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

whitewing

Janey, if it helps pop a 'nice' memory of your mum on here each day. That may help the perspective that it's her dementia talking and not her. (((Hugs)))

cw18

Just been for my morning "forage" of the local clearance sections, and gleaned some information I didn't know.

Got chatting to a member of staff in Somerfield who I got quite friendly with last year (I always seemed to be hovering as she did the final markdown of the day), and made some comment about one of todays not being good value. Normal price £2.69, 25% off at £2.01 -- but if you buy the full price ones they're on a 2 for £4 offer !!!! I also mentioned that sometimes they have stuff that's as good or a better deal at full price due to being on BOGOF.

She said they're not allowed to over-ride prices so that multi-saves work out cheaper from the clearance until the next official markdown time, but that the BOGOF offers do still work!!

So if something is £2 full price but also on BOGOF, and there are some on 50% off at £1 each -- then the clearance ones (provided they're available in the right multiple) will go through as BOGOF meaning you can have 2 for £1.

I'll now be checking BOGOF items in clearance more carefully

Frugaldom

Good afternoon frugalers

Janey, you are welcome here anytime, just give me 10 mins warning to het the pink wafers in from Co-op. Hope you aren't letting things get you down too much and remember to salvage any wood from greenhouse that can be re-used for anything. Perhaps you could sell it off in parts for cold frames?

Whitewing, I hope you troubles are sorting themselves out favourably

I gave up on free bingo last night, kept forgetting about it and trying to do too many other things, mostly making lists followed by lists of lists of stuff to do before moving. Found a handy site before, so have got back onto that so I can use their templates and make things easier (www.moveme.com but I think there are points to be had from somewhere for joining it, just cannot remember where, possibly ipoints? I know I joined it to get something free :rotfl: ). Today I need to do a stocktake of some description so we can start working our way through the contents of the freezer. I want it all defrosted and given a rest between moves so I have a totally fresh start for the 2009 challenge - it's not long now, less than 12 weeks and I still need to earn an extra £800+ in that time! :eek: I've been listing stuff everywhere trying to sell it and give stuff away at same time. I also need a way of keeping what doesn't get eaten frozen during a move, so need to find all the icepacks and freezer bags - maybe I'll look for a freezer box on freecycle, just to be on the safe side.

catch you al later, work beckons before lunch.

bails

The BOGOF def happens in Tesco too as I got 2 x 2 bean burgers earlier in the year for -10p! :rotfl:
Good luck with all the lists Nyk.

It's our 3 year anniversary today and I am completely struggling to think of something wonderful for OH. I'm giving him a full body massage (not that sort!) but any other ideas? We don't really do 'things' so much, although he loves music...

thriftylass

Cheers thriftylass that's amazing - how do you keep it so low?

Hey Trex170104, sorry I think that I forgot to answer that question . Guess it was aimed at the energy bill? Don't know really, always wondered how other people have such high bills. I mean we do the usual, switching stuff off, using energy saving bulbs etc. We might save because we only use an old electric shower and never the big water tank unless for a bath which is really rare. For washing the dishes I boil the kettle daily . But I wash clothes nearly daily (then air dry) and cook daily. We might save on heating though because we only have an electric fire in the living room. The 2 PCs run a couple of hours a day too. So don't really know what other people have running to make the difference. I guess in your case the tumble dryer makes quite a difference too?

I also wanted to apologise for being so cheeky as to mention the ecoupon but not actually to post it. I think I just forgot to do it due to the excitement.

MrsHayes

Hi everyone hope you are all well. Hugs and thoughts to all who need them. Sorry I haven't been around for ages the internet is playing up all the time and I'm finding it hard to read more than a page before it goes off also we are into our busy season at work (where I use the internet) and I haven't seemed to have had 5 minutes to myself in the last 2 weeks.

We have had the van MOT'd and the wheel bearing repaired which only actually cost £22 more than I hadbudgeted for which was a great relief. We can now get it taxed and sold! I have been busy making truffles and cakes for my boss and mother in law as it was their birthdays this week and then I have some cookies to make and a cross stitch to finish for my best friends birthday next week. Dh has been working hard on the house and has replaced all our guttering on the back of the house which was leaking and rotten. It cost us £100 but he has done all the work himself which has saved us loads. This weekend he is fitting a boiler for my mum and dad (they are paying him something) so this will pay for big dogs jabs and a new tool he needs for work. Looking forward to seeing my mum and dad and having my meals cooked for me ;-) So apart from fuel to get there and kennels for the dogs it should be a ns weekend xxx
Ps. Went for 20 week scan and everthing is ok with frugalmite and he is a boy!

dfw844

cw18 wrote: »

I think Aldi had them a couple of weeks ago -- ours still has some left

Thanks very much for this! After spotting your post this morning I went at lunchtime and got one for £6.99. I hope it will be money well spent.

I will let you all know the results of the electric blanket v boiling kettle for hot water bottle debate as soon as I know!

Frugaldom

Hope you are happy with your 'boy' news MrsHayes, it must be getting really exciting now that you're halfway there and everything is 'real', including knowing you're having a boy!

Thriftylass, what do you do for heating and hot water? I'm guessing you must be out most days and got an alternative to electricity for winter heating & water heating etc, I wish I could survive on less than £1 per day electricity - it costs me that in the peak of summer and about 4 times that at this time of the year.

I've just freecycled another box of clutter and the ad was responded to before I even got back off the site! Someone coming to collect tomorrow morning. I wish I could sell stuff as fast as that as I'm running a little short of my average for the £1000 in 100 days challenge. Need a sale this weekend of some description.

I've just made some sample cookies using broken cooking chocolate. DS finishes work at 4, so I'll await his judgement. However, he's a bit pre-occupied by trying to decide what kind of dog he would like when we move and was asking where the rescue is!! Personally, I like big dogs but can't imagine everyone agreeing to my rehoming a Great Dane or Wolfhound :rotfl:

Frugaldom

bails wrote: »

It's our 3 year anniversary today and I am completely struggling to think of something wonderful for OH. I'm giving him a full body massage (not that sort!) but any other ideas? We don't really do 'things' so much, although he loves music...

What about a 'mixed tape' as per Monica & Chandler but without 'Janice' interupting. You could download all you and OH's favourite tracks and make a personalised compilation, plus accompany it with a letter explaining why each track means something special. :lovethoug

(Can you tell I've just watched the complete boxed set of 'Friends'?)

thriftylass

Thriftylass, what do you do for heating and hot water? I'm guessing you must be out most days and got an alternative to electricity for winter heating & water heating etc, I wish I could survive on less than £1 per day electricity - it costs me that in the peak of summer and about 4 times that at this time of the year.

Nyk. Yes, we're both working full time, so are only at home in the evening and on weekends, and we don't have kids yet. I guess once we have we would use more and we would have the hot water tank on. Now we just use cold water (luckily it's never really ice cold) and a antibacterial soap for situation like after handling raw meat. I make hot water for the dishes with the kettle and the shower makes its own. The energy saving on the heating is involuntary, since we mostly only use the electric fire in the living room (don't have central heating or similar) for a couple of hours at night (and blankets ) or the electric portable heater when its really cold and BF needs to work on his PC in the bedroom. Plus we're in the middle of our tennement block, so the neighbours with central heating help a bit too . So I admit it's not entirly frugality but a big part circumstances.