Sunday 31 August 2014

Sticking my head over the parapet

When first I visited Blogland I was in awe of the great Bloggers like Frugal Queen, Life After Money and the like.  I'm not very good at frugality and that's why I chose the user name Frugally Challenged. 

I'm lucky.  I'm retired and have a pension which while not large, is enough for all of my needs and quite a few of my wants. I still do a little paid work.  Reading many blogs I realise that I am indeed blessed.  I can afford to heat and to eat.  I can run a car and I can afford the occasional meal out.  My tastes are not extravagant and I have some savings to carry me over the bad patches.  All of which is to say that I take my hat off to those who manage on tiny, tiny food budgets and for whom a car or a holiday are impossible dreams.

However, while frugality is not essential for me it is still important to me.  I want to make sure that I can achieve even more life ambitions, that I can cope with increasing disability, that I have a cushion against poverty.  With that in mind I have decided to start a second blog to run alongside "Trundling Through Life".  TTL is a gentle reflection on life as it happens.  My aim here is to challenge myself for short (or maybe longer) periods to examine the way I handle my money and the earth's resources.

So my personal challenge for September is to keep my food budget to £30 - that's a pound a day.  I've got an embarrassingly large store of food which I must eat my way through so this first challenge is a gentle one for starters!