For this, my very first post of 2014, I have to share my latest venture. This is no whimsical experiment. This is a life-changing type of mission.
In six months time, I will leave the sanctuary of University life. It will be up to me to navigate a path of my own in the big wide world. To do this successfully, I feel I will need as much financial aid as possible. In order to secure such a sum for my future, I need to be thrifty in the present. So, the challenge is as follows. Six months. Six hundred pounds. £100 a month.
Can it be done? Do you know, I truly believe it to be possible. With careful planning and resourcefulness, I think I can achieve my goal. £25 a week is not generous, but nor is it terribly meagre. I’m pushing myself to do this to take control of what lies ahead. I don’t want my parents to prop me up. It’s not fair on them. It was my decision to come to University in the first place. So it’s up to me to take responsibility for my own welfare when I leave.
Christmas gave me a good head start. Not only did I receive some perfectly practical gifts that will keep on giving throughout the year, but I also had Christmas money. This went towards purchasing some store cupboard staples whilst I was in Glastonbury. The price of their organic foodstuffs is much cheaper than Winchester.
Three days in and I’ve already spent £60. That doesn’t look good I’ll admit, but I have restocked my stores. I have also had certain expenses that won’t be present in future months, like school books for example. My cupboards are brimming, so I’m fairly confident that I can get through the rest of January on £40.
Already, I’m starting to feel that when you have so little, you appreciate it much more.
The Domestic Storyteller 
I’ll be following your progress with interest. Is the £100 a month for everything or just food and toiletries etc. Whatever it is for it’s so much less than most people spend each month and you are doing it for such a sensible reason.
Good luck …… I’ll be watching 🙂
It’s for everything 🙂 But I do have a stock of toiletries from Christmas, so I think I’ll be ok on that front 🙂 I look forward to following your challenge too!
A real challenge, I wish you luck and good fortune. My challenge is to save £2014 this year and I plan to emulate Sue and try to limit my spending to £1 per day only on food.
Thank you so much! That’s a great challenge to follow, do you have a blog that you will be posting your progress to? I’d love to read it 🙂
Good luck with your new challenge. I am sure you can do it, I always recommend (if you can) go shopping in the evening to see if you can bag some ‘yellow sticker’ bargains. The rest you have been doing for so long, you are almost an expert! I am en-route back home at present but will give it more thought and be back in a couple of days.
Your advice has been so helpful Alison, all throughout 2013. I look forward to learning from your wisdom in 2014! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year 🙂