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

Frugaldom

Good afternoon to all and good luck with the final 2 months of this challenge. We have now, officially, completed 5/6 of the 2008 challenge and it's fair to say that our average spends could be in the region of £3333.33 if we've been spreading the cost of living, gift buying and household goods over the entire 12 months. On that basis, my budget isn't looking too bad, although there's a fair 'whack' will come off when paying the electricity for the final couple of months. I'm going to calculate a 'mock bill' based on today's readings just so it isn't too much of a shock when we officially give up this place on 30th.

Off to get more packing done, hope everyone has a good day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARRU'S DD

Brighton_belle

A very happy birthday to your daughter Marru -that soundsd a grrrreat start to the day:j .
Happy packing Nyk..the countdown to Moving day is on...
Been feeling a bit grumpy and frugal worn yesterday and today. I'd like a day off from having to sort everything. I tried a bit of stockpile shopping but it's just left me a bit anxious: I think I need to stick to budgeting fo a month at a time for a bit longer - I feel more in control that way, and more sure of keeping costs down. With too much food in the house I think it might be harder to make things stretch and we'll just eat more quicker. I was so thrilled to get the Oct food budget down to £165 (when you think in july I spent £230) and I'm going to lose that this month and feel like I have massively overspent.

whitewing

BB- how about putting any 'stockpiled' foods in a separate spend to your your grocery challenge, and then only counting the cost onto your monthly spend if you use it. Ours is sitting in a separate cupboard that we don't normally go to, so we tend not to use it as normal cooking supplies because we forget that it's there!

Brighton_belle

Thanks ww, that might be a good idea. I feel a bit overwhelmed and that might help with that too. Will report back...

bails

Hope you've sorted your stockpiling issues BB, I get like this too sometimes. Just do as much as you can and be happy with how far you've come already.
Hope the moot went well Andromache, my kind of hell that! :eek:
Off into the freezing cold in the hope of finding a cheap pumpkin - I love pumpkin soup! I may pick up any good Halloween bits over the next week for the fancy dress box too
Not long til Strictly, woo hoo! :j... (I will learn to dance one day)

whitewing

..or X factor.....(I will learn to sing)..

lingojingo

whitewing wrote: »

..or X factor.....(I will learn to sing)..

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

my DD (just turned 18 last week) insists that we could go as a duet, and we wouldn't be as bad as some who were in the auditions - but I have to say she is completely and utterly wrong!
It's just so unfair to like singing and sound so awful - and be horribly aware of that fact!

Frugaldom

Brighton Belle - I started my grocery budgeting at £25 per week (£1300)then reduced to £100 per month (£1200) and then further reduced to £1 per person per day, which is £1098 for 3 of us for 2008. I didn't start the bulk buying until summer, which cost me about £200 initial outlay. Now, I am working with £50 to £60 per month, depending on whether or not we have visitors staying, and top up the bulk with any offers I see.

For 2009, I am doing the entire challenge on an 'up front' budget, so I'm going to allocate £1000 for groceries, but hope to grow as much as possible, even if it's in tubs and hanging baskets to keep it out of reach of the slugs & snails & sheep & rabbits & birds & anything else that happens to come along. It's still a long way short of self-sufficiency, but I do hope to start the year and end the year with £4000 - without touching my normal, regular income - making it what I hope will be a completely money neutral house keeping year. That's the theory, anyway

Marru

Hello all,

Thank you for birthday wishes on behalf of my DD. I think she has had a smashing day. We had the party at the farm. Kids were jumping in the straw mountain and some parents went in as well. Then we had a little walk to see ducks, chickens, goats and donkeys. Then went for a trailer ride and the farmer showed us some of the crops in the barns. Then we should have gone high up in the basket that was in front of the tractor and then let kids play with mini tractors they could drive themselves (like bumpy cars) but the rain got better of us so we went inside to have picnic lunch, sing happy birthday, blow candles, play musical chairs and musical statues and just run around. Everybody seemed to have smashing time. Now DD has opened last of her pressies and I don't think she will last for long before she drops off and is ready for bed.

On the frugal note I should be all stocked up for the coming week and no need to pop into the shops. I bought some mince from the farm shop and that will go to slow cooker tomorrow to make some bolognese sauce to last me all week. If I get bored half way I have some owen chips and breaded fish fillets in the freezer for frugal fish and chips.

Oooh, singing. I thought I was able to sing until I went to do my A levels in music college and then I learned I am big fat average. No extra factor in me but I have a pipe dream one day to go to Stars in Their Eyes .

Shattered now, so will finish here...

Pirategirl

Well hello!
Ok so I havent been on here for AGES... I hope everyone is well and happy? I confess I havent got time to read everything i've missed, mad here.

Just wanted to catch up a bit and say hi, and to say thank you to NYK for keeping this thread so nicely together, with a friendly feel for all

Need a little help please..

I have a friend (really! It's not me, honest) who is about to embark on applying for a divorce. Does anyone have any advice/know where I can get advice re joint mortgage/loans? I'm just about to have a search on here, but dont have much time at the mo so any hints would be much appreciated.

Thanks every, have a fab eve and hopefully i will be able to keep track a bit more now..

Pirategirl x