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

andromache_2

redglass wrote: »

Does anyone have up-to-date information on ICICI? I withdrew most of my savings but it seems to have survived this crushing blow :rolleyes: and some people on the site are still putting money in there. AFAIK Martin hasn't posted any fresh info since last October.

I assume you've seen this entry on Martin's blog? He's said he'll keep it updated with new news. Other than that, well, goodness knows. Apparently they've just got a new manager in India and they are India's second-largest bank which one would have thought would take something big to topple... but at the same time its solvency is questioned by some of the savings comparison sites. Personally I've got one chunk of savings with ICICI and one chunk of savings with A&L so if either of those does go then I have access to my savings from the other bank while I wait for the FSCS compensation. Not sure what else you can do; any bank could be wobbly at the minute so I figure I might as well try and get as decent a rate as possible

andromache_2

woop that's the first time I've tried a neat link

Frugaldom

:hello: Good afternoon from frosty Scotland :snow_grin

Bails, hope you are feeling better very soon and don't panic - you'll be ready to face new year on the 1st even if it has to start with a very long lie and breakfast in bed

It looks as thought the clouds are blowing away and the sun is trying to shine through, fingers crossed, washing is out and I'd like it to dry rather than freeze. :rotfl: HS is outside moving garden tools out of the greenhouse so we can get the groundsheet down and start drying the place out before my seed planting exploits start next month. Even if I just pot the seeds up out there and then bring them inside onto the windowsills after they are all neat and tidy. I'm planning on having pots of some description on all 3 southfacing windowsills, even if it means a herb selection in the bathroom! :rotfl:

Doing my best not to spend anything more between now and 2009, so I am glad that we aren't within walking distance of any shops! I also have loads of sweets and chocolates that just HAVE to be eaten soon so I can start on my frugally 'fit not fat' regime. Best be off and show face outside now as the sun has managed to shine through and it will be well worth getting the greenhouse looking more like it should, rather than a tool and wood store. Catch you all later, have a good day.

lilac_lady

Another greeting from frosty Scotland. I'm spending part of today making lists. I'm not a list person but I think I'll need to be better organised if I want to succeed with the £4000 challenge in 2009. It's the only challenge that I'm going to attempt because if it works for me everything (financially) will fall into place.

I've not been near a shop since 23rd December so I've been practising hard!

grandma247

Does anyone have a british gas prepayment meter?
We have just had a statement from them and I have noticed they do not have any other info on them now except how many units of gas you have used. No meter readings,NO money mentioned at all. I am not happy with this because I think it will be too easy for them to pull the wool over our eyes.
This has now made us think about changing supplier although we want to stay with prepayment so we have total control over what we use.

Penny2myName

Feel that the end of the year is really really dragging now. Is it just because I want to get on with 2009's challenge???

whitewing

Hello All,

Am having an 'everything gone wrong/what is the point' day

So I am about to pick myself up, and get on with something useful and mindless. Xmas tree and Xmas cards are seriously annoying me so they may have to come down. Bizarrely it would make me feel better. This Christmas has not been great as we are having to purposely upset some close family members who are behaving like idiots (and have been for a while). It means a better long term for everyone but it's hard. I have enjoyed Xmas though; just been different to normal.

Still haven't spent any money, and am going to help a friend spend hers tomorrow - am looking forward to that; all of the excitement, none of the guilt!

[Deleted User]

Hello all

Have been out in the garden today, clearing out greenhouse etc and looking at all the seeds we've managed to collect!! We have got loads..... trying to work out how we can manage to grow more veg in the garden.

Found my list of aims for last year and I think I will keep it the same for 2009. Theres are -

-Writing meal plans & not wasting food, using leftovers etc
- Keep spending diary & stay focused on challenge (4.5k)
- Try to be more organised & manage my time better
-Grow more veg & spend more time in the garden
-See if we could ever live on DH's wages (nearly happened cos baby due in March so it will be DH wage & SMP. Determined to make it stretch as far as possible!

Went to Mr T's today and they had lots of reduced meat so the freezer is now stuffed full. I even had to finish off a tub of icecream!! (what a shame!!)

Thats it waffle over xx

cw18

Having hit two branches of B00ts, I managed to get most of what I wanted -- but not the item with the biggest reduction unfortunately Still have a couple of small local branches I can try tomorrow (they don't open on Sundays), but I think I may have to resign myself to not managed to stock pile that one

I managed to use just under £19 of my points. The lass on the till was great when I said it my first time spending them but that I wanted to, and sorted it all for me -- scanning and cancelling a couple of things to get as close to my £20 worth as she could without losing me multi-buy offers (fortunately I knew which items worked on those to stop her scanning one without the other(s) :T Was chuffed to find a number of the gift sets I couldn't get enough of on-line, so I now have what I needed of those -- plus a couple for me as it was the cheapest way of buying the contents

Also discovered the best day to shop in one of our local towns in a Sunday..... easy to get in and out, free parking on the market (closest to the shops) and, apart from the charity shops, all the stores I use are open. There were hardly any people around either

Managed to get a couple more bags of food for the Dalmatian, and a box game for elder GDs birthday in August. She's a High School Musical fan, and one of the discount shops had a box game (looks like a DVD quiz based thing) for £3.99 instead of £24.99 :eek: My DD will more than likely want to crucify me for buying it though :rolleyes2

sophiesmum_2

Went to garden centre with my mum and picked up several packets of seeds to start sowing January, and a packet of seeds for sprouting - going to have a go at that to get some extra nutrients into our diets.
While we were there they were also selling off their xmas stock, my mum bought me some gorgeous german xmas sacks,

and I picked up 12 boxes of sugared almonds reduced to 10p each:j which will be ideal for making up my easter gifts.:D
I spent a total of £6.20 at the garden centre from 2008 budget.