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

Cat_Addict

Hello folks - reading this post with great interest. Can someone tell me what GC is in signatures?

Thankyou!

cw18

Grocery Challenge - November's is here

sophiesmum_2

Hi cat addict
GC is the grocery challenge - you will find it on the moneysaving oldstyle board:D

Janey51

bails funny you are asking questions about vanilla because I am going to have to get some vanilla pods. When I was dragged kicking and screaming into Lakeland at Windermere, I bought an ice cream maker (which was cost neutral as I paid for it with Mr M Miles vouchers and BOGOF savings)
Reading the recipe book I see a lot of the recipes need vanilla sugar which of course requires a vanilla pod to make.And thanks to Mama67 I now know they have a dual purpose :T
Shaz lovely picture and romantic story. I love the Lake District.

Welcome twinkle_star:hello: Yes, we are friendly frugallers here :A It's a bit scary on some of the other forums.
Don't forget that you don't have to include rent and other essential expenditure in your challenge.
And don't be worried if you crash and burn...I am the forum expert at that

Skint Lynne do you have to pay a membership fee to join Costco? I know I could Google it but being lazy. And, please tell me the £100 for turkey is a typo :eek: If it isn't, I need to go and lie down :rotfl:

Right, off to stock the log baskets up again in preparation for the arctic blast heading our way

cw18

I've bought vanilla sugar from Mr S in the past......

Cat_Addict

Thankyou SophiesMum! I learn something every day here! I just discovered spendingdiary.com - what a marvellous little tool that is!!

bails

Welcome Twinklestar and cataddict (both great names by the way ) This is a wonderful thread and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Sometimes I come across other threads that aren't so nice and I just scuttle back here sharpish

Thanks for all the help with the vanilla essence guys, I love the wealth of knowledge on here :T I've been interested in Costco for a while but mistakenly thought it was only up North - there is one in Bristol but right over the other side. However I may be able to combine it with a visit to a friend next week :j but that's if I can become a member? Don't I need to be in the trade? (had a look on website but haven't found the answer yet...)
CW, self-employment sounds like possibly a great way to go if you can think of an avenue you'd like to get into. I'm not sure what you do now but I'm sure there's some transferrable skills you could put into your own venture. Freedom from benefits is priceless in my book!
Skintlynne, I think you are doing fantastically well to take on frugalling wih such an extravagant family! :THopefully your frugal ways will inspire them eventually when they see how much further your money can go!
Going back to benefits - I went to a new support group that's just started up for my illness yesterday and met the most annoying woman! She has recovered enough, by her own admission, to work parttime (ie enough to support herself) but she doesn't see the point in working for the same amount of money she's getting on benefits :mad: :rolleyes: And this is why we all get tarnished with the same brush; it makes me so mad!!
Anyhoo, on a cheerier note, we're off today on OH's rally driving experience so he's all excited, bless! I'll be taking the paper

Cat_Addict

Thanks for the welcome bails! )

lyndasharp

Bails, where is your OH doing the rally driving? Do let me know how it goes - I've been tempted to try a session for ages but on the ones I've looked at it doesn't sound like you get all that much time in the car?

Nyk, congrats on getting the keys. It'll be a bit longer before I get any keys - probate still hasn't gone through! As I set up a tracker mortgage I'm very happy, the interest rate cut will make a huge difference. I really want the house soon so I can start paying it all back. Icesave should be paying out by the end of the month!

I had an expensive outing yesterday with the Morris Minor club. £5 to see the firework display then £12 for pub meal afterwards. I'd set a rough budget of £20 per month for going out, so no social life for me for the rest of November. I do now have a very good reason for a social life though, went on my third date last night with someone from the internet. He also has a Morris Minor so doesn't think my classic car addiction is too insane. He does seem to have worked me out very quickly - he turned up last night with home made chocolate chilli biscuits. I am very impressed. Haven't tried them yet as didn't want to eat before the meal last night.

I really have to make sure I'm ready for next weeks interview so no more dates this weekend, but will definitely see him again next week.

My solar clock arrived today from Carboncreditz - small but cute. A good extra Christmas present for someone!

cw18

meant to say I got the CarbonCreditz wind up torch yesterday.... still waiting on the clock that 'DH' ordered