2024 Frugal Living Challenge

NextToNowt

Thanks @Elisheba I’ve actually read tightwad gazette. 

I’m actually pretty frugal and luckily don’t like buying anything I don’t have to but thanks for the reminder. If anything can tempt me to spend it’s a charity shop! 

I’m trying to make a bit of money too, prolific (survey) has been great so far this year and I have an app called biscuit that tracks my dog walks and gives points for grocery vouchers. I’m at 760 points and get a £10 voucher at 1000 points. I also saw that my Amazon account had ‘unused benefits’ and they gave me £15 credit for ‘trying’ Amazon photos. Every little helps! Oh and I got DH to sign up for Sainsbury’s and we got £18 off £60 shop which should really feed us for most of the month. 

amber03

If anybody has the As&a rewards app and uses it. I’ve just noticed that they have started the Christmas savers pot. Which means any rewards you save in your normal cash pot can now be transferred to the Christmas pot and use in December. I’ve just transferred £7 into it and will keep transferring any money I earn into it for .xx

suzeesu2000

Elisheba…I’ve just got the Tightwads Gazette. Slowly reading, seems good so far.

Mum passed some vintage bits onto me today which I am very happy with. Really pretty cup, saucer & tea-plate which I am going to convert into a gift. Will add some nice wrapped sweets to the cup or some teas. Wrap in cellophane with pretty ribbon. Costs pennies. Have 2 so that’s good. Also a pair of Beauty & the Beast glass cups and saucers. And 6 Smokey flute style sherry glasses, very 1970’s. Will do candles in them, make as a pair, add some chocolates, wrap in cellophane and 3 more gifts. Might even try selling them if I can make them look nice enough.

Been eating from fridge all week. Still have cheese from Xmas. Gradually using. 

Made overnight oats for next four days, used up some frozen raspberries. Have some plums that really need cooking so that’s a job for tomorrow. 

Have a good Friday all x

NextToNowt

This morning I have used up some old tortilla wraps (left by DD when she visited, not something I’d buy), by using up one potato, onion, peas and some spices. Watched a YT video for folding them (halved) into samosas and sticking with flour glue. It made loads, now frozen. Will pop in the air fryer for a bit if decadence whenever we have a curry.

my sourdough definitely has some bubbling going on! 

I also noticed on my dog walk that the wild garlic is starting to emerge x

Prudent

Thank you sheilavw. mine is still blowing out warm air, but only on the highest setting. I think the garage are planning fitting new resistors to the fan next Tuesday. Another £100! I am reminding myself that I am making a choice to run an older car than I ran when I was working and this has saved me a lot in replacement costs. I had quite a commute when I worked so I always felt a newer car was a safer bet as I couldn't get to work via public transport.

I popped into Tesco this morning with OH and noticed they had fruit trees. We got a cherry tree and a pear tree for the allotment. I will need to update my total in my signature. OH wanted to plant them this afternoon but I think it is too windy. We have stakes for the trees but I think there is only one band in the shed. I will need to buy some more.

suzeesu2000

Dinner was fish fingers from freezer. Took some soup out for Saturday dinner too. 

Lovely time spent in the yard with the new raised beds. Put all the necessary down to stop compost leaching out the bottom. They are the metal type and are standing on slabs as we only have a yard. Anyway, added compost, rabbit poop, blood fish bone, sand and mixed. Managed to totally finish one and all covered ready to use. Other one needs bit more compost. Moved little greenhouse, moved garden store thing, planned for buckets and troughs, my lovely friend 2 doors down is going to babysit some potatoes I plan to grow in containers as I won’t have room. She is lovely. 

DH is going to set the growing lights up tomorrow if he knows what’s good for him😆 and I need to source some new compost. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Christianne1957

I need to source some new compost

Do you have any horses near you? Most owners will gladly let you take as many bags of well rotted manure from their muck heaps as you can tote away. 
Works brilliantly as compost and is free for the asking

mama67

DH has cut back his hours at work to 3 days per week. 

So he can concentrate more on the log business. 

He is also 60 this year so wants to “calm things down a bit” his words. 

We got a half lamb just after Christmas “field to fork” as is from a farm in the next village 5 miles up the road. They are also going to do beef boxes. So we will be eating better quality albeit a little less. 

Also pulling & using random things from the freezer to free up room ready for the beef box. 

I have decided to plan  our meals a little more, as we had got into a bit of a rut. 

Budget has been written, then rewritten, then rewritten again. 

Think we are there now. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend

Dizzycap

Hi all:-)

I'm a little late to this challenege but it fits in well with all the other challenges I'm doing this year, so I would LOVE to join in xxxxxx

I love your list frugaldom and many of these things I do:

Needs not wants

Make do and mend

Reduce, reuse, recycle, upcycle - I also include unwanted or uneeded gifts. I haven't had to buy gifts for the past 5 years. I also recycle old cards: Birthday, Christmas & I also make my own from my art stash which I've stopped buying for as I have more than enough.

Olio - I just signed up to this and have become a volunteer to collect and distribute H&B products!

Swap and barter If you can't swap, barter, or recycle unwanted items, then sell them on!

Only drive when it's essential

Socialise with friends at Frugaldom, mostly outdoors - complete with a flask, bottle of tap water, and sandwiches for day outings.

Limited one day a week shopping trips for essentials only.

Online shopping via cashback sites - particularly good for buying essential items in bulk when they're on special offer

Pay using a cashback credit card

Play the free postcode lottery

Savings get put into Premium Bonds, 'just in case'

Use portable solar whenever possible, usb lights, phone charging

Harvest rainwater (not difficult in Scotland)

Composting

Fleeces and hot water bottles - if the logburner is lit then water for bottles gets warmed

No takeaways or fastfood

Love homemade soup

Only make what costs less than buying or it's false economy

Quit smoking (years ago - challenge is on MSE somewhere)

Daily exercise to try and keep relatively fit and healthy

Make the most of offers, cashback and money off coupons only when they are needed

Always haggle on insurance, internet, mobile phone etc. You don't know until you try or do your research using all the MSE tools available, including cashback!

As you can see by my signature, I have many money saving challenges on the go and the frugal living fits in perfectly because I've lived this way for years.

I have no financial obligations other than myself, my dog, and keeping the house & garden repaired/maintained, so this year I'm going to try and aim for living on a total budget of £2,500 inclusive of all bills - haggling & cashbacks where I can, essentials (food), and extras: Internet, phone - Haggle, haggle, haggle & clothes/shoes - I already do a swap with a friend on those items along with dog toys/ bulk buy dog food & biscuits.

Frugaldom

Welcome to our new arrivals, it's never too late to join us here. 

@Prudent, thanks for the heads up on fruit trees. 

My plans for a forest good garden are still rumbling around in my brain but haven't tumbled out into reality, yet.  Our ground is peat bog on one side and old quarry on the other with next to no top soil on either so it's taking a very long time to create suitable growing space. My efforts at composting are dire as I never seen yo have the energy to turn the stuff but the old composted manure heaps are now home to  hawthorn and elder.

Today, I heard the frog chorus begin and last night, the bats were spotted flying around so I hope the mild temperatures aren't lulling things into a false sense of security. We usually start to see frog spawn appearing mid month then a deep freeze arrives in March.