2026 Frugal Living Challenge

ladybird1106

I’d like to join this year as Mr🐞 was being made redundant and managed to get 2 pt jobs ( makes full time hours), but equals a pay cut. I’m due to start work as a lollipop lady and I’m my daughter( has multiple disabilities)full time carer. I have virtually no pension to speak of. The aim this year is to adjust to living on the new lower wages and see what happens. We already live what I would call a frugal lifestyle but there are still areas we can improve on and incorporate. 

Love 🐞

maryb

Arriety, Vinted is your friend for occasion dresses.  If you do a search on, say, Hobbs dresses there should be something to choose from

kimwp

maryb said:

Arriety, Vinted is your friend for occasion dresses.  If you do a search on, say, Hobbs dresses there should be something to choose from

Or charity shops- then you get to try the on before buying.

mama67

Frugaldom said:

mumtoomany said:

Hi, @Frugaldom. We will indeed be much nearer to you when we move, and may venture that far one day.

I've been reading the old posts, and new ones, on the frugaldom blog. I am disappointed to find out that your name is not, infact, Nicky Media. I have always thought of you as that, although Media does seem to be an unusual name. Also that HS, (house share), is not actually called House. I always envisioned him as looking rather like Hugh Laurie. Next you'll be telling me that the slightly "home counties" voice I hear when reading your posts is not true either. I believe you are really Scottish. 

Hugs from (a disillutioned), Mumtoomany.xxx

This made me laugh! HS possibly does sound kind of borderline Home Counties but I am most definitely a born and bred Scot with a definite Scottish accent, borderline Glaswegian, apparently. (I grew up in North Lanarkshire but had to water down my accent in order to be understood by those around me. Most of the neighbours here originate from south of the border. Now for the H and Hugh Laurie part... Does 'LOL' compute on here? He may just qualify as sounding borderline Home Counties but I'm no expert. I actually have one of our fellow Frugalers visiting now but doubt if she will deny it confirm any of the above. Perhaps @mama67 or @DdraigGoch could make comment once they get here. 

I completed my 2026 budget - it's far from pretty but cut to be as neat as possible. It's also been rounded up (hopefully?) to reflect as yet unannounced price hikes.

I'll need to double back now and reread the other posts as the Nicky Media and House Share names threw me. I have, indeed, been addressed as Nick or Nyk in the past but I'll always be simply Susan (never Su, Sue or Suzy) and NYK will always be Now You Know. In saying that, I have been mistaken for the media manager of the New York Knicks in the past and there was a striking similarity between their team colours and that of the Irn Bru branding. 😄

Susan (aka Frugaldom) definitely is Scottish with a lovely accent. But also very eloquent. 

HS to me didn’t have a definitive accent, so can’t really attribute an area to him. 

mandy47

This morning I started making purchasing plans for the coming year. My spare toiletries cupboard is full again after adding xmas pressies to it. 
I will probably never have to buy body lotion again. 
Enough hand cream for at least 2 years.
Shower gel should last 6 to 8 months.
Same for soap.
Face wash at least 6 months.
Probably 3 to 4 months of shampoo and conditioner. Possibly longer.
Deodorant for around 3 months.
The intention is to use these before buying more. 
Didn't get any perfume this year. Still have 5 bottles to keep me going.
Tomorrow I will do cleaning stash.
Freezer later this week.
I'm up to date on kitchen cupboards.
I'm hoping to make more use of YSs this year.
DH is planning seed purchases for this year's veggies.
Saving towards retirement is our priority at the moment.
Only foreseeable extra so far are new tyres.

Good luck everyone. 

mama67

I saved my Tesco vouchers over the year and plan on using them to pay for household products ( toilet paper, laundry powder etc) will free up money in my monthly grocery budget to allow for rising prices on items that are non negotiable 

lilian1977

Just back from Tesco, surprised the Christmas veg isn't massively reduced - or perhaps I've just missed it. Anyway. picked up a £20 Tesco voucher through Quidco before Xmas with a £3.50 bonus, so used that towards a few bits that we needed. Away for the weekend from Friday so will use up stuff in the house before we go. 

suzeesu2000

 Had half a pack of cocktail sausages left over - didnt need that many pigs in blankets. Today I made a sausage casserole with them and some onion, sweet peppers and frozen mushrooms. Was delicious and will definitely use cocktail sausages for it again. Looked for a way to use up the left over streaky bacon - found one pack of liver in the freezer that I'd just taken inventory of! Tomorrow is liver, bacon & the other half of the onion. No waste! Yay me!

Frugaldom

mama67 said:

Frugaldom said:

mumtoomany said:

Hi, @Frugaldom. We will indeed be much nearer to you when we move, and may venture that far one day.

I've been reading the old posts, and new ones, on the frugaldom blog. I am disappointed to find out that your name is not, infact, Nicky Media. I have always thought of you as that, although Media does seem to be an unusual name. Also that HS, (house share), is not actually called House. I always envisioned him as looking rather like Hugh Laurie. Next you'll be telling me that the slightly "home counties" voice I hear when reading your posts is not true either. I believe you are really Scottish. 

Hugs from (a disillutioned), Mumtoomany.xxx

This made me laugh! HS possibly does sound kind of borderline Home Counties but I am most definitely a born and bred Scot with a definite Scottish accent, borderline Glaswegian, apparently. (I grew up in North Lanarkshire but had to water down my accent in order to be understood by those around me. Most of the neighbours here originate from south of the border. Now for the H and Hugh Laurie part... Does 'LOL' compute on here? He may just qualify as sounding borderline Home Counties but I'm no expert. I actually have one of our fellow Frugalers visiting now but doubt if she will deny it confirm any of the above. Perhaps @mama67 or @DdraigGoch could make comment once they get here. 

I completed my 2026 budget - it's far from pretty but cut to be as neat as possible. It's also been rounded up (hopefully?) to reflect as yet unannounced price hikes.

I'll need to double back now and reread the other posts as the Nicky Media and House Share names threw me. I have, indeed, been addressed as Nick or Nyk in the past but I'll always be simply Susan (never Su, Sue or Suzy) and NYK will always be Now You Know. In saying that, I have been mistaken for the media manager of the New York Knicks in the past and there was a striking similarity between their team colours and that of the Irn Bru branding. 😄

Susan (aka Frugaldom) definitely is Scottish with a lovely accent. But also very eloquent. 

HS to me didn’t have a definitive accent, so can’t really attribute an area to him. 

But does he show any resemblance to Hugh Laurie? 😆

StickyTheStickInsect

Thank you for doing this again @Frugaldom, I'll probably end up loitering in the background again, reading along but not commenting very much.
We aren't frugal at all at the moment, we just have too many outgoings, DH's and mine are needs only but the children do have some wants too. One of our biggest costs that I'm not sure how to bring down is all the associated costs with having three neurodivergent children and the extra (often expensive) supports they need.
The aim for this year, to try and reduce where we can.