2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom

Rhubarb flowers seem to pop up when plants are stressed so my understanding is the mild weather forced the rhubarb through then the freezing weather shocked it.

Olio - we have had none for a few weeks for various reasons but if anyone is close enough to a Tesco and can go there for 9.30pm, it would be interesting to find out if they really are giving away the yellow sticker items at this time. I'm not close enough to pop in and don't know anyone who lives near a store. I know Lidl used to give away all their surplus bread etc after a certain time but that's going back about 20 years. 🫣

Cylinder gas has increased by around 10% here, logs even more so. I did cave and buy some coal based 'ovals' and have worked out that 12 of these added a couple at a time throughout the day are sufficient to keep the chill off the place but roll on the warmer weather.

My budget is looking shaky on the grocery front so it needs addressing. I will be doing a deep analysis to find out where I'm at and rounding up my accounts for submitting my self assessment tax return soon. I seldom use cash for anything so everything is easily trackable through bank statements, which is how I much prefer it. I'll update my budget figures soon. I also plan on doing a top up shop to stock up on stores' own basics before they all disappear completely. Loss leaders are vanishing quickly.

Prudent

@Frugaldom it is getting harder and harder to find budget food buys. Even my local community shop, which used to be wonderful, is about 30% more expensive than the Lidl across the road. I still get some Lidl veggie boxes and a small amount of yellow stickers. Farmfoods is the last sanctuary of frugal food shopping. Due to rising costs I am going to change how I shop. Previously I have planned meals around whatever bargain crops up. Now I am going to work out a meal plan based on the regular price of the items. I am hoping this will be more cost effective than the adhoc way I do it just now.

@Finstickle I hope everything works out cheaper than you expected. Pin some sheets to walls as a temporary measure. I am watching building prices carefully too just now. My roof is due to get replaced and I am hoping the quote I got at the start of the year will still hold as it is an expensive job.

On a happier note, I have a big birthday coming up and I am being treated to two trips away (a short one in April and a week long one in June) and some meals out. I have also been gifted some money which I am going to spend in a very unfrugal way and go horse riding (@£50 for the hour!). I see it as a 'final fling' with horse riding as it is not something I get the opportunity to do now. I grew up with ponies and they are still my first love.

Frugaldom

@Prudent FABULOUS use of big birthday money!! I wholeheartedly agree that a splurge is permissible, otherwise why are we living in such frugal ways?

I am sitting right now with pen, paper and calculator at the ready, looking out at rain-lashed Frugaldom and wondering why H is outside in it mending fences. Oh yeah... I remember... I can't afford to hire in equipment or pay specialist fencers. Silly me. 🫣😆

I do not include the actual Frugaldom project costs in my budget as they are calculated as business and are non-profit, as we need to supplement the income to cover costs. Getting to break even point on running costs would be fantastic but that's probably for whoever takes over once we retire to achieve. (My kids have no interest in running the project.) Anyhow, onwards and upwards. My annual budget is what I have left from personal income after paying out these expenses, which includes feeding the remaining sanctuary animals. (6 ponies, 2 goats, 5 cats and the wildlife.) Back in a bit, I'm still number crunching and still debating whether or not to keep the car, which is now 10 years old.

Brand new budget coming right up... Fingers crossed!

Frugaldom

HOUSEHOLD BUDGET REVIEW

This challenge began on here as the 'Living on £4,000 for a Year' challenge, almost 20 years ago. I brought it here to MSE in 2007, under username NYKMedia, with the first challengers joining me to take part from 1st January 2008.

Using the Bank of England's online inflation calculator, we can see that £4,000 at the start of 2007 now, in 2026, equates to £6,581.58 so bearing that in mind, my newly reviewed budget of £6,500 is actually beating inflation while also covering a lot more than it did back in 2007/8

I will now look back to compare the old budget and see how far we have come. Congratulations to all fellow frugal lifers who are beating the system via frugal living.

2026 BUDGET

Groceries - £1,200

Electricity - £1,200

Cylinder Gas - £160

TV licence - £180

Landline & internet - £660

Mobile - £240

Insurances - £286

Council Tax - £1,463

Clothing & footwear - £50

Miscellaneous - £1,061

TOTAL - £6,500

Bean_humane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81961835#Comment_81961835

Hello @fionaandphil

Thanks for the welcome.

I'm still working out posting on here and for some reason it's making me reset a password. However I am here.... 😁

I am a (not so) secret @Frugaldom fan and reading through the challenge threads.

I need to keep it simple. So I am challenging myself to keep to the revised limit Frugaldom kindly calculated £6845.15!

Saving hasn't worked so I realise I need a whole mindset adjustment and I think this is the one. Please bear with me fumbling along..

Frugaldom

@Bean_humane the fumbling along is entirely permissible. In fact, it's par for the Frugaldom course so... welcome to the frugal fumblers virtual get together. 😆

I've been checking through my food stores, seeing what's needed for longer term 'security' and will top up before stores' on generic brands vanish completely. My staples include the following absolute basics:

Rice, pasta, spaghetti, porridge oats, salt, vinegar, sugar, oil, lentils, beans, tinned fish (I prefer tuna), corned beef, tinned veg, flour, instant coffee, teabags, UHT milk, milk powder, sultanas, tinned fruit (extortionate now!), stock cubes, dried herbs, assorted spices, baking powder, tomato sauce, brown sauce and salad cream.

I also keep a supply of washing soda, plain soap, bicarbonate of soda, aspirin / paracetamol / Ibuprofen, toothpaste, anti-perspirent, basic first aid kit, kitchen sponges, clothes, batteries, string, tape, lighter, lighter fuel, matches, needle & thread, pen and paper... You can tell I was a Girl Guide and Brownie in the past! 😆

Spare change is kept in small tubs, handy whenever there's a need for it but with so little need, it usually ends up going to the grand children.

Frugaldom

Following on from above...

My additional extras include things like honey, jam, marmalade, quick sauces (packets & jars), lemon juice, pickle, breakfast cereal, custard powder, noodles, suet, hot chocolate...

Fresh food, such as fruit, veg, meat, eggs and dairy are dependent on what's available at the time. We are neither vegetarian nor vegan, we are very much waste not, want not, so whatever is available within budget is what goes into meals. I'm not a fan of palm or Shea oil in products, mainly because of deforestation, processing and environmental impact, but it is getting really difficult to avoid these things and we need to consider the economic impact on the countries producing these cash crops... All food production contributes to someone's income, as do fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical production. Should we be focussing more on our global economy, I wonder? I suspect frugal living would be nearly impossible if we didn't embrace this modern globalisation of food and goods production. 🤔

Most often used vegetables - potatoes, onions, carrots and cabbage

Most often used fruit - apples, bananas, oranges, peppers & tomatoes (some consider these last 2 as fruit)

Why am I on such a strict budget? Because I don't want to go out to work in a job that I hate and don't want stuck in a repetitive cycle of clock-watching til escape. I love the freedom that frugal living with no debt provides, even if it means living on less and submitting an annual tax return. Looking forward to receiving a massive boost in income when old age pension arrives but I've still a few years to go before then. 😁

To all who have joined this lifestyle challenge recently, embrace it, learn to love it's simplicity and never be scared to get creative, whether in arts, crafts, cooking, cleaning, earning or budgeting. Number 1 rule... Make it fun!

PipneyJane

You are very inspiring, @Frugaldom.

I had a play with the Bank of England Inflation Calculator and found it most depressing. House-price inflation around here means that a 1930’s semi costs considerably more than it would have in 2003 prices, when we bought our house. Based on what we paid and on the properties currently on sale in the neighbourhood, I worked out that in year 2003 money, our house would have cost an additional £78k!

Welcome @Bean_humane. Pull up a chair, have a cuppa, and join in whenever you feel up to it.

• Pip

Bean_humane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81964209#Comment_81964209

Hello everyone and thank you for your lovely welcome 🤗

And thank you @Frugaldom and @PipneyJane.

That's a very interesting and informative list Frugaldom, wow, thanks. I must have some frugal instinct as I do keep store cupboard items now.

I am more concerned about it being topped up, as per COVID, illness, bad weather, etc. I'm mentally doing a check list and nodding at your comprehensive choices. This feels like I am in the right corner of the forum, with like-minded people, which I don't have in the outside world.

I have followed some good advice from both the main MSE information and the kind people on the forums who amazingly offer a wealth of free information and support (checked bills and shopping around, direct debit for a small monthly savings account), which was a good way to manage money so I was better off.

Unfortunately my mindset then went to yippee I have more to spend 🙄

Your challenge here has penetrated into my mind - I need to live under my income to be able to save. It's taken me far to long to realise that!

Bean_humane

Thanks @PipneyJane

I hope to rise to the challenge, but I think I have to do it gradually, as I don't plan and budget enough... ☕🫖

I've begun looking at the bill's again to see if there's anything to save. 🤞