2023 Frugal Living Challenge

allie23

Need to get back on a frugal focus now that the house is semi-back to normal after painting.  I am back full-time at work starting on 5th June with a plan to throw everything I can at savings for the next couple of years with a view to retiring before I am 100, well 67 anyhow, ideally I'd like to go at 58.  

Plans today:
Not a great start - lunch will be bought due to me having a cr*p sleep and a cold and not making anything.
Make pizza dough as soon as I get home to have HM pizza tonight.  Left overs will be lunch tomorrow. Done.
Kitchen tidy/clean. Done
If time/inclination I might do a bit of baking for bits ot put ito the freezer - brownies or scones or similar. Done, Brownies made.
Check bank accounts.  Done
Create budget for June - still to do

willow_loulou

Hello all, firstly @cw18 just sending hugs as no practical words of support I can offer other than to suggest a bullet journal. I use one and though it’s chaotic to an onlooker it’s really helped me focus.

 It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve had a lot on with 2 elderly parents being completely reliant on me. I’m just starting to see improvement with my father so it’s getting a little easier. Work has also been dreadful,I honestly considered leaving even though I’d struggle to get another job with my disability. 

But I’ve been pretty good on the frugal side, getting many things second hand when replacements for things have been needed. Fixed the dishwasher myself and have ordered a new window handle to attempt to replace the broken in my bathroom. 

My tomatoes are growing well as are my herbs and nasturtiums so fingers crossed I can keep them growing. 

Anyone have a tomato fed suggestion please ? 

kboss2010

If anyone likes Toblerone but doesn’t like the increasingly eye-watering prices, Poundland do a version which tastes exactly the same for £1 for 155g bars in dark and milk chocolate and I’m sure I’ve seen different flavours at various points.

Frugaldom

Hello frugal friends!

Apologies for the repeated absences but time is just getting away from me while trying to keep up with everything.

First if all, @cw18 this is not isounding like you at all, things seem to be deteriorating instead of improving for you. I've no great words of wisdom but know that if and when you possibly can, please escape for a visit to Frugaldom and have a break away from your regular life. It may not help resolve issues but could help show things in a different perspective. Feel free to message me anytime. I may not be able to reply instantly, owing to my location and lack of mobile signal but will as soon as I can. Likewise to anyone.

Things here are as busy as always. Seeds all growing but not productive. We've had no rain for weeks then overnight it poured so I should be able to get some veggies transplanted outdoors. First strawberries are appearing, rhubarb is prolific and I'm hopeful of getting blueberries soon. The radishes have been shared with the ponies and I'm going to end up with runner beans growing as ornamentals at this rate. 

I've been furiously bagging horse manure and stacking it at the gate for folks to help themselves but some have been dropping money in the postbox so that was a huge surprise and is very much appreciated. (Thank you, if it's anyone who reads this.)

Opening up space at Frugaldom for campervan overnight parking was one of the best things we've done so far. I've met some wonderful frugalers, some of you on here, who have become real friends. I've space for 3 motorhomes or up to 5 campervans and by charging just £5 a night parking (or donation to the sanctuary) it has created several regulars, all embracing the spirit of frugality.

Telephone package changed again to save a few pounds each month. Caravan now being let out for summer frugal breaks. All of the savings gone soon as we've just had 2 new holiday huts built at Frugaldom so now ready for enjoying summer with whichever friends fancy camping out in an off-grid, cabin in the woods. The dream of Frugaldom is now becoming a reality. Everyone is welcome to visit.

Frugaldom

How is everyone doing on the savings front? With interest rates riding, I'm thinking I should be trying to gain some extra pennies to refill the soon to be depleted pot. Summer saving and frugal living just got cranked up another notch here. But I love what the savings pot got emptied to get.

willow_loulou

I’m not really saving much beyond my £5 a month into Yorkshire BS at 2%  (just a skim I don’t really miss for the pension pot) 

I am saving for a trip to see my daughter but some I converted to dollars as the rates were favourable. That’s in my less than 1% account attached to my current account. I have 2 so I store the bill money in one and life stuff in the other. It’s just a visual reminder to spend it as intended. 

The holiday savings will go on the credit card as I’ll buy my flights on that for the cash back. 

But honestly I’m so desperate to get some work done on the house the money is spent in a flash! I can’t save and do a whole job as some (water leaks and locks) I’ve needed to just do the urgent stuff. 

The good I’d news is I’ll be doing 4 more hours a month at work and 2 at home so I’ll have a little more income. I’m giving myself £10 of that for cinema and Starbucks as a treat. (Cinema here is £3:50) 

Frugaldom

Everyone deserves a treat @willow_loulou. I succumbed to the lure of the icecrem freezer in the local village store and ended up spending over a fiver on luxury ice cream lollies for friend and myself after she'd helped me cart paint to the house. It's so warm here at the minute that I think I'd have happily paid £5 each for the lollies! At the hut, I'm having to use a bucket of water for keeping milk cool and a tiny mini fridge plugged into solar power.

Still not planted out my runner beans or transplanted ant of the other veg seedlings. MUST get that done and must post here more often to help me stay focused!

2Scratters

I have opened a Chase online only account.
 For those who are on smart phones this banking app is brilliant so far. I'm not smart don't get me wrong but it is a brilliant account to keep money working for you, even for a short period. You get one bank card. You can have 10 current accounts (I use as separates for budgeting) within it AND savings accounts (piggy banks) with a good interest rate for the time of over 3% plus cash back for one year and 1% interest on the main current account balance. I am not loyal to any bank anymore I need to make my money work smarter. 

2 Scratters xx

mama67

2Scratters said:

I have opened a Chase online only account.
 For those who are on smart phones this banking app is brilliant so far. I'm not smart don't get me wrong but it is a brilliant account to keep money working for you, even for a short period. You get one bank card. You can have 10 current accounts (I use as separates for budgeting) within it AND savings accounts (piggy banks) with a good interest rate for the time of over 3% plus cash back for one year and 1% interest on the main current account balance. I am not loyal to any bank anymore I need to make my money work smarter. 

2 Scratters xx

I have recently opened one of these as well. Used for “no fee” spending on holiday. I also like the roundup feature. (Can get this with other banks).

Bluegreen143

In case anyone is still getting rubbish savings rates - I’m with Monzo and the linked savings accounts have 3-4% just now depending which one you use. I don’t know if I could get better elsewhere but it’s handy being linked to my current and joint accounts. 

I would really recommend Monzo for those happy to not have a branch. Great customer service, online pots & categorising of your expenses (so you can set budgets and generate reports), good savings interest rates now. 

Most of our pots are set up as non interest pots because I want instant access (the interest bearing pots you need to wait til end of next working day) but my emergency fund is at 3.4% and so are the pots I’m saving in for the kids long term.