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

kashton_2

Had £88 in my savings account but just transfered it to my main account and paid £100 off my cc, so savings total back to nil :rolleyes:
At least its more off my total though huh???

thriftylass

Good morning!

I love the start of a new month (payday), hopefully this one will go better than the last one. I already paid a good lump sum into my savings :T , got some lunches in the freezer and hopefully enough food for the first two weeks for us, apart from milk etc. Unfortunately, OH is making his last CC payment for our hols last year (his share) this month and might have to borrow money off me :mad: . But he promised to start saving after that :rolleyes: .
I hate being pregnant just now, well the mood swings that come with it. I must sound like a recovering alcoholic, but I really miss going out and having a drink. I just hate watching other people getting drunk incl. OH and party. It's just not fair. I'll miss this year's skiing too. I know I shouldn't focus on the things I can't do and it'll be all worth it blah blah. But I feel like I'm doing this on my own (well physically have to). I'm so bored and I'm dreading weekends. And whener I go out or am at someone's house I manage to ruin their mood to by moaning. Anyway, I stop whining now. Just another 6 months plus however long to go....

Have a good day

P.S. Congratulations Marru!!

the_cat

Thrifty lass - well done with the savings:T and better luck next month with the OH!:rotfl: I hated being pregnant too so you are not alone. I felt I had been invaded by a foreign being who was preventing me from living the life I was used to. Sounds daft I know! But I still loved them dearly from the minute they were born.

Bails - another cautious response about the dog from me I'm afraid. The India trip is a major consideration and I would also be a bit concerned about the level of exercise a young collie needs to keep it 'sane'. They require a huge amount of exercise as I'm sure you know, which you may be able to fit into your current life but if you were to have a family, be able to work more or, heaven forbid, have a relapse in your health, this might become a major problem for both you and the welfare of the dog. So lovely as it would be, it's a no from me. Sorry

MrDT

First of all - congrats Marru! :T

Ok, now down to business - weighing in the first month of 2009 It has been a fantastic start to the year, well under budget! Only spent 56% of my planned average monthly spend £185.85 total (everything other than rent, council tax, and commuting):

89.85 shopping (mainly food, some cleaning stuff)
40.00 electricity meter
32.87 night out
11.95 tv license
7.80 eating out
3.38 other misc spends

January's bound to be easy for me. Everyone's skint after Christmas and New Year, so not much danger of being dragged down the pub too often etc. I also had a half full chest freezer that has since been emptied, and I've not needed any toiletries thanks to an abundance received as Christmas presents, same goes for clothing. We've barely eaten out this month, just a couple of chippie takeaways, and the electric meter is dangerously close to empty. So, next month mightn't be quite so good

I've got a mini challenge that's not really being documented anywhere (other than my spreadsheet) to try and earn a bit of extra cash each month, the idea being I try to earn whatever I'd spend on gifts as extra income. Not sure if I can manage that amount, but it's worth a go! I only count the money when it's actually received in my bank account, not when it's earnt (quidco I count on payout date not tracking date, scrathcards I count whenever I withdraw £10 not the amount I win each day, etc). This month an extra £10.45 appeared in my bank account, not great, but a start. I'm expecting over £100 from quidco in a couple of days so next month will be better! I'm also expecting a £50 qype voucher but unsure how to record this (if I sell it on ebay it'll be much easier!)

I've also received a healthy amount of interest on my savings thanks to shuffling money out into better paying accounts. I don't count this money in my 'extra income' amount, it's just a seperate amount that I'd like to track. More interest will be paid tomorrow woohoo :beer:

Oh, by the way me and the "ladyfriend" have been talking houses. Maybe you were all right lol, maybe I won't be a bachelor all my life! We were both saving towards buying houses before we got together, now it's looking like we might be saving to buy one house together.

nickynoo08

Moring peeps

Congrats marru:j

Pay day today , bills due out on the first so i'll wait till they've cleared before i start my feb target. I've still (somehow) got a fiver in my purse so that should keep us in milk till feb starts.
Postie was running late yesterday but i was really pleased when he did turn up. I filled in a survey ages ago, summat to do with testing dove products. Anyhoo i recieved a large body butter and bottle of moisturiser:D. I was well chuffed, just not sure whether to keep them for me or to put it towards a present for someone.
Just checked my online banking. :mad: stupid bank has taken £49 out of my acc and paid it to my visa - the one i cleared earlier this month!
I must keep better track of my spends this month too. I've just added up last months spends and it over £400. I know some of it was xmas money i'd put in my bank, and some was a lumpsum from wtc (they had been underpaying me so stocked up on baby stuff), both of which i wasn't including in my budget. But i'm totally lost now. I must start writting stuff down before i totally loose the plot:rolleyes:

Todays plan....
tidy kitchen
take little un for walk to shops weather permitting
go on wii fit
hoover
strecupboard lunch/dinner
plan shopping list for end of next week
ring virgin and see if i can get my bill any cheaper and cancel mobile

whitewing

Hullo everyone. Got lots to do today and no desire to do it. Should be a good day and hopefully a NSD.

Do the Qype reviews have to be done by midnight Sat or midnight Sun? I shall be doing them up to the wire, but had great fun yesterday popping into shops I hadn't visited before.

SiannieLaz

morning all,
hugs and hip hip hooray to Marru!!:T Well done!!
LS - good luck moving, I have to say not one of my favourite tasks.
Have applied for 8 jobs this morning, including a relief funeral arranger - guess that's one industry that won't be affected by the credit crunch! Have bitten the bullet and have started applying for jobs up to £10k less than i'm currently on. I can't afford to be out of work for more than a week, otherwise there won't be enough to pay the bills at the end of March. Last pay day at the moment will be 6th March, am trying not to panic too much!! So much for NSD today, lots of dd's gone out today so another £81.82 added to total, am up to over £500 spent already:eek: so more belt tightening needed, guess my moggies will have to start eating all the mice they keep leaving on the doorstep!!

QOTD - If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you candream it, you can become it.

xxxxx

SiannieLaz

Duh, just realised I included car and house insurance in the total so back under £500 - phew!!

lilac_lady

Nearly one month gone already and we're still hanging on! Must get petrol today, put £10 in a birthday card and pay £20 towards DGS's new shoes but I don't mind because I've been VERY good this month. (hope it lasts!).

It's my "payday" too and I've transferred £200 to savings before I buy anything so your postings are definitely helping me to spend less.

Wonder how we'll all get along in February as a lot of us have been using up freezer and storecupboard food this month?

Keep going, only 11 months to go.

SmlSave

Congratulations Marru!

Houses is it MrDT? I'm very happy for you.

I would love a puppy too Bails but its dependant upon me being able to work part (which probably won't happen for years!). Perhaps it would be a good idea to get a puppy after India?

Glad you're enjoying Canada taka, you'll have to post some pictures for us to sigh over

My DH came home from a 3 week hospital stay (in March 2007) to find a Yorkie had arrived (and settled in) during his absence

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:Think this is what will happen with my OH too! :rotfl:

Hope everyone else is well and (((hugs))) to anyone who needs them.

P.S. I'm returning my libary books today!