2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Gem-gem

@Prudent, I'm impressed with your husband walking eighteen miles in a day. I walked 12km /8 miles on Thursday and that was enough. My knees play up if I walk much more in one day. Two members of my close family were walkers / runners and they both ended up having both of their hips replaced. 

@weenancyinAmerica we reuse gift bags that we have received. My friend and I gave been know to swap them back and forth. Anything to stop it landing up in a landfill and for us to save money. I was talking to my nephew about these little ways to save money. I explained that if you have a set income. Do you want to spend your money on something that is just going to be thrown away or on something that you want / enjoy. 

RavenRover

@Prudent thanks, fingers crossed!

annieb64

My husband could walk 18 miles a day until he got Parkinsins.Now he struggles to walk 2or 3. 

We also use gift bags that have been passed around for years.I begrudge spending money on something that is going to end up in the recycling on Christmas morning.In laws do still use the expensive paper with fancy ribbons and present toppers. I try to reuse as much if the ribbon etc as I can.I also make gift tags and gift boxes out of Christmas cards.The   blank bits of the  rest of the  cards are used for shopping lists

Prudent

@Annie64 Parkinsons can be so debilitating. My brother and one of my sisters both have advanced Parkinson's. Hard for them and hard for the caregiver to watch. 

ancientmum

Creeping in from lurking to say that the discussion about fabric bags for presents has been really interesting.  I have quite a bit of wrapping paper bought in the sales last January to use up, but making bags for next year could be something to do during January or February.  I remember making shoe bags out of old jeans for my sons when they were at primary school, so just need to get back into the habit.

It has occurred to me that frugalling involves quite a bit of planning ahead, creativity and using the brain rather than just mindlessly spending cash.   

Arrietty

Hello again,

@Frugaldom thank you for the welcome and induction pack - much appreciated 

I'm fortunate that my debt clearing days are now  behind me thanks to many learned frugal habits, determination and much support over on the DFW board some years ago ( different username ) I didn't visit the forums for a while and my former spendthrift ways crept back in .... and then the reality that possible SP retirement (if they don't move it again) is now less than 10 years away hit home.  

I started pondering this and how to make the most of my savings and then as we approached winter I admitted to myself that ideally, I would like to reduce my working days to 4 a week in a couple of years and I recognised that to make this happen I need to get back on the frugal wagon pretty quickly!

So, I'm adopting the frugal way in order to save as much as possible to reduce my working hours 

Prudent

@Arrietty welcome .  Frugal living is the gift that just keeps giving when it comes to early retirement. Not only can you save up to go earlier/reduce your hours, it also means you are well equipped for managing on less income. I took early retirement nearly ten years ago, aged fifty, due to ill health. My ill-health pension is less than a quarter of my previous teaching salary. It felt like jumping off a cliff. I don't have any regrets, and my finances are okay in spite of the cost-of-living crisis because I keep my outgoings as low as possible. You could definitely look at cutting a day. Swapping money for time is a winner in my book.

I have made fabric gift bags for years. I attach a wee label asking people to either re-use them or pass them back to me. I also make my own bottle bags for gifting, and sometimes I make stockings for gifting small gifts rather than a hamper as it means I don't have to use cellophane. 

Prudent

Oops not sure what happened to the stocking photo!

kayannie

I bought a Christmas duvet & pillowcase from a charity shop back in the summer which I am going to make gift bags from.  A few years ago I bought Christmas fabric & made bags, but I didn't get them back, hopefully they were passed on to others.
KA

MayDogsandCoffee

@Arrietty I am the same, I have lurked on these forums for over 10 years now and some of the tricks and tips will enable me to drop hours or possibly retire totally next year (I procrastinate far too much).  For a while now I have been living on half salary and saving the rest,  I am not a high spender to the point of being a miser (unless dog related).