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

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D

Not long come back from morning swimming and just had a lovely brekkie of bacon, scrambled eggs and tomatoes. Bread is kneading in breadmaker so not much else to do today.
Need to check supplies downstairs as may need to have a quick trip to costco for oldies later but apart from that just visiting parents later.

General frugal aims for today;

• storecupboard lunch and tea
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item-
• do something nice for me -
• do something nice for someone else-
• fitter not fatter - swim and jacuzzi

Todays frugal meals;

• bacon, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, OJ
• tuna salad
• chicken and vegetable stir fry

Fruit and veg portions;
1 fruit, 0 pulses,5/6 veggies,:D

Expenditure or additional income

Aiming for no spend day

Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £251.44 left from budget of £400 for first six months.

xnatalie81x

There is no calc on this computer - stuff knows why as i had one my laptop - really don't get it and i have an N95 that i am borrowing at the mo and it is rubbish! Much rather a proper calc as i also have fat fingers - updated now. All on paper - keeps the brain working i spose :rolleyes: but ds2 wants to play with my paper ha ha ha

xnatalie81x

oooooooooooooo i do have excel on here hooray - i didn't think i did yahoooooooo can anyone send me a template they use on excel as i am working on paper at the mo and would really like to set it up - just cannot be spending hrs putting in formulas so if anyone has a basic one (i am quite good on excel so take basic to mean not too advanced but not starter) oooooo i am ahappy now

THANKS kittikins didn't consider excel b4

lingojingo

HH62 wrote: »

I still haven't renewed my ***@@@!!! passport. I don't pay council tax in March so I decided I'd pay for it out of that. Will go and get the forms this week.

you can do most of it on line at https://www.ips.gov.uk
you fill in your details then they send you a pre-printed form (so they pay postage :rotfl:) and they've already done the initial checking of your info.
You just have to sign it and send your photos, old passport and cheque. It says you don't even need to get the new photo signed etc, if you're still recognisable from the old one, but I did just in case. Then it cost £4.60 to post it securely.
DDs came back in just over a week in January, and last Saturday I sent mine, got the old passport back yesterday, so expect new one to arrive any day - weather permitting of course.

redglass_2

[quote=skint_chick;18562745] I'm going to throw myself into it wholeheartedly and try out some lentil/chickpea/wholegrain recipes........ Also have a 1960's clothes making book my mum gave me so will be dressed like a hippy from now on if I want new clothes :rotfl:[/quote]

Good luck, Skint Chick - you should look and feel amazing on that virtuous regime as well as helping your PCOS...as for the clothes, have you considered moving to Glastonbury? Some folk in this town are still walking round in mediaeval costume so your 1960s clobber would look really futuristic....and we're big on the ole lentils as well. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Jamiedodger, enjoy the new bed but whatever you do don't let any of those debauched old ladies from Sophiesmum's place get near it. :eek:

Back to lurkdom.....

jtb2412

Hi everyone

Hope all is well !

Just catching up a bit while I have a cuppa and then going to get on with sunday roast and choc muffins.

JD ..... we're going at end of Feb to Ikea for new bed too ! Let me know what it's like please

Just been down to our allotment and some b*gger has broken into our shed :mad: . Taken a spade and a fork but none of the other tools that we thought would go - typical ! Oh well, I suppose we'll have to get used to this :rolleyes: . As long as they don't nick my veg next year, then i'll be really cross !!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: lol

Had some spending this weekend - I've needed a new cylinder hoover to do my stairs with since before Xmas and this weekend I decided I was going to get one. Looked in Curr** but the one I wanted wasn't in stock :rolleyes: . Com*t were the same. Later on I popped to Mr S for some milk and lo and behold they had a V*x down from £150 to £50 :j . So I got one for me ....... and one for my mum (she needs a new hoover too) ....... going to give it to her for a pressie when they come down in a couple of weeks .

I also bought my growbags ready for my tomatoes and some garlic, shallots and asparagus (god knows where we're going to put them :rotfl: ). However, we did get a freebie, our nice neighbour was digging up his artichokes today and gave us some for eating and some for planting :T . I'll pop a jar of tomato chutney by his shed for him next weekend

Doggy is fine now, even though his bits did swell up to the size of a tennis ball :eek: :rotfl: I did take him back to vets to get them checked but they said it was ok and I had to keep him calm (easier said than done :rolleyes: ). He's back to normal size now though and lets his mummy have a look when I ask lol :rotfl: .

Right off to make choc muffins Have a lovely Sunday everyone. Hugs for anyone feeling a bit miserable or upset xxxx

skint_chick

SFT - Slumdog Millionaire is a really good film - definitely a good way to spend an Orange Weds

[quote=redglass;18573795Good luck, Skint Chick - you should look and feel amazing on that virtuous regime as well as helping your PCOS...as for the clothes, have you considered moving to Glastonbury? Some folk in this town are still walking round in mediaeval costume so your 1960s clobber would look really futuristic....and we're big on the ole lentils as well. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: quote] I could quite imagine me dressed as a medieval princess too:D History always was my strong point:o Most of the patterns just need a bit of adapting lengthwise so I'm not trying to wear micro minis in the snow!

I'd love to move to the country and have a large garden and grow all my own veggies, have chickens, rabbits and sew and bake. But it's not realistic that I could afford that type of house. I think a lot of the financial mess people get themselves into comes from believing that a big house is a sign of success and will make you happy. I lived with my ex in a beautiful Victorian 4 bed 3 reception dream house but I wasn't happy with the relationship. When I had to sell the house I was heartbroken. But I have a period house and it's all mine -I made OH sign a legal agreement so he wouldn't have a claim over it. It's still a work in progress after 2 years. I have a garden and my aim for this year is to get it cleared and fenced off. Sometimes I think if I have 2 kids how will we all fit in the house with no spare room and a small kitchen - then I remind myself how lucky I am to have a house at all and that it's far more important that I love my kids and spend time with them

Guesty6

To help everyone on this challenge, did anyone manager to get the free books with the Telegraph last week - 1000 ways to save money and time

Very good little book to give loads of tips of how to use household products and items for taks you would never have thought of!

Brighton_belle

JD there's an ikea opening in southampton:eek: :eek: .I always had the wonderful excuse that the croyden (?) one was too far:D . I sense danger...:D
Sophies mum:eek: . Life's never dull with your oldies is it:rotfl: .
Had a lovely brunch of bacon eggs toast etc.
Another lots of sc lentil recipe now divvied up for lunches for the rest of the month and in freezer.
Aiming for another NSD. Off to friends for a cuppa with a HM lemon drizzle cake and plan to go via the dump to off load some (totally unreusable) clutter.
Lynne - Was your post deleted becasue you quoted the spammer (therefore repeated his info), rather than because of what you said? I've seen far worse 'abuse' on other forums than a suggestion someone was daft, against genuine forum members! Hope you feel better as the day passes.

whitewing

Hello everyone,

Have been really busy lately which is excellent. We've had some unexpected growth in our business, which is lovely. I'd've been happy if things had stayed the same. I guess this is a knock on benefit of the redundancy last year, and simply having more time to chill. I'm being persistent with old debts too (and generous with repayment terms) and some of that is starting to come in.

It's our six-monthy-versary today, but DH is at work. I am meant to be cooking a roast. Will get a wriggle on in a minute.

The washing machine that died is now working again! So, although it didn't work for 3 weeks and I was awaiting some money to come in for a replacement we will not replace it just yet.

I have lost ten and three quarter pounds since I went on the Xenical. I am still exercising too. I worked out that I could get to target weight in May of the year after next at a slow but realistic timeframe. Of course, I'll look 'normal' much earlier than that.

Everything that is good has happened mainly because of this challenge, and the fact that it has made me think about lifestyle choices and given me the freedom to make things happen. So I'm very chuffed at the moment. Well done everybody.