Frugal living, self-sustainability, money saving and a degree of self-sufficiency

Frugal Living in 2012

Take Frugaldom's 2012 Frugal Living Challenge

The Frugal living budget is set for the entire year.

Daily Read ~ We Hate Debt ~ Food & Recipes ~ Gardens & Growing ~ Poultry, Pets & Livestock

The frugal living budget covers groceries, toiletries, cleaning products, electricity, coal, logs, Internet, mobile phone, telephone, TV licence, footwear, clothing, gifts, donations, transport & travel, insurance and household pets.

Frugal living is not just about being thrifty, growing your own fruit & vegetables or keeping hens & ducks:

Frugal living is about earning money, spending money, budgeting, bargain hunting and the pursuit of debt free living. It's the whole ethos of 'make do and mend' combined with 'reduce, reuse, recycle'. Frugaldom is a complete lifestyle, it's about living within your means, even if those means are meagre, and helping others to do the same. IF you happen to accrue a nice little nest egg along the way, so be it!

Things I can buy to help save money ~ Things I can do to earn extra money

Frugaldom is about the economics of living the dream. We find the most comfortable ways of running a household while earning a living from home - some might call it subsistence, but I find nothing 'sub' about it. There's a zero tolerance to waste, a dislike for squandering and all of this is combined with an insatiable need to remain debt free. Only then can your life truly be your own.

A penny saved is a penny earned, as they say, so make the most of every opportunity. Need to raise a few extra pounds? Try out the FREE alternative to eBay - eBid is FREE to join, FREE to list and, with Seller+ membership available at the moment from less than £50 for LIFETIME membership, you can open your own home-based online stores, list for free and pay no sales commission. How great is that? Online auctions without fees! And better still, they pay out loyalty points. Don't bin it, burn it or bury it, eBid it! Hatching eggs, anyone?

Embrace the concept of microholding by way of self-sustainability. We have the freedom to pursue our chosen lifestyles. Make every penny count. Make every inch of available growing space count. Make every frugal day count. If you can't afford a smallholding, turn whatever you have available into a microholding.

Saving and costcutting become second nature to the Frugaldom online community. Frugal living is not about self-imposed poverty, it is about being able to afford what we really want without incurring debt. In order to be kept up to date with progress and/or participate in any of our moneysaving challenges, please join us in the Frugaldom forums.

We hope to create a permanent microholding. Incorporating the basic principles of permaculture seems to be an ideal way to go. This will see the realisation of all we set out to do - only with a great deal more work than first anticipated. Join us in Frugaldom and let the fun begin.

Things we do to help support the household:

• Grow fruit, vegetables and herbs
• Rear ducks, hens and quail
• Sell items online without incurring listing fees or sales commission (eBid, the free alternative to eBay)
• Trade surplus produce, goods and services through LETS (Local Exchange Trading System / Scheme)
• Don't buy what we don't need
• Share and exchange surplus with like-minded friends and neighbours
• Self-employed from home
• Pay National Insurance, maintain accounts and submit annual returns

There's no overlooking the fact that entire nations are at crisis point with their own finances, reaching unsustainable levels looks unavoidable. It is obvious, to me, that individual, able-bodied households should be responsibe for their own actions, income, success or, even, survival. Nor can the fact be overlooked that our generation and those following in our footsteps may have no guaranteed income after retirement. We need to take responsibility and act now to protect the right to choose how we live our own lives.

I reserve the right NOT to spend; the less I spend, the more I can afford.

Debt free and loving it, even when skint!

Contact

Frugaldom is part of NYK Media - Projects include writing, blogging, social media, fitness, weight loss, health, gardening, property development, pets, livestock, frugal living, money saving, promotion, small business and investments.

If it can be done on a budget, we'll find a way.