Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Janey51

Good late morning frugal people.

It's warm and dull here so I may be tempted to brave the midges and multi-teethed clegs and go and cut the grass

I am going to attack my receipts and update my sig this weekend. The pile on top of the microwave is looking a little worrying :eek:

I have changed my BT call package to save £3 per month. I have also signed up for another 12 monthe BT Broadband Package to save £2 a month.
I know I could get a cheaper deal but I have been really happy with the BT service over the past 12 months and I don't need hassle by possibly encountering problems by changing providers.
I was with AOL previously....not a happy experience :rolleyes:

DS1 and DIL are coming to stay this weekend. I am being treated to have my hair done and getting taken out for a posh meal on Saturday in honour of my birthday courtesy of DS1 and 2 :T

I have a review of my DMP this afternoon with CCCS so am a little stressed although I know there is nothing to worry about. I would really like to try and pay off all my debts with the remaining money I have left from our house sale last year but I don't think I can offer enough.
I will have to ask the CCCS counsellor this afternoon.

I also should hear today if the Council will approve funding for my Mu to go into a Residential Home and that is a real big worry for me.

I don't want to worry about anything at the moment :sad:

bails

Hope your CCCS session and the council funding are successful Janey, I don't want you worrying either x

Been up since 5.30am here :rolleyes: so not the most successful day ahead I would imagine. Ho hum. The good news is that I have actually managed my GC challenge this month, with a whopping £1.42 spare Next month I'm aiming for £95 :eek: Still can't work out why I find this so hard :rolleyes: I do hate menu planning though, that could have something to do with it

Is your brother home now Sophiesmum? Hope it's all going as okay as it can be x

You enjoy that bachelor pad Mr DT, won't be long now...:rotfl:

Have a great weekend Marru! What's everyone else up to this weekend?

Frugaldom

Good morning frugalers

MrDT, I think you're doing incredibly well with your moneysaving, holidays and 'ladyfriend' juggling and should make the most of this carefully synchronised mechanism for as long as you can. Just don't stretch it to so many years that 'ladyfriend' becomes elderly 'lady companion' :rotfl:

Janey, you'll be pleased to know that my neighbours now have a window filling that gap! They fitted it back in yesterday and I can only think that it must have been away, umm... on holiday? At the cleaners? If lady across street is reading this, I wasn't being nosy, I just couldn't help but notice. I'm right opposite you.

Marru, if you happen to check here before leaving, drive carefully and have a great weekend. I know you've been looking forward to this and must be very excited. :j

Mama67 I'll go add "plus child benefit" to the challenger list at post 1.


Note to all - remember that this is a research project / lifestyle experiment to work out the answer to the question, 'What is the cost of living?' It's not so much about keeping within a set budget, it's about researching the REAL cost of living so we can eventually lead satisfactory, happy and healthy lifestyles without the stress of debts. My personal longterm ambition is to live debt free in a mortgage free home, living a money-neutral, eco-friendly lifestyle of financial self-sufficiency (spending only what I earn and earning only what I need). If there's anything extra, that's a bonus.

Marru

Morning all,

Yes I am still here. After night of ear ache (dd) and very blocked nose (myself) DD is still in bed sleeping. I am heading now to clean my animals and pack couple of books I have sold during the night. 3 hours for ETD so it will be tight to get all that plus packing done :eek:. Yes I am very excited. I haven't checked my bingo account if I won anything after I logged out. Might leave it as a suprise for next Thursday (=surprise to find one penny in there)

Bails - sorry for the bad night, I will see you later.

Janey and Nyk: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JANEY AND NYK, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, which ever day it will fall for you two.

Off I go now... gone!

Brighton_belle

I don't supose your birthday is tomorrow is it Nyk & Janey? Coz that would make us triplets:D
Spent several hrs on my accounts yesterday eve. A bit depressed at the end for a while - I am so far off this challenge to be fraudulent. But yes, I know this is about shaving off £'s and pennies where I can and it's ok to be a gradual process to suit energy levels. I think my goal it to keep truely unnecessary spends to a minimum, so I can afford little outings when health allows and to indulge my hobbies ( and the occasional remoska:D )
I am keeping such precise reords now, that by the end of the year I should beable to see patterns and set a realistic target for 2009. I really enjoy being part this though. Just saving a coupla quid I cansee really makes a difference, & OH is gradually catching the bug too. He actually cancelled a few conscriptions yesterday (BB faints) to various societies(e.g £45 annual sub to Scottich botanical society?? We live in the south of England ). Now trying to persuade him he could cancel his RAC that is due next week as his car is off road for forseeable future... He is making progress though for some as phobic as dealing with money as he is. Until we sort out his debts, we can't mve forward as a couple and save/plan for a future better. Slowly slowly catchy money:D .
Talking of OH he (and therefore I) have spent the night in torture covered in 100's of itching spots. He must feel bad as he readily agreed to be ringing for a dr appointment this morning (BB faints again)
Janey - I don't like the sound of you worrying either, though it's very nderstandible given the things you have to deal with. Hope the meetings go as best as possible.

Janey51

No BB. Birthday on Sunday.

I am really p**** off. Just posted a great long moan about my woes and the post disappeared before being displayed.

MrsHayes

Hello everyone.Happy Birthday Janey, Nyk & Brighton Belle hope you all have lovely days.Marru - hope you are feeling better and enjoy your weekend.Had a NSD yesterday even got my tea bought for me! I work for a plumbers and a burger shop rang up to say their boiler had gone off. I managed to squeeze them an appointment in as they were desperate and when the engineer came back to the office he had bought me a burger from them as a thank you! Not very good for the healthy eating but very nice. I was going to do shepherds pie for tea but as I had eaten DH just had egg, bacon and chips as he was starving so I will make it next week instead which means one less meal to buy from next weeks budget. Baked some fairy cakes last night in my new cake tin tray but somehow forgot to put in the baking powder so they are pretty flat! Taste ok though.Another NSD for me today and my colleague has just given me a slice of his homemade tuna quiche for lunch which was delicious. I am cooking couscous with tomatoes and feta tonight and then dog walking hope it doesn't rain. Hoping not to spend any money all weekend as DH is working tomorrow so I will be keeping busy at home although I will go for a walk with my best friend and her little boy in the afternoon (we were going to go for lunch but in the interests of frugalness have decided a walk is better!) Hope you all enjoy all your weekends xx ps. computer is still playing up!!

Frugaldom

This weekend is going to be a voucher shopathon for me. I'm planning on going for the September groceries so I can spend my Mr T vouchers, and there's a Woolies in town, so I see some early Christmas shopping waiting to happen. Depending on the weather, we may visit somewhere nice to make good use of our NT membership. Oh! That reminds me, I need to check spending diary to make sure I added in August's direct debit for that!

With such pathetic non-summer-like weather, I defrosted a ham soup pack and made stock in the slow cooker last night. I've now got that on with some split peas for tonight's tea. I can't believe I'm making pea & ham soup in August! I should be sunbathing, or picking salad stuffs from the garden, or scooping ice cream or agonising over how to sleep without hurting my sunburn! I should not be making soup! So how come it's funny and I'm looking forward to a soup and pudding tea?! :rotfl:

Sorry you lost your post, Janey, I think there was a temporary glitch on site as I couldn't even log in at one point.
Thanks for the congrats, MrsHayes, have a nice time with friend and make the most of dry part of the day for your walk. I'm hoping to take DGD out on her bike for half an hour after lunch and have risked hanging out a washing, but it's just hanging there looking sorry for itself. No sun, no wind!

BB your OH is coming along nicely. Mine's still 'in training' but seems to be slowly turning towards the mildly addictive first stages of frugalism and has been putting all his spare change in 'Phil the Pig'. :T

Janey51

Nyk your OH is definitely showing early signs of frugalitis. I saw his eyes light up when I produced the chocolate biscuits and the pink wafers which were then left as a gift :rotfl:

Here comes the moan ....

Had a call from the Social Worker after the Funding Panel discussed funding for my Mum in Residential Care. She said "they" want me to have another Carer's Assessment. Now, I know this is routine and I hav ehad one before but I a stressing myself out worrying about if they are wanting to know if I can still care for Mum. TBH, I find caring for myself difficult at the moment and really can't find the energy to look after Mum as well. :sad:

Not MSE, but I'm feeling sorry for myself.

MrsHayes

((Janey)) hugs. Please try not to worry yourself you have a lot on your plate at the moment as it is xx