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

Brighton_belle

Haven't been about much but have been reading: hit with migraines yesterday and today. Although I have medication that deals with the pain, am left very bleughhhh. About to disappear for a kip now, but first to report on weekend list, and to my suprise I have done more than I thought - it all adds up:D

Weekend 17/18 frugal/simplifying plans:

• take 2 bin bags to charity shop (have a tendancy to hang on to them 'just in case').
• Finish painting kitchen yes!! just done. Gorgeous orange on yellow base, so very warm.
• remove corner wall cabinet in kitchen and re locate contents elsewhere.DONE
• Blackmail OH into putting up red roller blind on back door (all glass)
• put up tea towel hooks Done
• tidy nuclear wasteland dining room 1/2 done
• work on mosaic project managed 1/2 hr
• order lakeland voucher through pigsback points
• work out how to use new freecycle video recorder without instructions so can get rid of old one that only works if you swear at it a lot.
• Advertise old round sink and glass worktop on freecycle Done, being collected tonight hopefully

Bails thanks for the comment about my dining room, but you saw it in the 'expecting visitors' state:D , not after a long weekend spend cutting worktops in there/ plumbing left overs and dumping of kitchen declutter + 4 people washing dryingDon't know why we call it the dining room as no one eats in there...
Very excited now, as I have a builder coming round tomorrow to quote on the remaining work that needs doing:j . Have realised this weekend I've always felt it was someone else's kitchen but now it is becoming mine. Even doing the washing up feels more enjoyable:rotfl: .

Good grief, have just discovered after 18 months with MSE, I can increase the size of the tiny box I am writing in by pressing the little arrows on the top right of the message box. Wow, I can actually see more then 4 lines at a time:rotfl: .

Nyk - I think it was you who talked about looking into mystery Shopping? I personally found by the time you built in the time you spent getting there and doing it, and then the several hrs doing the report, the pay was pitifully small. It is a great way of earing a bit of extra cash if it fits into your lifestyle but wasn't worth it for me and on top of other commitments, I realised it was another unecessary stress just for a few £'s an hour.

redglass_2

Marru, glad you're feeling better. Sometimes coping with every last thing by yourself can really get to you - and I don't even have kids. You can always have a rant on this forum, we're here for you. :grouphug:

Well, I found out what the big cheque was, it was part of some work I had done on the house last year and the tradesman had only just paid it into his bank account. So that's OK, though I'm shocked I could have forgotten to record something that large. :eek: In my defence it was the end of the year and I knew I had enough to pay for everything, so I slackened up, but I won't let it happen again.

Can I ask something, please? I've just paid back a credit card balance because I got fed up with their direct debit system not working right - I was being ticked off because I had 'failed to pay' when in fact it was their s*dding software that was at fault. Just to make matters worse they wouldn't accept phone payment with a debit card, so in the end I decided not to bother any more and cleared the lot. The card is now safely locked away. My question is, should I subtract the payoff money from my £5k? Some of the money was spent last year and I'm not sure what to count it as. Should I check which spends were this year's and only subtract those from this year's challenge money?

webitha

hi all sorry not a member just a lurker
whilst i intend to continue to lurk here nicking all your ideas lol, im not going to join in as i know i will fail but i will be keeping a running total of my spends throughout the year, keep up the good work guys

bails

Hi Webitha :hello:even if you don't feel you want to join the challenge you are still welcome to pop in and post anytime. You may feel up to joining next year then! Hope any tips you gain from here can help you.

BB, I had no idea you could do that either :rolleyes: I still know so little about this site in some respects, it's embarrassing :rotfl:I feel exactly the same about my kitchen and other parts of the house - I'm looking forward to 'making them my own' :T

Feeling very poorly here as I have the non scary form of E coli and a bad cold (just hoping it doesn't turn into full blown lurgy). I have this week off tutoring so I can prepare for a whole new topic, Humanities (Victorians, then WW2 and mountains). I really need this time as I have been working at my uppermost limits, perhaps even exceeding them slightly, so this week's plan is to:

• get myself as well as possible
• tackle the planning
• get some fresh air, hopefully with some walks (if not I'll stick my head out the car window if OH drives me somewhere )
• (only if well enough/enough free time) declutter some more of my study

I also need to think of one 'just for fun' thing to do...

Have a good evening all x

grandma247

[quote=wornoutmumoftwo;17846795
I set the timer for a couple of hours later and it turned out perfect, so now I'm thinking that's the way I should do it, that the mix at the start and then the delay cooking time must be the reason.[/quote]

This is probably the reason your bread turned out great. Good bread needs a lot of working and rising to strengthen the gluten so making it hold the air better. By doing the extra mixing thats what happened.
I find that shortage of time means you usually have to accept an inferior loaf. I might give this a try on the next loaf if we are not in a hurry for bread.
Another thing to put on my to do lists.

Marru I am glad you are feeling better.Some days it seems somone is just out to get you. It does get better as others have said just hang in there.

candygirl

Hi webby:D Just pmd you, as come dine wiv me is on now from preston:j :j v funny:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

webitha

thanks for the welcome and support you will be giving me

candy missed it but will watch on ch4 + 1
who you loooong time no speak you a granny yet?

Cat_Addict

Oh mumzy that does seem high! I pay £30 per month for our house. It's a standard 3 bed semi with five of us in it. We have the heating on full for a couple of hours morning and evening and we cook with gas.

Have you queried it with the gas people?

Edit - Since reading Nyk's post I have realised I am on a capped rate until 2010. I think I might be getting a nasty shock after that mightn't I? I forget that people are paying more per unit than I currently am.

boredofbeingathome

bails wrote: »

Great advice Shaz :T Sorry the country dream hasn't worked out quite yet; mine won't happen for a while either but we'll all get there :j
Mumzy, my mum is always telling about these plastic things you put straight in toaster that make toasties. Google them first as cheaper, or try Freecycle, they quite often come up here.
Hi Candygirl! Hope your car isn't too expensive.

I often read through for ideas and just thought i would add that these are in Aldi at the moment at about £1.40ish ( can't remember exactly sorry) and are reuseable.

slowlyfading

Marru, sending big (((HUGS))) your way, and glad to see you're feeling a bit better xx