2018 Frugal Living Challenge

Frugaldom · 26 December 2017 at 11:08AM

Welcome on board, Peony40, I'll get your name added to the list.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas day and that you're now all prepping leftovers so there's festive cheer scattered throughout the new year. :-D

[Deleted User] · 26 December 2017 at 11:33AM

Okay - budgets for this year I have placed into three categories as these are the only ones that I can realistically influence - they are; food, petrol and personal spends. This equates to a £3600 budget per annum for each category.

Food will be my main source of budget savings - I intend to have a no food waste policy from now on and will be using up everything from my stocks prior to buying any further dried goods. I will be creative and utilise all that i have at my disposal!

My petrol will just be my persie use - I get an allowance for work mileage - so anything additional will be gained by making sure that we don't add additional miles to our trips. We do go to the shops, see the grandbaby etc on the way home from work, but the shopping visits add up even though it is only a mile or so out of the way. Minimising those and making sure that we don't need to use the car at the weekends will all add up.

Persie money should be easy to limit use of - I'm eliminating a lot of toxins from my life in the next day or so therefore my expenditure will reduce dramatically! :T
I am going to have a grandbaby fund as part of my persie money though - I can't deny myself buying him toys - it's important to his development and I will do whatever it takes to help him while I can

I have been very fortunate so far that I have a friend with a young child who has outgrown much of the stuff that is perfect for dgs - I have a great deal of on loan toys which have been a frugal lifesaver!

So, they are my budgets - things like fuel, insurances, mortgage repayments etc are pretty much out of my control - my electricity meter is a smart one but my energy supplier doesn't read them and nor can I so I just have to set a budget and hope that eventually, we will work out how much I am in credit or debt!!:o I shop around every year for insurances and my mortgage is on a fixed deal until April 2019 which is when I intend to pay it off. So no real wiggle room there. My mobile is on a £10 monthly big bundle deal which suits me fine - I don't have a good broadband deal but that will be sorted in the next couple of days so I'm pretty set with my fixed costs.

I will keep a running total of all 3 and hopefully come in way under on at least the food and persie!

FrankieM · 26 December 2017 at 12:33PM

Morning

and I hope everyone had a lovely day yesterday.

My 'year' starts tomorrow as the 27th is my pay day so I'll be spending today getting the spreadsheet set up, making up meals with my left over veg and getting my monthly tesco shopping list done.

While I tried shopping weekly at Aldi, I actually hate shopping so much that I would put off going and then end up buying takeaways and snack foods cause there wasn't anything in to make a meal with. I went back to Tesco last month and did a big stock up shop and that seems to have worked well so I'm going to stick with that for this year and then pick up fresh and other things needed at the Aldi near work.

I've just moved and so know that I'm paying over the odds on my council tax, which will adjust in April but I also need to take a look at my utilities as they were based on the previous tenant. I'm on a smart meter and I've not really worked out how to see whether I'm keeping within my monthly direct debit or not so I will give them a ring to see where that is at.

Looking forward to getting back into the frugal swing of things and taking control of my day to day spending.

Nonnadiluca · 26 December 2017 at 12:59PM

Revised budget for the year is £9,600, this will also cover a week's holiday in France and next Xmas, providing no major unforseen disasters occur!

mumof3.12kindebt · 26 December 2017 at 7:22PM

Xmas dinner and celebrations continue in our house today because I was working yesterday afternoon.
Haven't been paid from work yet. Will add any overtime money to the savings when I do get paid.

Kids loved all thier gifts yesterday and family were excellent in not Buying us things we wouldn't use.
And all or Most will help us on our frugal no spend low cost living journey while we save up

Ex MIL and FIL (boys nan) brought my partner a new hair trimmer (ours broke earlier this year) so we can cut the boys and his hair ourself again.

My dad put money in the boys savings accounts and got me and my partner restaurant vouchers so that's 1/2 free date nights sorted

My Nana and brother chipped together to give us the money for a family annual national trust pass so that's lots of free / cheap days out with the kids sorted.

MIL brought us a small food Hamper and the kids toys they had asked for

My grandma gave me and my partner money to put in our house fund box and the kids toys off their list

My dad brought the baby a voucher for a clothes store.

My partners nan brought the kids gifts off thier list and gave us £5 each for our house fund money box

Me and my partner brought ourselves a water zorbing experience day so that's another date day sorted and the boys nan have offered to have the kids for us that day.

We also brought a Kindle between us because we both love reading this is for 2 reasons it means we can free up some space and get rid of our paper backs and it means we can take more advantage of being prime members with free books each month and generally e-books will cost us less than paper backs.

Off to finish off the dinner and enjoy this afternoon pigging out and playing games With the family and watching a film. Early night tonight. Back into work tomorrow

mumof3.12kindebt · 26 December 2017 at 7:26PM

I just realised I haven't officially said I'm in

So I'm in please!

Here's to a frugal and fabulous year

IreneCWP · 26 December 2017 at 8:21PM

I'm not going to join as I've a few things coming up this year that means I wouldn't be able to stick to plan, but just wanted to say to anyone thinking of doing a home swap for holidays but is a bit worried - Just do it! We've had six of the most wonderful holidays at a fraction of the price it would have cost up had we gone down the tradition route. Two adults and three teenagers don't come cheap when it comes to accommodation, especially as our 14 yo daughter now refuses to share with her two slightly older brothers. ( I wouldn't want to share either ) We spent three fantastic weeks in Barcelona last summer. Lovely house with a pool and just ten minutes drive to the beach. Also did a car swap. It cost less for all of us to fly and home swap than it did for the dog to go into kennels for three weeks. I used my weekly shopping budget for food and raided our holiday savings piggy bank for the treats. I honestly couldn't recommend it enough. It's been an amazing way to see the world.

cybertortoise · 26 December 2017 at 9:39PM

Now that Christmas is over I have worked out my budgets for next year.

My challenge is to live off £7500. This is to cover groceries, fuel for the car and any entertainment or outings.

I'm going to be running a more thirsty car neat year, as long as he goes through his MOT. As it'll still cost less than buying a new (to me) car with enough seats for the 5 kiddies. Plus it converts into a camper so will give us a couple of cheap trips away. Our allotment is paid for until September so I have no excuse not to make a start on growing our own veggies. As vegetarians it'll help keep our shopping bill down as long as I can get some free or cheap seeds.

Like FrankieM I hate food shopping, or any other kind of shopping. I will put off going, then go unprepared and buy random stuff which doesn't really go together as a meal. My major challenge this year is to meal plan, shop accordingly and then batch cook when possible so I don't have to cook every day. I'd also like to start baking my own bread as it'll be healthier and more often than not I pop out to get bread then spend on other bits. I already make my own granola and smooth style porridge so that's helped reduce the cereal bill.

Looking forward to getting started!

Merle · 26 December 2017 at 10:03PM

Would love to join in again in 2018.

Fizzyisbusy · 26 December 2017 at 10:47PM

Hi I’ve joined the challenge I’m trying to download the budget planner thing. I can’t seem to do it right so I can overwrite my own figures on it. Do you have any ideas as to how I should best proceed? Sorry I’m not great with computers, I’m ok once it’s been explained though!

Thank you
Fizzyisbusy 😊

2018 Frugal Living Challenge

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