2026 Frugal Living Challenge

kimwp

I have travelled for some things, thinking it's best to save things from the bin (if I was going to use them), but my rule now is that either I have to be willing to walk unless it's a significant "save" eg a significant number of planks of engineered wood.

SeekingFlight

Bit of a weird frugal move, i wanted to get myself a poetry course but then remembered i'd signed up for one 2 yers ago that i wasn''t able to complete. All the emails were still in my inbox so i downloaded them into my google driva and i'm goping to work through that on my own.

PipneyJane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81855069#Comment_81855069

I do this, too, @2Scratters, for lip gloss, stick-type makeup base, lipstick and my crystal deodorant (although the latter requires chiselling about a quarter of the crystal out of its plastic base). With lip gloss, I'll collect 3 or 4 stubs and, scrape out three of them and pack them into the fourth tube. Once done, I'll balance the tube carefully upright on the bathroom radiator overnight, allowing the heat to soften the contents enough for gravity to compress them down. Voila! A "new" tube of lip gloss.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81856035#Comment_81856035

Given that I saw 220g jars of Options in Sainsbugs yesterday, for the headline price of £5.40 a jar, M&S don't sound so bad. Of course, the Nectar price was £3/jar, but that's still 75p more expensive than the price I paid in L!dl in December. (FWIW, I use one heaped teaspoon per mug of the flavoured stuff and then add 2 teaspoons of the cheapest own-brand plain drinking chocolate.)

• Pip (Now only 50 posts behind)

ETA here’s the photo I took in Sainsbugs. I was shocked!

RavenRover

On Olio, I am lucky as one of my shops is where I live. The other is 4 miles away. I usually get around 40-60 items there and from my local one I can get anything from 50 -180 items. One of my regulars is also a collector, and stays 2 miles away and usually has a nice selection of stuff and does one of his collections the same night as me, so we arrange who is coming to pick up from who that night depending on who has asked for the most😄. Here are also a few folks in the town who are collectors, but I usually have enough from my collections not to trouble them. Hope that helps.

Been really lucky with the milk. Over last 2 collections managed to get 10 1 litre bottles of green and blue milks. Means I don't need to go into local supermarket which all helps!

Gem-gem

@PipneyJane I am shocked at the full price of the 0ptions. I hate the two tier pricing that goes on in most supermarkets.
Still only two spend days for me this month. Nine NSD 😀 All bills have now come in and been paid for. Only a tiny budget left for me for the remainder of the month - going out / socialising. Food not included in this.
Dinners were sourced from the freezer plus a cheap veg from L!id!.

Mamma2004

Nectar savings on frozen veg in Sainsburys until 17th Feb. Buy 3, get cheapest free.

E.g. Petit pois peas:

Usually buy 910g for £1.85 (£2.03/kg)

Bought 3 x 1.81kg for £6.70, 3 for 2 (£1.23/kg)

Hoping to grow my own this year 🙂

YorksLass

@Mamma2004 - The offer includes frozen fruit too. This week I got raspberries (cheaper than fresh but just as nice), stir fry veg (a good assortment) and chopped mixed peppers. My saving was only 99p for the peppers but it all helps the budget. I would have bought other things before the offer ends if I had more room in the freezer but alas………..

suzeesu2000

my Tesco shop yesterday came to £160. Used Tesco discount email voucher took £18 off then almost every other item was on discount/promo. Brought what I paid down to £117
Very pleased with that, enabled me to refil frozen fish and baking supplies plus the young delivery lady was a dream, so pleasant and helpful. 10/10 Tesco

Nelliegrace

@Mamma2004 We grew mange-tout and sugar-snap peas on the allotment, purple podded ones were easier to see to pick them all so they carried on cropping. I tried to get the best value from our plot, and planted tasty crops which were expensive to buy and lovely eaten very fresh. We grew climbing borlotti beans and purple French beans, and lots of tender runner beans.

We had a delicious lunch cooked by the students at College today. They added a garnish of pea shoots. They are so easy to grow in a bit of potting compost in a punnet on the windowsill.

determined_new_ms

Hello I'd like to join you this year! I've looked on at this challenge over the years with interest. In the early years the thread moved so quickly there was not way I could really engage in the discussions! And I also have a very fickle nature, being totally consumed by interests and then moving on to the next! But older and wise, and my love of being frugal remains with me so I'm jumping in and hoping to stay the course in 2026!

I've been inspired by an influencer to look at my grocery spending and have reduced our spends from £400-500pm to (I'm hoping) circa £250 for 3 ppl (one teen). I've started going gc 2 x pm and getting creative with what we've got and leftovers. A revelation! That then inspired me to look at what we have going out and I have saved: £240 changing energy supplier, £174.50 on TV licence (£180 for next year), £53.38 for a printing service (massive waste of money we rarely print anything!) as well as the grocery savings! I also have cancelled a couple of subscriptions I had and am about to change mine and my LOs mobile provider and save a further £120. I think because I have been interested in being frugal for so long I'd become blind to these things.

I tried to look at a budget and it's eye watering for us! nearly £19k and that's just joint and child related expenses. Clubs and activities for lo - and a couple of quid each week for a lunch - is nearly £2k! So I think I will have to just focus on generally remaining frugal!

Also I made my own natural deodorant last year. I made a batch in a coconut oil jar and I have barely touched the surface! At this rate it is going to last years. In fairness I'm not a very sweaty person but 100% endorse! Made from ingredients laying around at home.

I've got a question. Can you explain how the interest beater challenge works? I think I get it but want to check.

@Prudent I was looking at the big block of cheddar in FF yesterday at £3.99 for 900gms. What's it like?

@fionaandphil I was super interested to hear your gc bill is £166 for the year and that will last until Easter. Be really interested to hear how that is possible? Ours is about £376 and I will go shopping again beginning of March and I think I've been super economical!