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

mumzyof2

CW I was born in Blackpool and all my family live there too. I now live just outside of Preston. Blackpool is good for a night out

cw18

Wow! You're not a million miles from me then

I was born in Lytham hospital, and my parents have always lived in Warton since they got married (my Mum's parents lived in Ansdell). My first house (1987-91) was in Lea, then I moved back to Warton until 2001 -- at which point I moved to where I am now to get closer to the job I changed to in Sept '98.

Skint_Lynne

Morning girls (and any boys that might be reading),

A day of job hunting and paperwork beckons today. I feel really tired today though, but I think it's my own fault. I was killed with toothache yesterday and may have taken too many painkillers, I look as if I've had a good night on the drink (and I don't). The toothache is away, but I am going about with a foggy head, I don't know why people take drugs if this is what it makes you feel like!!

Have a good day everyone,

SL x

bails

Seriously CW, it's in great part down to this challenge and MSE that we can do things like this. Being on a low income (some benefits and a student loan between us) means that we've really had to look at our priorities and decide what's important to us. Once we'd done that, we then set about making our money work as hard for us as it can so that we can do the things we really love, like travelling! Even when you think you can't pare your budget down any further, it's amazing what savings you can make and still have a good quality of life :T

cw18

I've spotted how some people are working on getting their holiday money -- reducing here, and click-throughs and surveys there -- and I think it really must make you appreciate the holiday even more when you get there

All I can say is well done to everyone who manages to do it, but I have other reasons (dogs and DH's health) to mean it's not worth my struggling to work one into our budget. Roof over our heads and food in our tums are my main priorities just now

mumzyof2

Im off to Young Mums group now. Going to treat myself and DD to a pie from shop whilst paying my TV Licence Cause I got banging headache from painting last night and cant be bothered to make sandwhiches.
See you all tonight as wont get back on till then as DS swimming lesson
(did i tell you all my son can swim with armbands on!!) I never felt so proud in my life! The feeling was overwhelming. He been going swimming about 8 weeks now and was really scared he was going to go under water and hated water on his face but now he not bothered

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

CW sent u a pm xx

bails

cw18 wrote: »

Roof over our heads and food in our tums are my main priorities just now

Of course. These were our priorities when my situation first changed drastically a few years back, but hopefully in time you'll be able to 'worry' about nicer things like treating yourself and OH in the not too distant future;)

Frugaldom

The_Shiner wrote: »

I don't have private health insurance myself BTW. I put the wrong terminology into my post. I actually meant life/critical illness insurance and personal accident/sickness insurance - essential if self-employed. If any of my bits go wrong, I will still be relying on the good old NHS to finish me off rather than paying for the privilege .

Good morning to everyone

I have been self-employed for most of my adult life, so I'm a little concerned to see that the above is thought of as "essential if self-employed". The ONLY reason I say this is because I DID have an accident that laid me up unable to work because of a back injury and I DID have the above insurance fully paid up. Only problem was, I hadn't read all of the small print and they refused to pay out on several 'excuses'. The first was that I was self-employed, therefore NOT incapacitated from doing ANY of the work - I was fit enough to answer the telephone! Secondly, the 'accident' cover only covers certain types of accident and depends a huge amount on what hobbies you have, where you were when the accident occured, what you were doing, the circumstances etc, etc, etc... we had a mortgage to pay, that insurance didn't cover me either. Please, please, please, anyone who is paying insurance for anything relating to payments in the event of your not being able to earn - have someone 'in the know' read through the small print. In my personal experience, the policies I have had haven't been worth the paper on which they were printed and did nothing more than waste money.
No offence, whatsoever, meant to The Shiner, yours may be perfectly suitable for your needs, just re-read all of the small print before paying out possibly thousands of pounds over your lifetime that may be better spent paying off debts, mortgage or building savings 'just in case'.

The sun has decided to shine here after all horrendous downpours of last night and this morning! There's still a heavy-looking black sky but there's also a rainbow, so it looks quite nice for now. I can't decide whether to risk a lunchtime washing to get a heavy blanket done. :think: I also need to fit in some shopping at some point this week as we are completely out of milk powder and I normally do all the sauces and milk puddings from that!

Yesterday, OH2B arrived here with a packet of M*Vities digestives - 50% extra free, so it wasn't too bad an experience - until we tasted them! I cannot believe that they have the audacity to charge so much for such tasteless rubbish! They were... (it's started pouring again!! :mad: ) Sorry, got distracted! They were dry, extremely crunchy, tasted burnt around the edges and I'd have needed a microscope to determine IF they had been baked with wholemeal! I've turned into a right, royal biscuit snob! Homemade is the new 'designer' and it's no wonder HRH Prince of Wales has his own label! :rotfl: So, 10 minutes baking time with some cheap muesli and porridge oats will do me!

PS: Crushing up a few squares of the 23p MrT cooking chocolate works in the cookies! YUM!

Bails, well done on the holiday savings! Have you been to the pyramids, as there's supposed to be some great day trips to Egypt whilst you're there. And will you go camel riding?

I haven't travelled outside of the UK since 1982 (ish)! :eek: Not unless you count the Isle of Man. :rotfl: I really am glad to have seen a little bit of the world during teenage years, as I haven't a hope of ever going abroad with HS/OH2B - he won't set foot on a boat or a plane and I refuse to drive all the way to the Continent from here. One sister is in USA at the moment and the other is just back from err.. somewhere else, I can't keep track of her. But I'm not complaining, I'm hoping life in the new house will be like a holiday everyday.

bails

Ha ha, I haven't been to Egypt, despite several attempts (long story). We've been to Morocco a couple of times before so this time we're thinking of either heading to Fez or perhaps the desert, so yes the camels might come into play OH has an uncle who lives in Essouira so we might pop and see him too. Basically we have no idea of our plans, which is half the fun! I can't believe you haven't left the UK since 1982!!!! Travelling is my lifeblood :rotfl:I'm sure the farm will be like one long holiday (especially as HS will become OH ).

cw18

I've not left the UK much in my life

Did Denmark (probably 1972/73?), but only 'cos my Dad took the scout group there for a camp and my Mum went as cook.

Then did Germany (school exchange) in 1982 (? was there when the Falklands kicked off)

A couple of day trips to France between 1980 and 1982 (I think), and 12 days there with the kids in (ummm.... probably) 1995

A week in Germany visiting a friend in the RAF in 1990, and had been to Spain for 2 weeks earlier that year (time share swap my parents did -- went my them, my brother and my elder two).

Italy for a 2 week honeymoon in 1992.

New York for a week in Feb 2002 - but only 'cos we got the flights super cheap. Came in at £380 for 4 of us, and the apart-hotel we had was about another £150 for the week for all of us.


The one trip I really, really, really want to make is to New Zealand. But I've already got accomodation sorted there, as the people our Yorkie used to live with emigrated out there last year. (She was supposed to go with them, but the vet wouldn't certify her fit to travel).

And I want to go to Greece as well -- especially Crete. But again accomodation is sorted as a friend and her DH are doing up a place out there for moving to when they retire in a few years.


So I guess I should be starting a 'sealed pot' for loose change in the hope of raising the money for flights out -- and back -- for one or both of them (and a new passport, 'cos mine expired in 2002 and I don't see the point in paying to renew it when it won't get used!)