If you're feeling brave enough: read on! I'm going to share this months (every jeffin' month) budget. Here it is! And remember, I warned you!!
Salary in today at midnight - £2506. Let's all do the.......I'm actually very rich dance! At midnight tonight, on the 1st of the month the following will be paid. £1063 for the mortgage. £199 for the car loan. £373 for the Lloyd's bank loan and £500 for the Virgin 0% card (actual payment is £30 a month.....but I over pay by £470 a month). Money in = £2506 and Money out = £2135 Leaving me £371 a month. (We have DB's salary too and he pays all the domestic DD's and all the other debt repayments.)
I then spend £100 a month on travel costs to get to work. I put £25 a month into our emergencies savings fund. I pay £30 a month towards my water costs. £140 a month on groceries and I am left with the huge sum of £76 a month to 'play' with. I'm going to make sure I severely cut back on food costs this month and I won't go to work for a couple of weeks due to the Easter break and I'm hoping to put £100 away this month towards our holiday. I'm going to be blogging about 'store cupboard' recipes over the next few days as I intend to eat everything in the house, before I buy any thing else.
This month, I'm going 'frugal extreme' and will see exactly how little I can do with, use, spend, buy and how much I can save. You see, to me, having £76 a month spare seems like a lot of money. I clothes shop off the pound rail in the charity shop, buy all toiletries in with my food budget and anything else can be made, bartered or borrowed from the library.
I'm going to use up every little last bit of everything I have. I'm going to need some help!
I'm going to need you guys, at the side of the road, with the banners and hooters; rooting for me. Today is my 500th post and it would be lovely if those of you who are not followers yet could do so, so I could have 500 followers. Tell your friends and get them reading too. This month will be full of recipes, making things over the holidays, decorating the house with what I have, house maintenance without any trips to the DIY store and entertaining friends with what's in the freezer or cupboards. Drop by everyday and make a difference to my month of 'frugal extreme'.
Until tomorrow,
Froogs xxxxx
69 comments:
Go for it FQ woohoo! I'm leaving no frugal stone unturned...I've been mending holes in my bathmat and making my holey pillowcases into hankies!
With you all the way FQ and waving my banner, looking forward to next months posts expecially those recipes as we too will have to live of our stores for a while!
I just finished a month of eating out of the bottom of my freezer and back of the pantry--and do you know, I've still got food! I'll be on the side of the road waving a new dishtowel as you go by. I've been making dishtowels out of old unbleached muslin curtains and wondering why I hadn't done this long, long ago! Here's to a frugal and happy April.
Well you're almost there with 476 followers as I type.
Looking forward to all the 'store cupboard' recipes, I could do with some inspiration.
Sue xx
My banner is being waved,my freezer is full my cupboards are bursting,( i blame af offering free postage) so i want to do the same, so i can plough more money into debt repayment.
I tried the soap making i think i went wrong by not using hot water with the caustic soda, ( can i still use the soap i made even though you can see the caustic soda granules)
x
My frugal flags are flying high for you (homemade ones of course)xx
I have been reading for months and am fairly frugal, but recently have tried to really organise our finances with the aim of paying off my £2000 overdraft as soon as possible. I am currently trying to work my way through the cupboards and freezer so will be checking here every day for inspiration!
I'll be cheering you along. Go for it Froogs!
looking forward to some store cupboard recipes- could you think of some interesting ones using pasta as I appear to have 6 5kg bags of penne bought as part of my pandemic flu preps *rollseyes*
Looking forward to some store cupboard recipes. Hopefully lots using pasta as I have found 4 5kg bags of penne I put away as part of pandemic flu preps * rollseyes*
Really enjoy reading your blog even if I don't always practice what you preach.
I'm with you Froogs. With you all the way. You go girl. I'll be following you with even more interest than usual and hoping to pick up even more tips.
well since sue15cat wrote, you have 480 followers now. that sounds like a challenge, eat everything in the freezer and cupboards mmmm how many times in a row do i really want to eat smoked fish, peas and corn?
Froogs I am sure you'll do this and I shall be reading with delight and waving a banner to cheer you on :)
Congratulations on your 500th post! You should reach 500 followers very soon! Looking forward to reading about frugal entertaining.
Just been shopping because freezer and cupboards were bare, I am hoping I will not need to shop again until 30 April so looking forward to your recipes, I need new ideas!
May I tell you I save any £2 coin I get in my change, I save them beteen 1st January till about 31 October and put them towards THAT holiday at the end of the year, they go towards my shopping bill for next January.
Julie xxxxxxx
Up there with you sister - especially as Supply Teachers do not earn anything in the holidays- this month HAS to be frugal because the next pay cheque will be minuscule.
Do check out my blog for the link to the free Graze boxes!
blessings xx
Totally there with you all the way..we have just had a month of living out the cupboards and freezer..looking forward to the new stuff i'm going to learn from you...
banner waving at the ready,
take care
sara
Have you got the old Richard Mabey book "Food for Free" Froogs? There`s plenty of free salad stuff about to sprout in the hedgerows this month!
Good luck with your Superfrugal month.....
Dearest FQ,
Funny I was just looking at our bank account (prior to reading your blog) and found i'm spending farrrrr to much on groceries.
I've already used your cornish pasty and corned beef/cabbage leftover recipe's with great success. Any new clean out the cupboard recipes would be greatly appreciated.
I say bring it on, a world wide frugal cooking month!!!
Sorry if i've posted 2x i'm new at this following business.
Brenda from Van. Island, Canada
Go Froogs Go!
Just hope you are going to stay where all of us can be part of your newest challenge.
Very brave of you, FQ, to publish your budget - most of us would be too shy! Looking forward to the month`s posts, and with you all the way.
I dont have a blog but have been reading yours for ages. When you decided to restrict viewing I was really disappointed and sad that I would no longer be able to read about your journey to Debtfreeland.So imagine my joy to discover that you have returned with all guns blazing! You go girl!
Go girl you can do it and I will be along side you, we need a frugal couple of months to get back on track after our move.
I have a newly knitted dishcloth to wave along the way.
Way to go Froogs! I'm already excited by the thought of your really extreme frugal recipes as I loved your bean burgers! Hubby and I and the girls all finish school tomorrow for 2 weeks as we now follow the standardised holidays here in Liverpool. The cupboards/fridge/freezer are well stocked and I'm planning to stay away from the shops over the holiday. We are planning lots of frugal days involving, walking, cycling, picnics etc but I have promised the girls a trip into town as they really like spending their pocket money in the pound shop and the charity shops!
You go, girl. I've always said,You can lock me in my house for 1 year, and I could find plenty to eat."Pop may have a problem with some of my dishes, but we would not starve.
I'm with you all the way, waving the banner, flying the frugaldom flag, whatever it takes to cheer you on. I'm hoping to learn lots on the way too. Go Froogs go! You can do it!
I'm here, Froogs, waving and cheering you on!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to your posts - need to 'eat the freezer' and store cupboards and any inspiration would be welcome. Sue XX
Most excellent!!! I too like the pound rail in charity shops!!!! I have a two pound rule for most kids clothes and don't ike to go above three for mine. Looking forward to the recipes.
I agree £76 spare cash to play with is wonderfully indulgent! What can frugals do with £76 over a month!!!
For that I could do two for one night at the cinema (if I lived closer lol), Cheap plonk or two, chips for weeny girl and me actually sitting in a cafe, a fiver for indulgence at a boot sale.... and I would have change at the end of the month!!!!
How great it must feel to pay off so much in one go. You are doing a grand job Froogs. Do you feel like a little of the load is lifted from your shoulders every month?
My top tip to make the food budget go further is to make puddings and a much smaller main course. All the major supermarkets do an own brand instant custard for only 6p a packet ! Not gourmet stuff I know but OK. My friend and I have been trying them out on ourselves and our grandkids and they go down very well, particularly the Sainsbury one. A sponge pud can be made for pennies.
I am looking forward to seeing your recipes, its always interesting to see what others are doing as its quite easy to get stuck in a rut.
Hope you get 500 followers, good luck.
Atta girl! Not only can you do it but you know we will not only be routing for you but doing our best to run alongside you. We had meat for the first time in ages tonight and it was a special offer shoulder of mutton. Six people had a sumptuous roast dinner for less than 50p per head including veg. I thought of you as I washed up and thought Yeah I can do it :)
I tried to find lye/caustic soda tday. It cannot be found. It is used to make methamphetamine, apparantly,and is not sold in stores. I am going to get hubby Chris to talk to our pharmacist and convince him we want the lye for soapmaking not setting up a drugs den in our barn.
Jane x
Looking forward to the upcoming frugal tips!!
All the best FQ,very brave of you to show your budget to everyone,i am so looking foreward to the Frugal recipes to come,i too am going to try and live off all food in my cupboard's for the next month,it will be a great challenge!!
hope you make it. because we are commercial cleaners and only get paid once a month have been doing it for 30years now but we are finding it harder to get by as some of our customers are not paying we are giving them until the end of april to come up with the money or we will cess cleaning there premises.we spend 600.00 dollars a month on groceries for 4 adults.
Hot Dog!!! Looking forward to this month's posts! And it is scary to the extreme!! I am behind you 100%. I don't think anyone else could do this but you! As you run down the road, you can't miss me. I am the loud American with a blow horn and screaming "Go girlfriend! Go!" at the top of my lungs.
Your blog is really encouraging. I'm getting motivated to seriously "look things over" in my financial life. Thanks for leading the way.
good luck, you will do it. I whent through all of this and eventually we paid off our house. Woohoo. Now we are still frugal so we can get ahead for our retirement. will be cheering you all the way.
I'm with you all the way hun!
April. is a horrid month for us as it is 5 week month which seems to last forever. This will include two sets of morgage payments etc! Nightmare.
Solike you I shall be using what I have, replacing only if needed and to add to the pain Easter sits bang in the middle. It is a big celebration in our family so i shall be making a few homemade chocolates and raiding the gift box.
I shall cheer you as much as you need as you keepme going too.
X x
I'm now officially following you ;-) I thought I already was but I guess I just had you book marked. You're another follower closer to the big 500!
Yep, we're having a store cupboard/freezer month too, so looking forward to your recipes. It helps that we just got quite a lot of basics (inc. the suet pastry & puff pastry megapacks, plus some bags of porridge oats) from AF. Any recipe ideas using oats would be fab, FQ (savoury as well as sweet....I can only think of flapjacks!).
Congrats on your 500th post, you're nearly at 500 followers, and we'll all be waiting at the end of the extra-frugal month to give you a round of applause.
Sooze xx
This sounds like a challenge to all of us to go "the frugal extreme" this month.
Your post has inspired me to do this for the month to try and save a little extra money.
I looking froward to seeing how the months unfold and the creatively frugal ideas you use in this months mission of frugal extremism.
Signed up as a follower, now up to 494! Cheering you along all the way,and looking forward to your recipes.
Congratulations on 500 posts, I will be following you every step of the way and looking forward to the store cupboard receipes x
I am surely rooting for you. Goodluck :)
I'm surely rooting for you. Good luck :)
I'm sure that you are going to do it! And I'm sure that you will manage to save a bit from the £140 for groceries too. With everything that I've had from Approved Food recently and lots in the freezer, I'm aiming at spending under £50 extra for food in April.
We're all beside you on this journey.
Jane, you inspire so many people and I wish you health and happiness.You have helped so many and continue to do so with your daily blog, me included!Thankyou, dear lady.
Go FQ
Will be watching closely for more inspiration :)
Go for it! You can do it, and so many of us are joining you - we'll be checking in here for inspiration. My cupboards are full (also due to that free delivery offer from AF!)and I am sure I can find other ways to cut back too. Looking forward to a great month.
xx
Brilliant....I logged on this morning just to see if you had reached the 500 follower mark and woohoo you are just 2 folk away from doing it, no doubt by tonight you'll be there - CONGRATULATIONS.
It shows how your Blog is needed by everyone at the moment. We are all pulling in our belts and searching our foodstores, nothing will be left to waste.
Just before getting on the computer I was cutting cleaning cloths out of two old sweatshirts I have to throw away, I have worn them for 2 years (and on a farm they get serious wear) and now I have snipped off the buttons and made 4 really good sized cloths with the body. The sleeves I will wave from the sidelines as I cheer you on during this 'extra frugal month'...there I knew I'd find a use for them!!
Good luck.
Sue xx
Will be following this with interest, really need to use up some of the 24 tins of tomatoes. Its great having stores in but I then hate having to use them as they are my comfort blanket!
Just seen that you have reached the magic 500 - congrats
well we had to be frugal and paid off £12k of debt. I'ts nice now at the other end of the tunnel, we've got a few more bits here & there but I'm secure knowing that if I need to be thrity for a few weeks for any reason (to save up for something) I know we can cope...we did it for 6 years!
Go Froogs, go, get your frugal groove on, I know you can do it. The only trouble is your just to damned inspiring, I don't know where to begin. Actually I do, I'm off to make knickers out of old T shirts for the Rascal. xxx
Good timing - I've got a freezer to get emptied to a state where it can be switched off for defrosting, then left off whilst we are on holiday to save on unecessary power-drain, so I too am looking for ideas for recipes to use what we have, rather than buying more than the basics. Off to Morrisons later as I hear a rumour they have their special offers on fruit, veg, and free range eggs again....!
Just wanted to say that you are an inspiration and that I love reading about your frugal adventures. Run along laughing. Best wishes. Beverley
woohoo froogs, go to it girlx
Go for it! I have not had to buy clothing for ages as my best friend (who is now comfotable financially and spoils herself a bit) and my sister (never had kids and is comfortable financially and spoils herself a lot) are programmed to pass on all their unwanted clobber as we are all the same size. What I need to do next is actually sell some of the clobber when I have done with it on ebay so that I can actually profit from it too! xxxx
508 followers now dear FQ. Can't wait for Frugal Extreme, think I'm ready for it!
I'm all for using up everything in the pantry and freezer before buying more, but we're addicted to salads, and though I grow as much up the greens and tomatoes as I can, I have to supplement. Do you do salads?
Well done on reaching the 500 mark! I have no doubt that you will achieve great results this month - and you really are downhill all the way now to debt-free. In not too many more months you will be using all that spare money to fatten up a savings account! Just think how satisfied you will feel, and how worthwhile this will all have been.
I'm new. And I'm in.
Hi Froogs
Oh goody I love these sort of posts. I put £200 in a purse for our food each month and try to save some of it. Last month I only managed to save £10 and I thought I had been good. I have loads of food in the house so this month I am with you and trying to use it up before I buy any more. I am going away for a week in May so want to defrost the freezer before I go. So keep up the good work I am looking forward to your recipes.
Sairy
I am also trying to cut back on the grocery bill. I'll be reading your posts for encouragement. Again, thanks for keeping your blog public...I love it!
Good luck this month. We all know you can do it!
Good luck. You actually have a little more to play with than me this month so I will be following closely to get lots of tips.
Very glad you're still posting!!
We've been living out of the cupboard for over a month & it's almost empty, so I'm in even more need of your frugal posts! Love your writing & your smile. Waving you onward in Oklahoma.
FQ, will be waving the checkered flags as you cross the finish line :) We grew up on cornbread, pinto beans and eggs. Eggs provided the cheap protein. My mother managed to raise four healthy children on this diet. I will be going back to this as the next few months will be sparse indeed. Red clover, pigweed, dandelion greens are free for the picking in this area. Will make violet jelly from the wild violets in the fields. You go girl! You definately help me think outside the box.
Im so glad a read this tonight as i have had the day from hell!!!
After several months of not doing a proper food shop and wasting money on bits and bobs it has brouht it home to me that i have been wasting so much money!
Back to doing a weekly shop and making chillies, spag bols, cottage pies ect for the freezer and re stock the store cupboard that is empty, it may take a few weeks to do.
Been thinking of puting £10 a week onto an Asda card, time to stop thinking and do it!
Freecycle is great for picking up items you need for free and saving landfill to.
Feeling much happier and can see a way forward now so thank you and good luck xxx
I "shopped my own pantry" in January but allowed myself to buy fresh produce and dairy. You've got me intrigued about what it'd be like to ONLY consume what's on hand until nothing is left. Would that be freeing or wear me out? You are soo good at challenging my frugalness, Froogs!
I went a bit silly this last 2 weeks, so am tightening the belt too as I want to go part time next year and my boss wants it in writing in the next couple of weeks.
So I was also thinking of putting my pay up for everyone to see - similar to another blogger who puts it all out there. You have given me the extra courage to do so. "money" and 'pay packets" is such a secretive business. No wonder the rich get richer - they talk about money all the time!
I also booked a free financial coaching session to see if it's something I may want to use - not to save, but to place my cash in good options so that I can go part time stress free and live with less work obligations in 10 years.
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