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

cw18

I'm another who (due to major changes in circumstances) is going to have to do this every year....... but only 52 years for me to make it to 95

[Deleted User]

Hello all!

SlowlyFading - Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a good day:bdaycake:

I popped into town earlier, had to pick up some parcels from sorting office. Went to Woolworths - v.v.v. busy!! And that was at 9.15am! Got a pink garden hand tool set (A christmas pressie for me from DH - he just doesnt know yet! ) Been reduced to £4.20. A cream fleecy throw £4 something from £12 and a paint your own mug set reduced to £1. So many people in there tho.

Going out for a meal tonight for my grandads 65th Birthday, should be good. Have been a very good girl with money lately so its not a prob.... am now thinking about all the food and thinking about what I will eat

And I was good and washed the car myself when I was very tempted to go to a car wash!!

Have a good day everyone and Hello to all the new people! I'm quite newish and everyone is very nice and makes you feel welcome

xx

thriftylass

Lovely sunny day here

Happy birthday SlowlyFading

Went to town this morning to pick up mystery parcel. In the PO I waited in the wrong line for 20 min, doh. At least when I finally picked it up they didn't charge me the quid in postage and it was a large bottle of fabric freshener to test for a survey, yippie.

Didn't get much stuff for my hampers though as I forgot my list and the town was packed and I couldn't really be bothered. Went to the crafts store though and got some reduced coloured paper and foil to wrap my HM soap bars and candles.

Off for a three course dinner at the friends house tonight :T

Marru

Hello!

I am back and glad to say that the head ache that started on Tuesday is finally vanished.

Slowlyfading: and well done with the weight loss
Redglass: Gongrats re your new bathroom
All newbies:
1274: I used to have spreadsheet that I used to record my spends but at the same time worked as a cash flow forecast. But then I changed it to in addition to record spends to also reconcile my accounts and when doing that the cash flow part of it doesn't work anymore. When I get a moment to finally sort out all my spreadsheets I need to come up with something that sorts out this problem, I will let you know if I can solve it.
Sophiesmum: I couldn't find the HWS voucher could you please please be so kind and post the link? Can you please bottle your energy and then sell it? I am in awe here. Enjoy your Xmas tree. I do miss that but I am not going to put one up this year. Perhaps I manage to get rid of enough books to make space for next year. Perhaps I need to start getting lights and decorations from the sales after this Xmas.
Andromache: Well done for getting your studies done
Janey: So sorry to hear what happened to the books :eek: But the hamper sounds absolutely amazing! this is also for you Grandma re the folders!
CW: I hope your redundancy money gets sorted soon. I am sure there are some laws stating the maximum wait for the money to have to be paid out.

Thank you for reminding me about the CB. I had forgotten all about it. Now I need to decide how I am going to allocate it in my budget. Part of it is probably going to cover the remainder of my child care costs and I think the rest will go towards the grocery budget.

DD is not well, her nose is like Amazon river and she has temperature. So I am hoping that she might have a bit of a nap at some stage. She wasn't too ill to eat half a egg, cheese toastie and chocolate from advent calender (calendar?). So we are not going to venture out today. So it is catching up with the todo list again starting with dealing with the washing continuing with cleaning all the animals.

I am trying to think what to cook in the SC tomorrow. It has to be something with potatoes, lentils, tinned tomatoes and spinach in it. Need to go through some of my SC cookbooks later to get inspiration.

Off I go now - have a great day everybody!!!

Marru

Penny2myName

Happy birthday SlowlyFading, hope it all goes great, with lots of smiles and :bdaycake:

thriftylass

Oh nearly forgot, had to buy traintickets for going home for christmas- 85 Euros, plus the exchange rate is only 1pound:1.1 euros now :eek:. The "budget airline" flights were already 2.5 times the price this year compared to last (50 vs 130). But I found two more free scratchcard sites, so over time that'll will pay for part of it :T ( just have to be patient and by next christmas it's paid .

My chilli plant is a bit a strange one. Didn't do much in autumn (1 chilly in 4 months) and I thought a brought it up too late. Now it's been hardly watered and sat in the cold flat while we were away. It started growing at least 8 chillies now !!

sophiesmum_2

Hi frunchkins:D
had a quick trip into town earlier with my friend. Used the £5 wh smith voucher to get my dads £10 book for £5:j , one of other vouchers was £5 off £12 spend on cards/stationery - I didn't need anything but friend was buying her special xmas cards so used my voucher and she saved £5:T off the £22 she spent on cards:eek: she only bought 5!
Marru - go to wh smith website www.whsmith.co.uk and sign up for privilege club-at bottom of home page - it will then e mail you the vouchers. There is a £5 one off £10 on kids books too:D
Had a look in woolies but didn't see anything much I wanted/needed - bought a "swear box" money tin for OH's stocking but that was only 80p.
Spent another 80p on broccoli to make broccoli and stilton soup for later, have still got cheese in freezer from last xmas when I bought loads for 10p a block:D .
Called for some uht milk too as almost out in storecupboard , spent £5.98 on dozen litre bottles of UHT at costco.
Will update totls in a minute.

shaz_mum_of__2

OOh sophiesmum do you have a recipe for the soup i love it but never made it succesfully yet

Spent the day in bed /on sofa still feeling yukky and now i feel guilty as hubby has been out building and fitting the raised beds in the front garden

Doc says its a virus (don't they always) i really must think about dinner but have a feeling it may be a takeaway ............................aaah

Still working on budget for next year will post once done

Shaz

sophiesmum_2

Hi Shaz, Happy Birthday for the other day:D

Re soup - I just chuck in a big bunch of broccoli including chopped stalks, just cover with water, add a veg stock cube and simmer until it is cooked soft. Then crumble small block of stilton into it, stir until melted and then blitz with stickblender.......done...nomnomnom:D


Happy Birthday Slowly Fading:D

Brighton_belle

Happy Birthday slowlyfading - sounds like life has been a bit tough recently so I hope you have some fun today and feel valued by those you spend the day with.
I'm beginning to feel the benefit of the decluttering I have been slowly wading my way through over the months. Loads more to go but I am feeling less overwhelmed by stuff. Am also finding I'm getting things done from my 'to do' list and feeling more in control. All this leaves headspace to get on with creative projects I enjoy, as well as table space.
grandma247 - thanks for your duvet/blanket window warmer ideas. I need to get our kitchen window and glass door covered up somehow, without exacerbating the condensation/mould problem with the cold north wall.
Redglass - you haven't mentioned your new bathroom today; not bored of it already?:rotfl:
Janey - I mentally spit roasted your moggy on your behalf:D . That hamper was a wonderful gift for your nephew.
Taka - how's the declutter for xmas coming along now you are back at work?
Have collected together previous years unsent xmas cards and hope to write some tonight. I can never just send one with just our names in, I feel it's a waste not to write a little something in it otherwise what's the point , so each year I only get about half way through the list. I've just got to make sure it's a different half each year:rotfl: