Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 1

fizzel81

Good Morning fellow frugals

woke up with a banging headache, which reminds me i must get dentist appointment changed to a monday or tuesday (i think the tooth that needs a filling is causeing headache) ds3 eyes are looking so much better though he is really kicking off at drops, its now v hard to get them in his eyes

getting dressed soon so i can be at asda fo 10am;) need to see if they have any cif stuff, if they do im very tempted to grab 10, bring them home and then go back up again for more (to a different till of course) repeat 3 times to get 30 bottles and wayhey im sorted, i will end up shareing my 30 bottles with my brother and his girlfriend (and in return i get to use her sainsburys discount if there is deals i want) and my stepmum wants to pinch few so i dont feel too greedy

I think approved food orders shared between friends/people you know would be a fab idea, i will have to mention it to my brother so we can split the costs or my next door neighbours may well go for that.

today i need to.
go to asda for activfizz
need some storage box's for the boys xmas toys from there dads
ironing :rolleyes:
sort my room (its not bad just not perfect either)
wait in this afternoon for the toys ive given away via freecycle
hoover and dust
today i must remember to keep filling out diary adding yesterdays as i didnt last night before bed

Breakfast weetabix or porridge
Lunch Chicken soup and bread
Dinner Chicken casserole with potato's and trifle if i make it (how lazy does that sound)

anyone help me on this..
boys were brought happyland toys (elc, but brought by me) for xmas but only brought from boots, can i return to elc? if there elc branded or will they know they have come from boots, way out of boots return time, even if its ut on a elc giftcard as id have no recipt, i can then buy toys to put away for birthdays and xmas 2009

best i go and sort breakfast ad getting dressed

nickynoo08

Morning everyone, me and ds are not feeling too well today. Both full of cold AGAIN!
Cant belive how unorganised i've been this past week. Somehow i managed to forget milk the other day when i picked up a few bits so got it yesterday plus a few more bits n bobs on offer. Ended up spending another £9.62. Mind you it should of been £15.11 so could of been worse.
Had a quick look through my cupboards last night n we shuld have enough in to last us 6/7 days (she says:rolleyes: ).
Todays plan......
Start my spending diary - found an old note pad that will do the job, plus the online one.
DW is already on, so just need to empty that when its done
Wash/dry bedding
Meal plan for next 3 days
Having a quiet day today, need to feel better for work tomoro.

Have a good day everyone

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Marru wrote: »

:rotfl:

I think I have completed this elimination challenge hence I have stopped all dating site activity. And I found perfect person to learn to love this year - myself

Too right. Although society may have taught differently, it all starts with self. If you don't love yourself, I'm not sure that's it's (a) possible to truely love another (b) fair to expect someone to love you when you can't manage it yourself.
It's a funny thing but when I wrote loads of stuff down several years ago, I realised that nearly* every problem I had been through in my life was linked to a shortage of self-esteem. Sometimes the link wasn't obvious until I dug around a bit but it was nearly* always there.

*If I'm being honest about it, the only ones that weren't to do with self-esteem were physical ilnesses that I've had but even then, I wonder if being of a happier disposition could have increased my immune system to at least withstand the lesser illnesses.

Don't want to get into psychobabble but that's my take on it.

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D

My general aims for today are:

• get batch cooking and be productive with the sprouts and carrots
• make a loaf in breadmaker
• join Nyk on the "fitter not fatter" challenge and go swimming
• update spreadsheets
• reduce. reuse or recycle at least one item - today's item -buffet food
• Do one thing just for fun -
• go to costco for oldies, see if any bargains for me whilst there
• clean house with stardrops and microfibre cloths

Today's frugal menu:

• muesli with HM yoghurt and fruit, OJ
• salmon/egg mayo sandwiches leftover from buffet, satsuma
• tuna pasta salad left over from buffet with shredded carrot/chickpea salad

F&V portions - 2 Veg ,3 Fruit, 1 Pulses

Today's extra income / expenditure
No spend day

wornoutmumoftwo

Today I am having a major cooking session;
3 chickens (one for dinner and the rest to freeze)
8 Jacket Potatoes - stuffed with cheese and bacon (for freezing)
Making up home made burgers
Making Bubble and Squeek for freezing.
Cooking mince and onion for freezing.
Making some more bread.
AND, if I have time I'll make up some biscuits.


I have also decided to get hold of a small plastic greenhouse for my garden so I will start having a nosey on Ebay for this, last year's veg failed miserably but I'll have another go this one.

Need to get hold of a seed catalogue as well and plan my small garden.

To those of you that grow your own can you recommend the easiest ones for a terrible gardener such as myself?

(I'm ok with potatoes and peas)

Just found this place for seeds; http://www.alanromans.com

fallen_angel_shelley

Morning. Big hugs for all that need one. I have just spent the last hour catching up on all the post, because i'm dyslexic and the back ground colour is white, it makes reading really hard. My cold is getting worse and all my joints really hurt and my head is spinning. DD has decided that she needs new school shoes, just a day before going back, so am going to get her up at 10 and take her to get some, her dad is paying for them so it wont affect my budget:j. I did have loads of stuff that I need to sort out today, but am not to sure how much will get done with not feeling well, gona make a list and just do what a I can, the rest can get done during the week.

To do list!!!

wash-up
take DD for shoes
get DS to do his essay:rolleyes:
put washing on
hover

got loads more that needs doing, but htat will have to do for now.

Shelley x

kittiej

Morning All

I've got meaty stuff doing it's thing in the slow cooker for OH and DS2. Threw onions and carrot batons left over from xmas in as well.

I ordered a purse on ebay yesterday, cost me £2.90 cheapy cheap!, so hoping that will make an appearance next week sometime. This is where my food money shall go each week.

On the sublect of Lidl's bread flour :-

I noticed that on the ingredients they add ascorbic acid but on the Asda flour it doesn't mention ascorbic acid.

I used the Asda flour the other day and I noticed the dough and ultimately my loaf of bread didn't rise as much so I thought my bread wasn't going to be much good but it tasted OK so I will have to add a vitamin c tablet next time.

charliedavis

Am also feeling crap today with a cold and backache, so hugs to all fellow sufferers. DH looking after me bless him and our puppy giving me plenty of cuddles, aw.

Off to Lidl shortly for some bread flour as per your suggestions - anything else in there that's good value?

Then going to make some bread. It goes off so fast though - if I add an egg will it last longer?

Quick question - some items I paid for on debit card before 1st January are showing on bank statement a few days later, do I have to include these?

I have now also enrolled on a DMP and am also joining the board there, wish me luck! Joint debts of around £54k which will take 7 years to pay off.

angelatgraceland

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

Too right. Although society may have taught differently, it all starts with self. If you don't love yourself, I'm not sure that's it's (a) possible to truely love another (b) fair to expect someone to love you when you can't manage it yourself.
It's a funny thing but when I wrote loads of stuff down several years ago, I realised that nearly* every problem I had been through in my life was linked to a shortage of self-esteem. Sometimes the link wasn't obvious until I dug around a bit but it was nearly* always there.

*If I'm being honest about it, the only ones that weren't to do with self-esteem were physical ilnesses that I've had but even then, I wonder if being of a happier disposition could have increased my immune system to at least withstand the lesser illnesses.

Don't want to get into psychobabble but that's my take on it.

Got to agree with that! Ive been reading a bit of psychobabble over the past few years and it really does make such a difference-especialy regarding jobs and chores. But even in relationships friendships etc its the same. I now join in more generally because I have at last learned to love myself and the attitudes of others have changed. I do believe that what "goes around comes around" too and often do things for people for no apparant reward and all sorts of wonderful things seem to happen later. Every action gets a reaction is true also-and certainly with moneysaving and these challenges.
A little change somewhere in life has fantastic impact on the future as so many things(if not all)are a result of a combination of various circumstances.
Being online for me has changed so much in life from moneysaving,shopping,friendships,social activities,holidays-they have all changed because Im online. I dont worry about how much time this takes really as it doesnt cut me off from people in the "real" world it actually brings us together at various functions/trips which because of moneysaving I get a lot cheaper and locate easier.

charliedavis wrote: »

Am also feeling crap today with a cold and backache, so hugs to all fellow sufferers. DH looking after me bless him and our puppy giving me plenty of cuddles, aw.

Off to Lidl shortly for some bread flour as per your suggestions - anything else in there that's good value?

Then going to make some bread. It goes off so fast though - if I add an egg will it last longer?

Quick question - some items I paid for on debit card before 1st January are showing on bank statement a few days later, do I have to include these?

I have now also enrolled on a DMP and am also joining the board there, wish me luck! Joint debts of around £54k which will take 7 years to pay off.

Lidl-great on Roast pots,croquettes and frozen stuff. Jam also good.
Re the bread-add butter/marge-my recipe says ane and a half ounces-this is supposed to keep it better?
Not egg though-thats a different recipe altogether.
Re your debit card items-did you count them in last months total? If you did then you dont need to now but if you didn't then you do need to add them. They can't unfortunately disappear-they were either last months or this months. If you didnt take part last month(sorry-I dont remember everyone on here)then if its stuff you are using this year I would add it. If it was stuff consumed over Christmas I wouldn't add it-hope that helps you to decide.

jtb2412

Morning everyone

Having a pretty quiet day today although still decluttering (hubby is just out in the garden getting the kids old bikes out from behind the shed to take to the tip. Ordinarily I would have freecycled them but they are well past it for that (probably cost as much to repair as to buy a new bike !) - he's just come in and says it's a BIT cold - so I told him that's why he's out there and not me :rotfl: ).

So far today i've made cakes for the kids pack-ups next week and a loaf of bread is in the machine.

Having one of the half price ready-to-cook pork joints I picked up in Mr Ts last week for Sunday roast today. Will dig out some of our home grown runner beans to have with it too :drool: Pork should do us for sandwiches at tea time as well so was a good buy :T .

Got a fairly busy week next week - helping out on a school trip, got a Girl Guides meeting before the new term starts, have to get DD1 sorted as she has a school trip to Disney next Sunday and I have to make some hours up at work as I had a few days off with the kids when they had the flu before Xmas ........ just wish there were a few more hours in the day ..... and there's me thinking I would have more time now Xmas is out of the way :eek: :rolleyes: .

I shouldn't need to go out for anything today so that's good news. I will have to get some ladies products tomorrow but that should be it (with 3 of us they cost me an absolute fortune !)

Just been chatting to our fellow allotment holder (we share) and she's said we can have another 2 beds so i'm really pleased - even more growing space ! :j Now I need to go and do my plan from scratch again :rolleyes: - oh well, will give me an excuse to stay in the warm and let hubby finish tidying the garden :rotfl: .