Frugal Living Challenge 2011

A question about : Frugal Living Challenge 2011

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

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

Ideas to help you achieve and/or maintain debt free living
Spend within your means
Set a proper budget
Houseshare
Get a lodger
Shop via cashback sites but always price compare
Buy reduced items in stores only if you need them
Stockpile & bulk buy
Batch cooking
Make the most of charity shops
Join Freecycle or other similar waste awareness and recycling associations
LETS trading - become active members of trading & exchange groups
bartering
Grow your own herbs, fruit & veg
Preserving & winemaking
Card & gift making
Order splitting for better discounts & shared postal costs
Landsharing, allotments & frugal garden systems
Free scratchcards
Matched betting
Free online bingo
eBid and eBay trading
etc, etc, etc...

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.

Quote:

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.

Best answers:

• saved to add a list of those taking part - I'll add names when people post on here, but if you're still missing after a couple of days please let me know
  Lurkers are also more than welcome to say hello and be added - it's always nice to know who's following us
  23rdspiral
  2wildthing2
  alec eiffel
  angelaf
  Annie56
  apple_mint
  Aril
  artichoke
  Barros
  Blairweech
  BlinkyTheHorse
  cake21
  ceridwen
  cha97michelle
  Cheapskate
  chika
  Chipps
  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
  freedom2011
  frizz2
  frugalbrunette
  Frugaldom
  Fruittea
  goldrush1984
  HelenPie
  inspirespirit
  itsallinthemind
  jade86123
  jammydodgersandrhl
  jayII
  JayneC
  jess444
  jo70mo
  JustKeepSwimming
  kayharcombe
  kazire
  Kerfuffle
  Kerry Woman
  kezlou
  kittiej
  Kiwisaver
  knithappens
  l.m.hart
  landregistrylass
  LauraM65
  Laushappy
  liloandstitch
  lily288
  Lily_The_Legend
  lingojingo
  LittleMissHappy
  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
  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
  Winchelsea
  WonderfulLife
  wornoutmumoftwo
  (currently up to 135 names )
• saved for me to add my budget
  want to finalise my 2010 spends first, as I'm using these as a base for my 2011 budgets
• Well just in to 2011 and all good so far, no spend as yet!
  Good luck everyone
• Happy welcome to the new thread.
  Good luck everybody.
  No spends here either Shebrett, but then I am still in 2010
• Ј122 spent on council tax today. Super!
  Total budget for the year is Ј10,000
• yayyy been waiting for the new thread so i can subscribe - Heres to a frugalicious new year for all of us x
• Here we go, here we go, here we go!
  Feeling all excited. I went and put my figures on the 'preparation' thread when they should really have gone on here, but never mind, it adds up to Ј7,282.18 (so far, with the odd figure still to be added in).
  Must go and gloat over the massive stockpile of oats, pulses, cous-cous, pasta, tinned fish, tinned tomatoes, dried fruit and soap (I could set up shop!).
• Happy New Year/thread everyone! Let the challenge commence
• *looks around* ooh, it's nice here on our new thread isn't it?
  Am too tired to do it now but tomorrow I will be finalising my spreadsheet etc. Would love to start off 2011 with a NSD but we'll just have to see!
  Night night everyone and Happy New Year!
• I would love to join you please. I haven't yet worked out the breakdown of my finances but it shouldn't be too hard as there is so little
  Will pop back tomorrow, Looking forward to be an active member rather than a part-time lurker!
  Floxxie
• I'm going to be on 5K this year all in - whoopsies the lot. 4K was impossible for me last year (well over - dread to think by how much by )...
  Got woken up by the fireworks @ 12 ...was having a nice snooze ..but then considering I'd gone to bed in my clothes maybe that wasn't so bad?
  Haven't heard from amazon re e-book sales so will have to check soon.. Though only started selling e-books the other week (about a week ago if not less) and they have no covers so maybe nothing fab but even a few pence would be cool
  Add me to the list please if it's not already done CW. Welcome to all the new members - at least you're all joining now and not like I did last year in FEBRUARY (about the worst month I could join)...don't forget your cashback sites for mobile contracts (has come in sohandy)...get what you need in terms of a contract - you do not NEED the latest fancy phone...just look at posh ppl...they often have fossilized phones and you wonder why? It's cos they know where to put their money..(on the landrover LOL)
  I kind of have a boyfriend Nuala and yes he is new...He made a first attempt @ carrot and coriander soup last night only grated the carrot prior then wondered why it was poor (perfectly edible with a little garlic powder and like a bit of salad whizzed in I got for him for 10p the other night).. He lives 40 mins away on the bus so praise God I have my bus pass...
  Blessings and
• Please include me Cheryl, I am a lurker who rarely contributes to the thread, but I do read, and find it brilliant
  Thanks everyone and heres to 2011
  Lilo
• 2011 budget is Ј5,000 for the year.
  The budget will be broken down as follows:
• Groceries = Ј1,100
• Gas = Ј0,300
• Electricity = Ј0,300
• Water = Ј0,120
• Internet = Ј0,180
• Contents insurance = Ј0,150
• Bike insurance = Ј0,390
• Road tax = Ј0,015
• Petrol = Ј0,300
• Vets = Ј0,240
• Mobiles = Ј0,500
• Yule = Ј0,334 (gifts, all food, treats, drink etc)
• Birthdays = Ј0,180
• Dentist = Ј0,120
• Optical = Ј0,120
• Entertainment = Ј0,180
• TV licence = Ј0,145.50
• Bike maintanance = Ј0,120
• MOT = Ј0,030

Total of above = Ј4,824.50 but will be rounding it up to Ј5,000. That means we have Ј175.50 incase we need it (hoping that is an easy Ј175.50 into our wedding savings but we'll find out at the end of the year if that is the case!).
We won't be including rent or council tax. This is to cover my fiance, me and our 2 chinchillas . All things related to my disability are not on this budget as they should be covered by my DLA (note the word should, lol).
We are trying to spend as little as possible as we want to save for our wedding (looks like it will be in 2013 but we still have quite a lot to save so we shall see). We refuse to get a loan to get married so we need to save for it.

• Happy New year to everyone
  Please count me in Cheryl still have to finalise my figures definatly going to lower my food total as got some brillaint whoospies yesterday which if i could manage every week would make total much more managable!
  First day of New year NSD as been invited out for meal by SIL
• Happy new year to everyone I really hope that this year brings many many joys to everyone.
  Please count me in, my budget is Ј10k all in for the two of us It will be great if I can get that down to 9K, but I am not going to kill myself over it this year.
• The excitement on this thread is palpable, well done all those who so far have managed a NSD including myself, only 364 days more to go until 2012. I'm still very determined to achieve my decluttering and only essential spending for this year, I go to bed grinning about the challenge ahead.......and thats on my own.
  Good luck one and all in 2011.
• Well a NSD day so far.... but only because Lidl was shut!
  Went to get a stock of their half price dishwasher tablets. Will have to go back tomorrow and get my years worth (84p for 40 is cheaper than I have seen anywhere all last year so worth it. They clean pretty well too) This weekend only though so go quick if you want some
  Will also need to fill up with petrol. Forgot yesterday about the first of the increases but want to get sorted before the VAT rise
  Other than that don't need to spend until Tuesday at the earliest.
• Yes another NSD for me - 2010 ended with one and 2011 will start with one!
  I would like to lower our living expenses, but not sure how successful I will be. There are 4 of us, me OH and 2 daughters (11 and 8) plus 2 dogs and 2 cats and maybe later in the year some chickens (depends on what the LL says). Last year it cost us Ј15,698.52 to live - that was not including bills like electricity and gas or the rent. Which compared to a lot of you is a HUGE amount.
  I have worked out - based on costs and DDs from last year that including the bills and mortgage our living costs will be/allowed for are approximately Ј20,000 (Ј24,120 with savings included for holidays, presents, emergencies, etc.)
  Looking at my spreadsheet from last year and graphs I can see that I did not keep within my food/household budget any month from May onwards - I wonder if that is because prices were rising and I did not change my shopping habits or because I shopped recklessly. Travel costs (petrol) also broke the ceiling of the budget every month bar one! From anything from Ј20 to almost Ј100 in July 2010!!!!
  Now I cannot control how much it costs for us (hubby and I) to travel to work and daily commitments (I am a Student Nurse so have University to attend and work placements in hospitals) But shall endeavour to walk more where possible instead of popping into the car for a quick trip to the shops.
  Food budget should fall! As I am on a diet from Monday! I will not be buying all the nice goodies for the family as this is much too much of a temptation for me to divert myself from the diet!!! Thats my excuse and I am sticking to it!
  My biggest challenge (apart from shedding the lbs from my body) will be to save money - I am a terrible saver - money sings to me when I have it. I hope to have a pot of Ј4 - 5k in the bank by next christmas, along with the sealed pots/saving challenges I hope to join on here. That will be a major achivement for me as I have never been able to save before!
  Good luck to all with their personal challenges I hope that I can help support you all during 2011.