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

HH62

Morning

Another NSD planned for today.:D I'm out tonight, but that won't cost me anything. I'm walking there and I already have a bottle of wine to take.

My DD's come out tomorrow or Thurs - been checking my bank account online every day since I started the challenge. That in itself has been helpful because previously I never checked my statements or anything. I just buried my head in the sand and 'hoped' for the best. :eek:

So when the DD's come out my total left for the month is going to shrink drastically.
I think I can still do it. We're nearly half way through the month. I do need to go and do a big food shop next week.
The biggest problem is my passport, as I mentioned a few days ago. It has to be renewed, no getting round it. I just need to find the £72 to do it.....Next week I may have a good declutter and see if I can ebay anything (never sold on ebay, but have bought). If I can raise even £50 it will be a big help.

scrooge2008

I am doing fine with this challenge, but I am struggling with my weight challenge. Think I am not doing enough exercise. Can't afford Slimmer's club (not in budget) and don't have a lot of time. So decided to air my pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day, which had to be fitted into my existing schedule.

Well, I have recently started a new job as a Lollypop Lady at my son's school, just half an hour in the morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon. Realised I was spending a lot of time just standing, chatting and leaning on my Lollypop, for support. You should have seen me today, I was marching up and down, every time there was a quiet spot, like a demented rabbit, and managed 2500 steps. Just need to keep it up ..... :eek: Who said that if you did this challenge, the eccentricity gene would manifest itself. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:Hope everyone has a frugal and happy day today, as NYK said three weeks and habits start to become ingrained, just a few more days to go.

bails

Stop, stop with all the scary baby stories :eek: A stone and teeth? :eek::eek: :rotfl:
Congratulations to Pipsmum and hello to little frugalmite Aidan!

Right, got work under my belt and emailed off so now need to grab a shower and some breakfast before heading into town to meet a good friend and then my monthly catch up with other MErs. Will be nice to have a natter.

Tonight I have more planning to do and also need to help OH finalise the emails he's sending to prospective NGO employers :j I really hope he can find something great. (forgotten who asked but yes, the plan is to go to India for 6 months from August :j)

All this talk if uni is making me excited about my Masters starting soon...remind me of that when I'm moaning about it will you?

Have a great and frugal day all x

ps there's a chapter in one of those books posted (sorry OP can't remember who you are) called 'Cultivate an enjoyment of elegant frugality', brilliant!

ps anyone know the going rate for a phd please?

slowlyfading

Morning everyone.
Hoping for another NSD today, and my counselling course starts again tonight, so it should be a good day
Hope you all have a good day xx

xnatalie81x

Just got my body shop bargain stuff 22.50 and i have wrapped it in inside out xmas wrapping paper lol (value stuff) and now have pressies for mum, sister, MIL and dad just sitting and waiting to be given - BARGAIN!!!!!!!! Just gonna wait for my top cashback of 18% but i dunno how much you have to get to claim the cheque, anyone know

Skint_Lynne

Morning all,

I'm just off to compile a list of to do things I need to get done in the shop. I'll probably be helping with the move again tomorrow, I took 3 lots of rubbish to the dump on Sunday (and done my back in), it's really stiff and sore today, hopefully that's a sign of it getting better. I'm going to try and get a fair bit of job applications out of the way today, I really need to get something. I wrote a letter to one of the firms I had a 2nd interview off before christmas as they said that if any vacancies came up, they would be in touch. Thought it was sensible to tell them that I was still here!!!

Speak to you all later, have a frugal day. xx

trex170104

Hiya Bails
My PhD costs £1500 p/yr part time or £3000 p/yr full-time. Luckily my university pays so I don't have to find that money. Also they've given me a years break because trying to write with a manic 1 year old is just impossible haha!! Hopefully I'll be able to start back this September but I'm not tying myself to that beacuse TBH at the mo I really just don't know when I'd have the time.
On a more fugal note - went to Home Bargains today and got lots of store cupboard goodies at very cheap prices. I used to go there everyday but I think that kind of defeats the idea of saving money so I onoy go when I really need things now!! Off to Asda tonight late to try and score some whoopsie bargains.

fallen_angel_shelley

Decided that I am going to have to buy a desk, it's not doing my back any good sat here slumped over the coffee table and it's to distracting for me sat in the lounge trying to study, I'm going to put it in my bedroom I have seen a nice glass one at !kea and it looks big enough to fit a laptop, books etc.

Been a busy morning here, all the washing-up is done, showered, done a shopping list, cancelled joiners appiontment and made DS and me some brunch, croque monsieur and he has now gone to college, he has got another exam at 1pm, I just need to put my war paint on and then sort out and file all the hand outs I got given yesterday and also I need to put my recordings from lectures on to my laptop, then send a couple of emails and then i'm going to go to uni early, via the post office, I need to do some research. I feel worn out already and its only lunch time:rotfl:.

Shelley x

I would like to go wierless, at the moment we fight over who's turn it is for the internet, do any of you know anything about wierless stuff or recomend a good one that we can use for the laptops. thanks

Snow_White_5

scrooge2008 wrote: »

So decided to air my pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day, which had to be fitted into my existing schedule.

Well, I have recently started a new job as a Lollypop Lady at my son's school, just half an hour in the morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon. Realised I was spending a lot of time just standing, chatting and leaning on my Lollypop, for support. You should have seen me today, I was marching up and down, every time there was a quiet spot, like a demented rabbit, and managed 2500 steps. Just need to keep it up ..... :eek: Who said that if you did this challenge, the eccentricity gene would manifest itself. :rotfl:

Had to laugh at this as it sounds just like me! I sometimes put a CD on and dance around the flat whilst doing housework etc to clock up more steps :rotfl:. Beats a gym membership any day. I've got a really good pedometer (cost about 17 pounds last year online) as I found the free one from the back of a cereal packet wasn't accurate enough. If anyone wants details of the model just PM me (as a recommendation I mean, I'm not selling it!). SW xxx

serendisglair

Bails,

Was wandering rounds a few other threads and spotted your post asking about PhD Salaries (not stalking honest!)

depends on what your interested in but the current EPSRC (engineering and physical science council) funded ones can pay about 12-13k a year. normally lasting for 3 years. A good place to look might be www.jobs.ac.uk which has all the academic jobs as well as PHD's advertised.
Tried Pm-ing but you are way too popular and your inbox is full
Righto...finished sticking my nosy beak in now
Byeeeeeeee