2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

@PipneyJane Prior to the MSE forums, I was in the Motley Fool forums, it was a great place back then. On the topic of Tightwad G, I've never been a fan of frugality being compared with being a tightwad or mean to the extreme. I do think I'm extremely frugal in my lifestyle but those who don't know the backstory to this whole lifestyle choice often disagree when given the opportunity, especially on social media. 😆

Frugaldom

Loving reading all the new stories as I've never anything new to tell… it's all been said over the years. Just wondering if all the new arrivals realise that FRUGAL living and the freeDOM itbtings are the origins of the very name I use that's also now a place name, pinned on Google maps. 😁

Apologies for all the bitty piecey posts but I fell behind with the forum. Life can get in the way. Olio was OK for us this week, enough to concoct several meals and some soup & pudding lunches. Tonight's curry had green veg medley added, along with olio onions. The oddest item we got to try were gingerbread flavour Doritos ...a very strange experience, indeed.

I need to update my interest beater challenge to reflect a $31 payment from Facebook, of all places. I'll spend it on animal feed but for now I'm counting it as extra income. I'll get the exchange amount as it arrived via PayPal. Very happy with that as I was seriously doubting that anyone was even seeing the page.

fluffycatling

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81893679#Comment_81893679

Thank you for that and your story - it does give it perspective.

I think I got a bit shocked with the partner's statement for few reasons:

a) the guilt it caused me, with time

b) certain lack of gratitude to say the least - I'm not sure he realises the amount of time I recently spend trying to be frugal and creative so that came really as a bit of a shock.

Thank you all that replied - it certainly helped me to manage my guilt and also offer explanation to my partner - he did come round eventually, especially that he realised that actually the combination of TooGoodToGo and Olio is probably gonna get us to new month food budget without overdraft.

Up to recently I was convinced we were doing quite all right in general - we both have numerous bank savings accounts for different things as some already listed previously so that budgets remain separate for food, bills etc. it's easier to manage this way.

But my all right feeling changed when we started exploring the cost of anything done in a flat - the last year I got quotes for bathroom then floor this year, we wanted to start somewhere and then realised we can't actually afford any of it as the quotes we got are astronomical, at least to what we actually expected or had saved for these things.

Anyway, long story short, I'm very grateful for this forum and ideas offered - thank you everyone ☺️

Sausageroll14

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81893679#Comment_81893679

What a journey @PipneyJane ! I can relate

I ridded myself of a wastrel as well. That sense of relief and security is unbeatable.

determined_new_ms

good morning :) I've come down with a lurgy, but can't take time off work as was only off the week before last with stress so generic flu medicine, water and doing my best today!

This weekend I made bagels, lentil tikka soup (birthday gift for a friend, I have made a collection of lunches, frozen into cubes and some bagels and will pick up some cream cheese) also a loaf of soda bread. I also got round to starting to sow seeds for the season. Might do some more in my lunch break! I had another good Olio haul yesterday which will help me with stretching our groceries over until the weekend :)

Frugaldom, I didn't realise that's where your name came from, although now you say it it makes perfect sense. At the moment I am conscious of saving my resources and that retirement is closer than my pension pot would lead me to believe. I am now trying to increase my income to save/invest. My friend mentioned the other day that given how frugal I am do I need as much in my pension pot as I think I do. It's an interesting thought. I don't want to be struggling with poverty as my body starts to decline (if I'm lucky enough to stay in good health as the years advance).

anyway hope you all have a great week

RavenRover

Sympathy with the lurgy @determined_new_ms I started last week with tummy bug and ended it with throat infection and had to work through as the charity I work for only give 2 weeks sickness pay in a year and I used that up with the flu in December!

@PipneyJane been there too. My ex for nearly 25 years wouldn't do without his branded items, while I scratched around charity shops for all my stuff. If he wanted something he got it. When I finally kicked him out I was left with nothing, except the furniture in the flat - which was mostly from my family anyways and a couple of hundred pounds. Now I am surviving on 25 hours work a week thanks to my frugal ways. When he left I had a good job and squirelled away some savings as I could see where my job was going, and it did!

Saving at the moment is hard, but I'm trying my best, especially slashing any spending and even my wee mum has seen a difference when we go shopping. She laughs when I complain bitterly about how over priced Mr Ts yellow stickers are.

I did have a laugh in a Mr T express I use. There was a squeal of "HOW MUCH?" from behind the flower stand. Then the worker stepped out from behind and started a mini rant about an orchid going up from £8 to £12.😆 That then started a bit of a conversation on prices in general. Glad I'm not the only grumpy!!

mumtoomany

Morning all. Still here, just been busy again!

DS-i-L2 broke his leg playing, over 40s, football. So an unexpected visit up north to babysit two grandchildren. Lovely break actually. Stayed at DS1s house.

Back here, still trying to stop rabbits from desimating the poly tunnel. Trying to rabbit proof the raised beds. Notice a theme here? Anyone want any rabbits?

Fixed a prop back under a barn roof this morning, before it collapses again!

Welcome onboard @determined_new_ms . You are doing well. Keep it up.

@PipneyJane, always interesting to read how and why others became frugal. For me, it started when we had a corner shop, and a big loan to buy the business, back in 1980. The local steel works closed, followed by other small factories. The town went into recession. All the local shops closed down, one after another. We were second to last. OH was working full time, I was running the shop 6 days a week, and working part time evenings and sundays. We suvived on little other than egg any chips for several weeks, having lots of out of date eggs that had not sold and a sack of potatoes. Electric and gas bills paid with unsigned cheques, after receiving the final reminder. If i "forgot" to sign the cheque, it needed to be returned, and bought us another few days. The frugal journey began, and i've been honing my skills ever since.

@Frugaldom, I too was on the motley fool forums. Under the name mumtomany.

OH has made me a new clothes prop. We need two as we have two clothes lines. I was using one that my dad had made for my mum, before i was born. And one that OH made from a piece of aluminium trim from the side of the trailer tent. (The trailer tent, second hand, was bought before DD3 started school, she turns 27 this year. We used it for many years, before it fell apart. The cooker, sink, etc are now in the camper van OH is fixing up. The trailer base is now used by a neighbour to collect hay bales.) This one was a little too short. The "new" one has been made from an expandable brush handle, that no longer had a head, and a v shaped piece for the top made from a plastic chopping board, left by the previous owners of the house. Extreme frugality.

Will try to find time to add up my spends and interest beater. Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Frugaldom

Hi fru-guys and gals, I hope all you poorly folks get well soon.

@mumtoomany we have a lot in common - I had a shop near the steelworks that closed in the early 1990's. I think I'm a few years older, mind you, as my youngest is almost 37

I've almost given up all thoughts of growing my own anything as my motivation for food gardening has gone AWOL There are so many things on my to do list that I can't fit gardening into it so I've not even thought about sowing seeds. I am, however, still making soup from all the extra veggies rescued via Olio.

Can you believe it's less than a week until March?

mumtoomany

Good morning, @Frugaldom. Actually I think I may be older than you, not that it's a competition. I will be turning 66 in June. There are 17 years between eldest DD and youngest. Our steelworks closed it's doors for good in 1980.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Gem-gem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81893899#Comment_81893899

Ditto.