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

taka

sophiesmum wrote: »

Nyk - I have a confession, I have just opened my sealed pot terramundi - Actually OH drilled the bottom out very nicely so that I can use it again:D He is on nights tonight so I had to do it before he went.So 4 1/2 hours early than it should be but woo Hoo , lots of lovely notes and coins and a total of £1076.29p

:j :j Wow sophiesmum thats amazing :T :T Well done

Hmmmmmm my tea was lovely... couldn't find quite all the spices listed in the butternut squash and chickpea curry recepie so I made it up a bit :rolleyes: It was nomnomnomnom :T Thanks for pointing me towards it - 3 portions now in the freezer too! :j I'll definitely make that again! I do now know where to get big bags of indian spices and lentils etc... 1kg of corriander anyone That would last me all century :rotfl: I was sooooooo tempted to buy the big bag of whole (rather than ground) garam marsala though - it looked so good. Maybe if I can persuade my family to share it between us - there was 400g of it :rotfl:

candygirl

I try n get my Mum and DD to split the stuff from the Asian supermarket TAKA, as there would be too much just for little me:D I'm going this week so will divide the spoils;)

whitewing

Hello new challengees. Hello everybody.

DH is at work so as a surprise for him, DS and I have put up and decorated our Xmas tree. The tree itself is real (grown in a pot, bought last year and we kept it alive!). The decorations are mainly red and gold and about 30 years old (handmedowns). They look tacky and awful in the box but now I am sitting in semi-darkness it is very pretty.

DH won't be that impressed as he'll think it's too early. And he'll rearrange it when I'm not looking to make it more artistic. DS and I tend to just chuck it on anyhow.

I'm very tired so ff to lurk for a bit. Take care, all.

cha97michelle

Hello everyone

Had a fairly good and sort of frugal weekend. We finally sorted out our costco membership, and bought a couple of things. We didn't go too mad, but i did buy a bag of 1100 typhoo t-bags for less than a tenner, and some oxi-stain remover that gets used a lot on the kids clothes. I could have bought more but we wanted to know definitely that things were good value. Not bad though. As i use each t-bag twice, that will probably take all year to use.


We then went to B and Q, and although that was a little pricey, i did have £20 of vouchers to use. My less frugal buy was a pair of funky wellies for me, and i know they were frivolous, but they make me smile, and i will be able to puddle splash and other such fun with my DS's without worry about wrecking trainers, so altogether, probably not that expensive.

I do want to go to poundland now and get some of those moulds. I am thinking it might be good for Easter for my nephews and my friends children, although i will have to get some nice cellophane bags too.

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. The best point for us was a trip to feed the ducks, which DS1 loved. The ducks really appreciated it too.

I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into this challenge, and as it is nearly december, that is getting ever closer.

Michelle x

Frugaldom

I've only got £280 + vouchers to last me until 2009! :eek: I've just done an online payment for the final electricity bill for the old house plus I'll have a final phone bill and the first phone bill for this new address, plus the electricity for here. Fortunately, it's prepayment, so I can top it up as I need it, but all those extra costs are mounting up and eating into the budget. So, how am I going to manage without touching savings?

Telephones (final bill + new bill in advance) - £50 approximately
Electricity - £100
Groceries - £50
NTS DD - £6.50
Travel - £10
Xmas Postage & parcel delivery - £25
Internet - £20
Logs - £15
Contingency - £4.41 :eek:

I have £25 of vouchers left for any last minute Christmas shopping I may have forgotten, plus I'll need to top up on wrapping paper. Hopefully, Woolies will remain open long enough to let me spend the vouchers! Freezer is 3/4 full, store cupboard well stocked, turkey paid, plenty of toiletries and plenty to do both inside and outside to keep us busy.

I am determined that I will NOT touch a penny of the extra savings from this 2008 challenge. Extra, unexpected spends have had to be incorporated but I'd far prefer to have moved further out into the country than had a holiday. One month left to go and then the whole thing starts again. :cool:

Marru

Hi,

WW great job on the decorations. :T I am not going to do anything this year either. Perhaps next year.

I have just literally pushed my ex out of the house and told him to get out. I don't ever want to see him again. After he put DD to bed he came downstairs and I offered a cup of coffee. While he was drinking it I was working on my nutrition distinction assingment (of which I managed to finish) and was waiting him to go. I tried not to be drawn into an argument but failed miserably. DD loves him and has such a great time with him but I am paying such a high cost for them to be able to spend time together.

Ok, I will stop feeling sorry for myself now and carry on doing my assignments, one down, three to go :eek:. Need to go and raid kitchen first as all this has made me hungry. At least it was a NSD for me today and I made sure I don't have to spend any money at college canteen this coming week. Phone is ringing - guess who?

cw18

Nyk - Have you had the deposit from your old place back yet? Or is there still a chance that will come in and give you a bit extra?

Frugaldom

Hi CW. That is being used to buy a cooker and washing machine. I decided to splash out and order brand new in the sales.
I need to have some frivolous spends

candygirl

nykmedia wrote: »

Hi CW. That is being used to buy a cooker and washing machine. I decided to splash out and order brand new in the sales.
I need to have some frivolous spends

OOh I'm gettin a new cooker and tumble dryer soon, last fling with the credit cards before my DMP;) but very essential purchases:o

Skint_Lynne

Good evening everyone,

I have been quite busy today, and I see that you lot have been very chatty!!

Marru, I am sorry about your ex, hope you don't think I'm rude but he sounds like a right twonker!! Could you not get him to pick DD up from a trusted third party so that you don't need to see him?

Sophiesmum, well done on the savings, that is fantastic. You could treat yourself with that, it could be your holiday cash for next year as you didn't get away this year. I got the moulds today, the butterfly and the bear, so thanks again for that, the sisters will be thrilled with their butterfly chocs and I will make a bear one for the wee fella. However, I suspect that his father (my brother) will eat it.:rolleyes: I also got some bob the builder ice cube trays in poundland and will make some chocs for my DH's wee nephew, he likes him, so he will be pleased with them.

Nyk, the garden looks really spacious and I know you will make good use of it. I like gardening and used to grow stuff, but I just don't have the time. I'm going to do it on a very small scale this year coming and do some tomatoes and courgettes, maybe some grow again lettuces as well. I'm impressed with the frame. I would have tossed the old chest of drawers, I can't believe how you all come up with these ideas!!!

So, I got my moulds from poundland and some pressies from boots. Then tonight, I went to tesco and got a lot of serious shopping done. all the heavy non perishables are now in stock. I'll get meat and veg etc nearer to the time when DH gets home. I'll get all meat from costco and buy it in bulk.

I'm doing well with the presents too. I've just to get for sisters, brother, mum, dad and DH's parents. I mostly know what I am getting as well, so that makes life easier.

My kitchen is bursting at the seams now with food and everything else!! I must get all of that sorted this week, so that it is arranged nicely.

I'll start wrapping pressies this week, will take a few at a time to the shop and get rid of them. Will do the same with card writing.

I hope I get to talk to the job man tomorrow, he can then put me out of my misery.

Speak later,