2025 Frugal Living Challenge

sams247

Throughout the year I sit with my grandchildren and we do paint and pen activities.  Sometimes on the large Ikea paper roll, sometimes on card or scraps of paper.  I keep a few, and the rest become wrapping paper and tags, home made and very special

Arrietty

Thank you for cheery welcomes 

@Prudent those gift bags are lovely; I am no seamstress but we do tend to reuse bags or baskets for gifting - it's essential to say " I recognise that bag ".

@MayDogsandCoffee - it will be good to have someone around in a similar situation, especially to remind why I am doing this when I'm feeling a bit spendy!  I am not usually a great spender either, unless horse related.
Is there really such a thing as too many rugs ?  And therein lies the problem  

MayDogsandCoffee

@Arrietty

I think we are def the same, never enough rugs, leads, beds, brushes etc etc.

Gem-gem

Welcome to all de-lurkers. 

I retired last year at 53. I am now self funding my retirement until I take pension A at 60, pension B at 65 and my state pension at 68??? In the years on the run up to retiring, I practised living on the equivalent to a state pension or less and saved the rest. Prior to that I overpaid on my mortgage and made AVC to my pension rather than allow mission creep to my spending when I received an increase. I started off with £10 a month into my AVCs and £10 a month extra off my mortgage and increased it when I could. I had a housekeeping budget of £50 - food, petrol and going out. If I wanted to go to the cinema I had to make £5 saving in my food and petrol. A bag of chips with a saveloy was a treat. Once again, if I wanted them savings had to made elsewhere. 

Finding MSE was eye-opening. Realising how much I could save by overpaying. There was no encouragement to save in my early life / early career. I just remember saying to myself that I didn't want to receive letters from the bank with bank charges on them. 

Good luck to everyone who is working towards early retirement or reducing days.