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

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!!
EFC-Glad you're feeling better x
Shaz-Will have a good look at your homepage later and catch up with Nyks
Skint Chick-Glad your interview went well. Fingers crossed.
Nyk-Thanks for your great advice. Just made a list and talked it through. Good transport links close by. Just about enough room for people to stay. Won't have any pets, except our budgie (inherited from OH's nanna-I'm not a fan of caged birds). I think our downstairs living space is most important so we will probably put a small conservatory on the back if-don't want to count my quails/when we become mortgage free. OH says he has enough space for growing-he can have all of lawn. We have a decking area.
Think we'll put in an offer later today at a lower price. Start the ball rolling. Then we'll have to get ours on the market.
I've been feeling less than myself for a couple of years now. But just from this experience I'm feeling so much better, like I am being true to myself. IYKWIM. Maybe its the free spirit in me?? On our country walks (both keen walkers and wildflower/nature enthusiasts) have walked past properties like these and never thought I'd live in one.
I'll let you all know how it goes.
SFT

bails

savingfortravel wrote: »

But just from this experience I'm feeling so much better, like I am being true to myself.

And there you have it, all the evidence you need that you're doing the right thing :T I really hope your offer gets accepted, you go girl!

Well, today is not going according to plan :rotfl:I've been very angry these past two days so decided a bit of animal therapy was in order I had to go up the Home anyway to hand in a letter saying my dad is happy for me to have animals here so I had a lovely time visiting each of the dogs up there - good for me and good for them. Sadly one of the dogs was stolen on Valentine's Day :mad: so hopefully the publicity will mean he'll be found soon. I also spent time with a feral cat (one of the many I caught to be rehomed last summer) and she's making real progress :T And of course, with the lovely puppy. She's not doing so well at the mo, off her food and loing weight, they're not sure if it's the infection or the stress of her environment so all fingers crossed she gets the all clear this Friday and I can bring her home. As soon as I do I'll post some pics up Redglass
Off for a rest now once I've had a cuddle with the cat that's just climbed on my lap and then to tackle the clothes mountain (thankfully on closer inspection this morning some of the bags are full of soft furnishings!). Meal postponed again :rolleyes: but I did get my OH a lovely big cactus, a symbol of eternal love apparently, so he's happy.

skint_chick

The good news is....I've been asked to go in tomorrow to discuss salary and my expectations of the position because they want to offer me the job!

I wouldn't care if it was minimum wage I'm so excited about it. It fits well with my new lifestyle and will mean we can see some more of the world, and get the mortgage paid off in record quick time :T Going out for dinner with OH to celebrate

Frugaldom

SFT & Skint Chick, exciting news from both of you today! I really, really hope that you each get what you are after as these are 2 of the biggest things that impact on our lives. GOOD LUCK to each of you! Here's a smiley lucky charm for each of you, too.

Went into town and still didn't get the sugar! By the time we'd been to warehouse, which was on way into town, and collected ENORMOUS AMOUNTS of free polystyrene, we just carried straight on homewards. Still, it meant my money lasted a little longer but I'll probably miss the offer at this rate. Pity there's nowhere sells sugar in 25kg bags! :rotfl: I did get enough polystyrene to insulate the shed, duck house, hen house, brooder and line the hole I dig for making the pond, though. I love Freecycling.

OOPS! Got disconnected whilst posting and came back to find Skint Chick got the job!

Bails, hope all goes well at the dog home and that you'll be able to get puppy at end of week. I'm incredulous at someone stealing a dog! How? Why? When? Are they sure one hasn't just escaped? Is it an RSPCA kennel where the wardens take strays? Maybe it was an owner who couldn't afford the fine but was prepared to risk all in breaking the law?

grandma247

Nyk our local asian supermarket sells 25kg bags of sugar for £16.99

bails

Ooh congratulations Skint_chick, you're having a blinder of a year so far :T I like the fact you'll be 'seeing more of the world' :j and paying off the mortgage quickly, fantastic! I'm so looking forward to the day we can overpay on our mortgage. For now though the home improvements will increase the value of the property (by the time we sell) so still building towards our future

Yes, Nyk, they do take strays and the dog hadn't been in long. It's an Akita and the bloke took it out for a walk on the Saturday and never brought it back! They ask for ID and something with a home address so I can only assume he gave a false one. When it's happened previously the publicity was so good that the dog was quickly found and the person prosecuted.

Frugaldom

grandma247 wrote: »

Nyk our local asian supermarket sells 25kg bags of sugar for £16.99

Sadly, I have never even seen an Asian supermarket let alone live anywhere near one. I guess they may have them in Glasgow but a 5 hour round trip for sugar isn't going to happen. I found a place online where I could buy it for £16.99 per 25kg delivered free, but I'd need to order at least 6 bags. Wonder how long that would last? :rotfl: I'd need to start selling toffee to make it pay!

skint_chick

bails home improvements are a good plan to make selling eventually easier - I've so much still to do to my house -original doors, replastering, fencing in my garden area. So while I want to overpay I also want to get my home in shape! And it would be lovely to have a holiday for our wedding anniversary - I like Costa Rica, he wants Boston so we have a "discussion" :rolleyes: to take place.

I still can't believe it's going this well and I'm waiting for something to go wrong. I don't think that unsettled feeling will go away for a long time because the last few years have been really really tough.

So my plan is to allocate my new extra income;

• £100 extra to family loan (repaid in 2 1/2yrs instead of 5)
• £85 extra a month to holiday and future travel plans
• £150 extra to mortgage (repaid in 25years rather than interest only)
• £115 to home improvements and then long term savings

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!!
Skint Chick-Congrats on the job and all your plans. Wow!
Bails-What a fantastic Valentines present from OH. Fingers crossed she'll feel better and be with you by Friday.
On the house front...
Well we put in our first sneaky offer. 7k less than asking price. That saving would cover moving costs and stamp duty. Got estate agents coming round Fri and next Tues to value ours. Sorted our solicitors too.
Haven't heard back but that could be a good thing..they haven't said no yet.

Went dress (for wedding)shopping with sister. Picked and paid for dress for Niece. Still deliberating over dress i've already got for the big day.

Then went mad in Tesco and bought us Salmon en Croute for tea!! OH laughed seeing Skint-Chick treating her OH for a meal out and I treat mine to a (naughty) ready meal

Forgot to say that we got some great whoopsies in Tescos last night: beef for OH's sandwiches this week, 5 bags of organic parsnips 32p each. OH will turn them into my favourite Spicy Parsnip soup. 2 packs of Jacket Potatoes 14p each and 1 huge pack of brocolli for 11p. Picked up my 2 for 1 shampoo/cond too and used MOC so very pleased. Almost forgot about these savings. We have saved alot of money through our Grocery Shopping but luckily this Mr T store is down the road from school so could still take advantage from time to time. However I think we've saved the most money through stock-piling/home cooking/no waste/growing our own.we'll never go back to our old wasteful ways after seeing that our savings paid for 1 of us to go to Central America for a month.
OH got a call regarding his free Daily Express haircut-Planning to use it prior to the wedding so he looks nice and smart.

Thanks for listening and all your support.

Nyk-Thanks for my smiley lucky charm. XX
SFT

bails

He he, thanks to Skint_chick I have rebooked our meal out too! Feeling much better and who needs to dress up as long as we've got each uvver! Have a great celebration SC and enjoy your salmon SFT, yum! Fingers crossed for your cheeky offer SFT - not so cheeky in these times me thinks
My brother wants us all to go on a family holiday to a cottage once the baba's here, aah! It'll need to be worked around if/when we go away so may well be this time next year, plenty of time to save for it
New placements for OH came out over the weekend and most of them start on 1st July, so if he gets one of them he'll go on out and I'll join him at a later stage. Some great places on offer :T
Also been chatting to mum about socialising the dogs together etc - really hope she can come soon, I'm getting v excited now! :j
Have a lovely evening everyone whatever you're doing x