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

grandma247

Janey I love it. My family think I've gone completely nuts now, I laughed out loud when I read your multiple choice answers.

Janey51

glendam you pass with distinction...subject to rubber stamping by nykmedia when she has finished chasing sheep and counting logs.

grandma a little more decorum...perleeese...we are trying to set an example to our more fragile frugalites.

lyndasharp

Hi all, hope you're all well. I will catch up on posts another time as I'm using my 3 dongle thingy and it's limited to how much internet I can use in a month. Will make the most of internet access at work tomorrow...

I'm now all moved though not totally unpacked yet. Bf turns out to be very allergic to this cat and had to go home instead of staying over tonight :-( I've managed to keep all fingers intact at the moment, as killer kitten is being very cute. After managing to switch my laptop off by jumping on the keyboard, and sending an email full of 2's, he's got bored and is fast asleep on the sofa next to me. Had a slightly more expensive weekend than I'd intended but most of it was paid for using survey vouchers instead of real money. The M&S £10 meal for two was very tasty last night, and didn't cost anything thanks to my ipoints vouchers.

mk_wotsit

Evening everyone. Have I gone too far??? DD didn't touch her mashed potato tonight so I've scooped it off her plate and put it in the fridge for bubble and squeak for my lunch tomorrow! Is leftovers from dinner plates taking things a bit too far???:o

I've had a great day. I joined a Musical Theatre choir in September and we did our Christmas Concert this afternoon.

Kids have just put the tree up and I've finished writing cards.

All ready for another week .. I'm a postie...heaviest week of the year coming up! My round is in a nice village who are generous with Christmas Tips. This year I'll put my tips towards a new improved chicken run with a roof. The poor blighters are swimming in the current one!

redglass_2

Evenin' all,
Have just been looking at my cashback sites to see if any more payments have come through, and I saw the ads for Swoopo. TBH the bargains on offer there look too good to be true, or am I just too cynical? Has anyone used this site?

cw18

I've watched sw**po, but the way the auctions time mean they can show as due to finish at (eg) 2pm one afternoon -- but still be running at 2pm the next day......

makes it kind of hard to know when to be on-line, and there's no way of being a 'bid snipe' like on a certain auction site (a trick I learnt within weeks of registering!)

Skint_Lynne

Good evening everyone,It is my birthday today, so had a nice time, some fun prezzies and I just spent the day dodging around doing nothing really. I will really need to get organised for DH coming back, I'll get there but it is always last minute.com with me!!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

I love the trifle sophiesmum, it looks like the one my mum makes at christmas. I have bought all the ingredients for it already.

I made some soup today and made 2 loaves in my breadmaker. I also hoovered my car and DH's in preperation for his return. (I had to put the jumpleads on it as it hasn't been driven, but don't tell him, ssssssssssssshhhhhhh):p

sophiesmum_2

Hi redglass
If you google it you will get lots of links to posts where it is being described as some sort of scam, lots of people unhappy with them but a few who have been happy with stuff from there

sophiesmum_2

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SKINT LYNNE!!!!!
:bdaycake: :bdaycake: :bdaycake:
Hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday x x

cha97michelle

Hi.

I haven't posted in a few days as my kids have both been quite poorly, as have I although it is more sheer exhaustion i think on my part. I also went to my friends funeral on Friday, so i wasn't really in a good mood.

Anyway, i am happy to say, presents are now all bought and wrapped, the tree went up today, and it feels really christmassy here. Anyone else being bombarded with carollers? We've had 3 lots in the past couple of days. DH gave the 1st lot a quid, but then he went to costco today and got some cheap chocolates to give to them. With DS1 being so ill, i don't really want to be answering the door every few minutes to them. DH eventually turned the door bell off, as DS1 wanted to go and see who was at the door and got really upset when we wouldn't let him. DH said he was a real tight wad though, and listened to them sing, then shut the door on them. :rolleyes:

DH has popped to work this evening, i have watched a couple of bits recorded on the digi box, and thought i would post my preliminary ideas for 2009.

Live on £4000 + child benefit budget = £5726.40

• Account fee £204
• TV license £142.50
• Gas £360
• Electricity £408
• Life insurance £131.88
• Window cleaner £65
• Tiscali (int/phone/TV) £360
• Cattery £300
• Flea treatment £60.16
• Vet bills £200
• Cat food £120
• Food shop £1600
• Dentist £50
• Clothes £500
• Entertainment/eat out £200
• Presents £1000
• Contingency £85.02

This could be either good or bad guestimate of spends, depending on how soon in the year i can attempt potty training ds1, and the health of my cat, who had over £40 spent on him at the vets again on friday, For once we got a good vet though who spoke excellent English, and has said we need to get the cat on a strict diet. He weighs 9kg (he put on 1/2 kg since i took him to the vets last month). They want us to reduce his weight to at least 5kg to try and help his disabled leg/poor grooming/kidney problems. We already know he needs his teeth looking at and his matted fur shaved off under sedation in January, but we have good intentions of managing his conditions better next year. We were also advised to start taking the moggy for walks too, but i think we might just try playing with a ball with him first and try to make him more energetic.

Enough from me for now anyway. I think i have covered all my categories, but i am not convinced by the numbers yet. I can only try though. Last pay cheque on maternity leave tomorrow, so i have to really make each penny count.

Michelle, x