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

Frugaldom

Hi cw, I haven't had a passport since 1983 when it was the cardboard annual ones for non-visa travel. :rotfl: That was back in the days when you saved all year and were still skint all the following year trying to catch up afterwards.

I find it incredible that for under £100 (including the cost of a new 10-year passport) people can jump on a plane and head all over Europe! Something is far wrong when banks are going bankrupt, countries are at war over oil, Governments are crying over pollution and global warming, farmers can't afford to milk their herds and, yet, jo bloggs the benefits cheat, who lives in a rent free council house, can afford a fortnight in Spain!

Umm... sorry, going to put soapbox away now....

OOOH! I just found a 12 man tent reduced from £200+ to £59 via a cashback site.... I could offer family tent holidays for free in the garden on the farm! Wonder what a portaloo costs to hire? :rotfl:

bails

Blimey, there's nothing like a good bit of stereotyping like there's been on here the past couple of days!! *moves swiftly away from the computer (again) before she says what she really thinks*

Frugaldom

Oh, sorry, Bails, I really didn't mean to offend anyone, I'll remove my post if it's upsetting everyone. I didn't mean to come across as 'stereotyping' anyone or to make it sound like everyone who is in a situation where they need financial help is the same. We all need financial help here, that's why we do these challenges. I just got a little bit wound up about a situation I know of, personally. I should not have allowed it to come through (again) in my posts and I'm really sorry if I have upset you and anyone else.

On the part about the tent, I was being serious, I've never had a spare room or a second bathroom/toilet, so it puts family and friends off ever coming to visit as they need to sleep on the couch or else book into a B&B. With the cheap flights, I would love to have stamped my passport with as many different countries as possible using the savings from my quitting smoking. That was the reason I quit [strike]first[/strike] ok, second time around - friend and I were going to use what we saved to tour Europe at weekends and holidays. But then stuff happens and our paths through life change direction unexpectedly... I don't know what to say, I didn't intend to upset anyone.

Skint_Lynne

bails wrote: »

Blimey, there's nothing like a good bit of stereotyping like there's been on here the past couple of days!! *moves swiftly away from the computer (again) before she says what she really thinks*

What do you mean Bails? Excuse me for being slow, I am obviously missing something (I can be admittedly thick at times).

SL x

Edit: Nyk has explained it, sorry I must have a dry sense of humour as I found her post funny, I am thick skinned as well as thick!!! xx

cw18

Hmmmm... I didn't read Nyk's post as stereotyping anyone on MSE -- and really hope mine didn't come over as if I don't expect people to be able to afford holidays.

We're all at different stages of trying to work to tight(er) budgets, and with different priorities. Nyk seems to need for her electricity ATM, and her upcomng house move (and then possible for getting livestock!). I'm just starting out, so house and food are my priorities.

But for someone who's more into the swing of things (like Bails clearly is), then I don't see jetting off somewhere as a problem -- in fact quite the opposite. It must be really nice to be able to treat yourself to a break away without feeling you're just stockpiling more money problems by doing so


Anyhow - must run. Dogs to let out quickly before reading group at school......

Penny2myName

'Last edited by Skint Lynne : Today at 1:46 PM. Reason: penny dropped!!!'

I never dropped a thing!!!
Actually for someone who is on benefits, I found it rather funny, as I immediately thought about my cousin, who goes to Spain at least once annually. Furthest abroad i have ever got is Southern Ireland, and still no stamp in my passport.

Although my reasons for doing this challenge has changed over the past year, its all aimed at getting me out of debt, financially savvy and able to take my kids to Lapland before they hit 30 (I'm 35 this year and have wanted to go there since I was 12 and first knew of it)

Skint_Lynne

Penny2myName wrote: »

'Last edited by Skint Lynne : Today at 1:46 PM. Reason: penny dropped!!!'

I never dropped a thing!!!
Actually for someone who is on benefits, I found it rather funny, as I immediately thought about my cousin, who goes to Spain at least once annually. Furthest abroad i have ever got is Southern Ireland, and still no stamp in my passport.

Although my reasons for doing this challenge has changed over the past year, its all aimed at getting me out of debt, financially savvy and able to take my kids to Lapland before they hit 30 (I'm 35 this year and have wanted to go there since I was 12 and first knew of it)

You must be quicker than me Penny (you are funny!!):p ,

I think it is a good idea to put why we are all doing this challenge, as Penny has done.

I am doing it because I am heavily in debt due to buying a business. It is not doing well because people are just not spending money. It helps me to see where I have been wasting money and what I can do about it. I have always skirted about being frugal but never quite got there with it. I now worry about the future, what are things going to be like for me financially when I am older.

It's a good time to turn things round, I do not want to be stuck for money when I am a pensioner. I am looking for a job too because I am actually not earning anything just now. I am having to re-mortgage my house to keep afloat, this process has taken about 6 months because of the way things are in the world.

I have learned the hard way, believe me. The people on these forums are 99.9% of the time really supportive, there is the odd troll out there, they are to be ignored. I have drawn a lot of strength from knowing I am not alone and will in turn help others in any way I can.

I know this much, I will not be going back from where I am just leaving, it's not a nice place to be having severe money worries, and I know through others that it is actually possible to get to a point where there is money in the bank instead of being scared to lift the phone or open your mail.

Thanks for your continued support guys,

SL x

Pyewacket338

I've been managing on an average of £3000per year for the past 4 years, I don't receive any benefits, just get by with interest from a few savings and the odd bit of casual work, I'm lucky to have no mortgage on this house, don't smoke and rarely drink, but being a tight Yorkshireman helps too.
I have an Italian girlfriend and we're flying to Italy at the weekend, we paid £2 each for return tickets with Ryan Air, there's a booking fee of £8, but if you can get your hands on an Electron Visa card, there's no booking charge, that return fare cheaper than a 10 minute train ride to the nearest city to me, I know I stay with family while over there, but I've been on camping trips abroad several times and paid less than £100 for a week in the sun, the fuel used driving to the seaside and a fish supper alone would cost more than that in this country!
The answer to living frugally is not having any debt...... but that's always easier said than done!!!!

Frugaldom

Thanks for commenting, Pyewacket and WOW! Well done on the £2 airline tickets, even with £8 booking fee! I can't blame anyone for taking advantage of such savings! But I wholeheartedly agree that the answer to frugal living is being debt-free. I won't consider myself debt-free until I actually own a house, so I have a long way to go yet and have given up worrying too much about what the rest of my family think of my lifestyle in the meantime.

Have fun in Italy

trex170104

Hiya All
I've been using Martin's Budget Planner to try and work out our 2009 budget but I'm coming in way over £4000 can anyone offer any tips. We don't have any debt but we want to move when our fixed term ends in 2010 so I just want to save save save like mad now to have more of a deposit for our next house.

2009 Budget for 2 adults and a toddler
Buildings and Contents Insurance: £227
Gas: £348
Electricity: £600
Home phone, virgin media and broadband: £432
TV Licence: £143.40
Two mobiles on contract: £240
Life Insurance: £136.80
Food shopping: £1200
DS Trust Fund: £180
Baby extras: £360
Dentistry: £48
Contact lenses: £250.80
New clothes: £360
Christmas: £300
Holidays: £300
Birthdays: £300
Money to take DS out in the week: £480
Money for family days out: £480
Cash for any extras/treats: £1680
Total: £8066
I wanted to be able to do £4000, plus child benefit [£977.60] = £4977.60, therefore I'm £3088.40 overbudget - am I trying to be too unrealistic?

The only things I haven't accounted for are our mortgage, council tax and water.