With all the wind and rain pounding on the windows lately I’ve spent more time than usual cooped up indoors. For the most part I’ve put it to good use:-

▪️Started the big loft clear out

▪️Refurbished some solid but tatty tables

▪️Made a start on my memory box

▪️Started reading a little more

▪️Had another look at my finances in the aim of saving a bit more. Not for the sake of saving, but to have a bit more to spend on the things we enjoy doing

I have been reading a couple of blogs written by families living their lives more frugally. They blog about the ways they save money and live their lives on a tight budget. Although they had some good ideas their aim seemed to be to cut down on everything, put as much money as they can away for the future & only go out if it’s free.

Now don’t get me wrong I love a bit of free, and we make the most of all that our wonderful town has to offer. I have found however that to enjoy life to the full you do, sadly need to spend a little bit of wonga.

Reading these blogs, made me consider, what it means to be frugal? Does it mean tightening the belts to save as much as you can for the future or does it mean save costs where you can and save money when you can, but use these savings to give you a better quality of life?

I have always been a bit of a saver and since my budget review at the beginning of the year, mostly things have been going well :-

▪️I have always set aside money each month towards Birthdays ( of which we have many!), Christmas, Car & Van insurances, mots & tax, so nothing comes as too much of a surprise

▪️I also save towards holidays (doesn’t however appear to be enough these days🤔)

▪️This year I have set myself a monthly budget for clothes. I haven’t managed a no spend month yet but I haven’t exceeded my budget and anything I haven’t spent has gone into savings.

▪️After completing dry January, I have cut down on the alcohol consumption, which saves a little on the weekly shop.

▪️I have also been using cash a little more. I know that’s old fashioned, but it is so much easier to keep a handle on what your spending

▪️Several years ago we bought a holiday fund jar and decided to save any £2 coins we acquire. The plus side is, it holds around £900, the downside is, it takes around 3 years for us to fill it 😂, but so far it’s paid for one holiday, and a surround sound system. We’re hoping the next emptying will pay towards something special for our 60th birthdays next year.

There are a few things that have bucked the savings trend:-

▪️A day trip to London

▪️Booking theatre tickets

▪️A girlie weekend break to Centre Parks

▪️In by budget review blog at the beginning of the year I had managed to save the household £123.92 on our monthly bills. Some of that has unfortunately been clawed back. We had cancelled our Sky subscription and moved to Now TV (also owned by Sky) and as our BT broadband contract ends at the beginning of April we were also going to move that to Now TV. Total cost would be £45 BUT no sport & no being able to pause, rewind or record. After being apart for a couple of months, Sky came back with an offer we couldn’t refuse, Sky Q x 2 boxes, our old package including sport, plus HD for £40. Then broadband and line rental for just £25. Effectively we have HD, multi room and sport for £20. So it sometimes pays to walk away.

In this instance I’m still saving £100 pm AND we have a better quality of life, as the older kids have stopped moaning & the men, until the recent virus crisis, had their sport back.

So I have come to the conclusion that for me personally, frugality does in fact mean

 ▪️Think about where you spend your money

 ▪️Don’t let big companies rip you off

 ▪️Save a little for the future where you can

BUT rather than tuck ALL these savings away for some future date, allow your efforts help you to enjoy life to the full.

Sadly this pandemic means we are all having to put life into slo mo.
Let’s hope it’s just for the short term. Until we can reignite life, stay safe people,