2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Glittering_M said:

Frugaldom said:

 also still using up the gallons of homemade apple cider vinegar - the ponies love it.

How do you give the ACV to the ponies please? I'm wondering if my horses would like it. 

I have several water buckets, each with a different additive. One has ACV, one has magnesium, one has Himalayan mineral salt and one rain water with mint. Their favourite is the ACV. 😊

Frugaldom

I, too, missed any updates about eBay dropping PayPal, had no idea despite just having bought some items and paying via PayPal. Hmm... That's not good if we lost the option completely. 😔

I'm re-reading this thread from 2008 - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/844891/home-based-enterprises-interest-beater-challenge/p1 - sorry, can't see how to add links on my phone. It's out old Interest Beater Challenge but the current interest rates have almost returned to similar so I think it's time to start the mini challenge again.  Interesting to note the ISA allowance was £3,600 then but it's £20,000 now! 🧐

cheerfulness4

You can still pay via paypal for your items but you can't link your paypal account to ebay as they no longer own paypal. Many used to use their credit on paypal earnt from reward sites to pay for items and are saying they can't use it that way now. 

mama67

The PayPal option was missing earlier. But now seems to be back. 

Frugaldom

Reading the updates about PayPal option on eBay, they are saying it will be ending next month.

I have started my own mini fundraiser to try and beat the interest. The numbers aren't stacking up, though, as it's been so long since the first attempts at this challenge. Back then, ISA cap was at £3,600 Now, the ISA cap is £20,000 😱 If I had that kind of money to save, or even simply to live off, I'd be absolutely loaded and start building new cabins in the woods each year to share with you all. 🤣

2Scratters

I opened a chase account this year. (I now have 5 bank accounts) This is an online bank only so my budget pots are in there with their respective balances. The interest rate on them is over 3.3% and has gone up again. The other banks are offering piffle money this is a no brainer to me at this time as we need to have these pots and these are probably the best on the market for us. Our money is protected too under UK law to £80k. (I wish)
Nat west/RBS offer over 6% savings and First direct offer 7% savings.
I closed my pay pal account yesterday as I only ever used it for that purpose. One less account to deal with. It will slow me down more when it comes to spending money from a debit card too. (I'm not spendy nowadays)
I'm saving up for a special jumper from Scotland and need to reduce my wardrobe and part fund it at least if not all, from those items. I'd better get going I've got some work to do here. 
Stay safe all and enjoy the summer.

2 Scratters xx

willow_loulou

I was going to open an account with Chase too scratters but honestly I don’t have the brain space for yet more penny juggling. 

I have to keep my PayPal as it’s where my prolific money goes - it does mean I will be less spendy not being able to eBay directly too - that’s a bonus really. So now it’s all just being saved for my holiday expenses. 

Popped to the charity shops for a mooch today and got my treat coffee (except it was peach iced tea) really pleased I found a like new scarf for my travels. I wear a light scarf most days so pleased to have a non tatty one! 

willow_loulou

Won £30 on a whim lotto ticket last night! 

I don’t normally do the lotto as I think it’s expensive £2 a ticket but for some reason I did it yesterday. 

Not sure where that’s going yet but probably mostly in the holiday pot. 

I’ve been quite lucky this year, I never win things normally but I’ve won £200
theatre voucher for doing a survey, a raffle prize and now lotto. I think ill
keep up trying to win! 

I don’t know if any of you remember me saying I always lose my crops to the wind we get here. Well I saw someone use a cage thing on YouTube, I picked one up in £land and some thin steaks and built a cage system in my big trough. Really chuffed to say it’s worked and my plants all have survived the recent high winds apart from what looks like a little wind burn on the basil. Yay! 

London_1

I too opened a Chase account last year and have been very pleased with it the interest goes in every month and you get a extra few bob when you use the debit card I have had £16.00 plus sin less than a year just on that alone with gets popped into my savings bit every time I buy something I get some more 'reward' cash every penny helps and you just scroll down and they say which account you want to move your reward to and it does it immediately. I customer care is excellent as well and you can speak to someone really quickly. I originally used it as a 'coffee account' just transferred odd amounts from my normal Lloyds account to use to pay for odd amounts when out shopping but now I seem to use it more and more. Very easy to set up on your phone, even an old lady like myself did it in about 10 minutes and I'm not in the least techy minded  

JackieO xx

obscuredbyclouds

Hello all, are you ok if I join in? I've been lurking for quite the while and would like to really have a go at being frugal next year, so thought if I joined in now I can do little bits to get ready for the new year.