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

1274

Hello all. I've just taken my meter readings for October. Electricity is a fairly constant 4/5 units per day. Gas has shot up from 7 units in September to 24 per day in October!!! Looks like they'll be increasing my DD again soon. I wouldn't mind if I'd had the heating on all month, but I've tried really hard to be good and only switch it on for an hour when I get home to warm up the house and then it goes off for the evening.

Is it just me, or is anyone else feeling depressed today? What with the gas bill, the dark evenings, the rain (it's pouring down here) I've got a bad case of fed-upness. It's probably not the right time to report my progress on the £16K all in challenge (£4k for this quarter) as that will only make me sadder, so I'll do that later.

Keep well all

Frugaldom

Marru, it sounds like you all had a brilliant day, I'm glad DD enjoyed herself so much

Pirategirl, regarding your question on behalf of a friend, it will depend in which country she/he lives. Scottish and English Laws are very different. My divorce followed Scottish law but I was living & working in England at the time, so needed lawyers in both countries! :mad: We had a joint mortgage, joint loan, joint bank accounts and we each had credit cards. The credit cards are not normally classed as joint debts by credit card companies, as you either have one in your own right (in which case the debt is all yours) or else you are a named cardholder (in which case the principal cardholder is ultimately responsible for all debts). To my knowledge, most other financial institutions class joint debt as joint responsibility whether or not the names are still together. If A and B have a joint debt and then one of them stops paying it, they are held jointly responsible, so both would be penalised if the payments weren't met - payments need to be made, they don't care where they originate. Also, in the case of a joint mortgage, one person can't just take their name off the debt and leave the other to pay, it needs a whole new mortgage agreement drawn up and that can only happen if the remaining name can take over the new mortgage agreement in their own right. Likewise, if assets originally purchased in joint names are sold, all money raised, after payment of taxes, expenses etc, is split equally between the original parties regardless of their being together or apart. However, these comments are purely from personal experience and the laws could have changed over the past few years.

1274, the minute the clocks change there seems to be a wave of depression settles on the entire nation. I think it's a combination of fewer daylight hours, dropping temperatures, winter bills and the arrival of Christmas advertising! It's all helped along, this year, by impending recession and financial doom & gloom news on every corner. If I was a hen, I think I'd probably have stopped laying an egg a day by now and if I was any other type of creature, I'd have either migrated south or gone into hibernation.:rotfl:

mumzyof2

Just wanted to pop on and say I had a letter this morning from nationwide regarding my full and final settlement letter i sent off and the blance was £759.09 (i think) and they agreed with the offer i put to them of £450!! So very happy with that.

whitewing

mumzy, excellent news - well done

Pirategirl

NYK - thank you very much for that. You have reinforced what I believed was the case, so I wont need to go rooting around for hours trying to find the answer. So thats good...but bad as its not the answer she needed! Thats life I guess. Will have to try and think of another solution to her issue.

Well good night everyone, I know its early but im shattered! Sleeps time, oh yes.

Sleep well all.

x

Skint_Lynne

Evening all,
I've been quite busy yesterday and today. Halloween was good the wee fella was all excited being dressed up - he was a devil, waving his fork thing around - he was dangerous!!!!

today, I had a half day from the shop and went to my friend's birthday lunch to a chinese buffet, don't worry, I got my moneysworth!!!

It has not been going well with the spending diary. I cannot believe that I can spend so much on nothing. (I have bought some christmas bits right enough). To date, I have spent £148.14 in the week, with tomorrow to go. That is without paying a bill or a debt. Now, I don't think I spend that sort of money every week, but I actually don't know. £28.99 is for presents out of that.

A lot of changes will need to take place in order for me to succeed in the challenge ahead. I can see that I will need to keep a diary for a very long time so that I can get the spending in check. I thought I wasn't that bad with money but it seems that I am very wrong. Never mind, I didn't have this support network before, but I have now!!! Will need to read through the threads again for ideas.

Speak later,

SL x

whitewing

Gosh, I know - it's amazing how the £5's all add up, isn't it?

redglass_2

I've just splashed out on a pair of furry slippers from Mr S's. Didn't mean to buy them and they were £8 :eek: but they come right up over my ankles and are so warm and snuggly, I'm sure they'll save me a fortune in heating. I don't have carpets because of the dust mites, so it can get seriously chilly underfoot. Besides, I deserve the slippers (dangerous thinking here!) for being so good on the Freecycle front, having just got myself a quilted mattress protector and a fleecy underblanket. :j I can't say enough in praise of Freecycle. I've had the pleasure of offloading tons of clutter which to other people were valuable resources, and have also received some very useful things (even horse poo for the allotment, would you believe!). :rotfl: I've seen beautiful villages I wouldn't have gone to otherwise and have met some very friendly and interesting people with frugal and/or green ways of living. IMHO it's one of the best ideas ever.

JAMIEDODGER

hi guys:)

you are all doing so well with this challenge, nearly there!!!

October was an expensive but good month for me. I wrote down every single penny I spent and it was very illuminating!! It really showed me where I am over spending. I paid more for food than I should have, so have joined the GC for november to try and bring that down.

I also spent a bit more than i wanted on leisure/entertainment too, but in truth i had a lot going on in october, less so in november. plus my friends and i have decided going out clubbing isnt us anymore (its sooo boring must be getting old lol) instead we have decided to have games nights in at each others houses instead!

I had to pay quite a lot out to the school for trips/cooking/swim fees etc! And having my kitchen put in was another source of overspending! I bought a new microwave, kettle and kitchen blind! Those catagories shouldnt appear in novembers totals.

However on the plus side.....I managed to pay £478.92 off my debt and put £133.50 into savings in october, that I am very pleased with!!!!!

November will be a tight month for me. I will be paying my dad back the full £580 I owe him (what a relief, another debt cleared!) I wont be able to save as much, but the debt repayments will go way up!!

This will leave me a lot less for 'everything else' but I am confident I can keep november within the £577.95:) Cant wait to join you properly in january!

Blimey ive waffled a lot sorry:)

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D

Hangover cleared by yesterday afternoon, thank goodness - not had one for ages - forgotten how horrible it feels:o
Went to town and picked up some xmas bits, got a few extra pressies for OH and kids using my last £50 of piggy boots vouchers on the 3 for 2 offer. It was also extra £10 of points day if you spent £50 so bonus there:T
Spent another £20 cash on random xmas bits and pieces round town, just about to update my sig. I really don't need anything else now for xmas - must keep out of shops.
Will be popping to asda for a few things later though as on Tuesdy me and OH are off to lakes till Friday, have hired a log cabin near Ullswater. Looking forward to doing some walking and a few pub lunches out etc but intend to do brekkies and evening meals in:D

Started clearing out some paperwork and just found £10 M&S voucher in drawer that I had forgotten about:j I love it when things like that happen:D

Mumzy - good news about your full and final:T

Hope everyone else is okay and enjoy the rest of the weekend:D off to the gym now for my swim.