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

shaz_mum_of__2

redglass wrote: »

. :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.

Me too i have met people and seen places that i would never have gone before i have offered lots of stuff and recieved a bit too although i seem to do better with a want ad than asking for something thats offered.We got all our demi johns etc, horse manure,peacock feathers for fly tying ,sewing patterns,clothes,bedding and more and all in fantastic condition

Did everyone see river cottage this week the land share idea is great too

Lazy day today and day 2 of shiny new practise for 2009 budget got to buy a joint of meat later but thats all,may start wrapping some christmas pressies later

Have as nice day

Shaz

Mollymop5

Morning everyone.Haven't posted much recently but read every day.Love your mum's memories janey.Good luck on the house move Nyk and your travel plans bails
Pleased DD had a good birthday marru.Sophiesmum I love reading about your oldies and seeing all the hampers you've made.such inspiration.I'm sending a big virtual hug to all those in need of it.
I've spent this morning hunting out pressies I bought in the january sales.Now these were massive bargains mostly Boots eg things that had been £16 I paid £4 for.I have lots of things for DD but nothing on her xmas list.I know she will love the things I've got but I now feel I need to get her things from her xmas list.So my question to you is is it really worth scooping up these bargains in Jaunuary sales in the future? I will continue to buy them as gifts for other people.This has saved me a fortune but my own kids? I'm not sure it's worth it.What do you think?

whitewing

Mollymop, I came to the same conclusion as you really about gifts this year. For immediate family, I am actually spending less if I budget and ask them for choices within the budget. We're spending less on treats thro the year so there are always 'wants' for bdays and Xmas that they won't get otherwise.

My exceptions are MIL, sister and aunty who are all good hamper people.

cw18

In the past I used to reckon on half the Christmas budget for each child going on their main present, and half on smaller items. Of the 'smaller items' kitty I used to spend about half to two-third throughout the year as and when I saw things I thought would be suitable. The remainder of this kitty then got spent from November onwards, once they'd started to write lists/drop hints.

Mind - we did have [STRIKE]an obscene[/STRIKE] a much bigger budget in the past, so I'm not sure how I'll be working it these days

Brighton_belle

I was feeling much better by end of yesterday. The overwhelmed feeling calmed down after realising I just needed to re-organise my stockpile and expand my spreadsheet to have a separate stockpile budget. Thanks whitewing. I’m now ¾ way through reorganising my stock cupboard. Later I shall expand my spreadsheet and form a separate ‘stockpile budget’:j .
In the end I achieved a lot yesterday:
Charity shop: nice raspberry pink long sleeved top for extra layer warmth & a remoska cookbook
Given it has been lashing down all day, I nobly walked into town (and back – a great physical achievement for me) because I had a ‘for today only’ £5 off voucher if you spend £10 at Robert Dyas. Got £10 of stuff I needed and would have bought anyway for £5 and it saved me a trip (&petrol) to B&Q as it was stuff I need to carry on pressie making with mosaics this afternoon.

Today I also plan to do some bulk cooking for the months lunches, using the slow cooker and moski. Will also bulk cook some vegetable side dishes that make quick handy additions to meal when I’m too tired to think & cook.
Nyk - The reason I know I can get the food budget lower is because of peeps like yourselves and what you manage on and it’s a continual inspiration:T . I just need to keep at it slowly. I don’t think we’ll ever get as low as £1 per person a day though. Partly because we really enjoy meat, but have taken the decision to only buy for the butcher, who know the provenance of this supplies. So that cuts us out of the super bargains you can pick up at times in supermarkets. (Very personal decision, not looking to convert others!). Also, we have found following the slimming world plan, where proteins and carbs are often not mixed has been very successful for us in losing weight over the last 18 months – 3.5 stone between us. But I do think separating carbs & proteins is a little more expensive way to eat. But again, this is a choice we are making and are comfortable with. The plus side is it has made me much more creative with vegetables so I eat a lot more than I used to. I feel excited to see how low a monthlyspend I can get though.
Redglass – agree with you re freecycle. This week I got 2 lilo’s( we want to give camping a go next year) and have just been offered some very large bookshelves we so desperately need. And have got rid of clutter to equally appreciative people.
Mollymop: jan sales pressie bargain hunt doesn't suit my needs either. I think it depends who you need to buy for.
Skint Lynne - writing it all down sure is a revelation: you're doing very well:T

Marru

Hello all,

After all the excitement yesterday DD is now unwell. She woke up middle of the night really hot and in the morning was clingy and still hot. I gave her medicine and put her back to bed so it is ever so quiet here. I am attempting to tackle all my todos for today (see separate post here).

I really really should start marking my spends on notepad as all my cash spends just vanish and in the end of every month I have this pot of money that I don't know where it has gone and I can only assume I have "eaten it" so it gets dumped into the grocery spends.

Oh, DD found 20p from the Mr S floor yesterday. I am sooo proud. That made me think that should I start giving her that amount as pocket money weekly or is she too young (4 years). I spend that much on treats for her in weekends anyway so it would be good if she had to decide what she can afford to buy from what she has left from her money. How old kids start to get pocketmoney? I used to go to sing to my Granny and she used to pay me for it, also I cleaned our bathroom and got paid but I was lot older than 4 at the time.

Off I go now to see how much I can get done before DD wakes up.

Wishing restful/productive (which ever you prefer today) day to everyone.

Marru

JAMIEDODGER

Marru - my daughter gets pocket money she is 4 too:) i give her 50p a week and take her to the local shop to spend it. we stand there for ages while i repeatedly tell her what she wants she cant afford, she is learning now lol she has also realised she cant get more little things for her money than one big thing. i have been doing this for about 6 months now, the first couple of times she threw a right wobbler but she accepts it when i tell her she hasnt enough pennies now.


have now added up octobers spends and they are: £512.41:D I have managed to keep within the challenge budget of £577.95. I am so pleased!

Brighton_belle

Marru - I would base it on what you think would make your life easier?If she's not asking for it and the staus quo works fine, perhaps leave it a bit longer?As she mixes more, she might become more aware of pocket money as a concept and start asking about it then you can build it into 'when you are a big girl' at your next birthday, or can show me how to count up to... or something?

purplevamp

Finally managing to post something!! My Mum & SDad came and took the little ones to see the Old Crocks (London to Brighton Car Run) then they're taking them to Pizza Hut (Pasta Hut - pah!) So I was about to post then the washing machine finished and I had to hang it up, too cold to go outside, too tight for tumblyboo, so put it on the horse

I have tried to read most of the posts from the last few days, there's loads isn't there?!

Marru - hope your DD had a lovely birthday, but sorry to hear she's poorly today :grouphug:, sophiesmum - enjoy your holiday, the log cabin sound so romantic, don't forget extra jumpers!! taka - I don't see anything wrong with asking people to bring a chair, I've done it before and people honestly don't mind. I'd still ask them to bring a bottle as well , nyk - good luck with the house move.

Came back from our holiday last night only to discover we left a bag full of food somewhere between the apartment and the car park :eek: . No point in ringing them up and asking for it back as it a) may not have been handed in, b) cost more to post and c) look desperate :rotfl: . There wasn't much in there just new packets of coffee, fairy liquid, wine (unopened), olive oil, shreddies, weetabix, 5 chocolate muffins, pringles...

Anyway, the whole holiday only cost about £200 including diesel and a visit to the Zoo, which was brilliant!

Put on loads of weight, but I can't weigh myself to find out how much as the batteries in my scales died last week and at £4.50 each (need 2) I'm too tight to buy new ones

Sorry for the essay, but once I write I can't seem to stop.

thriftylass

Good morning!

Had a big night out yesterday after we went for dinner, luckily managed to spent only 40 quid :beer: thought it would be much worse and have no big hangover to suffer:T. Felt like getting the cold for days and woke up this morning having lost my voice (not that BF is complaining, couple of days of peace and quiet for him ):

This morning I checked out the specials on the L!DL website, also to see when they start selling goose and duck (usually have on of each as a special treat dinner with friends before Christmas). The price of a goose shot up from 14 to 20 quid :mad:. Don't think I'll be getting one this year then, maybe one duck though (don't like turkey and back home it's goose or duck, can't have christmas without ).

Hope you all have a lovely sunny Sunday.