2023 Frugal Living Challenge

cw18

Cas said:

Oh I love browsing through a cookery book, especially those with beautiful colour photographs!  When I had a 4 hour round commute I used to buy lots of books from charity shops and read them on the commute before re-donating them.  Do you keep your books @cw18 or do you donate them once you've read them?

I keep them.  I need a bigger house with a room at least the size of my garage so I can put them all on shelves

cw18

Swayingseaweed said:

Hi cw18 you could check your local free cycle site or olio for strawberry plants as often people give them away this time if year. 
Seaweed x

Hadn't thought of that.    I have received one generous offer of some plants, but will certainly explore this possibilty alongside it

Cas

cw18 said:

Cas said:

Oh I love browsing through a cookery book, especially those with beautiful colour photographs!  When I had a 4 hour round commute I used to buy lots of books from charity shops and read them on the commute before re-donating them.  Do you keep your books @cw18 or do you donate them once you've read them?

I keep them.  I need a bigger house with a room at least the size of my garage so I can put them all on shelves

I know the feeling! I have some sitting on bookshelves but the rest are in plastic boxes in the loft. 

willow_loulou

I’m so tired, it’s all so frustrating at the moment. As soon as I have a plan something else needs paying for! I’m starting to think I’m never getting a break tbh. 

Work is taking the mick with the extra hours it wants unpaid when it’s become obvious the chance of taking in lieu is not in days but finishing an hour early if I’m lucky. 

I really want to buy compost but just can’t see how I can afford the amount I need. So what is the most high crop veg you can think of to get the most out of what I can get. 

So looking forward to the council tax coming in 🤢 

Ho hum. 

-taff

Do you have spent left over compost? easiest thing if you do is just to liven it up again with some bfb, or feed [ also ask on the f's and the g]

Can you ask on freegle/freecycle/gumtree? can you beg at your local allotment?

RateTartExtraordinaire

SecondStar said:

I’ve been planning out my projected budget once I move into my new home, now that the figures are becoming more certain.

My monthly income after tax and deductions is £1,521.

After housing costs (mortgage, rates, insurance), utility bills (gas, electric, internet), basic bills (mobile, health insurance, life/critical illness insurance), pet costs (food, litter, medications, prescriptions), variable spending (food, petrol, bus fare, car insurance); I’m looking at 14% leftover for saving.

Housing - 27%
Utility bills - 11%
Basic bills - 8%
Pet costs - 22%
Variable spending - 18%
Savings - 14%

My pet costs are extortionate, but that’s a side effect of not taking out pet insurance, and having 2 seniors who are on lifelong medications. I will slash my own food and utility costs, before I take away the spending which keeps them comfortable and pain free in their twilight years. Realistically, they may only have a few years left with me, so this is a small price to pay for their comfort.

My utility costs are estimated, I’m hoping they will be lower - I’m using costs based on a larger house, with the hope that it will be lower for a smaller property, whilst also being aware that utilities are only going to get more expensive.

My grocery can come down a bit too - once I’ve moved in I can start saving by doing more cooking & baking than I can currently.

Hi SecondStar,

Good luck with the move.
Working out a budget for a house you don't yet live in is tricky. When I first moved out I asked a colleague who helped me work out a budget (1990s). These days there are so many free budget planners out there. I think my current spreadsheet is an old one from the MSE website which I have adapted to my circumstances. It is good to have a buffer in your budget if you can to futureproof. If it isn't one thing, it will be another. With a regular wage, this is easier. 

I'm intrigued by the critical illness cover. Now I'm self employed I've been thinking about this. I used to get some cover from my employment contract. If I got a diagnosis now and couldn't work, I would have no back up to pay the bills. Not sure where to start getting quotes.

Can I ask, did you shop around or was this sold as part of your life insurance with your mortgage?

willow_loulou

-taff said:

Do you have spent left over compost? easiest thing if you do is just to liven it up again with some bfb, or feed [ also ask on the f's and the g]

Can you ask on freegle/freecycle/gumtree? can you beg at your local allotment?

I have a little - I’ve given it to the chicken to rake through. Probably just enough for one plant pot left. Most of the pots were old and cracked so went in the skip as was. I’ll have a look round, thanks! 

-taff

do you have to grow in pots? If not, can you do lasagne beds? Actually, you can probably do lasagne beds in a planter. Do you have council run recycling places? Some of them sell very cheap compost.

RateTartExtraordinaire

Last year my local council was handing out up to 2 bags of free compost for international Compost Awareness week in May. I realise that doesn't help anyone now, but might be worth asking the local council. Not sure if this was a country-wide event. 

Beshki

willow_loulou said:

I’m so tired, it’s all so frustrating at the moment. As soon as I have a plan something else needs paying for! I’m starting to think I’m never getting a break tbh. 

Work is taking the mick with the extra hours it wants unpaid when it’s become obvious the chance of taking in lieu is not in days but finishing an hour early if I’m lucky. 

I really want to buy compost but just can’t see how I can afford the amount I need. So what is the most high crop veg you can think of to get the most out of what I can get. 

So looking forward to the council tax coming in 🤢 

Ho hum. 

Are you needing compost to grow in pots? Or are you planning to grow in beds but need to enrich the soil with compost?