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

Guesty6

looking at joining the challenge, my impulse buys need to be stopped. I will have a look at my finances later on and make a target, hopefully I can achieve £4k

Even if I managed to live on £500 a month, £6,000 a year I would be able to pay off all my debts and have enough to pay my half of the deposit on my first house, which I want more than anything else this year!!!

lilac_lady

Guesty6 - you can do your own version of the challenge. £6000 could be your target if it suits you. I hope you join us.

looby-loo_2

Guesty6 wrote: »

looking at joining the challenge, my impulse buys need to be stopped. I will have a look at my finances later on and make a target, hopefully I can achieve £4k

Welcome - you just have to get into a different mind set, try to avoid the big shops, shop local with a list and when you feel tempted ask yourself if you really need it

Guesty6

Yeah, I am pretty sure I will, just want to look into it further before setting a target!

I have been looking at the Make £10 a day but I dont feel I have the time to do it, I think I can cut my spending on Non Essential items and reign my spending in to be alot stricter this year and the extra money I do make can just go towards my DFW total anyway!

I will probably get called tight even more than currently by mates but when I get on the property ladder it will be VERY worth it!

I have already been pretty naughty this year, spent £100 on clothes in the Jan Sales, £40 today on DVDs and Lunch and £40 on a night out last night, you get the idea... but I will include those purchases in my target!

Still living at home will definately help with this challenge as my parents understand the situation I am in and see how much I have paid back in the last year so I do not pay rent currently.

My other main target which kind of affects this challenge is to Cycle to work, its 7.2 miles but it will save on running costs of my car and keep me fit (I also play football)

lilac_lady

"I have already been pretty naughty this year, spent £100 on clothes in the Jan Sales, £40 today on DVDs and Lunch and £40 on a night out last night, you get the idea"

You should definitely join us!

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D
Off to costco this morning with cw to get some stuff for stockpile.Made a bit of spce in my freezer by taking out a joint of pork that has been there forever - will stick in slowcooker for tea so it can be cooking whilst I am out and about.
Marru - hope you have enjoyed the course - Bails - are you kn*ckered yet???

General frugal aims for today;

• have a trip to costco for last bit of stocking up on bacon,chicken etc
• cook pork joint for tea then make some sweet and sour pork for freezer
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item -need couple storage boxes for oldies xmas decs - will pick some cardboard boxes up at costco
• do something nice for me -
• do something nice for someone else- go spend some time with my poorly dad
• do one thing just for fun - swim ,sauna and jacuzzi
• fitter not fatter -go for a walk today

Todays frugal menu:

• bacon and mushrooms on toast (HM seeded bread)
• batch cooked spicy parsnip soup,satsuma
• roast pork, carrots, sprouts, runner beans, root mash (all from freezer)

Fruit and veg portions;
1 fruit, 0 pulses, 6 veggies,:D

Expenditure or additional income
Won't be cheap - off to costco - spent £88.27 at costco on bulk buys.

Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £263.54 left from budget of £400.

hgbels

Well, I loosey night sleep here. I was too excited by the being bale to book the SUN holiday this morning. I have jsut booked half term week in France. THought I would have to send OH out in the dark to get the paper but by the time I got up at 6am MSE had already sorted out all the codes etc. So thats another £77 spent -- ooops

This will be the first year we are tied to school holiday days, and I am frightened by the price of holidays - just hoping we get a hot summer here.

Love to all - I'm now back to read the thread

Hels

cw18

sophiesmum wrote: »

Off to costco this morning with cw to get some stuff for stockpile.Made a bit of spce in my freezer by taking out a joint of pork that has been there forever

:rotfl:

I've just finished unpacking/repacking my freezers.... and have taken the opportunity to get my 'New Year Stocktake' done at the same time.

I've pulled some (very Whoopsied) minced beef and onion pies out for lunch today (off to peel and chop the potatoes for mash in a few mins so it's just a case of cooking when I get home, given I have to get elder DS to the airport late afternoon).

I've only put two items out to throw -- and that only 'cos I know I'm never going to use them. Not a great loss, as one was a tub of beef stock (huge tub, bought from Mr T Whoopsies for 10p, but faaaar too salty for us - I used the other one I bought and we struggled to eat the end result!) and a tub of HM chicken stock (don't know how long it's been hidden in there, but know I won't use it until after I've cooked the whole chicken that's still in there and made more I'll need space for).

Still eyeing up the (3kg-ish) chicken and trying to decide whether to pull it out for cooking tomorrow (meaning 'slow-cooked' chicken for our meal, with the remains being bagged and put back in for chicken supreme and rissotto), or whether to leave it for another weekend -- but as I've managed to make a surprising (for me) amount of space in the freezers I think I'll wait and see just how much stuff I have to find space for after the Costco run.

Need to bear in mind I've also got about 6lb of mushrooms to sort/slice/dice and get in there too :rolleyes2 (and I'll also need another bag each of garden peas and sweetcorn kernels soon, so that's more that will need extra space! and I've no chips in there ATM either!!!)

Have been very surprised at how much meat I have in there -- if I can just be bothered to pull it out in plenty of time to defrost for cooking

nickynoo08

Morning everyone, i've not had chance to catch up since friday been super busy. I'm off today so will try and catch up at some point.
Had a silly day yesterday, should of been an nsd but coz i was unorganised i ended up spending a stupid £1.30 on my lunch at work and buying milk (the WRONG MILK TOO:mad: ), plus this morn OH has taken my switch card to get his lunch. I give up today:rolleyes: On the plus side i know he'll buy reduced sarnies and or pastry (might even get it for nowt), plus he wont turn the kitchen in to a bombsite for a change;).

My plan for today is.....

• Tidy/sort/recycle/sell a good portion of little uns toys
• Tidy and sort recycling cupboard
• put w/m on, dry on rads
• make banana muffins
• Take at least 10 items of clothing out of my wardrobe to recycle/charity shop (can you tell i'm trying to de-clutter yet:p )
• Take 10 items out of little uns wardrobe to recycle/give to friend/charity shop
• Have a cuppa and natter with my friend (she will be my willpower through out todays de-clutter:rolleyes: )

My meals for today...
B - cereal
L - sarnie
T - left over chilli

Have a good day everyone

In_Search_Of_Me

Morning pepys...just popping in while the tea works its way! In haste though as looked at time and have 32 mins to get dressed and out for church!
I love the shopaholic series and did a mean becky impression when shopping in the past...laughed out loud as some of the passages (ie buy a work presie on cc and spend the cash etc!)...no more though.I have them here if anyone has trouble getting them from library. The first one, imho, is the best though!

Just watching the victorian farm with envy...funny how we are all going back to basics...I have no doubt that my mucn loved and missed granny would be proud of me but have some regret that she isnt here to witness the change in me...

A NSD for me today as have church, lunch out and then allotment to clean the loo before coming home for tidying and some work before works again...loathe the fact that w/e go so fast...

hugs those that need them! hope youre enjoying yourself bails!! amazing how much energy children have isnt it eh!