Live on £4000 for a year - part 4 (Oct - Dec 2008)

JAMIEDODGER

Afternoon everyone:)

The weather here today is horrid! No chance of getting anything dry outside so have put it all on airers and will hold off doing more than one washing load a day until the weather clears up a bit.

Half term this week, I have a vouchers for a free film rental from blockbusters and for a couple of games at tenpin bowling, so that should keep the kids amused and free too!!

Off for a nice cuppa now:)

Janey51

Welcome Loobylou21 and congrats on your little future visitor. Posts disappearing on here seems to be getting a real problem.

My visitors have all departed and I am relaxing in front of the TV. DS2 figured out the big bench saw so me and him cut loads of wood and split logs on the log splitter in between showers.
It was freezing.
DS1 and DILs sat in the kitchen in the warm :rolleyes:

Made a maff of the pudding...realised I had omitted a vital ingredient half way through the cooking process so added it hoping everything would be as it should be.
Well, it was a complete and unmitigated disaster but I had anticipated this and had cooked a crumble from the freezer so I saved the day :rotfl:

I am still thinking about my future stockpiling efforts. I'm thinking maybe I should do an online shopping list and save it then, 3 months later price the same list and see how much the prices have increased or decreased.
It is tempting to go ahead and buy loads of food as I've just had my wages and pension go into the bank but I don't want to rush into things like I nearly did with the evaporated milk.
Thanks sophiesmum for the info about evap in Mr A's

whitewing what a nice happy post about your weekend :T

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Welcome Loobylou, congrats on the pending arrival of the little one.

Sounds like you have great motivation for the challenge. I too have played around with the figures and we are going for the £4000 next year. Hopefully we'll both achieve our goals

sophiesmum_2

Spent £10 in town this afternoon, had trip with mum whilst she picked up some bits for the grandkids. Went to primark and got DD some bits to add to her xmas hamper. Got pj's , fluffy socks, two pairs magic gloves, boot style slippers, and reduced ear rings and it came to £10 which was quite good I thought.

Skint_Lynne

Hiya,

I slept in late today, it was bliss. Then I had to help poorly again, he is out of hospital and is going to stay with my mum, again. He's not coping on his own, and is better with people around him, so hopefully, he will be okay. He's going to visit my uncle in Ireland for a week, he leaves on Thursday.

I am going to look out all the christmas presents I have to see what I still need to get. I've no idea what to get for my inlaws, I will need to speak to DH, he will probably say, I don't know, you decide:mad: . They are difficult to buy for at times, I'll figure something out. Next year, I am hoping that my presents will be money neutral, I will need to keep following my gurus, Nyk and Sophiesmum for guidance:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: .

I am going to put the duvet cover back on my bed and go and watch Tv after looking at the presents. I've bought myself a small notebook for my handbag, so from tomorrow, I will record all spends, I'll give myself a real fright no doubt when I am writing it all down.

Speak later all,

SL x

thriftylass

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

I am going to look out all the christmas presents I have to see what I still need to get. I've no idea what to get for my inlaws, I will need to speak to DH, he will probably say, I don't know, you decide:mad: . They are difficult to buy for at times, I'll figure something out.

My BFs parents are difficult to buy for too. But they like their biscuits with a cuppa and stuff like apple sauce. So this year I'll make them a hamper with homemade stuff. Don't know if you can do that money neutral (don't know what counts) but it's inexpensive and they might appreciate the effort and personal touch.

Marru

AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

I want to cancel Christmas. I don't want to celebrate Christmas.

I am seriously thinking of buying some Christmas cards from Labrador lifeline trust and send/give them to all that I should buy something and just wish happy Christmas and say that I have made a donation to a charity instead of buying presents.

Going off to make a list of people and to ponder what would be appropriate donation amount...

PS Hands much better, have done some energy work today either that helped or they would have got better anyway

Skint_Lynne

Thriftylass, that is a nice idea, I am good at making sweets like Tablet and the MIL likes that, so I might go down that road. I was thinking of trying to make Christmas pudding, my mum loves that, but I know I would need to tackle that soon.

Marru, if that's how you feel about it, then why don't you run it by the people you usually buy for. It does get out of control, I am cutting down a lot this year and I have been buying bits for ages, so it isn't as bad for me. I guess the only person you need to make an effort for is the wee one, as long as she is sorted that is the main thing.

SL x

taka

MS done and report filled in!! I have to say I was expecting to have to put a lot more detail in the report - it was lots of multiple choice things and a few paragraphs of no more than 250 characters on some of the different bits :beer: Is that normal? I was busy mentaly noting everything about the shop assistant, what she said and didn't say and details about the shop and its surroundings but didn't need any of it! My voucher will apparently arrive in the next 3 weeks :j Oh and I found 2p at the bus stop on the way home too

Thriftylass - yep its as BB said - I have ISAs from different years from different banks - 2 have hardly anything in them and last years I managed to fill for the 1st time ever :j as I was finally debt free and no longer overspending. For some reason I always seem to open ones I can't transfer into I'll have to open an attempt no 2 at an ISA for this tax year soonish too. No 1 attempt was Icesave :rolleyes: Luckily I didn't fund it so still should be able to open a new one I think.

Marru - I'm glad your hand feels better. Why not do something like the Oxfam unwrapped pressies? I'm seriously thinking of getting a oxfam goat "present" for someone!

I'm kind of looking forwards to Xmas this year... for some reason I'm finding the idea of it less stressful than last year Mind you having a very small family helps I guess! I've only to find 5 major pressies and a few low budget secret santa type things with a £5 or £10 (or less ) spending limit.

cw18

a few years back I bought a token present to open alongside a pressie from the Oxfam system for various family members

my parents (ex foster parents, gave them a bicycle for a midwife)
my SIL (at the time a dog owner who bought blankets for the dog from charity shops, gave her blankets for orphans)
my BIL (a keen fisherman, gave him radios for farmers/fishermen to listen for weather forecasts)
my bro' & his wife (she's a teacher, so it was teacher training for them)
and my hubby (used to do a lot of walking and loved the outdoors, so trees for him)

my three (school desk and chair each) and my GDs (chickens) got a bit more to open alongside the Oxfam pressie.

In return my parents "gave" me a goat -- they thought I was nuts, but I didn't need anything so said I'd like to have "my" gift go elsewhere -- and some chickens.