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

Sarah147

Evening all, hope you are managing to keep up with this challenge throughout all the other challenges that life faces us.

Have been a real gannett today, woolfing down everything in sight (we all have those days don't we?!) though did not spend too much, around £3.50 in Home Bargain (bought about ten things so decent bargains there) and £3.70 for my swim. I am going to hurt so bad tomorrow, I was really feeling it tonight :rotfl:

Was very annoyed this morning as I went for my dental checkup. It's an NHS one and I usually have a clean when I am there and it comes to about £16. Today I didn't have a clean and was in the 'chair' for about two minutes tops, she said I should floss better and that was it. Imagine my surprise when I got to the desk and it was still £16 odd, apparently you have to pay that whether you have anything done or not. I was done alright. £16+ for someone to tell me I should floss better?! I could have told myself that. Not happy really. They take taxes for the NHS from our wages for what? So we pay again when we go to use these services. Grrrr. Anyway, rant over

angelatgraceland

Sounds like the standard checkup charge. Im assuming tho that it was a proper dentist not a nurse who did it> Altho she only said about flossing she did actually check your teeth for signs of decay/damage whatever-thats what the charge is for and its something we cannot see for ourselves untill it gets too bad and we are in pain and our teeth are damaged. Sad to say that its only when we are in agony that most of us appreciate our dentists and what they do/the pain and distress they often prevent. Then we suddenly expect them to perform magic! Some dentists charge extra for the clean but sometimes they give you a quick clean free ~Ive found-I think this is what has happened in your case in the past. Beleive me-its £16 well spent when you compare it to any other services. Only when you get some real problems will you see that. Not critiscising you but do look at it in a different light-it really is important. I used to think like you do-that its a lot of money for "nothing"-until I needed my dentist a lot more-and then I realised how valuable that checkup is. And if you found out the cost of going private you would see what the taxes are paying towards! Believe me-its a bargain! Twice a year for £16 a go to make sure your teeth are ok-(they need to last you for life by the way)I know-Im ranting but truly-I see myself in your comments-a few years ago.

Palm_Centro

Hi Lalaladybird, if you read post 1 of this thread.

DawnW

Sarah147 wrote: »

Was very annoyed this morning as I went for my dental checkup. It's an NHS one and I usually have a clean when I am there and it comes to about £16. Today I didn't have a clean and was in the 'chair' for about two minutes tops, she said I should floss better and that was it. Imagine my surprise when I got to the desk and it was still £16 odd, apparently you have to pay that whether you have anything done or not. I was done alright. £16+ for someone to tell me I should floss better?! I could have told myself that. Not happy really. They take taxes for the NHS from our wages for what? So we pay again when we go to use these services. Grrrr. Anyway, rant over

There are no NHS dentists available where I live. My dentist went private years ago, and believe me it is a LOT more expensive. And I still have to pay taxes! It is like one of those postcode lotteries they are always on about on the news (though not so serious as those poor people who need cancer drugs and cannot get them because they live in the wrong town, obviously:mad: ) Sometimes I think it is not a National Health Service at all, as access is by no means equal. However, seeing a programme the other night on healthcare in the US (or lack of it, in the case of poorer people :eek: ), it does make you appreciate what we have, even though it is not perfect.

nickynoo08

Morning everyone,
Well last nights plan for tea didnt exactly go according to plan. Made my lasagne as planned but didnt expect everyone to turn up wanting to be fed. Shouldnt complain tho coz it was my mum home from hospital. She's loads better now, has just been told to take it easy.
Right i have a dilema. A very good friend of mine has offered me a job looking after her little girl (and boy when needed). I currently have a part time job, but hrs are not always v good. Most shifts are late evenings so i'm not able to spend as much time with my little un as i would like. Might sound daft but i miss not being able to bath him, feed him his tea etc... Unfortunatley like most i would imagine we are not in a possition where i can leave and be a full time mum, so obviously becoming a chilminder would in theory be the best solution. My only concern is that it will only be till my friends little girl starts school, around 18 to 20 months. I know a lot of things can change in that time, but what i'm worried about is leaving a permenant secure job and not being able to get another.
I'm totally torn. The mum in me is shouting YES stay at home, you wont get this time back with your little one, but the 'sensible' side of me is saying stay where i am. I've thought about reducing my hrs where i currently am and working there on a weekend, then i'll be able to do both.
Money wise we'd be better off if i became childminder, as OH will be able to do as much o/t as he likes. Currently he can only work extra if we can get childminder, or i'm not working.
Sorry for waffling on. My head is just spinning and i can't think clearly.

Todays plan....
Prepare next months shopping list
Empty d/w
fill w/m to go on tonight or in the morn
Go and check on my mum

xnatalie81x

If you become a childminder then even when she goes to school you will be able to look after other children...... good childminders are in serious demand around here! And with lots of private nurseries closing you will find you become even busier..................

mumzyof2

whitewing wrote: »

mumzy,

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

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

Thankyou for posting this but i dont have a printer

Janey51

Snow_White wrote: »

Janey - never considered metal detecting as a hobby but it sounds fab. Would it pick up modern money as well as Victorian coins

Yep....anything metal....hence the silver paper :rotfl: Modern coins are the most common thing to be found I am told. It's amazing what people drop without realising it.

Hello liloandstitch. Don't you just love this thread? I think it really embodies the original aims of MSE and injects humour and common sense into our battle agaist the credit crunch.
Not that we are reliant on credit around here....are we folks

cw18 what a wonderful testament to your courage you have posted. Your OH was so lucky to have had your support and I am sure he knows that.

I am soup making today and will be getting my budget up to date.
Luckily, most of my big annual bills go out in January and I had already budgeted for those from last year so I can concentrate on saving for next year now.

I received a payout for the remaining amount due following my house fire in Nov 07 (insurance companies are slow workers). I think I may buy some Premium Bonds following Martin's email today as the odds are looking a bit better.
I haven't done the lottery for years and at least the money will not be lost if I buy bonds.

dND

mumzyof2 wrote: »

Thankyou for posting this but i dont have a printer

If a friend can't print it what about the local library, or you could come up with your own masterpiece:D

wornoutmumoftwo

Having a good day today despite us all getting out of our beds late we managed to get to schook on time (just!)

I had a review for my eldest at his special school and they are really pleased with how he is getting on, they said they may consider integrating him more into his mainstream school from October. (He's been going to his special school part time for three years now).

So really pleased about that!

I got an evelope in the post yesterday and thinking it was my OH fishing line didn't bother to open it, turns out it was a competition prize, a 3 disc dvd of some programme I've never even heard of, so it's in my gift box, though I may just sell it.

Went to lidl today armed with three vouchers from the sun to get my free burns dinner; got 2.5kg potatoes, a swede and a haggis (which is going to the neighbour as I can't eat haggis).

I was going to get some bread flour but it was up to 81p in Lidl so had to buy the tesco one at 63p.

But overall a good day so far and it's not even eleven o' clock yet.

Plans for today: do some stp, make dinner, turn boys bedroom upside down to find one small toy my son has lost:eek: