Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Mollymop5

Morning everyone.I'm a bit late but heres my figures for July

Groceries £225
Essential bills £137.97
Other stuff £76.00

Total spend £438.47

I have now spent £3582.47 and have £1987.93 left for the year. I really need to tighten my belt or I will be struggling.
I have a budget of £397.54 per month from now to the end.I think I need to sit down and really sort things out for when the kids go back to school.It's my grocery budget thats running away with itself.roll on soup weather.

bails

I reckon it's soup weather already Mollymop :rolleyes:
Thanks for the update Nyk, look forward to hearing how they've done.

Busy weekend here too as work starts on the attic! Dad and OH are moving the stairs today :eek: so I'll be keeping out of the way decluttering all the stuff in the hole where the stairs are going; what fun! :rolleyes: Hopefully by the end of the weekend though the attic will be closer to looking like a room, which is good as it's our bedroom :rotfl:
I've got a long list to try and achieve this weekend, not sure how far I'll get as not feeling so great.
Good luck everyone with your busy weekends and happy frugalling! x
ps we've been offered 2 freezers on Freecycle! :T:j

sophiesmum_2

Having a coffee break and mooching through free copy of gardener's world that has arrived this morning in post:j . I had a subscription with them last year (tesco deals) and they are trying to tempt me back again with this free copy and money off vouchers for next few issues, won't be biting though:D

Just about to read an article on keeping slugs at bay.. wonder if there are any tips we haven't tried on thread yet?????

Slugs update: think we have tried most of them between us.........
*slug pellets
*copper rings around pots and plants
*slug traps filled with beer
*encourage frogs and hedgehogs
*pick them by hand in evening
* use coffee grounds around plants, especially good for snails who don't like acidic soils.
* mix chilli powder with vaseline and smear on pots (new one for me!!)

sophiesmum_2

Good result on the freezer situation Bails:T :T Did you manage to create a space then?

bails

Nice one SophiesMum! I'm tired just having read what you've achieved already this morning (and thanks for all the stickers you sent Little Tiger, I had great fun playing with them ).
Um, well there are a few options - in the lounge but not so keen on the noise factor, where the bin is or in the shed if we can get power out there. We'll have to find a space now and OH yet again surprises me with how amenable he is :heartpuls
Off to work I go :whistle:

sophiesmum_2

Shed would be a good option - out the way, no noise and cooler. Read somewhere that freezers use less electricity to run if they are in a cooler area. Apparently if they are in a warm place they have to work harder to maintain temperature.

Glad you enjoyed the stickers:rotfl:

bails

Ooh, thanks for that info SM!

Just logged back on to say, I hope you have a wonderful dinner party tonight Janey and enjoy celebrating Tom's life with your family. Big hugs xxx

sophiesmum_2

bails wrote: »

Ooh, thanks for that info SM!

Just logged back on to say, I hope you have a wonderful dinner party tonight Janey and enjoy celebrating Tom's life with your family. Big hugs xxx

Have a lovely evening Janey, sure your Tom will be with you all in spirit. :A

looby-loo_2

Hi, Just having a late lunch of eat up stuff having just got back from shopping Watched as a teenager lost control on a roundabout and wrapped his newish looking mini round a lamp post. I stopped but he was out in a flash ringing his dad and seemed to think it was all a bit of a joke! On the way back the council were there checking and fencing off the lamp post. I don't suppose he thought about that.

I want to get on with my house painting but it's far too wet to risk fresh paint so I've to get on with indoor jobs. My next house will have double glazing

Don't laugh but I did do an hour on the lotty first thing in the rain - I just try to ignore the getting wet. I go up there in just my underwear and waterproof coat and flip-flops. I did some cutting back, caterpillar control, weeding and planted some radish and parsley. Picked a nice marrow for tea. Did a bit more weeding and dead heading in the garden too. I wash my feet and flip-flops under the outside tap and hang them and the mac up. I can go straight into the house and get dried and dressed. No horrid wet clothes or trainers to sort out or dry! I wear shorts at all times of year in the house and garden as they save one heck of a lot of washing and ironing. In the colder times of year I wear the same but resort to wellies on very cold days. Oh, and strong shoes for digging for safety.

Hope all goes well tonight Janey.

I got rid of a few things on freecycle and gumtree, child bikes, paddling pool, garden bench all out of the way. Just a word of warning about using gumtree maps. I had about 15 enquiries for a Belfast kitchen sink but I didn't give the address. The map located my postcode. At some stage during the past week the sink has been 'collected' during the night. It might have just been an opportunist passer by but it could also be that the postcode map on Gumtree pin-pointed it. There are only about 6 houses with the postcode. I wont be using a map in the listing from now on.

Must go and get on now:
chicken casserole for tea and fruit loaf to cook at the same time to use oven
vacuum upstairs
ironing this evening
mending - seams and buttons
sort and throw junk mail

shaz_mum_of__2

Off on me hols everyone

Will catch up with you all in 2 weeks .........................i will probably have withdrawl symptoms and may find interenet cafe..................

Shaz