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

Frugaldom

No let up in the weather here other than the addition of rain. Fortunately, my horizontal washing was almost dried by then. So far, so good with the power, as it's stayed on. I have pasta & sauce for tea, spare cooked pasta set aside to do a pasta bake with turkey for tomorrow (turkey leg still defrosting, but I'll get the bulk of the meat off it later and then make soup from the rest in slow cooker overnight), I have just tried baking the egg free chocolate sponges (I am suitably impressed) and I now have a loaf and 2 dozen small rolls [strike]waiting patiently to go into[/strike] in the oven next. Electricity useage will be up this week but it still costs less to cook & bake what's here than it does to go into town for a few groceries.

I put in my App-F00d order and have umm.. included... um... some jars of ready to spread chocolate cream icing and someone said that the Douwe Egberts Instant Mocha was nice, so... I just hope they have everything in stock that I've ordered. The site is still listing free giveaway on their bottled water and all the Ll0yd Gr0ssman sauces are still showing. Won't count this into my spending until it gets charged, so I can see what the final amount is.

My lovely neighbour popped round with a big bag of kindling sticks for us, her OH has been out their shed all day chopping wood.

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

Batch cook mushrooms? Nah!!! I leave small ones whole (to use whole in braised beef and mushroom), chunk large ones, and slice the 'in between-ies'. I then tray freeze before putting in bags

I will do a few as above ready to use in other stuff, also want to make some mushroom risotto portions, some vegetable lasagne portions, and some mushroom based fried rice portions.

PS I agree with you about the curry - I make it for OH but can't stand it myself:o

Cat_Addict

Hey Shelley! It's not sad, its practical LOL!

The breasts were 11 - now I wouldn't normally pay more than £1 for a chicken breast but these were huge!! So when I can feed five of us on two of them that is fine with me. And Costco meat is lovely quality too. We buy the beef and lamb mince and portion that up in the freezer too.

I always bought Iceland frozen chicken breasts which are about £5 for five, but with injected water etc (even though they are nice). Costco wins in this instance. I wonder if they'll be putting the price up soon. I shall enjoy while it lasts. Have managed to get OH to tolerate lentils so there is hope on the horizon.

purplevamp

xnatalie81x wrote: »

So 21 354 - 13 756 is 8 598

Isn't it £7,598? . No need to buy a calculator, use the one on your computer (in Start, All Programs, Accessories, Calculator) or on your mobile.

skintwellie

Hi everyone.
Felt very poorly today. Made myself get up and am wrapped in duvet with feet on hot water bottle on Internet. Have claimed my £15.02 from Earnawad which will go in my 'German Christmas Market' fund.

Since starting this challenge, I have given up my monthly mags, but got a free download of a home mag from the Asda digital site. Have read it and am glad I didn't spend £3 buying it!!!!

As I can't face cooking or eating the rest of the household are having takeaway fish and chips which will probably make a big dent in the monthly budget.:eek: Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow as I bought loads of reduced meat/sausages etc yesterday which need making into meals for the freezer.

A friend has given me loads of 'Grow your Own' magazines which I spent a very happy morning looking at - will phone a friend who works at a reclamation yard to see if they have any cheap scaffolding boards so I can make some raised veggie beds.

Happy frugalling evening.

xnatalie81x

No not Ou i'm afraid and no OH doesn't live with us and we get no money from him. He does stay with us but we cannot live together.

I am a trainee probation officer and as part of it i get funded to do my degree and nvq with them whilst getting paid. I work in the office 3 days week working towards nvq and 2 days at home are study days where i am supposed to study lol.

I do have to go into uni about 1 day per month but usuallya s a residential block every few mths, the degree is done in 2 yrs and i am just about into the second year.

I get paid ok, 22k a year but now with the kids it is very difficult - i am on very high tax credits as i have been on maternity most of the yr so earnt nowhere near that 22 and they top up the wage while you are off and on the low maternity/unpaid. As i work out yearly it is the same all yr rather than loads while not working, nothing while getting wages.

I am also a part-time swimming teacher and doing 2hrs week at the moment casual.

xnatalie81x

purplevamp

There is no calculator on here - used phone. Here are the right no's for definite this time. lol

Income for year 23 818
outgoings 13 756

that should leave 10 062.

GOD i need to buy a proper calculator.

xnatalie81x

purplevamp

Should of said no calculator on this computer. Have checked and checked!

Raychee

Hi.

10 days, and I've spent £66+! That does include £37 on fuel, which will last me for 2 weeks (if I work every day) and does about 420 miles, so I'm not too worried by that - it's a necessary expense. I'm paying 82.9p a litre - how does that compare to others?

Keep going all - we're doing fab!

fallen_angel_shelley

I have been a very, very naughty girl, just been to the shop and got some beers, so much for my NSD.

I was just wondering, is it all girls in this challenge or do we have some guys taking part?

Shelley x :beer:

Edit- forgot to ask, I once saw someone on t.v talking about a web site where you enter what food ingredients you have and it comes up with a recipe for you, do any of you know use it, I have forgot the name of it.