2024 Frugal Living Challenge

mumf

cuddlymarm said:

Hi guys
Last year was a real stinker. I was diagnosed with cancer in May, had it removed in August and I’ve only just gone back to work on light duties. Just after my op OH had a funny turn which showed him to have blood clots in both lungs, he is still off work ( now onto half wages ) and not really improving as he gets very breathless very easily.
So, as you can guess this has been a wake up call to stop putting things off. OH has a small pension so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he doesn’t go back to work and we’ve no mortgage any more but things would be definitely tighter. 

So our aim is to eat better, we do live frugally but there’s always room for improvement, and to live our lives to the full because we could be gone tomorrow.
Sorry but I’ve been a bit depressing here. But if it’s ok I’ll read along, support where I can and report in my progress.
I’m determined 2024 is going to be a much better year.
Have a lovely day everyone and hugs to those who need or would just like one.
Cuddlymarm

I will wish you a good day. I am sure you know ( because of your treatments) that you are not alone. I totally understand your situation. My last year has been like yours. Sadly my *ancer is incurable.However,right now I’m feeling fair,and I consider my life to be that of retirement! 😃Like you,our mortgage is paid,and we live frugally too. It takes one type of stress away at least!
  I do hope you and hubby get better. Take care.

harddays

Hi can I join not sure of budget yet. Read but don't comment.  Hubby has alzheimers progressing faster than expected  so need to save as much as possible for help to keep him at home .

Prudent

I want to join, please. I have lurked on this thread for quite a few years and now it is time to dip my toe in the water.

I live with significant health issues and last year I lost three friends who are a similar age to me. My aim in joining will be to review and refocus my spending on things that promote good health and well-being. I am not setting an overall budget for household expenditure as I review that regularly and I am happy with it. I would like to work on how I can best use my remaining budget for:

Eating healthily.
Getting out into nature.
Stays in another area to spend time near my daughter who is also very unwell.
To continue creating a nature friendly garden and allotment.
Visiting family who live a long distance away.
Crafting for relaxation.

A dream (but perhaps not possible within my budget) would be to spend time with horses. I grew up on a remote croft with horses and goats and still hanker after time with them.

[Deleted User]

Best of luck with your plans @Prudent, getting out into nature is a big goal for me in 2024 too.  I used to be out walking everyday but haven't done it for at least the past 4 years or more.  I'm not quite sure why I stopped.  I go out occasionally and love it and plan to go out again the next day but then things come up and I don't go or it gets pushed from a busy day.  I am looking at setting up new routines for myself and regular daily time in nature will be a priority.

London_1

Good Morning chums,  well 2023 hasn't been the best year as I spent around two and a bit months of it in two  hospitals and had two operations, and had a drain attached to my tummy for 7 months At one time being completely bed bound and unable to walk stuck in a hospital bed.

But thank to the wonders of modern medicine and the NHS I progressed to a second hospital where the amazing physios got me first in a wheelchair, then onto a walking frame, then two stick (they had said I wouldn't be able to walk properly again )   Obviously never met a person as cussed and determined as me then .

When I couldn't sleep because of noise etc I would hobble up and down the corridor outside the ward and gradually got the use of my legs back, and eventually got released after 4 weeks with two sticks to help me walk, and now am down to one, which I don't mind as I have been using one more or less since the late 1990s, its something to hang onto if I feel a bit wobbly .

My goal for 2024 is moving house with my DD and Son-in-law we are selling both properties and buying a slightly bigger one between us, but big enough for us both to have our own space.

This has been planned for about 4-5 years as we said once her children were grown and flown we would have time off to do what we wanted to do (She had a girl and four boys )
Well they have all more of less flown the nest, only one left in his second year at Uni, so this coming year is the big move from Kent to the IoW.

Ive made a great start of decluttering and so far with the help of my strapping grandsons have done two carfuls of stuff to the tip. Being pretty ruthless about things that

 A I haven't used for a long time, and

 B never will use again

Lots of stuff went to the CS, and I suppose I'm maybe half way through getting rid of surplus stuff . I am away until the New Year at the moment, so can't really declutter much until I return .But I have a small list of stuff that will be gone once I'm home again.

I have been working my way through food stocks and freezer stuff, so that is slowly been eaten up and won't be replaced as I certainly don't want to be packing tinned food up. I've had some quite interesting meals this December and only had three days when I actually bought fresh food, mainly fruit and veg.

I have a small separate Chase bank account that I get cashback on so I keep that for just the food budget and only use it for buying fresh food stuff F&V etc.

 1st January I will stick £60.00 in there to cover January, and fingers crossed as I am eating from the freezer etc I will as I had in December cash left over that then gets transferred to a 'Happy Cash Stash' account to buy treat or odds and ends for my grandchildren I had almost £28 left in there this month which will get transferred at the end of this month .
To be fair I have been away since last Friday, and won't be home until the New Year so very little needed to be bought at all this month  

I checked in my freezer before I went away, and I have at least 16 ready meals that I made from scratch myself before I left and froze them, so almost half of January's meals are in the freezer already Plus I am to to my DDs for I think about 6 main meals during January, so I am covered for 22 main meals for next month already so perhaps only about 9 meals to cost & cover which I can do probably around what's either in the cupboards, or in the freezer as yet not made

I know I have a good sized pack of 5% minced beef in there that will, when I come home make a decent sized lasagne, that I can portion up and freeze in my ready made meal boxesplus maybe if I divide it, a portion or three of chilli. I'm pretty good at streetching stuff .

 I like to work my kitchen menus out by X amount of main meals and by how many days in the month  old habits die hard from back in the 1960s-70 when I used to do this .
I live alone so I'm quite easy about meals and will eat almost anything

  I have a good stash of UHT milk in the cupboards and also plenty of bread frozen in the freezer (I'm not much of a bread eater and maybe only eat it a couple of times a week.

Most of my food shopping with be fresh fruit and vegetables, the latter especially as I do enjoy lots of veg. I make a lot of my own soups as well for lunches, which is very cheap and so easy to make as I do like soup and crackers at lunchtime, and this time of the year when its really nippy I will have porridge for breakfast although I often am not much of a breakfast eater and am happy to have my constant stream of tea or coffee in the morning.

I went through various bills last week, and got my insurance for my central heating reduced by a fiver a month then I changed my phone provider, and got double the data for sim only, at another £2 reduction per month.
 Plus another small reduction with my internet provider as well for another year so. Bills are reducing as well  every little helps as is said about £12.00 reduction in monthly bills from January

 Its time for a mid morning coffee break, and I will sit with feet up and relax knowing, all's well financially at the moment, and this coming year will, fingers crossed, be a darned sight better than this one has been

  Roll on 2024

 New Year to everyone, and may all your troubles be little ones in 2024 

  JackieO xxx
 

Florafauna

Hello everyone 
I'd like to join the 2025 challenge please. I'm new here and have some big dental bills to pay for over the next year. I have a small amount of credit card debt which has just crept on due to laziness around budgeting.
I'm going to draw up a budget over the next few days and post it on here 

ladybird1106

I will be joining too as  we will have less money coming in 2025, so next year gives us chance to get used to before it actually happens 
Love🐞

dND

Can I join please?  I have been out of the country for 15.5 years so won't be setting a budget this year as it will be a voyage of discovery.  I am however a basic rate OAP so my income will be low and with house renovations to do, I'm going to have to be as frugal as I can.

bamboo_socks

Hello all and Merry Christmas. I've joined the MSE forum for this and similar threads. In short, I will be leaving my (relatively well paid) career in the summer, for the sake of my sanity and a happier future. I do need to learn to get by on less, as I will be working but likely for a lot less. I'm looking forward to reading what everyone else gets up to 🙂

TheScarletPixie

I'd like to join please.  There have been many changes at home over the last year and I'm now the main earner which means we have to really cut down on what we spend money on as less in coming in.  I used to live frugally some years ago so this is not new to me, to be honest I'm excited by the chanenge.  There are some debts to pay and I also want to build up my savings.  It will be a challenging year, I am feeling very positive about it though.  I will be working though my budget over the next couple of days.