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

Buzzbox

I'm so envious of the folks on here with their own "patch" of land who's able to expand their frugal ways.... this tiny flat can only do so much!

You're all an inspiration to get some permanent goals in place! :T

thriftylass

taka wrote: »

.... Realistically my career/job in its current form is not going to be forever as there is not really a career structure I can follow without a PhD and I've decided against that so far. Chances are I'll have to take a pay cut when my funding runs out just to have a job so I want to get rid of as much of my mortgage while I can.

Is it ok to ask what you area you work in and why you decided against a PhD? I've finished mine in biology about two years ago and although I didn't have the best of times (to put it mildly) I definitely don't regret it, not just financially.

P.S. Gosh, was a bit bored so looked through the forums for other interesting threads, started with the Old style Index. Overwhelming. Wasn't aware that there's is so much, pretty much everything I could need to live frugal is covered. TV is rubbish so will probably spend the next wee while reading through them.

P.S.2 First valuable find - HM flapjack recipes. I think someone mentioned them here before too. Got loads of muesli and oats in the house, so it's perfect. Better and cheaper than the muesli bars I buy and I'll know what's in it. Plus they will also go into my christmas hampers.

Frugaldom

Shaz - you NEED a blog Mine's my way of seeing the progress over the months and it helps me keep tabs on dates and any subtle changes in the garden that I may not have noticed prior to photographing. I know it's really late in the year, but I would like to get started as soon as possible. Re the decorative veggies, neighbours of ours had pots outside their front door with assorted, colourful frilly cabbages, but I don't know if they ate them. To be honest, I don't even know if they are edible, now I come to think of it!

Buzzbox - even in a flat, if you have a windowsill, you can have a mini-garden. Rather than houseplants, you could have herbs, a couple of pepper plants or small tomato plants and a small tray of salad leaves, which seem to be self-replenishing from the minute you start picking them.

I'm hoping to get the greenhouse built up within the next few days, that way I can make a start on next year's food growing. I can also prepare the ground for potatoes, beetroot and rhubarb this month, plant garlic, peas, onions and winter lettuce, and also plant fruit trees & bushes. That's the theory, anyway. My herbs and strawberries are all sitting waiting to be moved from old house to here. I guess my main worry will be the wind. Meanwhile, indoors, 'Big Jim' the pepper plant has decided to attempt to start flowering again! :j

Skint_Lynne

Good evening,

I've just had a can of gin and tonic (my treat for Saturday night), and I feel slightly tipsy, so an early night for me!!! I'm so glad we all had the discussion about money today, good for sophiesmum posting about her savings. It gives someone like me something to strive for.

Got another couple of presents tonight and some half price olive oil for the stockpile. I hope you all saw the post about the qype thing I put on earlier, it is an easy 50 pounds. I can get DVD's that DH has wanted forever from amazon with these.

I'm going to get MIL a plant and some seeds for her birthday in December and put them into a fancy plant pot/hamper sort of thing. She has been given a greenhouse, so that will be a really good starting point for her.

I filled the car with petrol tonight. I used to put £20 in it about every 3 or 4 days and let it run down really low. Since I started keeping my spending diary, I just fill it on a Saturday night. Last week (the first one), I filled it up and it was £45.00. This week it was £30, and I think I've used the car just the same. It must be cheaper to do it that way, so I will continue with this.

I'll need to go and lie down methinks, speak later,

SL x

Mollymop5

Nyk really envios of your new home.reminds me of when I lived on the Isle of Mull.I hope you will be very happy there

the_cat

Nyk - the house looks lovely and will certainly be keeping you busy (and out of the shops!!) for a while. Hope you will be very happy there and that it proves more settled than the last place

BB - The fizz keeper cider will defo be fine out of the fridge. I have not yet managed to leave a bottle for as long as 2 months to test the other half of your question though:o . At a guess it should be ok though as it effectively makes the bottle revert to its origional unopened state - and they keep for years!

Right, off to bed now as have loads of chores to do tomorrow. First to do will be to write the list of chores..........:rotfl: :rotfl:

Marru

Evening all,

I feel really blaah. It is so difficult to remember that when I go for days feeling great it won't last forever and that crashing down is going to happen sooner or later. Today I only managed to bring the boxes for my packing job from the garage when I had my crash landing.

I have been thinking here how I will manage financially and energy wise next 20 months. I have several options:

1. Quit college and get a full time accounting job (due not being well that might be very difficult to manage)
2. Quit college, try to get incapacity benefit and take DD from nursery (then there would be no light in the end of the tunnel in the form of a new career)
3. Carry on in college and carry on trying to earn money as to keep tax credits and hence have enough to live on.
4. ??????

Needles to say that decision is to carry on as I am but blimey it is hard. I can't handle these crash landings. Without DD it would be different but she doesn't understand if I need to just sit down quietly for awhile. I wish I could afford to get an aupair to help me out.

Hey ho, at least it has been a NSD today. I did have an urge to go online and buy something to cheer myself up but couldn't figure out what that would have been.

Sorry for the "feeling sorry for myself post". Well done everybody with all decluttering, crafting, pressie making/shopping, planning, clearing, cleaning, sorting out....Especially Nyk - great to hear you so enthusiastic and energetic!!!

Have a great rest of the evening,

Marru

the_cat

Marru

Sorry you are feeling down. I think you are doing amazingly. I can't think of anybody who wouldn't feel like you do today sometimes with college, DD, work and all the general day to day stuff. And that's without even taking into consideration your health problems

Try to give yourself a little slack. 'Good enough' is just fine. Make sure that you try to prioritise sleep and eating well (something that is all to easy to let go when you feel that there are a million and one more pressing things to get sorted).

Hope you feel better tomorrow. ((((((Hugs))))))
Cat

redglass_2

Marru, these things do happen and although the great days don't last forever, they do come back again. You've done a wonderful job of cheering up others, including me, and I hope you're soon feeling better. Please don't apologise for letting off steam on the thread, we're here to support you. As for your difficult decisions - well, I wouldn't presume to advise you on those, but perhaps there's something you can download or offload to make life a bit easier while you get your head round the situation? Frugalism can be very satisfying but it can also be time and energy absorbing and it's possible to run yourself ragged over it. Maybe you need to cut yourself a bit more slack, if only in the short term. In the meantime please accept this dodgy (but frugal) hug... :grouphug:

cw18

((hugs)) for Marru.