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

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D
Just about to leave for new managers court again, handover day today. Means going on motorwy again and I hate motorway driving but it is too far away for alternative routes.Will be having lunch there again today too.
General frugal aims for today;

• storecupboard tea - lunch with new manager at her court
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item - lots of foil, and jam jars from oldies ready for next batch of marmalade making
• do something nice for me - having 30 min break here before cooking tea for oldies.
• do something nice for someone else-sharing more xmas chocs out with oldies
• do one thing just for fun -
• fitter not fatter - swim and jacuzzi later

Todays frugal menu:

• muesli with HM yoghurt and banana
• pasta salad with tomato,black olives and feta cheese( ate with new manager;) ) OH and DD having sandwiches
• costco chicken fillets stuffed with grated cheese and leeks, wholegrain rice, carrots,runner beans

Fruit and veg portions;
1 fruit, 0 pulses, 4 veggies,:D

Expenditure or additional income
No spend day planned:j

Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £262.04 left from budget of £400.
No spend day planned

Catch up with you all later need to hit the road.

HH62

Morning everyone

Today I've to go to the farm shop, so my spend will come in around the £5 mark.
Struggling this month. Still not sorted the passport issue. All I can think of is to hang on till March - I get a 'free' :rotfl:council tax month in March so I could take my passport renewal fee from my budget that month.

Just going to check my bank statement. All DD's will be out by now so I'll update ,my sig accordingly when I've checked it.
Just checked finances and I'm £9 over budget already, only half way through the month.

Weekend should be NS.

Hope everyone is ok

SiannieLaz

Morning All,
Have just about spent all my budget for this month now! Went to As*a last nite for the first time, got lots of toothpaste, OH's showergel, etc for a £1 each, should be enough to last about 6 months, also treated myself to a new shirt and jumper for work £7.50 and some wellies £12 as I should be able to start digging over my allotment this weekend. Wasn't very impressed with the veg selection there tho, it was tiny. Managed to get a few cheap bits, carrots with everything for the next week! Have got two more agencies to sign on with in London next week, so that's going to be another £35.80 in train fares. I don't know why they always want me to come in so early, it costs so much more.
Marru - Good luck arranging all your books!! I've just put over 50 on amazon to try and get rid off, books used to be my biggest spend as I used to be addicted to buying them new (I love the smell!) and as I now live in a tiny flat, I just can't fit them in. I hate selling them, but I have to think about paying debts back first.
Anyhoo, nipping out of work to get some bits to make shower gloop, then gonna try and get away with studying for the rest of the day.
Have a great weekend you inspirational bunch, I will be lurking at the weekend so I don't spend!!!
xxx

cw18

HH62 wrote: »

All I can think of is to hang on till March - I get a 'free' :rotfl:council tax month in March so I could take my passport renewal fee from my budget that month.

My CT is paid over 10 months, so I don't pay in Feb or March !!

xnatalie81x

mumzyof2 - '£4 on some new trousers for me (reward for getting to day 4 of non smoking)' - well done!!!!!! I am GOING to stop lol but the weekend is prob not the best time......... will wait till mon. They say if you stop for over 3 days then you have cracked it.

I am now teaching on a Thu evening 4-6 and there is an asda next door - wouldn't normally go as about 30min drive but seeing as i'm there for work can now pop in and grab bits - very pleased as heard good things about asda. Will need to have a browse and see how it fares with tesco as i am 5mins away from the biggest tesco ever!

DS1 in school, daughter at nannies till this avo and DS2 very tired on my lap trying to fight sleep. Kitchen is cleaned and i had a change around. DS2 has shot up and needed to move kettle as i fear it was too close to the edge for him!

Posted SAE for my sample of soapnuts and am really hoping they are good. My weekly shop is Wed and will grab some vinegar. Currently make my own bleach and water in a spray bottle for kitchen but going to try it on taps and as fabric conditioner.

Have done dw load so no washing machine today and have been recording gas and leccy for 1 wk so have an average usage now! WAY TOO HIGH! Have a plan now i know where i'm going. No more lights on overnight, need to get a nightlight for kids tho in case they need to use the loo in the night.

How else can i save electric???

Right bubba now asleep on my chest ahhhhhhh so off to lay him down.

skint_chick

Marru - I am desperate to come and help you sell your books - your towering piles look scary! Did you get the billy bookshelves from Ikea - I have one and its really sturdy and was so easy to build. What are you planning to do woth the money you raise?

Sarah147 Secretly I'm jealous of your NKOTB gig but don't tell anyone

I'm getting myself and OH lunch from 2 mystery shops and I have a grocery store one to do tomorrow so was going to use it to stock up on milk and bread and some choc Apart from these spends which I get back I'm planning a NSD, visit to the library and a long walk with OH. Have overpaid my mortgage some more and paid monthly Visa bill. I actually have money left over these days, so I have proper "grown up savings"

hgbels

Hi,

Sorry I haven't posted for ages, and have missed out more of this thread than I would have liked. I have just totalled up my spends and they are depressing. This is the first time we have ever kept a note of our spending and it is a bit horrific.

'Daily' spends - £248 - profit from MS etc £267 - so £20 up
However we have had the car serviced £200, and booked a Sun holiday £77 - and another to send off forms for, and spent £207 on bits for the new extension (which I am kidding myself is part of another budget).
Still I think having to record what I spend is stopping me spend as much. I was a really mean mum at softplay last week - took snacks and did not let the kids buy anything - I'm hoping they will soon adjust to the new regime.

Quick question to those who have given up a career --- how long did it take you to adjust? I stopped work just before Xmas, and seem to have had a constant cold since, and don't seem to be acheiving anything in the day time. I need to get cooking and home baking. Oh well - I will continue with my excuse of waiting for the builders to leave.

Good luck to all

Hels

lingojingo

cw18 wrote: »

My CT is paid over 10 months, so I don't pay in Feb or March !!

Mine too, and the water rates are over 8 months, so none Dec - March.

Just got my delivery from approved foods - luckily a day off (stupidly hadn't realised couldn't specify when it would come :rotfl: )
Anyway, it cost £31.35 including delivery and got £63.20 worth ofstuff at rrp! Just got to work out how much is stockpile and what will be used in the next couple of weeks, then will update my signature.

Also been on the phone to viginmedia, as dd taken out for the old amount, but should be much less since I downgraded package at beginning of the year. Apparently the bill was generated on 29th Dec and couldn't be altered, but I'm now well in credit and will only pay £7 in Feb (for phone, TV and broadband).

Got a flyer in my free local paper last night, Mr M has branston beans 4 for 75p

grandma247

hgbels your budgeting will get easier it just takes a while to adjust then you will find you are as addicted(mad) as the rest of us. Just stick with it.
I have been having a lot of trouble getting myself into gear to do stuff but I am blaming the menopause which I think really began last julyish. Sleep problems which in turn are causing memory and energy problems.
However I managed to do a to do list for today in my diary/household book and I tried to keep the list short. I feel a bit better today as I allowed myself to sleep in after being up at 3am for an hour.

SmlSave

Hello everyone! Just to say I'm still here and reading along.

(((hugs))) to those who need them and congrats to everyone doing well.

Seeing Maru's book pile reminds me of the spare room, it turns into a black hole every now and then and looks the same

I'm finding that we are very busy looking at wedding venues at the moment - we have nine more to look at this weekend :eek: I'm hoping we just fall in love with one when we walk in.

I'm currently working through the contents of the freezer. fridge and cupboards and have my first set of seeds sproputing! they are Alphalfa sprouts and I'm planning on using them in a stir-fry - is this ok do you think? :think:

Talking of shelves...we finally got ours down from the loft last week and they've been sitting in the living room waiting for us to put up. We both arn't naturally tidy people and I'm hoping the extra space will make it a bit easier. I also need to sort my books out and, after reading them of course:rolleyes: , decided which ones to put on amozan.

Pub tonight! :beer: we have £15 left from this months enjoy budget and as we have a busy weekend I'm sure we'll only have one drink each. :A :rotfl:

Have a good weekend everyone, I'll try and do a proper update at the end of the month