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

Penny2myName

Dreading to do my end of month calculations as I am just having one of them months. Hope everyone else is doing well with targets they are setting themselves. too much for me to catch up on at moment as not been on for awhile, so will just read whatever page I open up on now, till I can get back on track and fully focused.

chika

savingfortravel wrote: »

Welcome Chika!!
Hope we can all help you. There are wonderful people on this thread that are experts in all manner of things and offer loads of support.
SFT

Love your signature by the way x

Cheers lovely! Its seems that way and living off 4k will certainly help me sort everything out - not just for now but for the future. My mum isn't very good with money, I've inherited the spend everything you have attitude from her. I think learning to live off 4k and still be able to have a good time will set me up well for the future.

Good luck with selling your house btw!

Skint_Lynne

Hi Chicka,

Welcome to our world, I'm sure you'll get lots of help here as everyone is really nice and we all have different skills/strengths. If you have a question, someone will answer you!!!

We already have some students here, andromache, slowlyfading and some others as well, they will be able to compare notes with you.

Well done for finding us, I hope you'll stick around. xx

cw18

welcome aboard chika - great to see another 'local'

(Are you 'local' local, or just in Manchester for studies?)

Everyone here is very friendly and helpful, and I'm sure we'll soon have you questioning the need/want of everything that catches your eye...... it's certainly well and truly kicking in with me, and I've only been following this challenge thread since Sept/Oct of last year (though I only officially started keeping accounts for it in January)



Have been through my freezers again this evening, and (re)listed the contents (note to self : must put a contents list within easy reach of them, and keep it updated as I add/remove contents!). I'm now working on a 6 week meal plan starting from tomorrow (which takes me through to 5th April and covers my entire March grocery budget) -- and it looks like I'll have to buy very, very little (apart from veg) for our main meals :blink:

Only problem is I now have an almost totally empty 'fast freeze' section (large one at that!), so will have to go and shop for the frozen bits I need ASAP -- and try and get Whoopsied bread for the next week or two to fill it up in order to keep the freezer running as efficiently as possible, whilst still making it possible to clear space quickly should I find some unmissable bargains in the next month :rolleyes2

Mollymop5

welcome Chika and good luck with your interviews.You will soon become very money savvy with the help of people on this thread

slowlyfading

welcome Chika

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

Only problem is I now have an almost totally empty 'fast freeze' section (large one at that!), so will have to go and shop for the frozen bits I need ASAP -- and try and get Whoopsied bread for the next week or two to fill it up in order to keep the freezer running as efficiently as possible, whilst still making it possible to clear space quickly should I find some unmissable bargains in the next month :rolleyes2

Use some empty milk cartons with water to fill the gaps until they're needed

1274, my current tax year challenge was to beat the interest rate (interest beater challenge) which was, at the start of current tax year, 6.5% on the best ISAs. I decided that since I was going to spend £4,000 over the year, then it was my duty to ensure that I earned the tax free interest on it had I not spent it. Aim was £260 (6.5% x £4,000) but I'm sitting at almost 11.5% and still about 6 weeks to go

Brighton_belle

Hi chicka - big welcome to this lovely thread, (and you weren't at all offensive): we have a lot of fun on here and are all at various stages of learning the frugal life, in order to have the money/time to have/do the things that really matter to us, and for each one of us that is different. Learning to track your cash spending is great way to start:T .

Been a poorly peep for a few days thanks to lousy 'essential drug' side effects but seem to be picking up now. 6 more days left of Feb and I'm beginning to set up my March accounts spreadsheet (can't remember who it was the other day - but I too get disproportionate amounts of pleasure from adding formulae and colour coding, you are not alone:D .)
4K challenge spending coming in well below average so far so determined to spend as little as possible in next 6 days so I have the beginning of a surplus for later in the year. Planning ahead enabled me to give a present to a visiting rellie to pass on to their grandchild for their birthday in a months time so have saved myself postage:j . I have included postage within my £100 pressie & cards budget so every bit counts.
Ooh, and got 6 hotcross buns whoopsied to 40p yesterday.
Goodluck with your new job skintchick.
Redglass - good to read you cheerfully stoic. At least that's the springcleaning done for the year;) .
Hoping to finish the kitchen painting tomorrow. Microwave now off the counter and on the wall, and so my remoska has it's own designatd little space now beneath:j .
Ddraig - how's the 'sheets' project:D

looby-loo_2

Nyk - How inspiring to see a real 'self sufficient' family.

chika

Thank you everyone.

Hi Cheryl. I'm not a local local, I'm originally from Yorkshire so not a million miles away. I've been here nearly three years now though so beginning to get the accent and find my way about!