Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

JAMIEDODGER

just wanted to say (((hugs))) sophiesmum, thinking of you x

Janey51

sophiesmum and family:grouphug: Things like this put our lives in perspective.

This morning I have made some biscuits which I have sampled several times in the interests of quality control

Bluefleur repeat after me..." I will wash the kitchen floor before cooking hence the expression ' You could eat off her floor' :rotfl: and 'what the eye doesn't see' "

whitewing

Sophiesmum, we're thinking of you, your brother and your family too xxx

If anyone is in need of pampery Xmas presents, I have just been looking at www.bathandunwind.com (I am not related to them in anyway, shape or form; just a new customer).

I was researching Xmas presents, and there is a particular brand of Arran Aromatics toiletries I like called 'After The Rain'. (Again I have absolutely nothing to do with that company either in any way, shape of form).

The above website has a special offer on where you buy 2 large giftboxes, get a third free, free body scrub, and a free sample as well as free p&h.

Because I know I love this product and the gift boxes are beautifully and classily packaged, I made sure to order mine before I told you guys!! (Frugal and selfish)

So that's two of my friends sorted (DH will be keeing one aside for me of course).

Hopefully I haven't broken forum rules: I'm sure Nyk will put me straight. Off to look at electric blankets.

shaz_mum_of__2

Morning all

well i am 8 days into my new budget (set due to impending return to Uni as a Mature student and DS leaving for the Army )

Its a bit scary that my cashflow forecast total for the year is 25K !!! however that is for everything i could possibly need and includes the mortgage and the bank loan for the caravan

on paper the caravan is a big money drain :

repayments
insurance
breakdown cover (wouldn't bother with if we weren't towing)
servicing(neccassry for warranty)
storage (we dont have room)
club membership

and the biggest the need for a 4X4 to pull it which guzzles diesel(we have a smaller car for day to day which we were given and only cost 50 quid to insure and uses about a quarter the fuel)

However all these costs work out less than a 2 week all inclusive family holiday abroad , we on the othe han have had 6 weeks hols and weekends to all self catered so frugal,and similair to being at home

The other thing i have noticed now i have better allocated gruops for the budget i dont spend as much as i thought on food i do however spend a lot on wine,prescriptions and medicines,dentist fees swimming lessons ,haircuts etc etc previously this all came from the grocery budget ,i did wonder how i spent so much whilst being very frugal

I have bought some clippers as all the boys inc OH have a shaved haircut and am going to do it myself from now on thats £15 month saving .....my monthly cut is £5 by a friend

Uni starts on 22nd got my flask ready!!!

Shazx

System

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Uni starts on 22nd got my flask ready!!!

me too! got my flask & food flask

im gonna try and get a £1.50 aluminium water bottle from lidl on my way home, since i did a food hygiene course and learnt that refilling plastic bottles makes the chemicals leech into the water :eek: (and hence why they end up all funny and brittle - i always thought that was cos they got bashed in your bag)

taka

((((Hugs)))) sophiesmum. I'm thinking of you and your family.

Hi SL and Woody (I had to google the shoes too )

Sorry for not replying to everyone. I've barely been able to catch up for days now... I'm feeling really low this morning - well afternoon now. I've spent most of today trying not to have panic attacks at work. I just want to go hide somewhere. Joy... now i've got to go try not to break a stupidly expensive microscope while sitting in the dark looking at dots :rotfl: I'm not sure this is going to help my mental health much :rolleyes: God my job is odd sometimes :rotfl:

Skint_Lynne

Thanks for the welcome Taka,

The shop has not been busy so far today, (what a surprise). I've just had some watch batteries and club members in. I should hear if I get the job I went for last week tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

I've been reading through the earlier pages of this thread, I'm determined to get myself geared up for 1st January. I'll need to be frugal for quite a few years, it might seem a bit weird thinking of old age just now, but it seems as if I was 21 6 months ago, the time passes that quickly.

Determined to get myself sorted.

SL x

Frugaldom

Good afternoon everyone, hugs to all who need them as this seems to be a particularly gruelling summer (if we can call it that) for many.

SOAP BOX ALERT!
All around us seems to be doom and gloom with not much hope of anyone escaping the dreaded (and much talked about) thing they call recession. I'm amazed at what's happening. Whether or not this becomes an 'officially recognised' recession, and casting aside the Northern Rock fiasco, shouldn't we all be a bit wary of what's going on in the USA with Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac? If an economy of that size can verge on what sounds like the potential for an economy collapse, then I think this (our type of frugal lifestyle) is the safest place to be and it makes it all the more important to get rid of all debts asap and know that what we've got is ours so that nobody else can take it away. I was horrified reading about how much of the US property market is affected by this alleged banking 'mishap' and at the fact it could happen in the first place. Is it just me or does anyone else think that those in charge have led us all a merry dance in an effort to hide so many mistakes that they've lost control of how to solve their own problems, so guess who'll need to pay to put it all right? Off to mull over the latest news releases, ESPECIALLY the ones relating to the end of credit cards in favour of other things. The conspiracy theorists could be right - it could be heading for a 'microchipped at birth' world!

RANT OVER, it's safe to come back out now

dfw844

Hi everyone,

Sophiesmum i hope you're holding up ok, I'm not going to make a big deal of everything as like you said in these situations sometimes a bit of normality is what you crave. So here is normal for you - a long and boring update from me!

I've updated my totals. I'm doing much better now I am including the right things, and my projection shows that my full total for the year should be £4040. Now if that's not a challenge I don't know what is. So I'll be desperately trying to save that £40 somewhere.

Other than that I'm doing well this month - haven't bought any clothes, anything for the house, and I haven't yet been out so my Leisure spends are showing as £0 as well! Actually, that's not true, I went out for dinner with my friend last week but it was her turn. We're off to the theatre next week though, so don't worry, I shall reciprocate.

Feeling a bit more positive about things this month, after a terrible summer where spending was concerned. Actually it was a terrible summer weather wise as well. I hope none of our frugal friends have been affected by the flooding, and my heart goes out to all those that have.

So really, I just wanted to give the update - as at end Aug spending to date £2924, which leaves £1076 or £269 for Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. I'm really hoping I can do it.

Oh and hello to all the newcomers! I'm not the most regular poster because I can't keep up with this lot!

xx

DdraigGoch

Nyk, you and I have both been thinking along the same lines re Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae [what names, eh?!] - hence my silences and long ponderings over what I should be doing to secure my family's wellbeing.

Nothing I can do to influence world affairs, I believe, but plenty I can do to influence my own little part of the world. Only problem? I really don't know quite what to do first?! I'm working on getting rid of my mortgage, I'm working on getting my house to run as cheaply as possible, I'm working on getting my family to run as cheaply as possible [that's a laugh a minute, I tell you!:rolleyes:], I'm working on building up a one year food store [not panic buying, just one extra here and there to ensure that if DH's job goes west, we can at least eat for a few months! :rolleyes:]