2024 Frugal Living Challenge

fionaandphil

I like homegrown as you can just pick it and it's chemical free. Slugs have devoured all the outdoor lettuce this month so we only have what is growing in the greenhouse to keep us going but it's growing so rapidly we can't keep up anyway!

nannygladys

Frugal -  perhaps as you're a really busy person the olio etc would be better option as you're not under any pressure to grow and it gives you more time to put towards the project and animals. 

Prudent

A much needed catch up from me. Everything is behind just now! I've had covid for a 4th time and it always knocks me out for ages as I have an autoimmune condition. My job list is growing so many arms and legs that it is in danger of getting up and walking off the dining room table. I am very grateful to my OH, who also had covid but recovered in a week, as he has taken over the allotment completely just now. He only starting gardening a couple of years ago, so this afternoon he wants me to go and look things over. I agree with @Frugaldom that salad leaves seem more abundant in cheap/free places at this time of the year. I've had loads in the £1.50 Lidl boxes recently. I am continuing to grow my own though as it is likely that the nutrition will be better as they are organic and picked fresh. As I have so many health issues this is an important plus for me. 

I have updated my signature as I have now spent most of the allotment grant. I expect the remainder to go in the next few days as I need to submit the receipts. I have reduced/raided my crafting budget as car costs are higher this year than anticipated and I need to top up that budget. I started costing my insurance renewal yesterday and the best quote I can get is still 25% up on last year. On the positive side, I could raid the crafting budget without too much detriment as I have benefitted from my sister in law doing a de-stash as she moves house soon. My family visits budget still remains largely unused as I have been too unwell to get away much. I had anticipated using a chunk of this in June. 

suzeesu2000

As a housebound person I cant use Olio and the lovely "bags" fron supermarkets - would love the Lidl or is it Aldi veg box but again, cant get there. I am a member of our local Pantry and pay £5 for at least £15 worth of groceries - tinned or packt goods. Cat and dog food is free also so stocking up with that as well. They give you 15 points and you spend them on a list of items. Usually you get a lot of things where its 2 for 1point. Also do washing liquid for 3 points so I am stocking up on that too. Its very good value for my £5 and they deliver free using electric cycles as well. Brilliant scheme.

RateTartExtraordinaire

Hello all, 

I haven't posted for a while. I've just been catching up with all the posts on this thread from May until now.   

I've just finished review of my June budget forecast from the beginning of the year and I'm not doing too badly. All categories are on track apart from clothes. Even though I set this as a target area and to only buy charity shop clothes (which I have done), I treated myself to some replacement items not all of which I could source in the CS. I have what I need now, so will be strict from now to the end of the year. 

Free and Frugal things done
I went for a free taster session at the local gym a couple of weeks ago, which was good. I know I have been neglecting exercise since April when my mum went in for an operation for her hip. She is making a good progress 7 weeks on. Now I've got more me time and I've noticed that I've been creaking, I need to get back into an exercise routine. Daily walks, some weights and yoga. 

I'm doing a bank switch this month to get £100 CB this month and £10 a month CB when I use my debit card each month. It has been a while since my last switch. Due to my many switches over the years, I now don't qualify for many. I'm not moving energy company as Octopus are claiming to have the lowest daily standing charges. I'm willing to take my chances and stay on the variable rate. I know I can be more frugal with the CH come winter if I needs be. I also moved my easy access fund last month to get a better savings rate through there was no CB with that one. 

I went to a free talk on local rogue traders, scams and fraud and cyber crime/security. It was at the library and run by the local police and trading standards. I thought it was pretty good. I was sad that it wasn't better attended. I learnt so much and have now put a lot of it into action and it was all free.
 
I'm looking forward to the weather getting better and a long weekend I've booked at a bed and breakfast by the coast next month. Lots of picnics and enjoying the outdoors, fingers crossed. 

Frugaldom

Good evening, frugal friends.  I don't know where all the time goes but it's whizzing by far too fast. Best wishes to those who are suffering from health issues and the dreaded COVID and well done to our veg growers, bargain hunters and food rescuers.

Olio, for me, is more about keeping good out of landfill. It's soul destroying seeing the amount of waste. We make good use of everything we can get, be it for sharing with out frugal friends or feeding to animals. This week was, again, bags upon bags of leftover salad leaves. The ponies, goat and even some of the birds eat it but I'm going to get some help to move the wormery to a different spot so it can be replenished with scraps. We never have enough compost here but the potential for making it is massive.

I've had help in the herb garden this past week so it is looking great. Ponies and goat benefit from many if the trimmings around here do the overhanging hedges have all been tidied up around the yard. The dog roses are flowering, the blueberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries are growing and the first tiny apples have appeared. It's looking good for a heavy fruit and berry crop this year. 

I'm still managing on one grocery order per month but on the down side, still having to light the stove to stay warm some nights. Last week saw temps drop to zero!

Keep on frugalling, people. We've no idea what the future holds.

Frugaldom

It's very quiet in here so I hope everyone is ok.

I've been going back over some of my old blog posts after dusting off the cobwebs and was surprised to see a post from exactly 13 years ago about our move to Thrift Cottage and setting my sights on the nect big Frugaldom project. I'm now looking at the most and the least popular blogs and can see that frugal living is something that is always going to be part of my life. The biggest revelation from reading back over the Frugaldom blog was seeing each if the items being systematically ticked off my long lists and now, suddenly, realising that all goals have been met, even the elusive aurora borealis has been witnessed. I need a new 'to do' list on which to focus my attention. My bus pass days are looming and I need a plan of action before I hit retirement. What a scary thought!

Frugaldom

Im on a roll. Yes, it's around 2am but the prospect of spying a baby badger kept me awake until it hit to dark to see and then I got sucked into blog reading world. I feel like I've kicked my own backside into gear just by re-reading earlier challenges and am now happily planning my next frugal enterprise. The campervan site is already up and running, that just needs promoting to let folks know they can stopover for the night for a fiver but there is so much potential for so many people to generate residual income from our patch of land that I'm amazed we aren't over-run. Look around, what do you see? Can anything you see be turned into income, food, fuel or investments? I can see potential for all of those things now that my lightbulb moment had finally arrived for this next frugal adventure. 😆🐴 

weenancyinAmerica

You have been such a good example for the rest of us with your goals and challenges. I wish I could say that all of my goals have been reached but no such luck. With your inspiration, i will keep trying though.

Frugaldom

Thank you @weenancyinAmerica - without you frugal folks keeping an eye on me, I'd never have achieved all these goals to date. I feel much more accountable and driven to succeed when blogging and posting in the forums as I'm a very 'do as you say' person. Now, I need to declare my summer goals so I am, once again, accountable to you all so thank you for being here.