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

angelatgraceland

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Went to library to look for books and got 3 out on beading (trying to make and sell stuff) and got caught on yet another ***** library fine of 8.36! Its all coming back to me as to why I stopped using libraries lol!! Will note in my diary when theyre due from now on as thats a whopping 30+ in the last week! Definately makes me think more about my spending! Hoping tomorrow WILL be a nsd!!

Nowt else to report other than am getting into more of a routine with updating spending diary etc but feeling very tired today so early night for me!

Put a reminder on your phone-memo-or an alarm. Keep phone number of library in your diary and your spending diary and your phone. If you get desperate you can phone them in a hurry to renew the books! Thats what Ive always done.

skint_chick

savingfortravel - i mean mystery shopping where you go to resturants/shops and buy stuff to check out customer service. Not some kind of strange shop hidden away somewhere - although that sounds like more fun! It's quite well paid and if you're free during the day then there's a lot of assignments you can do - but I did do a few while I was 9-5. There's a whole thread on it on Up on Your Income board.

Mystery shopping burger place for lunch but apart from that it WILL be a NSD! Have lots to do around the house and have to go to library again as a book I reserved arrrived. Having sausage casserole for dinner from freezer. Got tax refund today so feeling very pleased it only took 11 months!!

Nichelette

Morning everyone,

I've been trying to keep up with this thread but unfortunately I've been defeated, so I'm just trying to read as much as I can.

Yesterday was a no spend day, but I ended up spending £6.98 in Asda on Monday. About £5 of that was heavily reduced stuff so I now have about £35 worth of ham/bread/fridge stuff/xmas wrapping paper coming out of my ears (interestingly for a vegetarian, there was LOTS of ham). I wish my dad would let me get another freezer to replace our one that broke, he doesn't realise how much money it would save in the long run.

I have my MOT today so am praying my car will pass as it has only done 4000 miles since its last one, though it was really close to the lambda emissions limit last time so I'm expecting it to fail. I've researched this and apparently it's a common problem on Fiats, if I need a new sensor it will cost me about £100 fitted, though my dad knows a mechanic so I might be able to get it fitted for a bit less. That is of course if they don't find anything else wrong with it. I hate MOT's, they always make me feel physically sick. If my dad is awake (he does night shifts) I'm hoping he will come with me so I don't have to wait there and think about my impending failure lol.

dND

JAMIEDODGER wrote: »

morning

I have just gone to run the cold tap in the kitchen to fill the kettle and there is no water!!:eek: This maybe a really stupid question, but do you think the pipes may have frozen? I have water coming out of the hot tap.....I no nothing about water or where it comes from if you hadnt have guessed...

help!

Jamie, turn off any immersion heater that's in the hot tank. My water failed and I forgot about the immersion. Over the week enough water drained from the tank that when the immersion came on overnight it fused it and tripped out the electric. :eek:

Don't forget to put the immersion back on when you have the water fixed though

Deborah

Kittikins

Morning everyone, feeling a bit fragile emotionally today so it was heartwarming to read the lovely cheery replies to my post of woe. I felt really rubbish after posting last night, like I'm just waffling on and boring everyone, so I'll try and keep it to a minimum, as after all, we've all got out problems, and I know I'll cope without his money somehow. Have already decided to not go to lunch on Saturday with friends at the beginning of their daughter's birthday party; we'll just meet them when the party proper starts - also means I get out of blowing up loads of balloons!!

Realised when I'd calmed down that my binging actually wasn't bad, it was the equivalent of a meal, just taken out of order and in a rushed, horrible way, so am going to stop beating myself up about it and try to mentally process why I reacted that way.

Today I'm going to have to pay a couple of pounds for parking as there are no free spaces on the mean streets of the town I work in and my car park buddy (i.e. someone who genuinely has a space at the office) decided to come in, grrr. So, that and the Sun will be my only spends. I'm also due £32 mileage reimbursement any day now, so plan to put that money into a separate account from now on and use it when I have to rather than when I want to.

Sophiesmum - enjoy Mama Mia, it's just what you need on a freezing cold wintery day, some sunshine and everything being right with the world

Hope the pipes have unfrozen now too.......

Managed to remember to make scrummy salad again for lunch, am feeling good as the scales are showing 3lb off since 1st Jan, go me!! 3 down, many many more to go, but it's a positive start.

HH62

:wave:Morning everyone

Miserable weather here. The past two days have been cold with snow on the ground but it was sunny. Today is just grey and cold.

Definitely a NSD for me. I'm supposed to be studying today and doing some bits of housework . I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to do the housework - there's so much to do because I've got a long way behind so I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all and don't know where to start..It's getting me down.

Meals planned porridge for breakfast (yuk but it needs using up and it's cheap), mash and beans and some grated cheese again for lunch, and chicken curry for supper. Got an apple and a banana to eat up too. Not getting anywhere enough veggies lately.

Masomnia

Janey51 wrote: »

Three blankets :eek: I must be a weakling. I have a 15 Tog quilt, a comforter, flanelette (sp?) sheets, 3 cats and an electic blanket :rotfl: I have no heating in my bedroom though.

Sorry to hear about the funeral.

Thanks Janey

bails

Just caught up. Sorry to hear about your gran's funeral Masomnia, hope it went as well as these things can x
Hugs, Kittikins, hope you gradually feel better as the day goes on, well done for not beating yourself up any more. We are here to lean on too so don't feel you're 'going on'. Life is hard sometimes and yet so much easier with friends x
Lemurs SFT :heartpuls I'm guessing you must love nature progammes too? My cunning plan re Madagascar is to get well enough to lead an expedition there, hence a free trip Fingers crossed!
That's fab news about the Quidco overpayment Mollymop, you must've been over the moon :T
Enjoy Mamma Mia with the oldies SM, a great feelgood film (my mum saw it 4 times bless her so I got her the soundtrack for Christmas so she could sing to her heart's content in the car :happyhear)
Just printing out resources now and then I might sneak a peek in the local charity shop for jumpers...:j [I'm rather overexcited with life today, do excuse me :rotfl:]

Janey51

Had a productive morning.

Mega rice pudding and fish pie in the Rayburn.
2 loads of washing done and drying round Rayburn.
Hoovered kitchen.

Attempted to put Christmas lights in boxes but I swear they have grown since December because they won't go in now :rotfl:

Wrapped my first 2009 Christmas present

Re-made one of the 3 beds left by guests over New Year.

This afternoon I am going to try and make out my stockpile list. I don't think it will be very big as my freezer is stuffed, cupboards and fridge still got Christmas food in.
I bought 24 toilet rolls in Mr A yesterday after I had used Mysupermarket.com to find cheapest price per roll.
So I am prepared if I get the skits :rotfl:
My DIL works in Mr M's and she said food prices should be coming DOWN this year so I'd better not get too much in case I end up crying into my stockpile cupboard.

Started entering spends for this week in spending diary. If I had been organised I would have had it with me ....a woman with 5 diaries has no excuse...but I left it in the kitchen

Who was the newbie Frunchkin who posted about us all being organised?
There's always one....

kittikins glad to see you are a bit more upbeat today. This thread is so supportive. When my DH died last year it was one of the first places I turned to. And when my Mum was admitted to Residential Care, the kindness shown by people who don't even know me was overwhelming.

save-a-holic

JAMIEDODGER wrote: »

Two washes have gone on and they are both now drying on airers. Trying to have the heating off most of the school day so am sitting here with dressing gown over my clothes:D

I was always told that it is more cost effective to have the heating on low inthe background all of the time rather than turning it on an off as every time you turn it on it's having to work to bring the house up to a background level before heating. I don't know if this is an 'old wives tale' or not, though.:cool: