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

grandma247

Frizzel you could ask someone from the local shop that sells fires to have a look. I know some just need to be swept to be useable but others ( modern I think) need lining.
Also on the subject of keeping warm I remember years ago when we had no central heating I wore bra,vest,tshirt,thin jumper and sometimes a thicker one on top and if it was really cold I had some tabards I knitted on the machine to put over that lot. Then there were real knitted tights and socks.

All my babies were dressed for bed as though they were going out when they were tiny even a hat.
Then they graduated to those all in one things with the feet. they are now made of light fleece but in those days they were a heavier material.
My only son at the time also wore dark woolley tights under his dungerees whilst he was crawling.

mumoffour77

Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!Grandma247....my mum used to do that with us when we were kids:) I remember asking why we had to wear a hat to bed!!! Thank you for that post.....it took me back!!!:)

grandma247

you loose 80% of your body heat through your head.

angelatgraceland

Hi-do add me to your list-I will try to juggle figures to do the challenge of £4000. I notice a lot of people are way over this and I would be also if I included everything so Im going to look at my figures for the year and see what my spends are not counting mortage,gas,electric etc. Hopefully it will include car expenses,fuel,presents-just not the household bills. Have been doing the grocery challenge all year and now have figures to work on. I will literally be withdrawing a months money from the bank and using 2 purses. One for the grocery challence which will now include a lot more-and the other for the "everything else". All my bills are direct debits so no worries there and Im in credit with no debts so its easy for me(unlike many I know).
Have actually ordered some treats for Christmas so January spending in general should be little. Aiming to really be vigilant for first 3 months then relax a little the rest of the year. This is the way I always do my budgeting and it works for me. Jan and Feb are also the months when there is no dd for council tax so that covers the groceries in itself for us. Now Im off to do some sums!

Grandma247-I remember when my brothers were babies that we lived in a house with only paraffin heaters at best! My mum used to drape a blanket over a frame over most parts of the prams to keep them warm. Hats and socks in bed were sort of normal and a hot water bottle was essential. There were holes in the roof where the snow could come in and I remember that winter of 1962 or 1964? when my brothers were babes and the snow was halfway up the front door. Im in luxury now! If anyone would have described todays version of "normal" I would have thought it was a fairytale. We take too much for granted. I used to wear wooly tights and trousers and I was the only girl wearing trousers then but Ive always felt the cold. I also nearly put on gloves the other night and no-it wasnt that cold indoors-about 18c so Im wondering now if I have mild Raynauds. I often sit at the pc with a duvet over my lap and forget skirts-Im too cold.

grandma247

I don't remember winters in those years but we were probably out of the country. I seem to remember we were in Germany in '64 and I am pretty sure we were in Singapore in '62

grandma247

I just ran down to check on my cakes and took 2 out because they were ready and promptly dropped one of them on the floor.
I rescued part of it but it looks like we will be having coconut cake and custard for tea tomorrow.
It was meant to be for my Ds1 and Ddil, I made three cakes for them, all different.
I think its time for bed as soon as the last one is out in about 10 mins.

Blairweech

Marru - 'Fraid I'm Gemini

Taurus is

"Your beliefs will undergo a slow but sizeable change in 2009. A lunar eclipse on 6 August could bring about more money for you, but learning to live within your means in 2009 will help you emerge stronger and happier"

cw18

That Taurus one is really appropriate for this challenge Shame it couldn't have been for Sagittarius, as DD follows these and it might encourage her to work really had on her budgeting/finances for 2009 :rolleyes2

Must find my copy and look up mine !! (And see what DD's says)

fizzel81

grandma247 wrote: »

Frizzel you could ask someone from the local shop that sells fires to have a look. I know some just need to be swept to be useable but others ( modern I think) need lining.
Also on the subject of keeping warm I remember years ago when we had no central heating I wore bra,vest,tshirt,thin jumper and sometimes a thicker one on top and if it was really cold I had some tabards I knitted on the machine to put over that lot. Then there were real knitted tights and socks.

All my babies were dressed for bed as though they were going out when they were tiny even a hat.
Then they graduated to those all in one things with the feet. they are now made of light fleece but in those days they were a heavier material.
My only son at the time also wore dark woolley tights under his dungerees whilst he was crawling.

thank you i will speak to the landlady first and go from there it would be nice to use them in the day

as kids we had no ch just a gas fire in one room for the whole house, made of breeze blocks and no double glazeing, we went to bed almost like being fully dressed and with water bottles

ive not felt cold today and little ones havent said they do so the lots of layers were working, my 2 littleist ones already wear tight type things for eczema they were long necked long sleve vest types as well, my 5 year old doesnt feel the cold like his brothers and all 3 have a fleece sleepsuit over there pyjamas.


arghhhh im being silly tonight and far from frugal, ds pulled off a huge chunk of foam from my buggy handle, im now eyeing a replacement buggy (same one just different colour) with 29% off in he sale and then a 10% off on top using a discount code makeing it £112.95, ive brought buggies via ebay and sold them on for more or profit but this well i have no buggies to sell to play swaps with what i have

Zelie

Well I've been tinkering with my budget and my problem seems to be the reverse to what I was expecting. I can't see what I'm going to spend all that money on! I don't have many costs but I reckon I'm still missing something. I'm sure time will show me so I won't post a budget and I'll just see how things work out. I'm also using the tactic of starting with my monthly budget and subtracting what I spend.

For the gardeners: Growing a hedge cuts out a lot of wind and is cheaper and better at it than a fence. Good for greenhouses as sunlight is not blocked much and also good for sheltering plants.