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

jtb2412

Could I be really cheeky and ask what spreadsheets all of you 'experienced' £4K challengers are using? If anyone has a blank one they could send me i'd be very grateful !

I did have a go at one but I'm not very good with excel (only good at inputting the figures and nothing else lol).

TIA xx

mama67

I have not included the usual mortgage etc but have included some other extras

2009 Challenge £9000:eek:


1500.00 – Car running essential as live approx 15 miles from town, and for boys activities etc.

685.00 – Oil for heating and water, this includes annual boiler service.

720.00 – Electricity

250.00 – Coal & Logs – try to use this instead of some of the oil for heating.

405.00 – Telephone and Internet, all line rental and calls.

180.00 – Mobile topups for 2 phones

140.00 – TV Licence

780.00 – School Lunches

1820.00 - Groceries – including cleaning, toiletries, laundry etc

260.00 – School Uniforms and shoes

260.00 – General clothes

520.00 – Boys Clothing Allowance (they buy own normal clothes)

900.00 – Boys pocket Money and clubs etc

340.00 – Gifts

240.00 – Everything Else


This will be paid from:

1700.00 – child benefit
3300.00 – tax credits
4000.00 – allowance

£9000.00
=======
Any money made from cash back and points clicks etc will be put into savings. As will any savings made on any of the above categories during the year.

I also have a whiskey bottle into which any 5p's get placed, am also going to save up any points etc earned at supermarkets and hopefully use them to pay for Xmas 2009 Food.

sophiesmum_2

fizzel81 wrote: »

is that one of the smaller ones they sell? whats its like size wise ie would it store enough meals for 4 for a month plus a few extra bits and bobs, the cheapest one on argos at the mo is £97.89 and around £103 with the delivery which is not bad? c rateing

there is an a rateing one for £117.49 would the a be a better option and the engery saving pay for itself or is there really not that much difference once there filled?

The A rated one would probably work out slightly cheaper to run. Sounds like that may be the one I have. If you look the other £4000 thread -
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=16902449&postcount=3127
everything i cooked today has fitted in the top 1/3rd of that freezer, so should be big enough for you and 3 boys for a month:D

Pips_Mum

Ive had a think today about stockpiling things like a few of you have suggested. I realised I have enough bath, shower, hair and body products to last me a fair few months so thanks for making me look differently at things. :T :T

I also made some jam from Raspberries reduced from £2.99 to 30p!! So that can go into the store cupboard too.:p

What other kinds of things do you guys stockpile and whats the cheapest way of doing it?

fizzel81

thank you ok its the secnd one i looked at to go for, im stuck between buying after xmas (have the funds from this years challenge) or waiting till next year mid way through

JAMIEDODGER

nykmedia wrote: »

Mine's staked into the ground, surrounded by bricks and planters and has 2 guy ropes thrown over the top and staked either side. It was exposed on 3 sides at the last house, this time it's only fully exposed on 2, so it will cut down on the sunlight but should improve stability. I'll need to tape the 'window vents' closed, though, as the nylon interior mesh is beginning to fray. These should be easily fixed in spring using an old net curtain or similar. I've got a tarpaulin to use as a ground sheet (one I clear the space) and hope to be able to get some free slabs or gravel for over the top.

If you have access to suitable transport, a good solid ground base and a couple of able bodies to help, you could try advertising on Freecycle with an offer to rehome a greenhouse from someone else. Link is in post one.

thanks for this! ive found one on ebay which would fit perfectly in my garden, it would be only exposed on 2 sides and would get sun from lunchtime onwards, even with spending out for ground cover and staging etc, i would still save a fortune compared to a traditional greenhouse!:)

Blairweech

Well, I have finally figured out my budget for the year.

I get paid weekly, around £250, so usually I live off £200/week and anything I earn over that goes straight into savings. Out of this £200 comes everything, including rent.

I will carry on doing this, but for the purpose of this challenge I will have to work the numbers differently

Also, any Ebay/Amazon profits, plus any extra money from PTC, surveys, cashback, bithdays, work etc goes into savings


£4000 Challenge

NOT INCLUDED

Rent
Water (included in my rent)
Loan Repayment


INCLUDED


Groceries
ALL food, toiletries and cleaning products – I am going to include takeaways, snacks, lunch at work etc in this too. Any money I save (e.g. £2 on a BOGOF) goes into savings - however I will not be including these savings in my 4k total

£80 a month


Petrol
As I use the car for work and leisure, it is very difficult to split the cost, so I am going to include this. Usually I fill up my car every fortnight, at a max cost of £45 (when petrol £ is :eek:). Currently, it is about £35.

£80 a month


Car Insurance
I have to include this, as when I renewed last September, I chose to pay by monthly instalments at 0% APR. However, this will only run until this September – as by then I am hoping to have to money saved to pay next year’s insurance (plus tax, mot, service etc) in one lump sum, which I am not planning to include in the 4k total.

£31.71 a month


Internet
£14.99 a month

Phone
£15 a month. I am too rural to have a combi phone/bb deal.

TV Licence
I only got my TV licence last year, so am still paying the first 6 months. One payment of £27.90 in January, then the rest of the payments are

£11.62 a month


Total = £233.32 a month


As £4000/12 = £333.33...a month


This leaves me...


Everything Else
To cover parking, tolls, credit, haircuts, clothes, books, music, gifts, nights out, postage, magazines, newspapers, Ebay fees...you get the idea

£100/month


Phew!

Blairweech

My main problems are

- Lunch at work. I am so lazy, I cannot be bothered to make a packed lunch everyday, so go to our canteen instead. REALLY need to work on this.

- Electric - I am on a key meter - currently, I can easily spend £50 a week. Planning to ring EDF and see what they suggest. I have storage heaters, which I have on in both bedrooms as otherwise it gets mouldy. Sometimes I have the living room heater on as well, to take the chill out of the house. Not very warm when I get back from work at 8.30pm though, so have a halogen heater too.

Edit: I have just read Russell Grant's horoscope for me for 2009 (in Somerfield mag) and it says...

"This will be an excellent year as far as money is concerned. A lunar eclipse on 7 July brings money you have planned for, helping to buy a house or valuable piece piece of property. The more you expand your horizons, the luckier you'll be in 2009"

Sounds promising !

Marru

Please please tell me that you are Taurus!!!!

cw18

Marru wrote: »

Please please tell me that you are Taurus!!!!

you're out of luck -- I reckon that's Gemini