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

liloandstitch

whitewing wrote: »

lilo,

Sorry to hear about the cancer, but this bit about prescription charges may help with the challenge:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090120/tuk-free-prescriptions-for-cancer-patien-dba1618.html

Thank you, Thank you, Thank You!!!!!!!!!!! I had checked out the exemptions and hadnt qualified so this is wonderful news. Thanks for taking the trouble to post.

liloandstitch

Gosh what a wonderful welcome to the thread - thank you so much for the kind thoughts and hugs. I am usually posting on the TTC thread, although I have followed this thread since joining it last year. I felt a little 'homeless' cos I cant really carry on with that thread, so I will make my home here if thats okay.

I am not really very good at the money bit though - but I have stopped myself spending shedloads since I started following this, and if I can live on my £70 per week, all my other income can go off my debts etc so they will clear.

Biggest problem is that I need 3 months off work starting next week and I am self employed - reading all your posts you know how the systems all work, they are horrendous! I may get some sort of sick pay, but nothing like my pay and I dont qualify for any means tested benefits cos of DH. So we are breaking just about every financial rule book in the world, and cashing in investments at completely the wrong time, (our mortgage ISA - oops) but needs must, and once we have a handle on things, we can rebuild. I am not making this time worse by worrying about money!!!

Anyway, NSD today, MIL treated me to the new slippers I needed so my pennies are still padlocked into my purse!!

Thanks again everyone!! Lilo

cw18

liloandstitch wrote: »

I am not making this time worse by worrying about money!!!

I don't blame you one little bit !!

I started trying to really reduce our outgoings (more than just playing at doing so) when I went onto half salary sick pay in April 2007 -- which wasn't helped by the fact my DH had been diagnosed with cancer in the January. I then dropped to IB only in Oct '07 and didn't get back to work (and full pay) until mid-Feb '08. (Followed by redundancy announcement mid-May).

As DH was so ill (I'd been told around Easter '07 it was terminal) I refused to let him worry about finances, although I did have to make him survive on much less for trips to the pub than he'd had before. But the only way I held our heads above water for those 10 months (while letting him keep anything) was to use our small mortgage overpayment to cover 2.5 months payments and by maxing out my c/cards. I wasn't happy doing it, but the only other option was to go to the 'bank of Dad' -- which I know would have happily loaned us the necessary, but I was determined to not have to.

It does mean that a fairly hefty portion on my redundancy pay and his life insurance has now been used to clear my c/cards (instead of being in the bank for me to live off from here on in), but I don't regret doing it one little bit. If I'd have removed the last of his cash so that he couldn't get out to the pub my BIL and myself reckon he'd have given up much sooner. (As it was he fought for much longer than they thought possible, and a 'best guess' of late Summer 2007 turned out to be mid-November 2008)

skint_chick

Lilo have you asked your mortgage lender about payment holidays? Some lenders give you up to 6 month payment holiday breaks for something like this. The payments are added to your mortgage so you pay slightly more interest in the long term but if it gives you breathing space to concentrate on your recovery that's more important! Also do you have any critical illness cover? - most of the policies wouldn't cover your cervical cancer unless it's spread but there is certainly no harm in a phone call to ask just in case. The same goes for any credit cards or loans you may have payment protection on.

And I would def get your forms for benefits filled in this week if you can coz it takes a while to get a response to them. Good luck with your 3 months off - if you want any book recommendations I've read tons since I've been off from Sept

flowerofthewest

Haven't been on the thread for a few days and not totally caught up on the posts, so !!!!!!{HUGS}}} to all that need it and !!!!{SMILES}}} to those who have done well.
I've just totalled up my spends for this week, and over the first 3 weeks of this year I have overspent two weeks and underspent one, so overall am under budget by around £19.
One reason for the overspends the last couple of weeks is that I have a new bf (since New Year) and he has been over at the weekends. So my entertainment budget is taking a bit of a battering with cinema and eating out, but I'm enjoying myself enormously and he's lovely, so I don't mind.
Hope everyone is doing well
Take care
Fi

Frugaldom

Just a quick reminder to try and keep the thread on topic please, as quite a few people are struggling to keep up with the posts and any newcomers will be completely confused by some of the recent topics. Thank you.

liloandstitch

cw18, I read about your DH and was saddened by the events - and you are right, putting his needs first and makng his life bearable was the most important thing in the world for both of you. If I take some money out of the ISA, I reduce our outgoings by a considerable amount for the amount withdrawn, as I have 2 loans nearing their end - both within 12 months, so the payment I make is totally out of proportion to the debt - I should only need to take out about 5000, but obviously with the stock market the way it is, this is not a good time to be taking it out. With this and the small amount of sick pay that I can claim, I will actually be better off per month. I figure that once I am back at work I can increase the payments and catch up the amount I have taken out. Also, by managing on this smaller money, I may be able to job share at the end of the 3 months and take an awful amount of pressure off my family. My job is a bit too much for us to be honest, and my husband has to help me out every lunch time and after work. We need to get some work life balance back, and if this works, we will be so much happier as a family. Money certainly isnt everything, and the stress we have been under is enormous, for at least the last 6 months.

Skint chick - thanks for the idea about payment holidays. We are with the Nationwide and recently changed to a tracker (previously with portman bsoc) which means that we can now have a payment holiday - how lucky was that!! I believe we can apply for up to a year, which at our current rate would increase the debt by about 5000. Once we know what the likely outcome of the cancer is, I will make a decision on this, as the money could be used to clear our other debts quicker, which would massively improve our situation long-term. I am just a bit wary about reducing the ISA and increasing the debt on the mortgage, when I dont know what our longer term outlook is. I dont want to burn my boats with the payment holiday, and need it later on if eg the cancer returns and we are broke and cant have another payment holiday!!

Sorry for the rambling - from no posts to not being able to get me off the thread - I promise to slink back off to oblivion straight away and remain on topic!! I have been kind of getting things straight in my head as I type so thank you for listening, thats assuming you are still awake!!

Lilo

In_Search_Of_Me

Just a quickie to say that spent 33 odd today but am chuffed to report the first month am 8 in budget whch, for me, is nothing short of a miracle! Have spoken to man who can re the tiling and he can do it in a day so its just a matter of seeing how much tiles would be...am worried that the carpet really is beyond redemption but will try the suggestions made and price up tiles and go from there! Have also tried a different litter to see if that makes a difference! Going to be a struggle keeping to the challenge if I do need to get tiles etc!! Hadnt really thought of undexpecteds like that when doing the budget which was silly really as something always crops up!! Any ideas?
hugs those that need them...

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
Hugs to so many today especially Lilo xx Hope mums ok Nickynoo
Well done Bails for signing up for the Masters. I started 2 myself but gave them up due to difficult circumstances. Maybe one day.
Children .. waiting for those all consuming urges to set in and at 37 years old..it may not happen. I don't feel bad. It may just not be for me and I give love to all of those in my class. Maybe my cup is filled up from them.

Up to 35 first reviews and 1 second for Qype. Made a list of remaining I'll have to do and should manage if I do 10 each evening until Saturday (run out of 1st options so 2nd will do). However I am so grateful to those who have posted info regarding this.

Homemade Stilton and Brocolli soup tonight was bliss.

Looking forward to my new month starting on the 26th

Will catch up tomorrow SFT

whitewing

mumzy,

If this works it is potty training charts from this week's email:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1421133