Final yr somebody commented that they appreciated my Frugal Month notes and I hadn’t completed a spherical up for some time. I mentioned that it appeared a bit hypercritical as I would been spending some huge cash within the second half of the yr.
(Thank heavens I have been frugal all my life so handle to have spare cash when wanted – and downsizing was an enormous assist with this after all – I would advocate it earlier moderately than later…. Think about if I would have needed to do all that 9 week vacation dwelling shifting about factor in 10 years time, when even older and extra decrepit!) .
| picture from google freepik |
So for individuals who prefer to know – here is a round-up from my accounts guide……………
Each month has common outgoings – the Council Tax, charity donation, electrical invoice, telephones/broadband, diesel for the automotive, family issues for laundry, kitchen, lavatory and so on and so on and there are 10 birthdays and Christmas. Then I appear to usually discover little issues for the grandchildren – humorous that!
By some means every month all the time manages to have it is further bills. Final yr it went like this……….
January: I purchased raspberry canes plus water-butts for the greenhouse and home. The boiler needed to be repaired and I received a wild hen feeding station and feed.
My private expenditure was the half yr Radio Occasions subscription, new studying glasses and a few second-hand books.
February: 500 litres Heating oil was £338, for the backyard I purchased a Bramley apple tree, vegetable seeds, wild flower seeds and multi-purpose compost. And after the electrical was off for nearly 24 hours I re-stocked on batteries for torches and radio.
My private spending was a day trip at Anglesey Abbey to see the snowdrops, a bunch of tulips, second hand books.
March: The invoice got here for water and sewer expenses. I paid each and later within the yr after I had a water meter fitted I received refunds on each. Suffolk and Essex Water repaid actually shortly however I needed to wait an age for a refund from Anglian Water (sewer expenses). The largest expense was the automotive MOT which included 4 new tyres. For the backyard I received one other water butt and fittings , some enviromesh and brassica crops (whole fail!), varied crops together with herbs from boot gross sales and an previous dustbin to make use of for masking the rhubarb.
Private spending on dentist, underwear, a costume, haircut, a few bunches of flowers, membership of Over 60s group (earlier than I discovered what annoying previous males go to the group!) second hand books and WI membership .
April: Additional spending each April is Home Insurance coverage and TV Licence and April 2022 was the month I discovered the Nation Diary plates. For the backyard I received fittings for the greenhouse, extra multi-purpose compost and a brand new watering can in addition to a couple of crops.
My private spending included the opposite twin WI membership, second-hand books, bunch of flowers. I additionally took the entire household out for a meal to have a good time my Birthday, Easter and us all being collectively.
Might: In Might final yr I had to purchase myself a brand new telephone and paid the Breakdown Insurance coverage on the automotive. The automotive additionally needed to have a brand new tyre stress valve – want they’d have completed it once they did the MOT. I discovered 2 T shirts at charity retailers for carrying at dwelling, purchased 2 new bras and my summer season footwear and a water-proof hat once I was on the Suffolk Present.
For the backyard I purchased new canes, some crops, and the very useful patio weeding device. And other than garments my private spending was on a few outings to native occasions and my train step – which is an excellent piece of apparatus for anybody dwelling in a bungalow.
June: A really low spend month with hardly any extras. I began going swimming once more so my private spending included that and a haircut, second-hand books and a case for my new telephone. I needed to pay the annual invoice for the garden-waste recycling bin.
July: I paid a deposit for the wood-burner and purchased a load of wooden however because the climate was so sizzling I did not exit a lot and had one other low spend month.
Private spending included swimming, a brand new sudoku guide, a few second hand books, a number of small ins and outs for grandchildren and the 6 month Radio Occasions Subscription.
August: The month I purchased a brand new laptop computer however aside from that the remainder of the spend was common stuff or small quantities. I contributed towards a brand new man-hole cowl for the one out the entrance driveway that had nearly collapsed and purchased a motorcycle pump and new internal tubes for my bike.
September: The wood-burner was put in and I paid the remainder of the cash and a deposit for the brand new bathe room work. I additionally purchased a range high fan, kindling from a automotive boot sale and firelighters. I purchased 2 new hoodie jackets at half worth. I had some meals out once I went to Dunwich, Orford and the Transport museum.
October: All the same old issues plus I paid the remainder of the cash for the bathe room work and for the brand new heating oil tank. There was a dentist go to, and I despatched for an additional small apple tree for the backyard. I splashed out on some objects for my very own Christmas hamper and purchased two new tunic tops. The invoice got here for a small boiler restore completed in August.
November: 750 Litres of heating oil was £637 (equal again in Feb would have been = £507) This was the month when most of my Christmas spending was completed together with postage stamps and I purchased a small set of storage drawers to suit underneath the brand new wash basin. I purchased two extra new bras, so have changed all my very previous ones now – ought to be OK for some time!
December: The remainder of the Christmas buying and current shopping for was completed. The boiler had its annual service, automotive insurance coverage paid and my years provide of loo-rolls arrived from the “toilet paper that builds toilets” company ( enormous saving by having an everyday once-a yr order)
As traditional there are various small financial savings that I make which permit me to spend elsewhere on all of the above.
- Chopping down spending on crafts
- Some garments purchased from charity retailers if doable
- Not shopping for alcohol
- Not shopping for make up
- Low-cost haircuts
- Utilizing bread maker for hand-crafted bread
- Christmas/Birthday playing cards hand-crafted, present in charity retailers or at automotive boot gross sales
- Rising a few of my very own veg
- Making meals from my veg to retailer in freezer
- Making chutneys/jams/marmalade for me and for items
- Utilizing the library for brand spanking new books
- Solely shopping for second-hand books
- Vegetation purchased from car-boot gross sales when doable
- Catching water in water butts will get monetary savings now I’ve a water meter
- Giving up chocolate consuming and peanut butter
- Utilizing second-class postage stamps
- Mixing milk half and half with water
- Avoiding utilizing tumble dryer for many of the yr
- Not often shopping for meat
- Utilizing aspect lamps moderately than overhead lighting when doable
- Do not buy newspapers or magazines (aside from the RT which is on subscription and fewer than £2 every week)
So………..2021 was costly due to transferring though I ended up higher off on account of it being an enormous downsize.
Then 2022 was costly due to having the wood-burner fitted, the new bathe room and a brand new heating oil tank.
So, until I resolve to have a porch constructed over the entrance door, 2023 will certainly to be much less spendy….or am I tempting destiny to say that?!
Again Tomorrow
Sue
