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

Naomim

Well I've been off mucking about with a spreadsheet from a printout of our expenditure I'd brought home... and it seems we spend about £7388 of our disposable income after I've taken out bills etc :eek: I don't know how I'm going to get it down...:embarasse There are things DH just wont budge on ie; Sky and he spends a fortune on his mobile, we have free landline calls and I'm trying to train him to use the landline for landline calls iykwim. I already cut right down on Xmas presents [STRIKE]this[/STRIKE] last year and only do immediate family AND I made gift baskets.

Ho hum

Naomi x

redglass_2

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Just spotted this..don't know if anyone else has seen it -for a free packet of seeds:D

http://www.hiddeneden.com/free-seeds.aspx

Thanks, MrsM. Though i have to say that their 'help and advice' man looks incredibly sinister - as though he's got somebody buried under the patio! :rotfl:

Sarah147

Penny2myName wrote: »

As a teenager I used to looking writing sets. Only did paper round so I could afford a new one every other week, good job I had lots of penpals back then. Now I find it harder to find writing sets at prices I would be willing to pay.:o

I have loads of beautiful notebooks but they are so nice I do not want to write in them as it would "spoil" them :rotfl:

Frugaldom

Well! Day 4 has almost ended and I have only just managed to get through all the posts, so please accept my apologies for not responding individually. Sending appropriate thoughts, best wishes, commiserations, get well soons and congratulations accordingly and a special note to Bails regarding the notebook - if you really want it, go get it, but can I please, please have the miniature piebald filly that I just heard about, as it's in need of a new home? :rotfl: Initially thought it was a little Sheltie but person selling it says it's a Falabella! Oooooooooh, how cute does that sound for £250?! Last time I asked, breeders were looking for close on £7,000 for a decent registered one. :eek:

Was at DD's for dinner today, so popped into C0-0p and picked up some milk and carrots and a £5 top-up for my mobile that I'll make last until about Easter :rotfl: . (Does everyone else make full use of the free texts via O2 website?) C0-0p's shelves were bare! I did manage to get concentrated, anti-bacterial washing up liquid, on offer at 2 for 98p, but only 2 bottles as that was all that was left! :rolleyes: Also popped into friend's for cuppa on way past and got 2 crowns of rhubarb from her garden, hope it takes to life in my new garden, as I love rhubarb crumbles and homemade rhubarb wine.

Loads of work waiting in my 'in box' for tomorrow, but I'll try my best to keep up with the posts, in between housey stuff and waiting for deliveries. I should really get into gear with the breadmaking, too, as I'm now down to err... no loaves plus a couple of rolls in the freezer that DS will probably take for lunch tomorrow. I guess the holiday is over and it's time to get real, 2009 is really here.

PS: No, I'm not really going to buy the pony, but these are the kind of frivolous, impetuous, impulsive buys I would make if circumstances allowed

savingfortravel

OH and I share a love of stationery...he gives me a new notebook every year in my stocking and a pack of those pop-up pencils which I love. This years is used for 4K challenge lists.
Got some beautiful presents from the children I teach this Christmas but my favourite is a colourful hardback notebook with a magnetic strip which closes up and protects it. I have listed N Y resolutions and 2009 treats (theatre, weekend away,holidays at back). The front is going to be used as a travel journal for Central America. Isn't it strange that so many people love stationery!!! SFT

looby-loo_2

Swimming with Kelloggs swim vouchers, 40 lengths

redglass_2

Oooh, it's getting so cold here...

Commiserations to the person whose Freecycler didn't bother to turn up. I get so cross when people are getting something for free and don't have the courtesy not to mess you about; I always want to contact them and say, 'Forget it, I can't be bothered with you.' We had a discussion about manners on Freecycle for a while during the last thread, and I can proudly announce that this weekend I received (ta-dah!) the rudest Freecycle message ever! I had advertised a number of items and I received a response that read: Yeah, bring it on followed by a phone number. :rotfl: I sent a rather frosty comment back and got something more like polite communication. Can anyone top this?

Penny2myName

Probs in the nick for the body under the patio:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I've only just caught up with all the posts :shocked: everyone is SO chatty!

Another stationery lover here.... I've only just started using a notebook that DH bought me LAST christmas, I was saving it!

Back to work tomorrow, only 25 working days left then I'll be on Maternity Leave, not that I'm counting or anything!!

Havent got anything interesting to say, I'm going to try to make more of an effort to read more frequently otherwise I get left behind.

Nite all x

fizzel81

hmmmm well i wont manage it on 4k all my basics come to just under 5k

back to the drawing board, i so want to end 2009 totally debt free