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

shaz_mum_of__2

Well done mr DT on the next step of your relationship.


Anyone watch Monty Hallls last night , great idea and place but not exactly MSE

Having a rotten day as well as everything else (spondylosis and kidney stones) i now have fibroids and need a hysterectemy i am 39 yrs old and falling apart!!

This past year has been a big lesson on quality of life and this challenge has focussed our goals as a couple so i can at least find the positive amongst the carp .


Shaz

angelatgraceland

sophiesmum wrote: »

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

Hahaha SNAP! II fell asleep with the diet one too! However-at the end of the cd I awoke and I think that in this state we still take in the information Im told-even more so-cant think of the word for it but there is one!!! Our subconscious is still listening.
Cant say they worked for me though but they are a great sleep aid.
Not lost any weight last week or this so far but my belt is 2 notches tighter.
Well done on your 6 lbs weight loss too! It inspires me-I will get there!
Since joining the gym Ive been every day except one-when I was working. Just came back from there now(well I got to get my moneys worth)
If I get 10 gym/swim sessions a week its approx £1 a go so like you-that is what Im aiming for. Went swimming last night and did 44 lengths while dd only did approx 16 and she was worn out.
NSD today as apart from that Ive stayed in-and nobody even noticed when I did slip out just now! Just need to sort out everyones tea or we will all be eating jelly! Though they disappear at a great rate-youngest dd keeps nicking them out of the fridge-if I want anything I need to label it!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Frugaldom

Shaz, really sorry to heat about the health problems and am glad that you can find something positive to focus on whilst dealing with all of that. Nothing stops to let you catch up so look after yourself and just keep chasing those dreams!

MrDT, congrats on the house-hunting/viewing/finding/renting! Hope you and LF are very happy together and that the new place quickly becomes frugalised

It's freezing here today. I managed to get the washing dried by 'vertical hanging' on the line in the blustery wind in between showers of rain and hail but I've had to light the fire early again to take the chill off the house. Open fires are so inefficient! I grudge every ounce of energy that gets drawn up the chimney to infinity at my expense! :mad:

I watched the Monty Hall programme last night and wondered why he hadn't sat his barrel of shower water in the sun all day to heat it up a bit. As already said, certainly not MSE, but the place will probably be worth a fortune by the time he's finished with it. I wonder what it costs to hire a unit with solar panels, wind turbine and battery store? That was quite a nifty piece of equipment and looks similar to the set up my across the field neighbours has. Must find out now. :rotfl:

slowlyfading

:hello: everyone!!

This is a quick message, as I'm currently in Kuwait, where the local time is 8:43pm I'm having a lovely time with my dad, who I haven't seen in ages, and Kuwait isn't what I expected at all! its been quite warm during the day - about 25 degrees and cooler at night Even managed a couple of nsds

I'll catch up with you all soon no doubt.

sf x

Lesley_Gaye

nykmedia wrote: »

It's known as SRC (short rotation coppicing) and there's a bit about it here. Basically, once the willow whips are planted and start growing, they just keep growing and can gain 6 feet in a year. Still researching possibilities as I don't have the space to grow it to tree height, but it could be financially helpful to grow enough to cut and store as kindling and selling extra as cuttings

Thanks for that. Sounds interesting and something worth researching more about.

Shaz - I had a hysterectomy at a similar age after several years of messing about with fibroids. After the recovery it was fine and I never think about it now, it was great to be rid of the monthlies!

I saw the program too and dreamt a bit about doing the same, but wouldn't fancy living so far north, beautiful as it is (apologies to all who live more northerly than me in East Sussex) - too cold - loved his silly dog!

Frugaldom

slowlyfading wrote: »

:hello: everyone!!

This is a quick message, as I'm currently in Kuwait, where the local time is 8:43pm ... sf x

:eek: Have I missed a page of posts? I didn't even know you were going out to visit your dad! :j Have a great time and make the most of the warmer weather - it's freezing here! Oh, and how does the cost of living compare? :rotfl:

slowlyfading

Nyk, lol I can't remember whether I posted to say I was going or not - it was a sort of last minute decision as I wasn't getting any hours at work! I think the cost of living is about the same - though obviously they dont need heating out here have been for some lovely meals, and a day by the beach made me feel much more relaxed than i have done in ages i'll be sorry to go home i reckon - and i think i'd have stayed longer if it wasn't for the bf! xx

sophiesmum_2

Hi sf
Have a lovely time with your dad over there:D . Be good for you and mum to have some time away from each other too;)
Hope everything is going well with you at the moment, take care xxx

slowlyfading

sophiesmum wrote: »

Hi sf
Have a lovely time with your dad over there:D . Be good for you and mum to have some time away from each other too;)
Hope everything is going well with you at the moment, take care xxx

Thanks! I think I needed a break away from everything, and I'm feeling better than i have in ages xx

Frugaldom

Look away or skip this post if you aren't a number cruncher.

As the end of the tax year looms, I've been looking carefully at my spends in preparation for starting my annual tax return. :eek: That time of year already?! Anyway, I began my 2009 challenge with a budget of £4,000 and plan on recouping all extra spends to make them cash neutral. Eventually, I want my entire yearly budget to be cash neutral so I am financially self-sufficient before retiring, but that's a little bit away yet.

This is day 68 of the 2009 challenge and I have already spent a grand total of £1,435.77 :eek: This is made from the following categories:

Groceries
Toiletries
Cleaning products
Electricity
Coal
Logs
Internet access
Mobile phone
Telephone
TV
Clothing & Footwear
Gifts
National Trust membership
Travel
Insurance (household contents)
TOTAL TO DATE - £940.92

Life assurance
Livestock, Pets & Vets
Garden project
Miscellaneous spending
TOTAL TO DATE - £494.85

Items in blue are included in my 4k challenge budget and items in red are what I'm trying to make cash neutral by way of completely tax free income. So far, in my quest for tax free income, I have accumulated the sum total of £395.84, so my cash neutral budget is short by £99.01 Having started off with £4,000 to last the entire year for everything, this means I actually have £2,960.07 remaining to last me for another 296.6 days, an average of approximately £10 per day from here until 31st December. But I've been averaging £21.11 per day so far! :eek: The garden needs to produce quite a bit to neutralise ALL my spending in the future!

Just thought I'd bore you all with my startling revelations. :rotfl: