2023 Frugal Living Challenge

joedenise

How about ham and cheese?  They make really good toasties.

weenancyinAmerica

Cheese and pickle; tuna and cheese for a tuna melt, really thin hamburgers

willow_loulou

Oh I could do salami and cheese, I’m not keen on ham thanks Jodenise 
love the idea of thin hamburgers- I’ve got 2 in the freezer I could cook up and chop up! Fab idea Nancy! 

You guys are fab with helping ❤️

obscuredbyclouds

Morning all, hope everyone had a good weekend. We had one of our agricultural shows over here and I won first in the crochet, so super happy with that, especially as it was my first time entering. Pondering whether to do jams and stuff next year but then again you'd never get your money back (£8 to enter, £3 for a first), so I wonder whether the slight excitement of getting a win would counteract the loss of money. Probably not when for that £5 I could get extra sugar or jars for more jam....

Anyway in other news had a discussion with the other half and as this weekend I'm away to the FoQ (Friday to Sunday), we've decided that we don't need to do a weekly shop and just going to store cupboard it, which is great! Means I can move what we would have spent (or at least what we have weekly budgeted) into our savings account. 

Nothing else much to report, just ticking along and trying to be mindful of what we are doing when.

nellis10

Hi Everyone,
I know I'm late to the party but I am trying to have an extreme frugal August, for a number of reasons, and I thought I would do some research and came across this thread - I remember the previous years' threads!!

I'm renovating my house, trying to pay off my mortgage and save for my retirement over the next few years.
I'm also doing a life decluttering exercise as I feel rather trapped by possessions and stuff and things and gumph!!!!

Aim is to eventually buy a little plot of paradise in Bulgaria once mortgage free and renting out my property.
Then commute between here and there whilst still working, and eventually retire there.

Anyhoo suffice to say I have lit a fire under my butt and I am on a Cannonball Run to Retirement!!!!

Can I join you fine people?

willow_loulou

Absolutely- you’re very welcome @nellis10

You and I have similar long term goals. I am mortgage free but have other things that need to be address and a lot of house renovations to do. 

My daughter lives abroad and I’m planning on retiring to where she is - preferably sooner rather than later. But in the meantime I’m travelling to see as much of her and the world I can. Never wait until it’s the perfect time - just go for it / that’s my way of life now. 

Managed the weeks shop for £17 as I’m using stores and just need some fresh bits to stretch the meals. Sainsbury’s have 4 brioche naps on offer for 85p with nectar. I won’t normally buy them but at that price I’ll treat my son lol 

nellis10

willow_loulou said:

Never wait until it’s the perfect time - just go for it / that’s my way of life now. 

This is what I needed to hear! I keep planning for tomorrow instead of living for today!

willow_loulou

nellis10 said:

willow_loulou said:

Never wait until it’s the perfect time - just go for it / that’s my way of life now. 

This is what I needed to hear! I keep planning for tomorrow instead of living for today!

Exactly, living frugally allows us to do more with what we have. We can save for the long term and still do the things we want to. We just need to be clever about what we spend and why. 

Learning to live on Frugaldoms very small budget or a version of is, I think, liberating. We don’t need stuff and thrifted/second hand items will in so many cases do the job we need things to. 

I owe so much to this thread, I’m eternally grateful for the support it gives. 

(I even look forward to working out my yearly and monthly budgets weird that I am!) 

RateTartExtraordinaire

Welcome to all who have joined in the frugal challenge 😊

I'm making the most of a lull in work to spend time with friends and family. With my partner, we have been going on 20 minute walks together during the day. He works from home and sits Infront of the screen constantly. It can't be great and he has been feeling burnt out recently. Also I've been taking advantage of my 2 for 1 Tuesday and Wednesday cinema tickets to treat him to a few films he wanted to see.

I have rediscovered swimming. Prompted by my mum being recommended swimming to help with her joints and to combat the recent prediabetic diagnosis. The over 50s swim is £3.40 for an hour. The pay as you go rate (no membership). In the learner pool mum just walk through the water which she said felt great. Hoping to build up strength whilst waiting for a hip op.

I met up with a friend in Windsor and we did a treasure trail (free competition). Really made our brains hurt. I drove there and used an app to book someone's drive near the centre. Much cheaper than a car park.

Slowly decluttering by selling online. I've just sold another couple of bits this week. It can take ages, but I think, if it isn't listed, it can't sell. 

Store cupboard cooking is great. I stock when I see offers. I always search and compare prices. I have a notebook with the prices of my regular items. If something goes up too much, I lot at alternatives of offers. Recently, I used a shopping offers app to get a new product £1.99 RRP, for 50p. Shop ium - you buy, scan the barcode with your phone and upload the receipt. But it is usually branded products I don't use. They just happened to have some new plant based product I wanted to try. 

I recently got my £50 reward credited for moving to Octo pus via referral link. Not been tempted to fix rate yet..recently.looked at a fix for my mum with E D F but it was so borderline decided against. 

Moved my easy access savings to CH IP app based savings, as they offering 4.51% at the moment and constantly upping their rate with the base rate increases. Monthly interest.

Most expensive spend was some new trainers in the summer sale last month. Spent £50ish. Almost sent them back as it felt extravagant 🤣 but I will use them a lot so and my feet will be grateful 😀

shabbychic12

I’m on board with this challenge now, so can l please join officially. I’ve achieved retirement and now working too a 2 year plan of selling up and hopefully buying a property with my daughter and her partner. I’ve been lucky and not had to worry about money but my spending is out of control and l need to adopt a more fugal way of living where things do not define who l am. The simple things need to take priority so as a first step lve just been blackberry picking - reminded me of fun times as a child with my parents and sisters. I have also joined Olio as l hate waste and this will help boost my shopping. Thanks