Having read plenty of other blogs by fantastic people working towards financial independence and early retirement, all I have really learnt is that everyone has different priorities for their spending.
So our spending for 2015 is below and is offered up humbly for blog readers to pick at as you see fit. I don’t claim to be a model of frugality, Mr BOTRA and I are just doing our best but hopefully you will think that managing to save 40% of our income isn’t at all bad.
We save by looking for the cheapest deals for utilities where we can, shopping in the discount stores (mostly Lidl as I like to support them for paying the living wage ahead of other supermarkets) and Mr BOTRA does all the bicycle maintenance. As you can see we have a weakness for rock concerts … they do make us happy … and a lot of our socialising with friends involves eating in restaurants.
| 2015 spending | £ | % |
| Utilities | 4966.59 | 13% |
| Holidays | 3374.58 | 9% |
| Vehicle costs | 1460.00 | 4% |
| Diesel | 957.90 | 3% |
| Food & groceries | 2788.84 | 8% |
| Other household items (inc furniture & bikes) | 2399.18 | 6% |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars | 1249.32 | 3% |
| Public transport | 357.70 | 1% |
| Gifts | 822.92 | 2% |
| Concerts / theatre and other attractions | 1034.36 | 3% |
| Healthcare (dentist, specs & prescriptions) | 500.78 | 1% |
| Clothes, shoes & accessories | 394.69 | 1% |
| Unidentified spending (cash) | 2080.00 | 6% |
| Savings | 14734.00 | 40% |
| TOTAL | 36857.30 | 100% |
Back on the road again 