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

sophiesmum_2

savingfortravel wrote: »

Loopy-All the very best! This is very exciting for all of us!! SFT

Lingo/Sophiesmum..I feel left out..share the hot tub story...It can't be worse than I'm imagining (and I have a very vivid imagination)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=12011811&highlight=hot+tub#post12011811

sophiesmum_2

skint_chick wrote: »

I have a confession to make. I have been bad. I spent £6.50 on Indian takeaway because when I was at the doctor on Thurs I found out I've lost a stone!!

I had to get some new work blouses but I'm not including them in my budget because they're only for work and now I have enough work outfits for an entire week so I don't get laundry panic. I also realised after buying a lipbalm and hair dye that I've gone £6 over my annual toiletries budget :mad: But savings in other areas will make up for this so it's not all bad. Spending tomorrow on creative things - making a Mother's Day card and an anniversary card for DH - we've been a couple 2years this week

Going for a long bath now then watching CSI NY and then probably bed because I'm really sleepy

Well done on the weight loss - looks like the change of diet is working well:T :T :T

purplevamp

Snap skint chick! We had a curry last night, but our one was £18.70 for 2 :eek: . Well done on the weight loss though :T

Apart from that minor hiccup I've been quite good so far this month, haven't done a major shop yet, but we did a £60 one last Saturday and we've got loads left. I did have to spend £10 on new headphones for my MP3 but this does save my sanity, without them I'd have to listen to the annoying people on the bus. I was a bit shocked at the price, but these were some of the cheapest, the most expensive I saw were over £100 :eek: :eek: .

I hope everyone is well and for those of you who need one here's a :grouphug: . I'll try to read some posts when I get a spare 5 minutes.

savingfortravel

What a quality post! LOL :rotfl: SFT

Skint_Lynne

The hot tub story is funny:rotfl: :rotfl: I had a differnet vision altogether, it wasn't as dodgy as I thought it would be. I thought you had met some unsavoury character in the hot tub at the gym lingo, so I'm glad it was a story like that one.:T :T

I liked Nyk's potatoes which were on that page as well, I think that bit of the thread was before I joined.

Going to lie down after the G & T, I am such a lightweight.

angelatgraceland

Well my budget is looking good so far-I totted it up for Feb earlier and had approx £40 over I think. We tried to buy dd a bike a couple of weeks ago and twice it had to be returned so today we went to the local bike shop and ordered one. The guy is going to assemble it and deliver it free. Admittedly its £40 more than the one from Argos which was faulty but maybe its worth it. DD can also take it in a for a checkup in a month free if she wants to ride the 6 miles to the shop! At least if anything goes wrong he would more than likely collect it!:cool:
Ive been shopping in little bits "everywhere" in the last couple of weeks so have saved fuel and time. Just remembered-Ive not written down DH fuel yet!
Still money over though so today I went to Asda with DS as he fancied going there too for yet more clothes! Milk was on offer 2 litres for 92p. the one called 2%. Got 4 of those. Used up some Asda vouchers and a credit for £4 so it brought the bill down by about a fiver. Mine totalled approx £39. DS owes me about £40 now! Also got trainers for DD this afternoon for £15-she wanted another pair too-she wears them out in a few months! Dd paid the £11 for the second pair. I felt Id spent enough with the bike and the helmet and a pair of trainers. I know if we bought "good ones" they would last longer but if you saw what she does to them youd understand that Id gain little! She needs army boots rather than trainers I feel.:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

grandma247

angelatgraceland wrote: »

We tried to buy dd a bike a couple of weeks ago and twice it had to be returned so today we went to the local bike shop and ordered one. The guy is going to assemble it and deliver it free. Admittedly its £40 more than the one from Argos which was faulty but maybe its worth it. DD can also take it in a for a checkup in a month free if she wants to ride the 6 miles to the shop! At least if anything goes wrong he would more than likely collect it!:cool:

My dd3 got an Argos bike for her ds1 and she also had trouble with it. I spoke to the local bike shop man and he told me they are made especially for that market and even if they have a good name to them they are not good quality. He said the only way to be sure to get a good bike even for a kid is to buy it in a proper bike shop.
Hello to everyone. I have been lurking the last few days. Not sleeping well again. Last night woke up every hour and just when I felt I could finally sleep (about4.30-5am) an almighty row started outside, a man and woman shouting at each other in the street:mad:

Brighton_belle

skint chick - that's a stunning weight loss and show a real commitment to your own health and well being with the new eating regime:T .

SM - hope you are busy on the chest of drawers right now!

lingo - what a lovely week: a very happy birthday to you. Embracing significant birthdays and having a really nice time really can give you a positive buzz.

Had a very long kip this afternoon which is an excellent way of ensuring another NSD. Did manage to make OH his lemon drizzzle cake though so he's a happy boy. Simple happinesses.

Lesley_Gaye

nykmedia wrote: »

I have no heat to give them other than when the sunshine reaches the kitchen windowsill. :rotfl: My lettuce seeds have been in since November and they are big enough to use as perpetual salad leaves but I'm going to thin some out for growing on for summer. Here's box 1, which sits at the back door with a mini-greenhouse/cloche made from a plastic bag and coathanger wire. I ran out and took this picture about 10 minutes ago - neighbours must think I'm daft, as it's pouring rain.



These are planted in one of the coloured plastic stacking boxes that I rescued.

Thanks for the picture Nykmedia. Maybe I could have got someting more usable if I had planted them more thickly and then used the tiny leaves, I'll have a go at that. But the packet promised full grown plants in 8-12 weeks, stamps feet and has a hissy fit

V.interested in your reply re 3 years for usable willow for fuel. Smallholding living is something I aspire to at some point, I picked up a load of smallholder magazines from freecycleand have been sitting reading them and dreaming.

Do you know how much space you would need to have enough willow for a woodburner to heat the house and water? And is 3 year old willow really thin sticks that would burn away really quickly?

sophiesmum_2

Happy Birthday Lingojingo!


Virtual pressie and cake for you -very frugal:D

Good morning frunchkins:D
Lovely sunny day here today just the weather to get something done in garden, need to sort out my coldframes and sow some more seeds, and check and water the ones already done.

BB - two drawers painted last night as per orders:p , will do rest this evening after swimming;)

Dropped DD off at stables earlier so that's her out the way for the day, although she has requested flapjacks so that may be my next job - will stick some in remoska while I am in kitchen loading breadmaker/unloading dishwsher/etc.
Been given a dozen lemons this morning so might make a few jars of lemon curd too later on - depends how busy I get in garden.

General frugal aims for today;

• storecupboard brunch and tea
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item-
• do something nice for me - sauna and jacuzzi
• do something nice for someone else- go to costco for oldies
• fitter not fatter - swimming later
• do more of painting of drawers - getting there;)

Todays frugal meals;

• no brekkie having brunch instead
• grilled bacon, poached egg, tomatoes, mushrooms - (HM seeded bread for OH)
• chicken fillets stuffed with spinach and cheese,green salad, (with jacket potatoes for OH and DD)

Fruit and veg portions;
0 fruit, 0 pulses,6 veggies,

Expenditure or additional income
spent £3.90 at costco on two 3 1/2 lb bags of luxury dried tropical fruit mix (reduced from £10 - £1.95 bag ) have now split into 50 snack packs for OH and DD and put in bottom of fridge.





Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £224.06 left from budget of £400 for first six months.


Extra income generated £152.43 /spent £69.23 / left £83.20
(tortilla press/flour £33, boots pressies £18.35, hanging baskets and brackets x 6 £17.88)