's campervan site but that's not part of my personal household budget.

@RavenRover I am quite impressed by the ivy leaf cleaner, definitely prefer it to the soap nuts as it gives a.lively fresh smell to the washing. I've still only done a hand wash with it as it's at the hut where life is much more feral. 

@cw18 I hope you can manage to keep your car going. It's such a huge expense if you need to replace it.

Olio evening here and I managed to get some turkey mince and a couple of other items so that's being frozen until the weekend, when I'll cook it at the hut. I also managed to find coffee logs for £7 a bag so have ordered some of those and the overnight briquettes to be delivered with the gas cylinders.

We are planning to do some planting this weekend, as I am still progressing with my edible hedge.project. So far, we have had elderberries, rosehips, a few hazelnuts, blackcurrants, raspberries blueberries, crab apples and our first ever sloes. It would be good to finally get the veg beds organised but I still need to prune back all the herb beds. I covered over the rhubarb as it has started to grow. I'll pack some straw over it to help protect it from the next frosts.

Beshki

Picked up some YS bagels as have some small pots of soft cheese left over from Christmas hanging around in the fridge. Frugal and decluttering by getting rid of those

I got paid a few days ago - finally! I’ll still be trying to be equally frugal but it feels good to re-set. Onwards we go!