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

taka

Hi all and welcome Chika!

Quick question... I've got some seeds (herbs and salad leaves mostly and few veg things to try in small amounts). What is the best thing to plant them in? They will be grown in pots/tubs/indoor windowboxes in my kitchen so will multipurpose compost be ok to use?

My parents have said I can raid their shed to see if there are any pots etc to use (and I already have a few small pots and seed trays) but I need to buy something to grow them in! If multipurpose compost will be ok - how heavy are 20l/50l/70l bags as I'll need to carry them home walking then bus then walk! Hmmmm maybe a trip to homebase with my suitcase is in order (well its on wheels!)? :rotfl: Sometimes I miss not being able to drive... :rotfl: Maybe I can bribe my parents for a lift with promises to provide herbs?

Basil is the one thing I seem to be able to grow! I remember when I first tried to grow basil at Uni I planted too many seeds and ended up with pots/trays on every windowsill/table/worksurface/desk in my flat - including the bedrooms! I kept taking some into work to get rid of it but I had LOADS of the stuff! :rotfl: Its the only time I grew to hate home made pesto - I was soooooo sick of it! Think I'll start small this time lol!

sophiesmum_2

Brighton_belle wrote: »

cw18 - I regularly freeze semi skimmed milk without a second thought. Never had a bottle split.

Today's frugal simplifying tasks:

1. seal orange paint on kitchen cabinet doorss (kitchen now very orange and I love it)
2. Refix door handles when dry.
3. 1 hr creative writing.
4. start March grocery shopping list.
5. Have a NSD
6. Look at charity shop box of goodies and laugh at the thought of one day actually delivering them

EFC - glad you are feeling a lot better: hope the improvement continues -you've had a rough few weeks.
2ndTA - well done of the chard front and general fitness levels.

I'm toying with the idea of planting a few cherry tomato seeds. Bails had a look at my tinsy backyard and thinks it has pot potential for veggies. Can you grow lettucy type things indoors? (to avoid major slug problem). Not sure if I have the energy to see this project through so still umming and arring. I'll see if I can get OH on board with the idea.

I'd go with the lettuce/ mixed salad leaves as Nyk says for continual picking and perhaps try some cherry or tumbler tomatoes in baskets outside - I put two in each basket last year and got good crops.Also keeps them away from sluggies;) You can fit them into small space.I put 6 baskets along fence,

and regularly got this amount of cherry toms over summer:

slowlyfading

Afternoon (evening :rolleyes:) everyone.

I've had a good day today, lol I didn't get out of bed til 11am, had a long shower as mum wasn't in, and then played the piano for 2 hours. Had my lesson at 2pm which went well, and then came home and had bananas and chocolate ice cream I've just taught a lesson, so that's £6 for the pot.

I made sausages with roast vegetables for mum's tea - I had mine at lunchtime, and I must say myself it was yummy! Had a bit of gravy on it, and really enjoyed it - will be making that one again. it was all full of veg that needed using up - red pepper, half a large parsnip, half a sweet potato, some shrivelled looking carrots, an onion, some sliced potatoes and some garlic! Plus the sausages in a large roasting tin for 40 minutes - delish! Quite proud of myself

Bails, can't wait to see a pic once you've found the lead! I've got no advice for the car situation though - is there a local puppy training group near you that you could pop to and ask about it?
Pips Mum, I'd amend your budget if I were you - I think its amazing you're still doing this with a newborn, you can totally do it
Brighton Belle, I planted some cherry tomato seeds in a hanging plant pot last year, and we got millions (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration :rolleyes:) of tomatoes a bit later on so I recommend it
Nyk, we have a coal fire at home as our main heating device, and we get through a lot of coal too! Plus some logs occasionally when we can get hold of some. So, I think that if you can think of ways to reduce the amount spent on coal and logs, it would be great! And any tips would be greatly appreciated

Sending big (((HUGS))) to those who want/need one.
sf xx

Pips_Mum

WOW!! Sophiesmum, thats a fab idea may have to copy you.

Thanks Slowly Fading and CW think I will make some amendments and get back on track. I was getting a bit disheartened as I overspent by £60 last month and it was looking the same for this month too. Right pen and spending diary in hand I am off to see the wizard........ oh no wrong thing.......I am off to make some adjustments.

x x x x

chika

Hi there,

Thanks for all the support, welcomes and general greetings. Hope everyone had a great day.

Today went quite well, I was hoping for a nsd but it didn't happen that way. Had telephone interview in the morning, the job sounded ok but it needs two weeks of full time training which I can't do at the moment. I'll try and keep them sweet for the future though. Had the second interview this afternoon and was offered the job there and then I'm quite pleased, I was initially a bit put off that it was only 8 hours a week but apparently there is loads of overtime. Also if I need to do the minimum so I can do my uni work it will be ok.

I spent £3.70 on car parking and £15 to get a black shirt for the new job. I'm on the large side and I didn't think I would be comfortable and look decent in a cheaper one. I was dying for a curry walking home so took the long way round and bought two cauli's for 50p in the greengrocers. Cooked these up with some onions and salvaged some green potatoes and made a nice curry. Yummy and with home made chapattis less than 20p a portion for a really fabulous meal. I'll have some for tea tomorrow and freeze two lots.

Sophiesmum, Wow I'm really impressed with your cherry tomatoes, I might have a go at that. Do you think I can hang baskets from the washing line?

Bails, your puppy sounds adorable, I can't wait to see a picture. Little dogs are sooo cute!

grandma247

Hello everyone I hope you all had a good day.

Well the specialist still wants to do the op to remove the cyst. He says it is blocking a gland so am waiting for an appointment. The good thing is it will be as an outpatient and it should be fairly quick.

jtb2412

Evening frugal friends !

Hope all is well . Going to be spending a bit of money this week (eek !) with 2 major buys (TV and new bed) plus DHs 40th tomorrow and relatives coming to stay at the weekend. Happy that most of it isn't coming out of the £4K otherwise i'd be scuppered ! :eek:

Challenge-wise we're doing ok and our monthly average is looking good. I'm using Mr Ts clubcard vouchers for our meal out tomorrow night so should only have to put a few £££s towards it (if any).

I went to Mr M&S earlier and spent the £50 sky vouchers on some yummy food. I was planning to put towards birthday pressies but considering we're over on food budget and I needed a few bits to last the week, we had a vote and the yummy food won ! :T Mind you, 4 bags for £50 and I nearly fainted at the till :eek: , just glad I wasn't paying and Sky was ! :rotfl:

No major bills this month, just the usual DDs which will be coming out over the next few days. Will update sig as they disappear from account.

Things going well garden/allotment wise and we're all set to go now, just waiting for seeds to sprout

Sopiesmum loved the hanging baskets ! The toms look really healthy too, think we might have to give that method a go next year .

Pips Mum we've added our Ch Ben into our challenge amount. It just gives us that little bit extra to play with and having 3 kids, they do tend to bleed the bank dry with all their little wants and needs ! It's our first year of this challenge so I'm going to try and do it 'comfortably' if that makes any sense and then reduce it each year if at all possible. I'd love to be able to just live off the £4K but for us, I don't think it's doable at this moment in time. As I get more frugal and 'tight' (lol) I'm hoping to achieve it one day ! Just do what is right for you and your family xx

Bails looking forward to the pics of the pup ! :j

Nyk great that the hen/duck houses are coming along nicely. Make sure you let us know as soon as those eggs twitch ! Energy usage this week has been good here - Gas went down (heating on much less now it's warmed up , but elec was slightly up due to kids being off last week). Be interesting to see what elec is this week when we're all back at work. I'll have to ship you some logs when we cut down our fir trees out the front of the house . Ohhhhh I nearly forgot, had a look at our local LETS group and have sent off an email asking for a bit more info. Have you heard any more about your group?

Have to go make pack ups now (back to the old routine :rolleyes: ) - sorry if I've missed anyone out. Back a bit later to catch up again

chika

grandma247 wrote: »

Hello everyone I hope you all had a good day.

Well the specialist still wants to do the op to remove the cyst. He says it is blocking a gland so am waiting for an appointment. The good thing is it will be as an outpatient and it should be fairly quick.

Thats good news, glad its all going to be sorted for you.

Frugaldom

Wow! Big piccie, SM :rotfl: You've skewiffied the thread with your bumper crop of salad stuffs.
Edited in - pictures now resized, so above no longer applies


Not much to tell tonight, as work beckoned louder than frugalisation, then housey stuff filled in the gaps. I did get a washing hung out for a bit and managed to use up some peppers I had lurking in the fridge to make Mediterranean summat or other (tomato based). Now watching how much of our tax money gets wasted spent on 'Royal projects'. Methinks that a few more representatives of the House of Windsor need to pop in here for some hints and tips. :rotfl:

Grandma, hope you get your appointment soon.

JTB, I got my LETS info pack emailed to me, completed the forms and sent them back with my cheque for £5, as requested. Bank showing cheque now cashed, so I'm expecting to receive my proof copy of my directory listing soon, then the members' directory and my 'cheque book'. Can't wait to see who, what, where and how much. There's also a week long LETS exhibition next month in town library. I can't wait to get find out more, getting impatient

skint_chick

grandma247 - good news about your eye - I had a cyst removed from inside my eyelid and was very nervous about surgeon slipping with knife etc but it was fine - all over in 10mins despite my shaking with fear and only minor pain of slight headache after anasthestic wore off. Did look like Mr Bump with a big bandage round my head though to hold the dressing in place :rotfl:

bails - can't wait to see the pup
pip - are there going to be pics of baby pip?

Work was fab although I'm really tired now and can't wait for bed - doesn't help that I did a pizza mystery shop and ate far too much:o NSD and new work has microwave, fridge, freezer and water cooler so that will all help my frugal ways:D Have to spend money tomorrow on my brother's engagement pressie - decided on M&S voucher so they can get romantic night in meal and wine