2026 Frugal Living Challenge

Chan2019

@Gem-gem sending your mum lots of love! 

AmyinIraq

Hi everyone, 
spurred on by joining this group I had a few wins today - off to Lidl early to get my free veg from the lidl plus voucher and also picked up a £2 veg box full of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and fruit. What with those, and some reduced mushrooms and sweet potatoes, I've made sweet potato and red pepper soup, a veggie pasta sauce, and I'm going to make minestrone soup and a lentil ragu with what's left and some stuff from the cupboards, should be lunches and evening meals for 8-10 days - all for under a tenner. 
Oh, and I got up the courage to phone Utility Warehouse to ask about getting a better deal on my electricity and broadband. They didn't budge, so I've switched both - not a huge saving but it's the kind of thing I normally put off for a long time. 
thanks for being the encouragement I needed. 
(@mama67 I've got a few pheasants that visit my garden regularly - wouldnt know what to do if I was gifted a dead one though - maybe something I need to learn!)

kimwp

Gem-gem said:

Good evening everyone, 
@mama67 what a lovely gift. How long do you hang them for? 
Had a small family gathering today as my Mum had a heart attack last weekend and it got postponed. (She is okay, but not back to her 100%). Served the meal that I cooked and froze when I knew that it wasn't going to happen - Lasagna. For dessert, we had left over h/m mince pies, Christmas cake plus a couple of bits of Christmas present choc thrown in. 

My brother brought back empty jam and chutney bars and swapped them for full ones (h/m of course). Mum went home with the box of Lindt chocs that I cannot eat. 

NSD 2 for me.
Has anyone had a visit from Agent Millionaire? If not, good luck for tomorrow and finding out about the smaller prizes.

I found out today that... Cat's noses have 200 million scent receptors. We have 6 million.

I saw a fab video recently about a dog's sense of smell - their brains have an extra bit for processing smells, they can process the smell through each nostril independently - this allows them to pinpoint the direction on the smell and the little slit under either nostril allows them to recirculate the breathed in air and concentrate the smell. How they drink is fab too - the way their tongues enter the water creates a vacuum to pull the water up. 

Penny2myName

Goal £14000

5400 Rent 
2 Jan - 419.42
1440 Council Tax
2 Jan - 115.00
3480 Electric & heating combined (community heating with is 3-4 times higher than gas) (£290)
2 Jan - 254.78
684 Water - Metered so hopefully will be lower but this is based on present DD
384 Internet - for just under 1Gig - family of gamers and streamers.
240 Mobile 
323 Contents Insurance
404 Critical Care

All Shopping/Spending
1645 - Monthly £137.00
1 Jan - 2.00, 2 Jan -2.00


Editted
I forgot to mention, I make all my own cosmetics and have tons of raw ingredients at home, so I do not need to spend on this particular area, also I have a degree in fashion design so I am able to make my own clothes and have a major stockpile of fabric built up since around 2009 - last year. I have already started making my own clothes last year. Shoes and bras I will need to purchase but the rest I can make.

mama67

Gem-gem said:

Good evening everyone, 
@mama67 what a lovely gift. How long do you hang them for? 
Had a small family gathering today as my Mum had a heart attack last weekend and it got postponed. (She is okay, but not back to her 100%). Served the meal that I cooked and froze when I knew that it wasn't going to happen - Lasagna. For dessert, we had left over h/m mince pies, Christmas cake plus a couple of bits of Christmas present choc thrown in. 

My brother brought back empty jam and chutney bars and swapped them for full ones (h/m of course). Mum went home with the box of Lindt chocs that I cannot eat. 

NSD 2 for me.
Has anyone had a visit from Agent Millionaire? If not, good luck for tomorrow and finding out about the smaller prizes.

I found out today that... Cat's noses have 200 million scent receptors. We have 6 million.

They have been hung since Monday when friend shot them so we will butcher over the weekend

Frugaldom

Welcome newbies, good to have you on board. 

No agent millionaire from NS&I visit for us, sadly, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. Good luck to all who have premium bonds. Edited in - just checked the results and I had a small win that will go back in as more bonds.

Managed to get some Olio odds and ends of,  mainly baked goods but as also some sausages and some macaroni pies. Lunches sorted. (Download the Olio app free to see if there are any good heroes in your neighbourhood.)

A lovely visitor offered to help out here so the herb garden has almost all been cut back ready for sorting out 2026. Rhubarb is peeping through so I've covered it in straw and I'll soon do the same with all the strawberry plants.

I still haven't dug out any more potatoes but the bed is all weeded and dead Shaw's removed.
.

annieb64

Mama67.That's a lovely gift but don't envy you having to pluck them.

fionaandphil

Happy new year!

Sorry I'm late joining the party, haven't yet totted up last year or really thought about this year so I will post that when I have a minute.

@Penny2myName some impressive skills there, what a great thing to be able to do.

Great news that you have some help with the herb garden @Frugaldom one less thing for you. You've got some good items from olio too. I'm jealous of the macaroni pies, they don't sell them in England and are one of our Scottish foods we bring back each time we are visiting. 

I'm hoping to have a very frugal January and February by using up food in the freezer and cupboards. Lots of toiletries and cleaning items so I can save there too. This will be offset by refilling the oil tank sometime this month!

Wishing you all the best for a frugal year.

Rowan9

@Penny2myName I’d be interested in any tips for blends of oils etc for skin care. I buy products but also have essential oils and a tub of shea butter iI’d like to use. 

I went to collect my ordered library book and walked past the charity shop I usually have a browse in. I am having a coffee out but am happy with this as it is always my ‘reset’ before work on Mondays. 

Did a v small food shop yesterday and have loads already in for meals and packed lunches this month. 

Heating costs are high as we are all electric and in our 60s so I am aware of importance of keeping warm. We are active though also know to heat the room and not every room. This is a cost I have acknowledged as fine for us. I feel blessed that we can afford it. I’ll cut back in other ways to meet frugal challenges.
Thanks everyone for sharing tips and stories. It helps hugely x

ShelivesintheShire

@Rowan9 We are in the same situation re electric heating and age. When we moved here 14 years ago our daily charge was 23p, it is now 79p.