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

bails

Great frugal finds Nyk :T OH's mum had an organic mag I was flicking through yesterday that got my growing urges going, but I'm going to ask her to keep them for me so I can use them next year
Just counted up my shrapnel, so I'm pootling off to the bank with £157.20 to add to my ME savings Haven't decided what to spend this pot on yet, possibly a photography course...(or fixing my camera first if I can't fathom it out myself...ooh, just remembered have a friend on here who's a professional photographer :T)
Have a good afternoon everyone, catch up later x

Masomnia

Was going to try for an effective NSW, yes, a no spend week. But lots of useful offers on in $omerfield at the moment. Got Pantene shampoo 2 for 1 (four bottles), half price dishwasher tablets (my turn to buy), discounted mackeral. So I saved over £10 by going today. Won't have to buy bread, milk, butter for a while now too.

Whenever I'm feeling de-motivated at uni, I do like to think of my lovely future cottage complete with log fire. Mmmm. Romantic and cosy!

sophiesmum_2

Good afternoon frunchkins:D

Finished work for the day so just catching up.Still got the decorators in here and getting a bit fed uo of the disruption now, plus keep getting headaches with the smell of the paint every day.:rolleyes:
Lots of positive stuff going on with everyone, bails - well done on dream pot:T and ME savings, SFT- plans sound exciting:), BB - love reading your to do lists:D
Wood burning stoves - messy, lots of work but worth it - really miss mine.

General frugal aims for today;

• storecupboard lunch and tea
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item- freecycled OH's exercise bike
• do something nice for me -
• do something nice for someone else-
• fitter not fatter - swimming later

Todays frugal meals;

• frozen berry smoothie
• hi bran crackers with pate, cucumber,pepper strips.
• scotch beef steaks, couscous with mushrooms, peppers and chillies.

Fruit and veg portions;
2 fruit, 0 pulses,4veggies,:D

Expenditure or additional income

No spend day:D


Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £246.34 left from budget of £400 for first six months.
Extra income generated £152.43 /spent £33 / left £119.43

taka

Hello all... :hello:Its taken sooooooo long to finally catch up that I now can't remember half of what I wanted to comment on so... Marru - please come back... hugs to those that need them (esp Thriftylass) and congratulations lynda. :beer: Looks like there is a lot of :smileyhea floating around in this thread at the moment! Any spare please send my way :rolleyes:

Congrats about the savings pot Bails... it all adds up!

Who ever asked me about Canada (sorry I can't remember now) - It was fab, snowy and yes I tried (and failed due to foot/ankle probs - ouch) to ski... Photos...

Hmmmmm can't get photos to show up in the post so links will have to do... sorry!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22187881@N08/3284665752/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22187881@N08/3283835661/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22187881@N08/3283835529/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22187881@N08/3284669336/

PS In very happy news... I've officially been discharged from treatment for my eating disorder! :j :beer: :T I've been smiling like :D:D:D since it happened on Thursday! Yippppppeeeeeeeeee! So few people in real life know whats been going on with me over the last few years (and I can't really now tell them) so I've just come across as slightly deranged smiling wierdo for the last few days! :rotfl: Hmmmm... actually my boss knows... and still views me as a [strike]slightly [/strike]deranged smiling wierdo... :rotfl: Makes a change from the depressed wierdo I guess :rolleyes: :rotfl:

*walks off grinning and muttering about not being taken seriously at work :rotfl: *

bails

Sorry to hear about your headaches SM, hope the decorators finish soon!
Well done for catching up Taka, that's serious dedication!:T Canada looks beautiful, glad you had a lovely time.
My latest energy-saving device is, rather than move the cat from my lap (thus losing valuable heat) to switch the light on, I now have the laptop screen bent over to highlight the keyboard. Of course, I could learn to touch type, which would be a great skill and one I'm trying for, but this is my short-term solution
I've taken the frustration of this morning and turned it to good use by reassessing my predicted budget for next year and back to work plan. If I can get the hourly rate I'm hoping for, then I need 5 teaching hours a week :T Depending on the needs of the clients this will hopefully be manageable, and my hope then is to employ another person with my condition to work as my TA so I can teach more hours. I really want this so hope I can make it happen. Then I'll be free of The System and all its inefficiencies, woo hoo! :j
Taka, just seen your edit - huge congratulations from me on reaching such a fantastic milestone, no wonder you're grinning from ear to ear! :T

sophiesmum_2

taka wrote: »

PS In very happy news... I've officially been discharged from treatment for my eating disorder! :j :beer: :T I've been smiling like :D:D:D since it happened on Thursday! Yippppppeeeeeeeeee! So few people in real life know whats been going on with me over the last few years (and I can't really now tell them) so I've just come across as slightly deranged smiling wierdo for the last few days! :rotfl: Hmmmm... actually my boss knows... and still views me as a [strike]slightly [/strike]deranged smiling wierdo... :rotfl: Makes a change from the depressed wierdo I guess :rolleyes: :rotfl:

*walks off grinning and muttering about not being taken seriously at work :rotfl: *

Well done Taka, that is a huge achievement ,

skint_chick

Congratulations Taka -that's really fantastic for you :beer:

I'm just watching the news about grants for farmers - apparently cows need mattresses so they can sleep better and cow washes that look like a mini car wash to keep them clean what is the world coming to? :rolleyes:

Bails - you should def keep all correspondence/phone bills etc and if you're getting nowhere ask to be assigned someone else/send it to their boss. It seems silly that you can't get the short term help you need so you can earn again

I've had a really good day at work and spent no money and tomorrow I have an interview for a job I really want that fits in with my new lifestyle so fingers crossed

SFT - when it's the house for you you'll know. The first time I saw my home I couldn't stop grinning and I knew despite the rising damp, mouldy kitchen units, and "interesting" decor that I had to have it. I think go for it -if you're taking a hit on your place then the place you want will be cheaper too - and if it's more expensive then it'll be a higher percentage drop in price too

redglass_2

Taka, well done, what a marvellous achievement! :j:j:j
Those things can be so hard to shake off, well done, you!

Frugaldom

:beer: Congratulations, Taka, another goal achieved and a very important one, at that. Well done! Canada looks fantastic, did you fill that terramundi from sales of beads to pay for the trip?

Bails, I'm goin g to put out a call for all spare pennies to head your way to round up those figures for you. :rotfl: Just one silly (ish) question, is it an 'M.E.' fund or a 'ME' (as in I, my, mine, me) savings fund? Not sure if it's health related of personal luxury savings - could always make it both and double up for a very special Spa break?

Sophiesmum, hope the workmen finish soon. Don't envy you the paint headache's. Best get out into garden at every possible opportunity and insist on getting as much fresh air as possible.

Skint_Chick, good luck with the interview. Don't tell us what it is until afterwards just in case you break a lucky streak.

Kitchen, livestock and garden projects all progressed today. So did stockpiling project, if I count in the S0merfield hot chocolate, but I'm trying to overlook the unscheduled supermarket spend. I managed to plant the 6 new fruit bushes this afternoon while HS refelted the roofs of both the old kennels. I made a pot of ham & lentil soup in slow cooker, managed to hang a hook rack up for my kitchen utensils and have a bag of 'stuff' ready to go to charity shop tomorrow when I'm back into town to collect the polystyrene. I really should do another 'to do' list.

Marru

Hello all,

I have been busy stocking up for my diet change that hopefully will give my energy and health back. As I don't want to clutter this thread with off topic posts I have moved residence to HERE. There is not much yet but as I get fully started, hopefully sometime during this week, it all should make sense.

I want to thank everybody for your lovely posts and PMs. It really has been heart warming for me. But I have to admit that at the moment my health is my priority. I will still keep tap on my spending and work towards all in budget by myself. I am going to figure out a new signature soon and will try to put some kind of tracking device of how I am doing against my budget.

And as I can't leave you lot completely be sure that I will be lurking here regurlarly.

Wishing you all the success in your challenge and thank you for all those given me so much support and many entertaining moments. I would like to single out Sophiesmum who has been a real life saver combined fairy godmother to me!!! :smileyhea I can be found in her thread most days, especially on weekends.

Marru

PS before I go can I please say that:

Anromache: well done on the job!
Redglass: That is soooo wonderful!!!!
Sking chick: excellent job with the diet and weight loss!
TAKA: WOOOHOOO!!! Fantastic!!!