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

Optimisticpair

taka wrote: »

((((Hugs))))
Anyone feeling cheerful today? Any good news?

Hug appreciated. Um, good news. I'm back in the black, there is a week's worth of food in the cupboard, OH is coming to stay for the weekend and fetching a big hired van to take most of my gear for storage, we haven't seen each other for 8 weeks.

slowlyfading

hmm.. good news - i'm still alive, and generally okay. I have money in the bank, and some hours at work this week.
(((HUGS))) to all who are feeling low. xx

Brighton_belle

I feel cheerful taka:j After an utterly pants year with my health, the last 5 weeks have been lovely overall and I have renewed heart to battle on and feel I'm getting a life back.
I've signed up to a few things this week(for no money) and collected enough nectar points to buy the electric kitchen scales I want at argos without parting with any cash:j (current one I use loads is on its wayout).

It is worrying times I know with money: Lynda, I really admire your attitude re your situation and valuing your health etc & 'we're all here':T .
I work in a small business in the finance sector and who knows if we'll survive what's going on. No signs to worry about yet.I wonder how much the media are creating a self fulfilling prophesy by creating a climate of panic and fear that triggers the stockmarket downturns and runs on the banks.

Janey - relieved your mum is ok. As others have said, it does reemphasis the importance of her being with others now.
Nyk - I so hope this house is a goer for you. It is so frustrating if you are being judged on paper rather than by a personal meet. When I let my flat out I always used to meet the prospective tenants and wouldn't have liked the idea of strangers doing that bit for me.

taka

Sorry everyone... I guess I just needed a wee rant...

I *should* be cheerful... my eating disorder is improving, I have a job, somewhere to live and money in the bank. I have my friends and family...

Right I'm off to get a very large bar of choc and some wine... then do some calming mindfulness practice... :rolleyes: :EasterBun

slowlyfading

taka, is it okay if I PM you?

sophiesmum_2

My remoska is growing on me:D Just had a lovely toad in the hole, chucked in some of my hm sausages out of freezer cooked for while, then sliced a hg onion gave it a quick nuke and chucked that in too with a sprinkle of mixed herbs, added some yorkie mix and went to do something else for a while. Came back to lovely toad in the hole, which was snaffled for tea with some hg veggies from freezer.:D
Got some apples looking a bit sorry for themselves so think I will do baked apples stuffed with mincemeat (still have half a bucketful from last xmas to use up;) )for supper later but off for a swim first:D

mumzyof2

I need some advice.

On the 29th september my bill for my gas/elec came through and it was £100 but i still owed £170 from previous month so make that £270. I then went online to check my payments of £15 a week (thats all i can afford) and it said my next bill was due 15th oct 08 so i rang them and asked why i was getting another bill when i just been sent one and she said it because i had given meter readings. which is fair enough. I asked her how much i had spent and had to give her another meter reading for both gas n electric and she said it £300. I came off phone and thought about it and how come I have spent £400 in 3 months on gas and elec..i not had heating on untill end of september and its only on timer. I do use the drier daily but only for a hour or so. Im hardly in, in the day time as it was summer. I just dont understand..could it be wrong? But i dont think so because i gave meter readings. Im so mad with myself.
I just sent my friend a text sayin im deffo not using anymore gas n electric, do you have a hot water bottle, a candle and flask? lol.

So now im on look out for a cheap flask (i boil kettle lots of times a day for me brews so going to fill flask in morning) and already have a hot water bottle. I admit i have landing light on all night for me and kids. I dont know how im going to pay it, and im suppose to move home early next year and that will get me in more debt with yet another gas and elec debt.
Sophiesmum Do u fancy doing anything this weekend?

Marru

Hello all!!

Janey - just repeating what everybody else have said. I hope your Mum will recover from her fall soon.

Good news: As I didn't go to college today I printed some lovely party invitations from the net and then used some coloured paper I already had to make envelopes. I am thinking that I can use the same paper to make the party bags as I have loads left.

Also Bails came to cheer me up and sort me out. She left me with prioritised task list and meal plan :smileyhea

Will try to get DD to bed earlyish as to be able to get to bed at reasonable time.

Have a nice evening everybody!

Marru

PS: one more bit of good news: Got £30 from moneysupermarket today for capping my gas and electricity

PS 2: Mumzy we posted same time. That does sound a bit excessive. Would you be able to take all your paperwork to citizen's advice bureau for someone there to have look for you?

mumzyof2

Marru wrote: »

Hello all!!

Janey - just repeating what everybody else have said. I hope your Mum will recover from her fall soon.

Good news: As I didn't go to college today I printed some lovely party invitations from the net and then used some coloured paper I already had to make envelopes. I am thinking that I can use the same paper to make the party bags as I have loads left.

Also Bails came to cheer me up and sort me out. She left me with prioritised task list and meal plan :smileyhea

Will try to get DD to bed earlyish as to be able to get to bed at reasonable time.

Have a nice evening everybody!

Marru

PS: one more bit of good news: Got £30 from moneysupermarket today for capping my gas and electricity

PS 2: Mumzy we posted same time. That does sound a bit excessive. Would you be able to take all your paperwork to citizen's advice bureau for someone there to have look for you?

Its an online account so dont have the paperwork neither do i have a printer. I have now turned off all the switches. Except for washer, boiler, Tv, Laptop and phone charger. The kids have the lights on in bedroom as they wont sleep without them on. I am sat in the dark but the Tv and Laptop are giving me light This bill has seriously got me thinking about saving money on gas and electric. Would lamps in childrens room, my room and living room save me more money than puttin a big light on?

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Sending out lots of hugs as there seems to be sooo many in need of them at the moment, Hope everything settles down for everyone soon

Well I thought I would stick my nose through the door and get myself ready for joining in properly in the new year :T

My good news for the week is that my 2nd remoska (the free one :j ) arrived yesterday -complete with half pan and free utensils and foil I have only had the 1st one 8 days-but have not had the oven on once since :T , today it has done bread, re-heated hubbies soup for work, re-heated the cornedbeef hash left from yesterday with pastry on, and I concocted some teacakes/hotcross bun thingies nomnomnom and tomorrow Im making a chicken n leek cobbler -using up leftover roast chicken

In readiness of this challenge I have had a word with hubby and Im going to have €120 less housekeeping and have £100 a month sent to my UK account instead ..that way I can have savings building up in 2 places -should make life easier
so that should leave me €330... Im going to test run only using €80 a month for food as often as possible so I can still save €250 into my German account:p
Some months might be a little more -but I have loads of seeds left from this season + loads of new varieties so i can grow loads of veggies again -which will stretch the budget further:D ...
Im having money for xmas (only early) so i can get more big tubs and compost as I got 9 metal rose arches for €2 each :eek: :rotfl: ... for growing beans, peas n squash up -hopefully it will result in better crops..
I grew shed loads of tomatoes this year (i have 40 bags of roasted ones in the freezer ) but I have picked 8 more varieties to try :rotfl:

sorry for the waffle and going off on a tangent
hope everyone has a better day tomorrow