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

Frugaldom

I have just realised that there are ONLY 6 WEEKS LEFT of this challenge and then we're into 2009! :eek: Who stole all the days, weeks, months of 2008? Here's me panicking about going over budget because of the housemove and bulk-buying, stockpiling and 'treating myself' to stuff and by jings, crivens, help ma boab, I have £611.89 to last me 6 weeks! Simplify life, make lists, keep tabs on ALL spending and quit worrying about going out to work - stay home and live on the pittance you can earn from there whilst growing your own food.

Broadband charged me £19.99 this month, so I'm guessing the introductory months are finished, but it's still £5 per month cheaper than at the start of the year and it does allow 3 of us online, so it's technically shared. I've been calculating how to make my £611.89 last 6 weeks (rounded numbers):

£175 final electricity bill from old house
£125 electricity for new house
£20 broadband
£40 telephone bill
£100 groceries etc
£6.50 NTS
£100 everything else
£45.39 contingency

Total = £611.89

Somewhere in there, Christmas slots in neatly. Most of the shopping has already been done, the turkey has already been bought and, if all goes to plan, :rolleyes: then the 2008 budget will have covered the cost of a house move, assuming the deposit on old house gets returned, which more than covers the cost of the removals van, a brand new cooker and a brand new washing.

lyndasharp

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

My landlady gave me notice yesterday for 15th December, as she has got someone booked in to do work on her house.

I rang the estate agent to ask when probate would be through on the one I'm buying. Apparently one of the executors has died so they have to get probate on her before they can finish probate on the house owner... and it's not going to be done by 15th December.

AAARRGGGHHH.

Anyone got a spare tent?

cha97michelle

lynda - there ends your run of good things then. How much longer till it will all process and you can move in? Any good friends you can stop with? Relatives?

I wouldn't stress as something will fall into place. We had one of DH's friends live with us for a couple of months once while he sorted another rental place. Didn't charge him rent or anything.

Skint_Lynne

Oh no Lynda,

I think that your dad lives far away from you doesn't he? I would normally have said, what about extra hols from work and go and stay with him over the christmas period, but I know this is out due to the 2 jobs situation. What about staying with OH for a while? Does he live alone? I know it's early days in your relationship, but needs must sometimes............... as a last resort, you could even ask washing machine man if he takes in lodgers:D
(only kidding!!!)

lyndasharp

I'm trying not to panic! I have some plans...

Plan A: I've asked the estate agent to find out if I can move into my house before the sale goes through.
Plan B: Someone at work has suggested a friend of his (who I know vaguely and lives just down the road) and who may be able to help out.
Plan C: Bf has said I can move in with him, but that would mean a 35 mile commute to work each day, plus moving my stuff 35 miles away to bring it all back again.

I'm going to wait and see what date they come up with for the probate going through before I decide which of the plans to go for! If it goes on for too long I might lose my mortgage offer, and that would be a major problem as the banks have withdrawn a lot of the trackers... I will have to check what date I have to take the mortgage out by.

SL, actually washing machine man did rent out the rooms in his house :rotfl: Maybe that's plan D...

Janey51

lyndasharp wrote: »

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

My landlady gave me notice yesterday for 15th December, as she has got someone booked in to do work on her house.

I rang the estate agent to ask when probate would be through on the one I'm buying. Apparently one of the executors has died so they have to get probate on her before they can finish probate on the house owner... and it's not going to be done by 15th December.

AAARRGGGHHH.

Anyone got a spare tent?

I have a polytunnel

Brighton_belle

Bad news Lynda! Doesn't seem much notice but I guess if she lives in the property it is all she 'has' to give, even so I think it a bit steep - I would never treat my lodgers that way.
Add to that the fact that I'm afraid probate can take months - and much longer if the executor who has died hasn't made a will of their own. Hate to be the bringer of doom, but I say this just so in your plan making you allow for a potential long haul on this one.
I wouldn't be in a hurry to move in with brand new bf: the start of a relationship is so special, I think better to hang for a longer 'courting' period.
Good luck with this. You come across as very resourceful so I'm sure you'll find a solution soon.
Nyk - you forgot the other vital idea in the simplify your life bit: get a very wealthy OH:D .

whitewing

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Nyk - you forgot the other vital idea in the simplify your life bit: get a very wealthy OH:D .

Far more trouble than it's worth, I should think. I'd rather have a big-hearted man than a big-walleted one. Both seem few and far between. And someone elses's!

Brighton_belle

whitewing wrote: »

Far more trouble than it's worth, I should think. I'd rather have a big-hearted man than a big-walleted one. Both seem few and far between. And someone elses's!

Oh I couldn't agree more whitewing - mine's penniless but thinks I'm the best thing that ever happened to him and that is beyound price. But I was fanticising that the 2 weren't necessarily mutually exclusive ( as I mention to him every so often:D ).

Marru

Hello all,

I had a chat with my tutor today and decided to have rest of the week off from college to gather my strength back and to hopefully get some assignments done during the daytime instead of early hours. So I came home lunch time, had a nice lunch from yesterday's chippy supper left overs jazzed up with olives, potato salad and some whoopsied veggie falafels (sp?) and apple pie with ice cream for pudding and then had a 2 hour nap. Feeling better already.

So not a NSD but not too bad all in all. I will go to pound shop tomorrow to see if they have cheap fancy coffee and coco sashes to take to college as to save me some money (the expresso chocolate in our coffee machine is just sooo yummy ).

Nothing else really to report from here today. So wishing everybody a very nice and relaxing evening.

Marru