2024 Frugal Living Challenge

Duchess2

I’m sure some people feel the need of a seasonal boost but imho deccies make Christmas special. They get a bit old hat if you have been looking at them for two months. Thanks to all the volunteers that make such a difference for those that have so few basics of life.  It makes you so grateful for the small comforts that we take for granted. Have a good day all

Prudent

@Dizzycap I travelled from Dundee to Aberdeen on the coach today. There were huge flocks of geese overhead several times. Sadly I couldn’t hear them. They are the sound of home for me, I remember them landing on our fields once the barley was harvested.

@Duchess2 You are right, there is a level of deprivation for some people just now which has sucked all joy out of their lives. No wonder they seek small pockets of pleasure. I have been pondering this over the past couple of days. I am having a break in Dundee. The hotel is in a spot that has benefited from millions of pounds of redevelopment money including the building of the Scottish V&A. Yet walk just a few hundred yards and the city tells a different story. Last night I popped into the adjacent wee Tesco metro. A group of young adult men came in high on drugs. They hauled items from the shelves and ran out with them shouting expletives and lashing out. It was a scary experience . The town centre felt run down when I looked around.Too many peoples faces looked bleak. Aberdeen felt comparatively better (and safer) today but what a change from the booming city of the 80s. 

fionaandphil

Oh gosh, hope you are okay Prudent, that must have been really frightening.  We've seen an increase in shoplifting locally but nothing as scary as you've faced.

It started out nice but cold here today so I did the winter car checks and made sure they are ready for some journeys we have coming up. I'm glad I did as the weather has turned colder and bleaker as they day has gone on.  I also saw and heard a load of geese going over today so winter is very much on its way.

I've done a bit of normal shopping and a bit of Christmas prep done today but spends are quite low.  I'm still trying to clear some spaces in the freezer and use up what we have, but there are a few pre-Christmas meat bargains so I've bought some today and put away in the freezer.  I've also got lots of money off vouchers and gift vouchers for various things that so I've spent under £20 for nearly £60 worth of goods so I am feeling quite pleased with myself.  I could have saved more by not saving mind you  

I'm trying to redeem myself before I have to tot up the years spending before the beginning of next years challenge.  It doesn't seem 2 minutes since we started 2024!

Keep warm and well everyone

Prudent

@fionandphil I am okay thanks. Just saddened by the waste of those young peoples’ future.

suzeesu2000

Today I have been cold all day. Was only me home so no heating going on, snuggled in layers and a fleece wrap but still chilly. Got some minced beef out the freezer to make a proper hearty, warming shepherds pie for dinner on Thursday. Will also help with clearing some space in the freezer for Christmas.

Has anyone else seen the Iceland meal? £25 and serves 4 with a bacon wrapped Turkey joint, roast pots, sprouts with bacon, carrots, parsnips, stuffing in the joint, pigs in blankets and Turkey gravy. I thought that was a good price for four Christmas dinners. 

Duchess2

Glad you are ok @Prudent, but nonetheless a very unsettling experience. I hope the rest of your trip is uneventful. Unfortunately a sign of the times in many cities. Indeed Iceland’s offer sounds good @suzeesu2000. It still horrifies me to spend that much on one meal at home when not so long ago that would have fed us for nearly a week. Goodness I’m sounding like my mother😃 Have a good day folks

suzeesu2000

Duchess2 I remember back when DH and I first got together, my budget for food for both of us for a week was £10. Avoided supermarkets, shopped late on a Saturday at local butcher and veg shop or would go to the market. We didn’t eat steak or lobster but we also didn’t go hungry. 

Katiehound

Sorry I am in the bah humbug (or as my jumper says: Bah Hum Pug!) camp  and I really really didn't need to see all the decorations up as I trudged the full length of the ferry at 2.00 am on Tuesday morning- it wasn't not even the middle of November for goodness sake.
 Monday of last week a radio presenter played 'Hark the herald angels sing!' I think there were quite a lot of texts grumbling about it and he made out that it was played because it's by Mendelssohn.. not just a Christmas carol!!

Can I ask please where the videos are of the badgers / wildlife?

SuperMoose

Katiehound said:
Can I ask please where the videos are of the badgers / wildlife?

I watch them on YouTube here

https://www.youtube.com/@Frugaldom/videos

Dizzycap

Evening campers

@ Duchess2  It still horrifies me to spend that much on one meal at home when not so long ago that would have fed us for nearly a week. Goodness I’m sounding like my mother😃 Have a good day folks

Me too, Dutchess!  

My new challenge for this year is a 'Total FREE Christmas At Home' - The object is to use Supermarket Apps to either collect freebies and/or extra bonus points but only on the items I would usually buy. The Lidl App gives a free scratch card after any shop. These are often 15-20% off items that I would usually buy but I've also had non-perishable total freebies which I put in a box marked 'Free Christmas 2024' - So far I have:

1 pack of 16 pack of crisps, 2 x 6 pack of mini cheddars, 1 large plastic tubs of quality streets - These are all items I would have in for nibbles for any visitors or us.

I also shop at both Tesco & Sainsburys, if I can't get items cheaper elsewhere, and they are always giving out extra 30/40 bonus points on the items that I would usually buy, so I collect the points all year and then convert to spend vouchers at Christmas. Pays for 7-10 days of main meals, well it did last year! I also take advantage of the 10p Christmas Veggie Offers. I stock up on 6 months worth of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, baroccoli, cabbage, sprouts  all for free - I store all the veggies in an organised outside shed to keep them fresh - potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts in marked hanging hessian bags, and brocolli ,cabbage on a wax paper shelf. It looks like a parisian market stall when I open up the shed Throw in some cheese & frech bread and the scene is set for an episode of 'allo 'allo

BTW I also won a Delux Christmas Pudding after Christmas last year which has been carefully stored in the dark at the back of my fridge ready for this year & a very dear friend always makes as our Christmas gift, a Christmas cake and 2 dozen mince pies and delivers them all the week before Christmas. So that's all the naughties sorted

As for Bah-Humbug our small town put up the Christmas Decorations today which are blasting away in flashing colour as I write this That's the straw that's well and truely broken the Camels back There are so many who are feeling so desperate right now that the thought or any hope of a little cheer, seems almost impossible. Houses with very few lights on, if at all and absolutely not a soul out after 5pm. No late night shoppers or people putting fuel their car at the petrol station - nowt. I've never known anything like it! It's like living in the blitz just sitting and waiting in the dark and talk about rubbing your nose in it with the amount of electric that's being used for the town lights