Year of essentials-only spending (UK Guardian)

[Butterfingers]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2016/nov/26/no-spending-year-over-new-way-living-wealthier-wiser

The writer decided to live for a year with no discretionary spending. She keeps herself clothed, housed, and fed, but no costly holidays, no trips to the pub, no consumer crap. She cycled everywhere, took in a lodger for extra income, and got her weekly budget for her and her partner down to £31.60 (food, toiletries, personal care).

And oh, the comments. Some positivity, but a lot of nay-saying and bitching.

[Socmonkey]

Everyone needs to remember every time you read a negative comment on an article about frugality it is actually a positive for your retirement accounts.

[bacchi]

Admirable.

(A missing tile on the roof is discretionary? That sounds pretty essential to me.)

[misshathaway]

The writer has short, suspiciously salon looking, hair. If haircuts are on the essential list and a missing roof tile is not, she needs a Mustachian intervention.

[cerat0n1a]

(A missing tile on the roof is discretionary? That sounds pretty essential to me.)

In England? It hardly ever rains here ;-)

Perhaps, like me, she already has a bunch of spare roof tiles and a ladder and could have saved money by fixing it herself. Or she knew someone who would do it for free?

I got the impression from the article (and the earlier ones) that her husband had not joined in, which must have made for an interesting year.

[mwulff]

The writer has short, suspiciously salon looking, hair. If haircuts are on the essential list and a missing roof tile is not, she needs a Mustachian intervention.

She may have a friend who's a hairdresser. Weirder things have happened :)