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

grandma247

xnatalie81x
this is what I get with the figures at the top of your post
income 21214
outgoings -13756

---

7458
Do you not pay council tax?

jtb2412

Morning everyone, things still going really well here and hardly spent anything over the last week (bit of food shopping but that's it). :j

Waiting for some of hubby's expenses to go in the bank (he claims his petrol back and sometimes it takes ages, which really throws me out of sync) :rolleyes: . Last year, I was using that money for food, bills etc. But this year we're going to get a float up over a few weeks so that the money is here when he wants it and I'm not constantly taking it out of the bank and waiting for it to go back in. He does make a little bit on the mileage claims (gets more per mile than it actually costs - his company put up the price per mile when the petrol was sky high and now it's dropped it doesn't quite cost as much ). Hope that all makes sense ! lol

We have 2 weeks until payday (for us both) but for ease, i'm counting the month from 1st to 31st so my sig will be updated around the 25th (probably a lot to go on as that's when all my DDs come out :eek: ).

Quite a chilled weekend planned - bit of housework (more or less up to date so not much to do). Shame we can't get out in the garden really (we've got a frost upon a frost here so it's pretty solid out there). Need to spend an hour in DS room sorting out some more stuff for the loft/freecycle. DD1 is off to Disney Paris for a school trip tomorrow so need to get her sorted for that - I've got to get up at 6am tomorrow :eek: (will probably go back to bed once i've seen her off ).

Regarding Elec and Gas, we prefer quarterly billing. I put away a bit each month for it so it's not so bad when it does come in (although I got caught out this time around :rotfl: - bills were a tad on the high side !) Came out of last year's budget though, thank god !!! Every time I ring them with a meter reading or for something else, they try and get me to go on monthly DD but personally I'd prefer my money sitting in my account earning me interest for 3 months.

xnatalie81x - you'd be surprised what you spend on 'nothing' - I know I certainly was before I started to really think about what I spent my money on. There were times when I'd have £20 in my purse and the next day it was gone, and I couldn't even remember what i'd spent it on :eek: . Not any more though, every penny written down and accounted for (in two places so I can't cheat lol). Anyway, good luck with the challenge, lots of advice and support on here - you'll be just fine :beer:

tryingtodobetter - I love your daily 'quotes', keep them coming :T .

JennyBee - do you have to have a food hygeine certificate if you want to sell your products? I've often thought about doing it but someone told me you have to be 'registered' - just not sure if that's the case ?

Right, off to make some pancakes for brekkie :drool: ...... have a great Saturday everyone xx

fallen_angel_shelley

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Re: the free food at Mr M - the offer is in the daily record in Scotland, so I suspect it will be in the Mirror in England and not in the Daily Mail.

HTH. xx

SK- your right it is in the Mirror, sorry if this has caused any inconvenience to any one.

Shelley x

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=17515833&postcount=2

savingfortravel

Hi All..Plan to catch up with posts later.
Aims for today:

• F not fitter-Exercise bike, sit ups, arm lifts
• F not fitter-Non choc day 1 again-I’m afraid I did eat 2 and half mint matchsticks at the Murder Evening!! I did guess the murderer and some of her motive however.
• Declutter box and cupboard.
• Tidy house/Washing/Ironing
• 1 thing for fun-Go to the pub with OH for a drink and cosy chat.
• Lots and Lots of School work!!!

Planning a day off from school work tomorrow!

Have a great day everyone!! SFT

Annie021063

Well done to everyone - you are all doing so well. I can't wait to the end of the month to see what I've spent compared to what I normally spend.
Off to Lidl this morning to shop, might pop into tesco as I have a couple of coupons I need to use. Out tonight to see a couple of local bands so today will not be spend free but I'm driving (and the petrol does not come from my account) and dieting so diet cokes for me all evening.
Have a great weekend eveyone.

2NDTIMEROUNDER

wornoutmumoftwo I sympathise with you. The last half of 2008 onwards has been an amazingly bad time for investing in shares. This whole period we are going through does not happen very often; some people say it only happens once in 100 years. It is not often that banks fail; that the whole system is shaking.

Personally I have stopped trusting banks or any other financial professional to invest my money a long time ago but it is a personal choice and I understand people that do. My confidence in trusting other people with managing my money has been shaken at least 10 years ago. I prefer to potentially make less of a profit, but do my own research, reading and picking which sector or company to invest in. For myself I find it easier to justify any losses due to my mistakes instead of blaming somebody else. Again though, this is not for everyone. It takes effort, time and at least a working knowledge of the basics, at the very least.

As long as you dont invest more than you can afford to lose then you are being prudent enough, in my book at least. Good luck with your investing. I hope it bears fruits for you.

Cat_Addict

Well we did Costco for chicken and I'm really pleased with what we got.

Pack of breasts for £14.84 and they are huge!! 8-9oz each. They are bagged individually and two would feed five of us in something like a curry - just as people have said to me earlier this week

Pack of skinless boneless thighs for £12.83 and we got 27 thighs in there! I've frozen them in pairs.

Bought some wonderful fresh baked loaves from Mr S and frozen them straight away for packed lunches that way there is no waste. Feeling quite accomplished!

Penny2myName

My Garden planter splurge doesn't appear to have tracked:(:mad:
Ordered a few towels from my catalogue via TCB so I can see if that tracks, obviously from the sale section. Going to have to find my Winter catalogue out so I can see what the original prices where for sure.
I really need to get on with trying to find a no spend day. Think in a way I am comfort spending at the moment, but it is all stuff which is required, I'm just doing it all at once. Maybe when I am no longer living in a building site, I will feel better and get back to being a tight buttock that I am normally.

kittiej

I've just been looking at the approved foods website and I could get loads of goodies from there. I think I'll put an order in when I get paid.

Are there any things to be avoided? Or for that matter to be stocked up on?

I wish I still lived further north, I could have gone along for a look. It's a bit difficult being in S Wales :rotfl: .

Hoping to have a nsd but I cannot see myself pulling it off.

Any baby news yet?

Brighton_belle

So far I am finding it so helpful copying SM's idea re goals for the day. It is actally making get some things done. Yesterday I finally started on my next mosaic project:j .

General frugal/simplifying goals for the day: 10thJan

• continue mosaic project
• prep dinner in slow cooker done
• Start putting stuff for charity shop in a bag in one place (been on the list for 3 days:o )
• finish hand cleaning 'outdoor working' coat
• declutter one shelf in study
• spend half an hr on writing project

I can't remember who was asking about Slimming World on the 4k challenge - but I do it. Yes I did find it tricky at first. But try and plan a weeks 'normal dinner' and then you just need to tweak them for 'sw'ify them. e,g: cottage pie: if made 4 portions, bulk out the mince with 4x 113g cooked lentils (your HEB) and top not with mashed potato but mash swede/carrot. Really really yummy. Lentils are filling and free on green days, as is pasta/baked pots/nbaked beans. I have roast meals without potatoes for red days. You just need to tweak normal eating. It is worth it - it really works and you can eat a lot of food. We rarely eat bread anymore, have lots of left overs for lunches instead.

3 things finishing on ebay in the next hr.