2023 Frugal Living Challenge

SecondStar

Going to gear up for a (sort of) No Spend January.

I’m holding onto the hope that my ex might be able to buy me out this month, in which case I may need to spend.

Until then, I’m taking it 1 day at a time and seeing how far I get - no spending unless essential (bills, fuel/transport, grocery shopping, pet costs). No non-essential food purchases, no unnecessary purchases. 

Kerry_Woman

Have done my budget for 2023.  January is going to be an expensive month as I pay for several things, eg property service maintenance for flat for the year.  My fixed term contract at work is not going to be renewed, as things where I work has changed for how many staff they need.  I have been in that position for 2 years and hoping to get other temp work within that organisation.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

Soontobeoap

Hi all, i have worked out my budgets and spending. I pay some bills and dh pays others. I am aiming to only spend within income creating a little savings on top each month. It was easily doable before Gas and electric went up but much harder now. Want to finish house renovation at the end of 2023 by refurbishing living room and sorting front garden. It has taken 9 years so far but so proud that we have done it all without taking out loans or a new mortgage. We bought the worst house on the street so that we could spend more time together and work on a big project. We gave up full time work at 54 years old and then worked even harder but it was all for ourselves. By cracking down on my budgeting dh is beginning to follow suit. I wrote down everything i spent last year and am now absolutely determined to cut back.

Wishing everyone on here a very happy and frugal new year. 

Sweetlittledaydreams

Woo 2023 here we come!
I know I was frugal last year but didn't really keep a good track of my income and outgoings so going to try and be more organised on keeping a record this year.
I will look what vegetable seeds I already have and make a year plan of when to sow what, but other than what I already have I won't buy any more seeds. I have my lovely quail for eggs, I agree that buying eggs would be cheaper than the feed and occasional vet trips but they are family and I love them. Maybe I could try to sell the surplus eggs at work in the summer when I get a lot of eggs. I will get into the habit of writing and sticking to the shopping list rather than walking around and thinking oh that looks nice and into the trolley it goes! I already shop at the cheapest supermarkets and will continue to do so.
I do have a holiday booked for January which I don't intend to waste money on but I also won't be frugal on it either, I work hard and long hours so feel I have earned the holiday.
Monday I will ring the bank and make a 10% mortgage overpayment, and all savings will go into either premium bonds or I will research a high interest rate savings account and open one.
Good luck and let's have a wonderful money saving year!

Landgirlinthelittlecity

Hello all, Happy New Year! Excited to see what this year holds.

@SecondStar I’m hoping to do a no spend January as well, fingers crossed it goes well as I’d love to continue it further than January as it will help with my savings, or at least continue doing a low spend year.

patentgirl

I am in again quite a few years down changed our lives definitely I retired early 2 years ago at 60 because of what we saved and learnt from all the amazing friendly people in here especially @Frugaldom for setting up the thread DH is retiring finally in May he wanted to carry on for few more years after me he will be 65 then so we will have limited income till he gets his pension next year think it works out to around £1100 a month but this won't kick in till June/July so will carry on saving as much as we can till then we are also downsizing to a bungalow which hopefully will be moved in by April to give us time to sort garden out for vegetables might be all pot bound this year, we also enjoy our holidays hoping for Campervan when house sold but will have to wait and see but will be budgeted in, will try and post budget plan for 2023 soon. My news resolution will be to post more on here always read then forget to reply or respond ! Good luck everyone

aspella

Hello everyone. My frugal living challenge budget is going to be £15 per day which works out as £5,475. However if the weather is good this year and therefore I can spend more time outside I'd like to get around the £13 per day which is £4,745. 


Electric - £77 (21.2p x 365 days - standing charge) (reading taken 31/12 17776)
Gas - £61 (16.89p x 365 days - standing charge) (reading taken 31/12 4197)

B - £1,401.19
F - £1,577.52
H - £176.66
C - £87.57
V - £608.09
J - £51.50
R - £8.90
G - £265.26
W - £58.50
Total Cash: £4,235.19
Budget: £4,140 - 276 days x £15 as at 03/10 (O £95.19)
Budget: £3,588 - 276 days x £13 as at 03/10 (O £647.19)

Vouchers spent in 2023
DIY £45 - Xmas present
T £16
McVities £12 - complaint

Spending challenge (366 days) - £2,976.43
Budget: £2,353 - 181 days x £13 as at 03/10 (O £623.43)

I'm going to achieve this by purchasing secondhand, spending cash within the local community, swapping, borrowing and sharing items with others and last but not least enter 23 competitions a day in the hope I'll win a few small items (books/DVDs) that I can use and share with others so the postman brings nice things and not just bills.

Good luck everyone and here's to a frugal, happy, healthy, fun-filled 2023. 

Glittering_M

Happy new year all!

I am looking at my spreadsheets and it is a little difficult as I decided to do my finances based on financial year but it seems this financial year (and last) my biggest unnecessary spend was clothes! Not even particularly nice stuff, just fleeces, wellies etc for pottering around in the garden/stables. I do really need to do an audit as a lot of stuff I don't wear but I don't like getting rid of stuff! That will be something I will try and reduce. Saying that, I do think I need some more work stuff, particularly if I will be in the office more which looks likely. 

On a joint front, we really need to get a grip on food shopping, I am too easily to cave into my partner's request for cookies etc from the bakery section, which at £.1.50/£2 a go really adds up. I know I could make them so I might try and do more baking, then I also know what goes in it! He also has ham daily in his sandwiches. He says he is happy to not have it if we can come up with a suitable alternative (he doesn't like what I have). I already food plan and do a list although I do find it harder some weeks than others.

I have been reading a lot more about gut health and nutrition and am keen to really work on this. I plan to, starting tomorrow as it is a Monday, clear a white board up and record for each of us what plants (veg, fruit, nuts, pulses) we have eaten this week with a record of our highest score. I understand we should be aiming for around 30 different ones! I probably get about 10-12 a week and each week they are usually the same sort of stuff!! What I am less clear on, is if this 30 should be a whole portion or if just a bit counts. I think I will be starting with the something is better than nothing approach! I'd love to do the Z0e test that looks at what foods you may struggle with and which ones to have lots of but at nearly £300 a person plus a monthly fee that is not viable. 

With this in mind, I am also concerned as I am reading that we shouldn't be eating as much bread as we do, we have sandwiches every day for lunch, we do usually go for seeded & wholemeal or mixed, but I am not really sure of alternatives, we aren't really traditional salad fans. Every so often I'll batch cook some quinoa and do it different each day for lunch but that feels like more faff!

We got a N1nja multi cooker earlier in the year so we are going to try and use that more as at the moment we are not.  As I posted in the 2022 thread, our gas bill really scared me (elec is fixed until sometime later this year).  I also want to try and be more experimental in the kitchen, I have an apple cider vinegar (brewing/fermenting?) in the cupboard but I am not really sure what I need to do with it as I looked at so many guides I confused myself! I need to remember to feed my sourdough starter more and actually use it! 

I'd like to cut down on 1 of our cars, we don't need 2. My partner works from home now and I need mine to commute to the office (can't do it via public transport as each way it would take over 2 hrs as opposed to 45 mins driving). He isn't keen though as he likes having his car for the independence as it means he can go visit family and friends more easily that live in different areas.

I am hoping to finally start doing some side work on a self employed basis but we shall see. 

We hope to buy a house this year and actually start planning our wedding (no date in mind, might be this year might be next who knows!)

So no budget as such at the moment, but less if possible with the cost of living crisis!!

Sorry another long post, it is so easy to get carried away! Thanks to everyone who posts, I really do enjoy reading it all.

joedenise

As your partner like to have ham sandwiches every day it would be much cheaper to buy a gammon joint and slice it yourself rather than buying packets of ham which works out much more expensive per Kg and I think tastes much nicer.

You could also do the same with other joints so could have more variety.  It freezes well as slices or you could even make up sandwiches to freeze which would just need defrosting on the day of eating.

Hope these suggestions are useful.

maryb

I was just about to say that - and you might well be able to get a nice big bit of gammon reduced after Christmas.  Lidl also often have deals on large gammon joints