Looking Back at the 2022 Accounts Book

Last year someone commented that they liked my Frugal Month notes and I hadn't done a round up for a while. I said that it seemed a bit hypercritical as I'd been spending a lot of money in the second half of the year.

(Thank heavens I've been frugal all my life so manage to have spare money when needed - and downsizing was a huge help with this of course - I'd recommend it earlier rather than later.... Imagine if I'd have had to do all that 9 week holiday home shifting about thing in 10 years time, when even older and more decrepit!)  .

image from google freepik

So for those who like to know - here's a round-up from my accounts book...............

Every month has regular outgoings - the Council Tax, charity donation, electric bill, phones/broadband, diesel for the car, household things for laundry, kitchen, bathroom etc etc and there are 10 birthdays and Christmas. Then I seem to often find little things for the grandchildren - funny that!

Somehow each month always manages to have it's extra expenses. Last year it went like this..........

January: I bought raspberry canes plus water-butts for the greenhouse and house. The boiler had to be repaired and I got a wild bird feeding station and feed.

 My personal expenditure was  the half year Radio Times subscription, new reading glasses and some second-hand books.

February: 500 litres Heating oil was £338, for the garden I bought a Bramley apple tree, vegetable seeds, wild flower seeds and multi-purpose compost. And after the electric was off for almost 24 hours I re-stocked on batteries for torches and radio.

My personal spending was a day out at  Anglesey Abbey to see the snowdrops, a bunch of tulips, second hand books.

March: The bill came for water and sewer charges. I paid both and later in the year after I had a water meter fitted I got refunds on both. Suffolk and Essex Water repaid really quickly but I had to wait an age for a refund from Anglian Water (sewer charges). The biggest expense was the car MOT which included 4 new tyres. For the garden I got another water butt and fittings , some enviromesh and brassica plants (total fail!), various plants including herbs from boot sales and an old dustbin to use for covering the rhubarb.

Personal spending on dentist, underwear, a dress, haircut, a couple of bunches of flowers, membership of Over 60s group (before I found out what annoying old men go to the group!) second hand books and  WI membership .

                                                                        

April: Extra spending every April is House Insurance and TV Licence and April 2022 was the month I found the Country Diary plates. For the garden I got fittings for the greenhouse, more multi-purpose compost and a new watering can as well as a few plants.

My personal spending included the other dual WI membership, second-hand books, bunch of flowers. I also took the whole family out for a meal to celebrate my Birthday, Easter and us all being together.

May: In May last year I had to buy myself a new phone and paid the Breakdown Insurance on the car. The car also had to have a new tyre pressure valve - wish they'd have done it when they did the MOT. I found 2 T shirts at charity shops for wearing at home, bought 2 new bras and my summer shoes and a waterproof hat when I was at the Suffolk Show. 

For the garden I bought new canes, some plants, and the very handy patio weeding tool. And apart from clothes my personal spending was on a couple of outings to local events and my exercise step - which is a very good piece of equipment for anyone living in a bungalow.

June: A very low spend month with hardly any extras. I started going swimming again so my personal spending included  that and a haircut, second-hand books and a case for my new phone. I had to pay the annual bill for the garden-waste recycling bin.

July: I paid a deposit for the wood-burner and bought a load of wood but as the weather was so hot I didn't go out much and had another low spend month.

Personal spending included swimming, a new sudoku book, a couple of second hand books, several small bits and bobs for grandchildren and the 6 month Radio Times Subscription.

August: The month I bought a new laptop but other than that the rest of the spend was regular stuff or small amounts. I contributed toward a new man-hole cover for the one out the front driveway that had almost collapsed and bought a bike pump and new inner tubes for my bike.

September: The wood-burner was installed and I paid the rest of the money and a deposit for the new shower room work. I also bought a stove top fan, kindling from a car boot sale and firelighters. I bought 2 new hoodie jackets at half price. I had some meals out when I went to Dunwich, Orford and the Transport museum.

October: All the usual things plus  I paid the rest of the money for the shower room work and for the new heating oil tank. There was a dentist visit, and I sent for another small apple tree for the garden. I splashed out on some items for my own Christmas hamper and bought two new tunic tops. The bill came for a small boiler repair done in August.

November: 750 Litres of heating oil was £637 (equivalent back in Feb would have been = £507) This was the month when most of my Christmas spending was done including postage stamps and I bought a small set of storage drawers to fit under the new wash basin. I bought two more new bras, so have replaced all my very old ones now - should be OK for a while!

December: The rest of the Christmas shopping and present buying was done. The boiler had its annual service, car insurance paid and my years supply of loo-rolls arrived from the "toilet paper that builds toilets" company ( huge saving by having a regular once-a year order)

As usual there are many small savings that I make which allow me to spend elsewhere on all the above.

• Cutting down spending on crafts
• Some clothes bought from charity shops if possible
• Not buying alcohol 
• Not buying make up
• Cheap haircuts
• Using bread maker for home made bread
• Christmas/Birthday cards home made, found in charity shops or at car boot sales
• Growing some of my own veg
• Making meals from my veg to store in freezer
• Making chutneys/jams/marmalade for me and for gifts
• Using the library for new books
• Only buying second-hand books
• Plants bought from car-boot sales when possible 
• Catching water in water butts will save money now I have a water meter
• Giving up chocolate eating and peanut butter
• Using second-class postage stamps
• Mixing milk half and half with water
• Avoiding using tumble dryer for most of the year
• Rarely buying meat
• Using side lamps rather than overhead lighting when possible
• Don't buy newspapers or magazines (other than the RT which is on subscription and less than £2 a week)

So...........2021 was expensive because of moving although I ended up better off due to it being a big downsize. 

Then 2022 was expensive because of having the wood-burner fitted, the  new shower room and a new heating oil tank.

So, unless I decide to have a porch built over the front door, 2023 will definitely to be less spendy....or am I tempting fate to say that?!

Back Tomorrow

Sue