Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

mumzyof2

Hello all, I have just had the most scariest moment in my life...

I was cooking tea.. switched hob off.. put oven glove on top of hob.. washed up the pans from tea.. put plates on table..sat down to eat.. about 30secs later my 4 year old shouts Mum the oven glove is on fire... I stood there for a minute trying to think what to do.. I did not think i could move the oven glove myself so i ran outside as my neighbour was out and shouted him but he didnt hear me.. ran back in got my phone and ran 999.. whilst doing this im shouting at the kids to get out.. fire birgade say there on thier way.. woman asking if anyone is in the house.. at this point im trying to get my daughter out of the house as she has just ran in.. Ran to my neighbours gate..he came and moved the oven glove and threw it out the back. Told woman on phone..but she said fire engine are on thierway incase of any smoke damage to us.

When fire birgade come i walked through to front of house and said the fire was out and that i was sorry for ringing them but they told me it was right thing to do..doesnt stop mefrom feeling so stupid now though :mad: Why didnt i think i can move the oven glove?

Anyways fireman said my hob is okay but the microwave had melted a little (which was next to the hob) and that because they dont know where the electrical wires are in the microwave its best to not use it..so thats gone outside. The fireman were praising my son loads because he was the one who told me it was on fire... if i had not of eaten with the kids at table id of sat in front room..i dread to think what wouldof happened..or if we hadall gone upstairs :eek:

So now i have no microwave.. anyone know where i can get a cheap microwave? I dont like electrical things from freecycle. Im so grateful to my neighbour for helping..i want to get him something but what do you get a 40yr old single man ? Maybe a card?

Anyway been to morrsions today and then farmfoods spent about £7 today but will update later..also been to see about college im going back on friday to get it all rolling...im going to be doing health and social care me thinks :T

Brighton_belle

I have spent large chunks of today slowly putting together a super frugalite spreadsheet to record bank and cash spending. Should work really well as long as I regularly update it. That's been my downfall before. Day to day cash spending I'm writing in a cash book for speed and can transfer once a week to spreadsheet, but all items totalled - i.e. how ever many food entries can go down as one entry per week.:A
Also today, I finally finally finally put my 1st book up for sale via amazon:j . Phew, need a lie down now:o
Love your solution nyk to the duvet question. I have now checked that local laundrette is £3.40 for a DIY wash. So I'll do that on a sunny day and bring it home to dry. I know the foot bath would save even the 3.40, but my health is often lousy so I have to get the right balance between frugality and having energy for a life.
Thanks for making me so welcome peeps.

MUMSYOF2: GLAD YOU ARE OK: PRESSIE FOR SINGLE MAN OF 40 - a HM cake would prob go down very well. I've recently got into that and people love recieving them.

bails

Wow, what a lot of posts!
Nice to see you BB :hello: Now my two real-life MSE friends are both here :j

Janey, so sorry to hear that you are still unable to bring Tom home, I do hope it is sorted soon. If the Baileys runs short, I seem to remember SophiesMum has a cupboard full. Big hugs xxx
No time to post properly as need to make dinner for OH when he gets back from mountain biking but will update soon (Fri probs). Just to say to Andromache, have a FANTASTIC time in SE Asia, look forward to some vicarious travelling when you get back :j And I'm so glad you're all alright Mumzy, scary stuff!
Have a great evening all, oh and thanks for the top tip re the duvet washing :T x

lingojingo

this is the link to the news item about Rowntrees research into what is acceptable for a single person to live on (well, I hope it is, not done this before)
http://www.jrf.org.uk/pressroom/releases/010708.asp

bails

Thanks for that link Lingo - this was on the news last night and I wanted to check it out in more detail so much appreciated.

I also wanted to say to all the new recruits: don't worry if you aren't able to reach the 4k benchmark - I certainly won't be! - just remember that whatever our final totals are, they'll be less than they would've been and we can improve on them in next year's challenge. Good luck and may the force be with you!

sophiesmum_2

Hi Mumzy,
Glad you and kids are okay after your little emergency. Asda, argos and tesco all have cheapish microwaves around £30 or less usually. I can take you at weekend if you like to pick one up.

Pirategirl

Just to say GOOD LUCK to all for the 2nd half of the challenge....
I also have taken my eye off the ball over the last 2 months.

So...as I never officially joined this challenge... NYK, please could you add me to the list? Put me down for 1.8k - THANK YOU!!

1.8k should be easily achievable as I live on my own....but i've been keeping track of my spending and if I had done the first half of the challenge I would have been over already. Shameful.

I've got so much respect for everyone doing this challenge, whether or not they are managing to keep within their targets!

With that, I will stop waffling and go.

x

lingojingo

mumzy, glad you're all ok, must have been really scary. Well done DS!

Nyk - I wasn't suggesting you had to be old to have a bird feeder, it's just what the news item said was included as an essential, as amusement, for pensioners:rotfl: :rotfl::rotfl:No idea why it's only a 'need' as we get older.

I've discovered my income isn't considered enough for me alone, never mind DD all the time and DS during uni holidays and various weekends in between, besides helping him out during the term, not to mention a delighful cat as well. Wonder how we've managed to survive then :rolleyes: must be doing something right! So thanks to everyone for all the support and tips on this thread :T

System

i read about the rowntree survey in the free paper on the bus this morning and have spent a fair bit of the day reading it and gasping in shock!

:eek: nyk, i am shocked you bought a new douvet instead of trampling it in the bath! so out of frugal-character :rotfl:

:onyk and mr dt, on the subject of smoking confessions, i got 2 packs in with a birthday parcel, as i am partial to a bit of social smoking...and i now have 1.3 left (i blame stressful teens!) top tip through, i always stub it out when i have had enough and save it for later :rotfl:

mumzy, i dont think its silly to call the fire brigade, better safe than sorry and fires can get out of hand really quickly.

i went on atrip to the fire station with the 'orrible teens last week and got a shot of the hose!

(hugs to janey)

System

oh and good to see you back pirate girl, i was just wondering where you had got to!