2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Finstickle

Hi All,

Thank you for your kind comments and concerns about my unexpected water issues and looming bills. We have managed to identify the most likely location for the issue in my neighbour's garden. Their insurance company is being much more amenable than mine was when I spoke to them and so we are hopeful that it will be fixed early next week and perhaps at just the cost of the policy excess to split.

I have continued on with my wallpaper stripping as I have the time and have borrowed a stripper/steamer from my local Share & Repair shop to use this weekend. I have sold my car, less than I might have hoped but it covered it's unexpected costs and left £100 over to go towards whatever needs and someone is coming to look at the door with the broken glass next week. I have claimed my eBay balance, I normally leave anything I make from sales ready to buy the next thing so that I hopefully recycle the money rather than frittering it away. I have a couple of bits to list which I will do this weekend.

Overall I am glad I sat and looked at my budget with a much stricter eye as regardless of how big the water bill ends up being, there is always plenty to do in the house and summer holidays will be here before I know it, though I will be testing the freezer department in my camper to see if it can manage ice-creams as that would be a game changer!

I am off to the beach now for a walk with the dog where I will finish up with a coffee and book in my camper to finish out the afternoon in a pleasant, low cost way - just a couple of pounds for parking.

Happy Friday

fionaandphil

@Frugaldom great post on your other site. The pasta looks tasty, I will have a think about what I can pick and try something similar, I need to look at ground elder as we have lots in one part of the garden . We have had similar weather. I had a few hours in the garden and greenhouse yesterday, planted some seeds, weeding and prepping for warmer weather. Today torrential rain and cold, trying to be thankful the water butts are full.

@Finstickle so glad to hear your water problem may be cheaper than anticipated

@Arrietty I would have been horrified too. In my younger years I used a tin a week for my outlandish hairstyle but I'm sure it was less than a pound, this is just making me feel old

@PipneyJane very impressed with your salvage operation 😄

Hope you all have a lovely frugal weekend

Frugaldom

@PipneyJane Well done on rescuing the bananas. Some people don't even realise they actually have too much money that they waste it in this way. Always astounds me what others see as waste.

@Finstickle if you ever manage a trip to our corner of SW Scotland, Frugaldom has space for parking your campervan and you'd be very welcome to visit for a frugal meet-up. Likewise to anyone who can manage a meet-up. It's entirely off-grid so visit when the sun shines so there's some solar power. 😁

The rain did finally stop here so I got a bit more weeding done and spent some time cooking on the log burner. Pan of ham & lentil soup made with the stock from a £1 pack of smoked cooking bacon and the meat set aside for a meal. Boiled some potatoes and a sweet potato with some cabbage steaming above so that's all been set aside. Cabbage and carrots got grated into homemade coleslaw, now in the fridge, and I picked some rhubarb and stewed it to have with plain yoghurt. I never got around to doing anything with ground elder but there's plenty of it. My first garden task is going to have to be planting up all the strawberry runners as they're rooting everywhere. I've also still to go potato foraging, as I'm sure there must be a load still to dig out a raised bed or two.

Friend managed to spot some fluorescent lighting tubes, something we have been needing for a while but kept putting off buying. I've been down to one in my kitchen light for years, but I believe these are becoming obsolete. Anyhow, there's a fabulous project in Carlisle named The Rebuild Site CIC that takes in all sorts of trade and construction related surplus ...they had some fluorescent light tubes available free of charge! Friend claimed us one each and informed me there are still some available, if anyone is within traveling distance. Rebuild is an amazing community enterprise that has been the source of many items used in the creation of Frugaldom. Can't recommend it highly enough for money saving while renovating or decorating. There's also a bicycle 'Recycle' project, which is where we sent all the pedal bikes we had accumulated.

Bean_humane

Hello everyone

I've browsed your site @Frugaldom , thank you, I am in awe of what you have created. I used to dream of living in the country, having a piece of land and even animals (not for farming though) if it was large enough. Sadly circumstances/life means it didn't happen. You are living the dream... 🙂

It's lovely to know how much nature and wildlife you're protecting, plus helping animals, and encouraging people to enjoy it respectfully.

Frugaldom

Thank you @Bean_humane 😊 It's not always as idyllic as it sounds, especially during the months and months of inclement weather and the absolute impossibility of ever having a day off. I'm now getting into preparation mode for retirement, which will mean some huge changes and upheaval while trying to find someone to take over the project before I'm not able to do the manual labour. As the animals eat up every penny raised, it's not exactly a prime business model. 😄 I'm still striving for self sustainability.

Edited in... There are zero debts associated with the project or the lifestyle so that's the determining factor. Living within a very strict budget is essential.

Bean_humane

@Frugaldom

I understand - it is easy for me to look at it through rose tinted spectacles... I'm not far off retirement too. I hope you find someone who can step in. I can see you being a great mentor.

Bean_humane

Morning everyone 🙂☕ I hope you are enjoying the better weather 🌞

I have reviewed my bills, and managed to shave a bit from fixing my energy bill, a subscription cancelled, and then wait until there's renewal dates for insurance. Not massive savings but around £10 a month better off.

I'm mortgage and rent free now after moving/slightly downsizing which is a huge relief, for all kinds of reasons.

I can focus on other things to trim. I must have a frugal core because I don't have debt, never used credit cards and have a fear of teetering close to the overdraft. Once I bought furniture on interest free, which I actually found a bit nerve-wracking, so for this place I bought from charity, had some gifted from family, and even cheap from local auction. Family support has been incredible.

I started on the herb garden as there's not much in the small back garden so it's lovely picking for dinner, just a few greens in the herb bed like lettuce and chard. I had inspiration to plant a lettuce from the supermarket after harvesting the leaves because it's one bagged with roots (three leaf red and green type from l!dl), it's survived and growing new leaves.

The cat (nicknamed Pushcat, because she, well, likes to push on me, and is a affectionate little sweetheart), is difficult to cut down.

She will only eat a certain brand, even though I have tried a variety (cheaper and more expensive), trying to use more eco-friendly litter, and I might have an unfortunate cat toy buying addiction...😁

I have cat insurance which is tied to the rescue, but I don't want to switch as she is a senior and it's possibly too expensive elsewhere (some won't insure pets over a certain age and she has a condition which won't be covered by a different one), plus I am trying my local vet's plan which covers vaccination, flea and worm treatment, some consultations.

This leaves groceries. Possibly the difficult one as I stress eat (unpaid carer for relative)... Some how after visiting I gravitate to shopping for junk food/chocolate… speaking of which I am going shopping today (weekly shop).

Have a lovely Sunday all.

2Scratters

@Bean_humane If your time totals 35hrs a week (it won't be hard to reach that) you could claim Carers Allowance. It will help you and is payable until your retirement age.

2 Scratters xx

Bean_humane

@2Scratters

Hello 2Scratters

Thanks for that. I did check but not eligible...

I hope it reminds others to check if they can meet the criteria.

Frugaldom

Good evening, hope everyone is ok and had some sunshine over the weekend. Last night was sub-zero here again so it was white with frost first thing this morning.

I made a rash spend of £30 for 6 x 50L bags of compost and had it delivered with the hay today. The raised beds are doing ok but I needed decent compost to get some seeds started in pots. I'm not going to be planting much by way of veg this year as it simply doesn't get the chance to grow in our waterlogged ground and the idea that visitors would want to volunteer their help and pick their own herbs / fruit / veg turned out to be nothing more than a pipedream. I'll need to decide what to attempt to sow and grow soon. The other factor needing taken into consideration is supermarket cheap veg and Olio. I do tend to get onions, carrots, turnips and mushrooms quite often. And I've still the potato plot to rummage through and see what's still surviving in the ground before they start growing again.