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

lingojingo

sophiesmum wrote: »

Happy Birthday Lingojingo!


Virtual pressie and cake for you -very frugal:D

thank you very much :beer:

I haven't got a real birthday cake, but to add to my great week, my Hotel Chocolate taster pack was delivered to my neighbour yesterday when I was out, so guess what I'm muching on right now with my coffee? Nom, nom.

DdraigGoch

Hippo birdie 2 ewes
Hippo birdie 2 ewes
Hippo birdie deer LJ
Hippo birdie 2 ewes

Happy birthday from Noah's Ark as well!

Today is a day for catching up on all the stuff I really should have done this week on the bill paying front It's got to be done and faced. I'll report back later - if I can drag myself in here.... wish me luck, it's a very deep hole I'm diving into!

lingojingo

DdraigGoch wrote: »

Hippo birdie 2 ewes
Hippo birdie 2 ewes
Hippo birdie deer LJ
Hippo birdie 2 ewes

Happy birthday from Noah's Ark as well!

Thank you :beer:

angelatgraceland

Well I have another expense to add to my annual budget! Ive included it in my spending so far too-the gym! Now for anyone who is tempted but scared do ask to have a look around and have a chat with them at your local leisure centre. I joined last Wednesday and today was my 4th session. It is already getting easier and I feel good for doing it. Never did I think that going to the gym would be my new hobby! The health benefits are already showing in slightly lower BP. I am hoping that ion 6 months I will be off of the pills. So my doc will be happy that I listened to him when I had a recent phone consultation. Never do I want to be a diabetic. Moneysaving is one thing but this is called "investment".Most people spend a tenner in the pub or vids or gambling or somewhere-mine is going to the gym.
No spend day today after spending quite a bit yesterday so thats ok. The cost of the bike is last years money anyhow as it was supposed to be dds Xmas present! DH wasnt happy about the price but then-he wasnt happy wasting 3 days staying in last week either for nothing. Still waiting for Argos refund at the mo-but have only paid deposit on bikeshop bike-the rest is on delivery. Shop will phone tomorrow to confirm he has ordered it or whether theres any problem. I went to Asda last night and stocked up on what I needed so hopefully Ive got some more NSDs to come!
Ive just had a thought-my "as new" bike is sitting here doing nothing-too big for dd-I wonder if the bike man wants to buy it off of me! It was a bit of a mistake buy as its a 19 inch frame and is too big for me! Only problem is its approx 8 yrs old.

Blairweech

Hello my lovelies,

Grandma - Sorry to hear you are not sleeping well, not having enough sleep is horrible!

Well, the news here is that I have had all my hours cut and overtime cancelled Volume at work has gone right down. Think they are just doing it on a daily basis, but I am :eek: now, as I will be lucky to clear £200 a week. Guess I will have to draw on the emergency account (thank god I have one!)

Anyway, will update sig in a minute, not done too badly this week and am on holiday at the end of next week so will not be paying for anything for over a week :j Went to see Watchmen last night and friend paid I will take him out another time.

So plans for today, making apricot flapjacks, chicken with mozzarella and dauphinois potatoes. Being single is making my social life bloom - been out 3 times this week, had one friend for breakfast this morning and another friend for dinner tonight! It's good, keeps my mind from drifting.

Guess I need to sort out next weeks dinners, as I will be working until half eight every night :mad:

lilac_lady

I'm still here, lurking rather than posting. Felt a bit down for no reason but have perked up again. Wonder if it's the weather? Anyhow, you're all doing well and seem to be enjoying keeping to the challenge.

I'm avoiding supermarkets again and using my corner shop for essentials like milk. Dearer I know, but keeps me from overspending on groceries.

Worst US (unecessary spend) this week. £1.05 in library book fines!

Hope you're all geared up for next week's battle.

sophiesmum_2

Good afternoon frunchkins:D

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.With the ryvita muesli bars,snacka jacks and yoghurt bars I got end of Jan from approved foods,that is their snacks and goodies for pack ups sorted for a while longer

Very productive day so far,
Have made a loaf, 2 batches of flapjacks for tin,been costco, been parents for visit, sown more seeds, cleared out coldframes etc. Having a high energy day so hopefully will get through a lot of stuff over the day:D , drawer painting pencilled in for this evening

Sorry about your job Blairweech xx

Angel - I pay for gym out of my £4000 challenge money £32 a month and it is worth every penny even though I only use pool, jacuzzi, sauna etc I go at least 5 nights out of 7 and sometimes twice a day at weekends. It is my relaxation/stressbusting time and well worth the £1 odd a visit it works out at.:j By the way I have lost 6lbs this past week:D going back to induction carb levels.

purplevamp

lingojingo - Happy Birthday! Hope you have a good day

angel - re your "investment". I couldn't agree more, your health far outweighs any moneysaving, well done on keeping it up :T

grandma - I'm sorry to hear your sleep is pants at the moment, and those two nutters sounded like they didn't help. I have trouble sleeping through the night and most nights I wake up at least 4 or 5 times. I have a meditation CD on my MP3 that I sometimes listen to and that does help a little. Have you tried anything like that?

Blairweech - That's such a shame about your hours, I can understand it in this climate (god, that's such an overused phrase atm!!), it could be worse though, but fingers crossed your hours pick up again soon. :A

lilac_lady - you've just reminded me to renew my library book! It's due tomorrow and I still haven't finished it! I'll renew it online in a moment.

Who was it who had the Paul McKenna book? I've ordered the diet one from the libray, just waiting for it to come in, and I'm reading the Change your Life in 7 Days one, but I'm finding it really hard to understand, it's making my brain ache :rotfl: . I've just taken DD to a party down the road and I walked there and back, so feeling pleased with myself. It's only 10 minutes there and back so nothing too strenuous but it did make me feel warm and breathless, in an exercise-sort-of-way . A NSD again, but tomorrow I'll have to buy milk and more bananas as the 5 I bought on Friday went within a day and I never had one

Brighton_belle

weekend simplifying/frugal list:

1. saw wooden shelves for kitchen & varnish. Done - drying
2. tidy storeroom/pantry formally known as the dining room done:j
3. make cake for OH done
4. 1 hr at least of 'creative me' time done
5. freeze butchers chicken into meal portions done
6. have kip done

delighted 'dining room' finally clear of clutter after many weeks. Of course a lot of it ha just moved upstairs to our sitting room, but at least it's no longer in communal space. Next stop, the attic. Slight emergency with shelves as they were outside drying in the glorious sunshine...until torrential rain started & a panicked rescue, but seem to be ok.
angel - I too agree that that your gym/health is an excellent investment (as long as you keep it up of course!)
Glad to see you're not slacking with the drawers project SM
Grandma and Purple vamp - I'm another poor sleeper and like you PurpleV, I also wake 4-5 in the night. Well done on the little walk - baby steps and it all counts.
angelAtG - I guess you can but ask the bike shop man re your old one. Good luck.
Sorry to hear about your job blairw - well done on having an emergency fund to dip into. It's what I am trying to build up too, incase something similar happens to me.
SM - I presume 'induction level carbs' refers to the first stage of something like atkins?

sophiesmum_2

PV - have you got the cd's with the paul Mc kenna books? (usually in a plastic sleeve in the back cover) I had the change life one and the diet one a few years ago - I don't know what it was about the cd's but I never managed to listen to one through - without fail I went to sleep within a few minutes no matter how hard I tried. So even if it doesn't help with changing your life or weightloss it may cure your insomnia;)
If anyone wants a stop smoking one there is one knocking about here somewhere with the cd - :rolleyes: - not guilty of that one - never been a smoker it was given to me when my DS took up the habit.

BB - 20 - 30 g carbs a day in the form of veggies on a low GL/GI diet. I can still get my 5 a day at that level.:)
Well done on clearing your to do list - very productive weekend all round