2018 Frugal Living Challenge

I'm plodding along to Kerry Woman. January feels like such long month. Are we really only on the 11th!!!

Things are still going well here. I forgot to mention that I didn't top the car up with fuel at the weekend like I planned and its gone and lasted me the whole week so I'm quids in there.

Nothing else much to report. Just can't wait to see how much money is still left in the bank account at the end of the month with out all the frivolous spending

Since last Friday I've spent £4.05 on 1 lightbulb! And that's it. Am using what's in the house food wise. Still plenty left. 6 no spend days! Quite happy!
Have decided to rejig the finances for next 3 months and that should clear the overdrafts. Suddenly hit me that I'm using overdrafts to try clear other debts and how daft that is! Then i can hit the rest of the debts hard....or at least that's the plan!

:wave:

Hope everyone's OK and recovered from flu bugs - happy Friday!

And so to the progress report:

January focus on cutting outgoings got off to a flying start.
Have been wanting to find an alternative to that well-known Bloomin' Teleconnection provider for a while because although we've been loyal customers for years, the prices just keep on rising whilst our package 'eligibility' just shrinks (for Broadband and phone). Tried to see what they'd offer me to stick with them in 2018 and was informed we weren't eligible for any offers, so watched (sort of) Martin's money programme on Tuesday night and followed up with the alternative provider they suggested for budget-busting new customer deals.
As a result, have changed to a new BB and phone package with +Net. Even with choosing their top service for BB (I work online from home in a semi-rural area so need to ensure good connectivity for meetings etc), we'll still be paying less than half what Bloomin' Teleconnections were charging, for the same Openreach service, I think (it's always Openreach who come out to us when the Bloomin' Teleconnection doesn't work)!
:T Plus although it took me until just about midnight to connect to the site (think it was very busy following the TV programme), I also managed to do it through TCB for a cheeky cashback of £95! Very happy!
OH is continuing to help with the food focus. He not only got up early to hit the market for cheap veggies, he also made a meal plan to ensure we'll use it all. He's also said that he's happy to be mostly veggie now as it's so much cheaper! I've been a veggie for about 30 years, so really happy about this (altho' sure he'll still get the urge for a steak or bacon buttie every now and then)!
Have also been recommended to try a particular homeopathic-based remedy for one of our dogs which, although a bit expensive to start with, has the potential to really cut ongoing vet costs, so trying that this month in the hope of it allowing the pet budget to balance a bit better this year. He seems to be taking to it OK, so will wait and see. Am doing this in conjunction with advice from a vet nurse who's in the family, so hopefully it won't compromise his care but will help the funds!
Have achieved only 2 NSDs so far, but need to have a low-key weekend so don't anticipate spending too much.

Simple pleasures this week:
* Still loving the spreadsheet, strange how it affects the mindset having to put the - sign in front of spends, am trying not to have to do this! Thanks again for this.
* Birds and the secret life of squirrels in the garden, free entertainment at its finest, only missing a voice-over from David Attenborough!
* Drawing up plans to give an area of the garden a bit of a make-over, but with a very frugal budget in mind. Part of the plan includes relocating a path to go over what it currently a kind of bed (aka bunch of soil at end of garden). OH has started digging and although he broke his spade doing so, found more stepping stones buried in the ground there, which will be repurposed to create the actual path. We found loads of these when we first moved in, and thought we'd used all of them, so great to find some more as it will certainly cut costs and fit in with the existing 'path'!

Hope everyone's better from flu bugs and has a great weekend lined up! PN x

Morning Everyone

I've spent the week working and managing to get extra work so it's been a very busy and slightly tiring week.
I've mostly not been spending...though had to get flowers for my sent for her b'day (over in Aus, so I completely forgot about the 'delivery' charge while I was budgeting. Ending with me spending more than expected!), more fuel (I looked at the litres instead of the money while filling up and as it was a courtesy car I was only supposed to be topping it up. Ending with me spending more than I'd budgeted and more than I needed to really!)

A big expense was my car insurance excess £1000! That's what I get for trying to keep the premium down....

S having said not much spending has been happening, it actually looks like some serious spending has been happening! lolol

Back on it today. Doing this week's menu, picking up anything I need for it and filling up my car fuel tank, which will hopefully see me through til the end of the month.

I think it's only because I'm making note of my spending that I'm noticing these errors in budgeting. I imagine previously I just topped up my account from savings or extra work income.

Oh...another sad thing. My energy provider wants to put up my DD. So I need to look at alternative providers and also look at my usage. I'm on a smart meter so I could do with actually using that to my advantage to keep an eye on my numbers. I think it's the gas cause I've chosen to keep the gas on but use the thermastat so that I'm warm. I don't like to be cold but I also don't want to be spending over £90 a month on gas and electricity. So I think I'm going to use my timer and see how that goes.

Is anyone else on a water meter...how does that work regarding monthly payments? Do they read your meter regularly or is a yearly thing? I might need to give them a ring also and just see where things are.

And, last but not least...I need to find a cheaper way of calling my Mum and Dad in Australia..so a bit of research needing to happen today.

Have a lovely day xx

FrankieM, I moved into my new house in August (3 bed). It already had a water meter and they estimated it would cost £33 per month (my monthly non water meter cost at my previous house was £38 ). My meter is behind my washing machine, but they must have another way of reading it. After a couple if months they reduced my monthly payment to £14 per month based on my usage.