£365 a year challenge

ma-ri-ella · 3 January 2018 at 2:07PM

Moved house late last year and was actually shocked at the amount of household items i had stashed ,even after throwing loads away i have several years worth of certain products (where dates don't matter so much)

So this year i aim to try and live on an average of £1 a day for all food, household items such as cleaning products and smellies.

This doesn't include vouchers earned from surveys or cashback sites etc . I'm pretty lazy with this so cant see it making that much of a difference

I'm thinking i might also include new clothes ,books ,all entertainment items . I don't buy much . I have amazon prime until June - at which point need to decide if it is worthwhile - i use kindle unlimited ,amazon music and some prime tv quite frequently but there are cheaper options..
I'm also going to try an be healthy within this so i need to make an effort to try and target supermarkets when they have reductions on.

Jan 18
Food cupboards/fridges inventorys have been done - i have more than enough food to last the month . I just have to buy things like milk and fresh produce/any yellow labled bargains i happen to see. I have enough supermarkets close enough to be worthwhile checking .Just need to figure out reducing times!

cleaning -enough to last several months. Might need toilet paper at end of the month

beauty- nothing needed ! (that's a challenge by itself:rotfl:)

Anyone wants to join in feel free. I was inspired by these live below the line challenges i have done in the past . Over the years ive read so many frugal books etc thought it was time i should give it a go. shame we don't have extreme couponing like the usa - i would aim for a free year lol

I'm always happy to try new things/recipes so cheap suggestions are welcome.

updates - going to try updating at least once a week - maybe a Monday as this seems like my day off

good websites/blogs
thriftylesley
cookingonabootstrap
cheap-family-recipes.org
mrs frugalwoods
https://www.supercook.com/#/recipes - put i ingrediants and it gives recipes

System · 3 January 2018 at 2:16PM

*subscribed*

Good luck. I'll be following you with interest.

tori.k · 3 January 2018 at 2:48PM

I'm also having an inventory year, I've been bulk buying non perishable when on offer for years but haven't adjusted to kids moving in and out so ended up overstocked on a lot of odd things, even daft stuff like cream cleaner, my lads must be filthy beggers or im not as house proud as I use to be.
A pound a day has become quite a task, best of luck

joedenise · 3 January 2018 at 3:16PM

I'd suggest you check out websites like Thrifty Lesley and Cooking on a Bootstrap. There used to be a website which was set up by some people on here called Cheap Family Recipes - unfortunately the website isn't available any more but you might be able to find it in the archives somewhere or someone on here might be able to find a link for you.

Some cheap ideas on all those.

Denise

SuperMoose · 3 January 2018 at 3:37PM

If you haven't already have a read of "How I lived a year on just a pound a day" by Kath Kelly.

Good luck

ma-ri-ella · 3 January 2018 at 5:19PM

joedenise wrote: »

I'd suggest you check out websites like Thrifty Lesley and Cooking on a Bootstrap. There used to be a website which was set up by some people on here called Cheap Family Recipes - unfortunately the website isn't available any more but you might be able to find it in the archives somewhere or someone on here might be able to find a link for you.

Some cheap ideas on all those.

Denise

OOOO these look really good. need to do some bulk buying of cupboard essentials i think

SuperMoose wrote: »

If you haven't already have a read of "How I lived a year on just a pound a day" by Kath Kelly.

Good luck

Think i read this a few years back. The only thing with my challenge is that I'm not really starting with nothing ..its using things up more. Hope to move again this year and don't want to pay to move food etc from house to house !

Stoke · 3 January 2018 at 5:41PM

I would love to do this. I think I am too easily lead astray by cheap bargains in the supermarket etc. To live on £365 should be achievable for someone like me too.

determined_new_ms · 3 January 2018 at 6:14PM

I use Jack Monroe's recipes all the time (cooking on a bootstrap) in fact I've made her lentil ragu in the sc today

£1 a day over a year is pretty impressive!

Have you checked out Mrs Frugalwoods blog? I just found it last year. She's pretty inspiring. I'm doing the Ultra frugal month challenge. At this point it's already been good for me. We spent a lot of time socialising with friends over the holidays at either theirs or our homes. The majority of our friends spend a lot more on their house and on gifts for their children and it did leave me questioning our attitude to money and should we buy more/more expensive things. Yesterday's challenge was to think about what are your long term goals and to consider when wanting to purchase something whether you want it more than you want x (x = whatever your long term goals are) It's helpful to reframe it. I know we'd rather do more travelling than we currently do. and if I put that into this context do I want to spend more on my home furnishings or go on an extra holiday or 2 then there's not much contest!

Good luck!

[Deleted User] · 3 January 2018 at 7:22PM

Good luck I shall watch with interest as I live on a budget of £60.00 per month for food and often have cash left over at the end of the month So far I have not been near a shop this month as I am eating from my freezer I am out twice a week for a meal so I only have five dinners to make per week maximum. Using up as much as I can that I already have in stock and only buying strict necessities will make all the difference

mumtoomany · 3 January 2018 at 8:05PM

Cheap family recipes is still available, but with some photos missing it's at.
cheap-family-recipes.org well worth a look. M2m.

trailingspouse · 3 January 2018 at 9:17PM

OH and I did the Live Below the Line challenge a few years ago. It was hard. We couldn't afford tea and coffee, and we couldn't afford fruit. It was only for 5 days, so it was bearable - but it wasn't healthy.

Having said that, we had to buy all the food we ate - not allowed to use what was already in the house.

But don't let me put you off!!

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£365 a year challenge

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