Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

slowlyfading · 30 June 2011 at 8:32PM

Welcome to the Frugal Living Challenge 2011, Part 3. The following has been lifted from the first thread of the 2010 challenge - I felt that what Frugaldom (the originator of this challenge) had said covered everything I needed to cover as the current caretaker of the challenge

The following links will take you to all the previous challenge threads

Part 1 - January to March 2011
Part 2 - April to June 2011

Introduction to 2010 Frugal Living Challenge
Part 1 - January to March 2010
Part 2 - April to June 2010

Part 1 - January to March 2009
Part 2 - April to June 2009
Part 3 - July to September 2009
Part 4 - October to December 2009

Part 1 - January to March 2008
Part 2 - April to June 2008
Part 3 - July to September 2008
Part 4 - October to December 2008

IMPORTANT
Please respect others' lifestyles and beliefs. We are not here to judge, we are here to support. Thank you

The challenge is about living a frugal lifestyle - establishing your true cost of living, sticking to your budget, clearing any debts and making savings wherever and however you can to enable you to live the life you really want.

Frugal living isn't for everyone, but everyone is welcome to join us. Methods employed by our merry band of frugalers include batch cooking, stockpiling, preserving, foraging, mending, shopping in charity shops, reducing, reusing, recycling, Local Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS), Vegetable & fruit growing, allotments, keeping hens, using cashback sites and earning whatever it takes to become self sufficient in managing the cost of living without incurring debt. For some it is initially about clearing debt, for others it's about increasing savings, buying property, becoming stay at home mums or paying off the mortgage early. Some choose the lifestyle on ethical grounds. Above all, this is a fun and supportive way to manage your budget so you have control of your own cost of living. It's about NEEDS and not WANTS.

Living on a budget = living within our means.
Frugal = thrifty, living without waste

Monitoring and revising the budget is part of frugal living plan. Gifts & cards could all to be homemade, livestock needs to pay its own keep, anything else needs to be cash neutral.

The bits we need to include to make this work

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Please read the MSE forum rules and help us to keep this challenge on track, thank you.
If you have any questions about this challenge, feel free to PM me.
The following is taken from the official MSE forum rules section:

KEEPING THREADS ON-TOPIC

Please try not to take threads off-topic. This can be confusing for new users and makes it especially difficult for people ... Where requests from Board Guides for threads to be brought back on track have not been followed off-topic posts may be removed. We encourage community, but not thread derailment.

Please bear in mind the main purpose of the site is to save money. The forum team has therefore been instructed to prioritise its time on the MoneySaving forums.

KEEPING TOPICS RELEVANT TO THE BOARD

There are two boards provided for off-topic chat and discussion. The MoneySavers Arms has been set up for fun, more lighter-hearted chat (although do still remember this is a family forum – keep it clean please). Discussion Time is for discussion of current issues (read Martin’s description).

If you post a topic that does not relate to the board it’s posted on it will be moved to a more relevant MoneySaving board or to Discussion Time/The MoneySavers Arms.
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This challenge is about paying for needs so we can afford to live debt free and save for wants. It runs from 1st January to 31st December 2011. The links will give you an idea of how previous challenges have gone.

slowlyfading · 30 June 2011 at 8:32PM

List of those taking part - feel free to join at any time and I shall add your name to the list

23rdspiral
2wildthing2
alec eiffel
angelaf
Annie56
apple_mint
Aril
artichoke
Barros
Blairweech
BlinkyTheHorse
cake21
ceridwen
cha97michelle
Cheapskate
chika
Chipps
cloud_cuckoo_land
CRANKY40
cw18
Dawning
Decluttering
diddly74
dizzy lizzie
Doom_and_Gloom
Ellidee
elly68
enjoyfinancialchallenges
Erme
gelmc
Georgiegirl2012
gien
gillst
glendam
grandma247
Green_Queen
fingersxed
Fishcake_Random
fizz
Floxxie
flying_fresian
franby64
franticflyerSue56
freedom2011
frizz2
frugalbrunette
Frugaldom
frugaliciousness
Fruittea
goldrush1984
heather2409
HelenPie
inspirespirit
itsallinthemind
jade86123
jammydodgersandrhl
jayII
JayneC
jess444
jo70mo
JustKeepSwimming
kayharcombe
kazire
keenan1
Kerfuffle
Kerry Woman
kezlou
kittiej
Kiwisaver
knithappens
l.m.hart
Lady Lesley
landregistrylass
LauraM65
Laushappy
liloandstitch
lily288
Lily_The_Legend
lingojingo
LittleMissHappy
LJC79
loislane999
LolaLemon
LollopyBear
lowspend2011
lynzpower
maccanut
Marru
midwinter
minnie2
miss empty piggy
mogan6
mommyof4
mongmoney
Mooloo
mummroysof3
Nancy888
nannyboo1
natnat13
Nichelette
NualaBuala
OCD
oldestgnome
Optimisticpair
pagangirl
paidinchickens
patentgirl
Paulgonnabedebtfree
pink_numbers
pipersky
Puddleglum
rainbowcattail
redglass
rising from the ashes
roger ramjet
romylou
rozeepozee
rubytuesday
salski
SandraScarlett
saorsie
sarah0404
savingforarainyday
seriouslyfrugal
shebrett
silvasava
skint_chick
slowlyfading
slscarborough
Sorting it out
sparkle76
steerpiker
summertea
the_cat
thrifty
thriftylass
tumptyteapot
twiglet98
viv0147
xnatalie81x
youngmummy
weesmiler
Winchelsea
Winnie in Pooh
WonderfulLife
wornoutmumoftwo

slowlyfading · 30 June 2011 at 8:33PM

A little message from me to say that I've taken over the thread from CW18 so GOOD LUCK for Part 3 of this year's challenge

mooomin · 30 June 2011 at 8:50PM

Thanks for taking over SF

I'll remain a lurker but my budget definitely isn't where it should be

tumptyteapot · 30 June 2011 at 9:01PM

wooo hoo, new thread, new start, new month..........
good luck everyone! happy frugalling!

kittiej · 30 June 2011 at 9:03PM

Hey, a lovely new thread, yippee

redglass_2 · 30 June 2011 at 9:30PM

Thanks, SF!

Here's hoping I do better for the second half of the year!

slowlyfading · 30 June 2011 at 9:37PM

flying_fresian wrote: »

Thanks for taking over SF

I'll remain a lurker but my budget definitely isn't where it should be

Don't lurk! All contributions are valid

mooomin · 30 June 2011 at 9:43PM

Thanks SF

I'm definitely doing better than I was when I first joined MSE, but I have to admit that since becoming debt-free I've loosened the spending reins a little

I've joined MFW this month though and that's helping me to focus on upping my income as well as minimising my spending, so hopefully I'll have some more contributions to make!

One frugal thing I have done is sort out my mum's Christmas present. She loves Doulton but they're expensive. A kind MSE-er saved tokens from the paper for me and I sent a cheque off and today received a lovely full-sized figurine. It cost me £30 and would normally be over £100 :money: Mama Fresian will be thrilled

This weekend I'm going to be sorting some things out for Ebay too, so maybe I will rediscover my frugal ways yet...

KolaKube · 30 June 2011 at 9:50PM

Oh no - i wrote a whole post then lost it!!

I've been lurking here for a while, anyone mind if OH and i join in? We're trying to save the deposit for a house (i have previously had a mfw diary but found it hard to keep up!)

we're about to undergo a massive change in circumstances (currently live in england but moving in with my folks in NI! I have a job there but OH hasnt found work yet) and i want to use it as a positive opportunity to take control of our cashflow and finally join in with the challenge if thats ok?

Kola xx

slowlyfading · 30 June 2011 at 9:50PM

It sounds as if you're doing fine to me

Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

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