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

findingmyfeet

hello everyone,
i have just find this thread and read through the last 3 months (will read the rest of the year when i have the time). I just wanted to say i think you are all marvellous. What a great challenge and great achievments you have all done. I really could do with cutting back heaps myself, not a problem yet but find all this credit crunch talk quite frightening and would like to start cutting back and saving for the 'rainy day' . Also extremely fed up of people around me trying to 'keep up with the jones'. Have you noticed some people only want something when they see other people with it? This drives me mad, i only get things i like and i want, not for any onther reason.

Well i would love to do this challenge but in my heart i know i would fail miserably, when i get really tempted by something nothing can stop me im afraid i have to have it. Doesnt happen often though . So if its ok with everyone could i lurk and learn from you all and in the mean time try to start cutting back a little more ? I have been doing the grocery challenge for a while now and have cut it back by almost £ 200 a month ( horrendous i know but getting better).

So let me just say good luck all for 2009 and i will sit and watch in awe at how you are all commited and manage it.
GOOD LUCK.

thriftylass

Hello findingmyfeet,

you're more than welcome to lurk in the background and learn. Well done cutting down loads on groceries already.

How many are there in your household?

I also thought I would fail miserably. So I won't do 4k I'll do 4.8k plus a 500 pound contingency for 2009. That makes it more achievable for me and takes the pressure off while still cutting down loads and reaching my goal (mine is rainy day saving and holidays). It's ok to set yourself a different target, we have a variety of budgets and circumstances here.

Good luck

findingmyfeet

hi thriftylass- there are 4 of us. me , DH DS (18) and DD(16). The three of them eat like mad and are never full. Hubby ok with anything i suggest hes lovely and helps with anything. DD will help if shes in the mood but DS a pain in the bum- regularly sends my plans adrift ( eg eats stuff i've prepared for next days meals, uses twice the amount of shower gel he actually needs etc) , dont know what to do with him- any suggestions gratefully accepted. He has no idea about money, budgeting , saving or how much things cost- no matter how hard and long i explain things. DD ok she regularly saves for stuff and can be persuaded in to things. Also we have a large dog too.

findingmyfeet

sorry forgot to add, hubby works fulltime, i work part time, ds at college and dd at school.

redglass_2

andromache wrote: »

. I'll work it into my entertainment budget somehow and we don't see each other much during termtime and it will be really nice and I haven't spent much on entertainment at all this term and and and...

I wouldn't give it another thought, Andromache, just enjoy! You seem to have got yourself a very good deal there, :T and holidays are outside the budget anyway.

Janey, about e-cards, Jacquie Lawson's are not free but if you are using them instead of paper cards they work out cheap over a whole year's membership and they really are to die for - the nicest I've ever seen, for all occasions, with music. The site lets you keep a record of who you've sent each card to. If you PM me with an address I can use I'll send you some samples.
Welcome, Findingmyfeet :hello: and others who have popped in lately! I'm lurking as well but am going to come in properly next year.

thriftylass

findingmyfeet wrote: »

hi thriftylass- there are 4 of us. me , DH DS (18) and DD(16).

Well your grocery spending is even more impressive now that I know there's 4 of you. We spend £150 a month for two and a cat, although I hope to reduce that more during next years challenge (only been test running the last three months)

MrDT

Hi everyone, first of all just want to say I hope you feel better soon Bails, and are fighting fit for Christmas.

I've failed this year, but not by a huge margin so far (and doubt I will, Christmas shopping is going nicely!). I am still recording my spends and will declare end of year figures on Jan 1st as part of the new thread.

Here's my proposed monthly budget for next year (it includes everything except rent, council tax, and car expenses - luckily work pay for phone internet and mobile, and landlady pays water though some of that is recouped by a very expensive electric meter!):

Boring: Electric - £50, TV - £14, Shopping (groceries, toiletries, household) - £90, Clothes - £15
Enjoying: Eating out (inc takeaway) - £30, Night out - £50, Daytrips - £20, Gadget - £20
Giving: Christmas - £20, Birthdays - £15, Other (christenings etc) - £5, Charity - £3

That's a total of £332 per month, a shade under 4k for the year (£3984), so round my challenge up to being another 4k challenge please

I've overestimated in some areas (so far this year I've spent an average £10 a month on clothes for example) but it gives me a bit of leeway. Food etc has gone up as the now famous 'ladyfriend' is practically living at mine, she brings some stuff round now and then or pays for a meal or takeout etc so it's not all on my shoulders lol but I do the big weekly/monthly shop, was managing on ~£60 a month alone, £90 should more than cover the two of us (luckily she likes my batch cooked meals ).

On the subject of LF (lol better than OH ) she reads the forums once in a while, I've clued her up on the quidco stuff, and soon enough I expect her to show an interest in this challenge We'd be running seperate budgets though, so a total as a couple of 'live on £8k' challenge, wow we must be living the highlife hahaha!

I'm not chopping out all meals/nights out etc as I'm a fella in his mid twenties and obviously want to enjoy myself a bit, I have cut down massively on what I used to 'waste' on fun stuff though Same deal with the 'gadgets' category, not being cut out completely. I quite fancy a wii, but instead of popping down the shops and buying one as I would have done once upon a time, I'll wait for the price to drop and only buy when there's enough money in my 'gadgets' saving pot. Christmas and birthdays etc are budgeted on a monthly basis over the year, cash transferred into those pots every month, gifts bought from the money in the pot on an as needed basis; won't allow myself to go 'overdrawn' in these savings pots, if the money's not there - buy a cheaper gift (well, that's the plan!). You'll see that there's no holiday planned this year either, plan for 09 is to maximise house deposit savings while still having a life - the money spent on the holiday could have been far better spent in this country, I'd get more fun per pound lol!

Over the year I've found myself considering my spends carefully, refusing to buy tat basically. It's become something of a habit now, which is a good thing, but a slight problem at the moment... Parents want to know what I want for Christmas, and to be honest there's very little in the way of 'stuff' that I can think of that I want/need (other than a wii, far too expensive) so I'm not being too helpful lol!

I'm interested in the money neutral challenge, but doubt I have the time to manage £10+ a day. I'm considering a cut down version to suit my circumstances, maybe something along the lines of 'gift neutral 2009', so try to make an extra £43 a month to cover the birthdays christmas charity etc budget, looks like a realistic aim for me.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's weigh-in figures January, especially the breakdowns of those that complete the challenge under budget! Good luck!

findingmyfeet

i think grocery budget horrendously high. Was over £600 when i started last december( per month). Januaryt and feb i got it down to around £560 and now its between £350 and £400 a month. After xmas im going to try and get it down another level to £300. Really do able if i plan a bit better. I do things gradually then it seems to take the sting out a little- i dont feel i have suffered as much then. lol. Thanks for the welcome

junglegirl_2

Is there one of these for 2009? May I join it if there is?

Many thanks!

sophiesmum_2

Just popping on for 5 mins whilst I have a minute. Oldies luncheon club (30 members)having their xmas dinner delivered at 12:00pm, I have set all tables for them with xmas goodies and bought them some wine etc from funds just got to dish out the food (it comes hot) and then will be joining them for xmas lunch number 2;) No chance of me ever being any shape other than round whilst working here:rotfl:
Tonight we have a carol service with little boys from beavers - mince pies all round with that one and party bags and fairy cakes for kiddies. Made the cakes this morning just got to decorate them later and fill bags, have cheated and bought in mince pies to save time:o

Good deals on the holiday and flights Andromache:T

Welcome to the new posters, even if you only lurk on here you will pick up lots of useful stuff:D


Enjoy the rest of the day frunchkins, will catch up with you all tonight:D