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

Marru

Thanks Bails, I got ten bags for a pound from the pound shop so that comes to same and no parking fees either.

I managed to send Christmas stuff for my family today, second hand books for my brother's family and two decorative cats (20p from table top sale) for my mum.

I have everything crosse for tomorrow. DD's dad has promised to be here tomorrow at noonish/lunch time. I told him not to take DD to play centre or zoo as that might be too much as she has been so poorly and did manage to suggest him to take her to get new shoes. :cool: So hopefully he will be in time, go and get shoes, perhaps a bit of lunch and then they can come here and play in DD's room. As I said, everything crossed. Might give me a chance to go to Bails, if she takes me, to get some feline therapy.

I can't decide if it will noodles, fried eggs and baked beans for supper or fish and chips (from freezer). Off I go to ponder that very important question...

cw - omg you are amazing, I thought I am fairly savvy due to my previous profession but your descriptions of all the financial stuff you are dealing with at the moment and your plans are just making my head spin - respect!!!

Frugaldom

Bails, you WENT OUT? I thought you were supposed to be convalescing? Like Grandma says, perhaps we'll need to send someone to make sure you don't do anything 'untoward' before getting back to normal.

t_c, I hope you get the tax thing sorted very soon, you should maybe just give them a call and ask one of their advisors to explain why there's a balance due. I have always found my local tax office to be very helpful no matter how long it takes them to explain it to me, it's all free advice.

cw - Way to go! That's my idea of shopping! I hope your DD gets years of use out of them and appreciates her gift. Well done to your DS for going halfs, as well.

Marru, I hope everythng goes smoothly with tomorrow's meeting between DD and her dad and that he turns up on time. Maybe you'll get the chance to visit Bails and make sure she's behaving herself. (Tell her I like the sound of the mega-expensive map, that sounds much better than a fold-out paper one with pin holes in it. )

My list got to looking like this:
Tomorrow's list of to do's:

1. Unpack more boxes and make space for Christmas tree (2/3 of the way there)
2. Finish making up the gift baskets
3. Do an inventory of toiletries (done)
4. Do an inventory of store cupboard (done)
5. Stack more logs (done)
6. Attempt to bake a loaf of bread in the mini cooker
7. Find a present for the one niece I haven't got for yet

I hadn't realised just how much paperwork was included in the boxes, it's mainly accounts and past work projects, but they date as far back as 1998! :eek: I've managed to empty and sort 2 of the packing cases, reducing contents by more than half, still got third to empty and sort through and then I'm going to have to spend a day shredding! Still, it'll provide fodder for making paper bricks for the fire. :rotfl:

I still haven't found a gift for niece, so going to ring mum and see if she has any suggestions, as I can't get a hold of sis.

I have now placed an order with Approved Foods I had to pay £5.25 for delivery, but it costs us that to go into town from here, so I can't really complain. I can't believe how much stuff I have ordered, total cost inc P&P £46.19 I can't believe some of these prices, either! Red Kidney Beans at 10p per tin, sponge flans at 4 for £1 (I freeze these), various sauces for 10p & 20p per pack, Sa!nsbur!e$ chocolate truffles 3 packs for 99p etc, etc, etc... I love this site, thank you so much to whoever it was introduced me to it on here :T I have now added it to post 1 as a 'handy link'. :T I will certainly be buying my dog and/or cat food there (£7 for 15kg dried and 50p for a full case of stock cubes, just in case your dog prefers a bit more flavour! :rotfl: ) I love spending money!

cw18

Marru wrote: »

cw - omg you are amazing, I thought I am fairly savvy due to my previous profession but your descriptions of all the financial stuff you are dealing with at the moment and your plans are just making my head spin - respect!!!

I guess I'm lucky in that my Dad always "talked finances" around my brother and I when we were growing up, so I know a lot of the things to look out for and how best to approach companies when going through a bad patch.

DH didn't really have much interest in the family finances (beyond how much beer money he had, and assurances the bills were paid), so I've been running things since I got my first place in April '87 (just after my 21st birthday -- which means for over half my life now :eek: )

But if it weren't for this site, then I wouldn't be aware of the 'safe' limit (nor half the bank link-ups, and some of those have amazed me!) -- as I neither read nor listen to the news, unless someone mentions something that grabs my attention on a radio show (don't listen often) or in general (real-life) conversation.

JennyBee_2

Hiya

I've been lurking for a little while and wondered if I could be added to the 2009 challenge please Maternity pay means that £4k (not including rent/utilities) is about all we can manage next year

Jen

candygirl

Hi everyone:D
My finances are nearly sorted benefit wise, but just have to wait until they sort my ISMI out hopefully next week;)
Am looking forward to starting this challenge in the new year , and NYKMEDIA let me know if your dog likes the approved dog food.I could do with trying some for my two:o
Get well soon BAILS xx:A

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Right - I have pondered and pondered how to work the challenge for 2009 and this is what I have come up with (if it makes sense)

I get €450 a month or €5400 a year house keeping so I have split it up like this:-

MONTHLY/ YEARLY

1. €140 for groceries = €1,680
2. €25 for pressies = €300
3. €10 for gardening bits n bobs = €120
4. €25 misc = €300
5. €200 OR €2,400

Which should mean I can save €250 a month or €3000 for the year :j although that is more of a target than a guarantee
So I will set my target as €5400.. which obviously includes savings but it doesn't sound as daunting as €2400 without savings ..

Now Im just needing to plot how to make the money go as far as possible -roll on summer and home grown veggies;)

JennyBee_2

Ok, this is how mine works out for 2009...

Petrol - £80 a month (£960 a year - ouch!)
Groceries (inc toiletries etc) - £100 a month (£1200 a year)
BT & Broadband - £27.50 a month (£330 a year - although contract up in Jan so shopping around)
Car budget - £30 a month (£360 a year) covers MOT & car tax for me & OH
Caravan budget - £13 a month (£156 a year) covers AA, caravan insurance etc
Car Insurance - £13 a month (£156 a year)
Cash - £40 a month (£480 a year)
OH football - £10 a month (£120 a year) he plays 5-a-side
Other - £40 a month (£480 a year) covers the things I forget!!!

That's everything apart from rent/utilities/cc payments etc and adds up to £4242 which is a bit over I know...not a good start!!!!

Anyway, that's the plan!

I agree Mrs Mc - roll on summer!! I have big plans for the veg patch this year!!!

JennyBee_2

Mrs MC - someone after my own heart! I have a major tomato fetish and have an entire greenhouse of tomatoes planned this year
I haven't heard of most of those varieties so if possible could I bother you for some of the Andine Cornue as I'm planning on some home made sauces this next year

DdraigGoch

Just popping in - am too grumpy to post much at the moment as I have just found out about over £1500 of bills to be paid out of an overdraft which won't bear it .... hey ho, back to the drawing board, so I'm not putting myself down for £4K next year as I haven't a clue how I'm going to get through it all.... but I shall, never fear.

Wish me luck

DG

thriftylass

Glad to have you back Bails, hope you're back to full health soon.
Hello to all the newbies.

Only skimmed over the many long posts from today (read them properly tomorrow), those budgets look all really good. Not done much today. Had a day of presentations to sit through and then we had our work christmas dinner which was lovely and free so had another NSD after not having one for a while. just back home and finally put all the christmas deco up.

Off to bed now, see you tomorrow

I've got a question for all you good with growing your own. I've tried a few things last year but started to late. I got tomoato seed, herbs, and chillies mainly (can only grow on window sill). When is the best time to start the seedlings? Thanks a lot

P.S. just found an email from T@k3 a br3@k bingo. They're requesting a copy of some ID and my credit card otherwise my account will be discontinued. Sounds a bit dodgy, did that happened to anyone else? I'm rather reluctant to sent this out.