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

Penny2myName

Just one question, we will be putting our overall amounts for 2008 in this one on won't we????

cw18

I would have thought so.... everything relating to 2008 spends in here, 2009 budgets into the new thread ready for 1st Jan :eek:

Frugaldom

:j The new challenge thread is now linked HERE :j

At last! I got work finished, got the new thread started, almost cleared the livingroom and not one of my deliveries has turned up yet! The courier has only just, this minute, collected 2 boxes I had going out the way. I guess Christmas must be a busy time! :rotfl:

Re the boxes everywhere thing - I can now see my livingroom floor and there are only a couple more boxes left to empty in the kitchen. We only moved last month but downsizing certainly gives you the extra urge to get stuff cleared away quicker!

Good luck to all the new people who are on their final countdown of their practice sessions and about to launch headlong into frugaldom, where there's no turning back.

Like Janey, I'm about 5 miles from civilization, but it's so much easier getting to the Co-op from here than having to get a ferry to the mainland (past life - learning how to make goats' milk cheese on a small island in the Orkneys). :rotfl: Janey, your car knows the road here, so I'll hopefully see you after the New Year, have a fab time with family and try your very best to relax, even if it means borrowing a cat to sit on your feet

Did I mention that I had started the new thread? Going to be fun keeping up with them both without getting confused!

sophiesmum_2

bails wrote: »

Hi SM, sorry had to dash off yesterday but wanted to say thanks for the great spot in Mr Ms :T It's a shame I didn't see your post earlier as I literally drove by the door in the afternoon :rolleyes: Can I just check, do you remember if they were lower case letters? Thanks so much, I hope my M0rrisions has some!

Off to catch up now...

Welcome more new people, woo hoo! :T I'm sorry I'm hopeless with names (I barely know my own some days :rotfl:) but I will remember them eventually Welcome to the frugal gang!
Nyk, my Approved order has been dispatched and I also got the Ebay voucher, thanks for the heads up! Now, I must not go looking for things to buy with it until this evening *scurries off to close Ebay window sharpish...well, maybe a quick peek...:p*
Organised? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I so wish!!
Have a great day everyone, work beckons (ooh, I do love saying that :j)

Bails I THINK they were lower case, but can't swear, if you don't get sorted let me know I can pick you some up Saturday - prob need more than one pack for words.

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

I was chatting to a bloke from the local Rotary Club last night (they're currently doing the rounds with Santa's sleigh - including parking up outside various stores), and he said they'd been to one establishment last week that has started putting out their Easter stuff :eek: (I asked, but he refused to tell me where!)

Costco had creme eggs in this week -and I bought a box of easter chicks in Home bargains on Saturday for 89p, ready to do my easter pressies;)

taka

Wow... I've finally made it to the end of the thread... You've all been mega chatty!! :rolleyes:

I sadly have been spending way too much in the last few days. I made the mistake of setting foot in Pier as its in administration so I thought I might get the odd Xmas pressie bargain... Suffice to say I bought 1 small present and about 1000 things for me (it is/was my fave shop) and now have made a rather large dent in my poor budget.

Last nights Xmas party (part 1) has almost wiped out all my entertainment budget (and a fair few brain cells) for the rest of the year and part 2 is tomorrow so loads more expense to come. :eek: At least this one is held somewhere cheap... My spreadsheets are going to hate me when I finally tally them up. I'm glad I joined the £1000 in 100 days challenge as I think I've now spent it all I do like my new dishwasher though...

I would love to go to south america too, especially Machu Picchu. The closest I've got is my camera is somewhere in Brazil (along with my parents :rolleyes:) - its just done a tour of the Amazon... not jealous at all... :think: :rolleyes:

:santa2: Helloooooo all newbies and lurkers who are delurking (is that a word??)!

Please no more mentions of the fact its only a week till Xmas... I'm starting to panic... I have sooooooooooooooooo much still to do to my flat so its functional let alone tidy and box free before then! Why did I agree to having Xmas at mine... :wall:

Frugaldom

Both threads are running - anything relevant to the 2008 (or practicing/preparing for 2009) challenge can remain here, the new thread is intended more for newbies to give them a chance to catch up with the past year before deciding whether or not to join us. Gives them an idea about how wacky frugal life can be

Frugaldom

NUMBER CRUNCHING ALERT - AVERT YOUR EYES TO AVOID FRUGALVISION!

If it is of any help to anyone, I have my spreadsheet set up with the following columns for spending, with a page per month linked up to give a running total.

Date
Groceries
Electricity
Coal
Logs
Internet
Mobiles
Telephone
TV
Clothing & Footwear
Gifts
NTS membership
Travel
Insurance
LP&V
Garden
Misc

As well as the above, I also have columns for:

Cashback
Vouchers
Winnings
Cash (any non-business related income I earn or receive)

The latter 4 were always used to overpay debts/bills and then for luxuries. I've always made the absolute most of this money, as it now stops me from touching any savings. However, in 2009, I am wanting to make a start on my self-sufficientish lifestyle, which will eventually become cash-neutral. This will allow me to maximise savings without having to worry too much about the crashing interest rates. Basically, if I can make it, grow it, produce it, borrow it or receive it free, then I will. Eventually, this lifestyle should be self-funding, as the financial cost of living is reduced but it could take longer than anticipated, what with current B of E base rate being less than half the rate of inflation. (For posterity: at this moment in time, the interest rate is 2% and inflation is 4.1%). My current state of affairs, as per my overall spreadsheet, shows that I have spent a grand total of £5,591.09 during 2008 including everything except rent and Council Tax, but I have generated/received £1,872.52 in extras, so my actual 'cost of living' balance amounts to £3,718.57 We still have 2 weeks to go of this year, so I'm not calling my final results just yet.

I am fairly pleased at how things are going, especially in the wake of another housemove and all the expenses that incurred. Every penny not accounted for in my spreadsheet has been banked and saved or (badly) invested. My biggest losses suffered during 2008 have all been results of having shares in companies that have gone bust! :rolleyes:

For 2009 I have introduced a spending category for LP&V (Livestock, Pets & Vets), as I'll be setting up my hen runs, and a garden column, as that will need a lot of work to make it productive in any way, shape or form and I can't really expect everything to cost nothing.

cw18

Arrrggghhhhh!!!

Just seen Martin's email with the T@lk T@lk offer, so I've had a quick look at it. It would mean B/band plus phone line rental (plus evening & weekend calls which are negligble to me) for £14, whereas I currently pay £19.99 + £10.50. So a saving of just over 50% + the bit I spend on calls, which would almost double my 'anything else' budget for 2009.......

But it looks like you can only sign up on this offer during December, and if I sign up now it would switch me over on 11th Jan -- and my current B/band is on the minimum contract until 1st Feb, so it looks like I can't do it

kittiej

Can I join the 4k challenge please?

Mine is to cover gas/electric, diesel and food.

Not many things I know but I feel as though I can keep control of these four things