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

sophiesmum_2

Good evening frunchkins:D

SC - mosaic is lovely, your mum will love it

cw - I would go for it, if you get offered suitable hours to fit in with the girls it sounds like it could be good, and will get you out the house too:D

Blairweech - Normal veggies will be fine just don't overcrowd them in the containers

Today has been busy busy busy:p
Lots of laundry done courtesy of DD's bedroom:rolleyes:, also lots of garden preps started.
OH bought two lucky dips on lottery yesterday, which he never does - anyway one had 4 numbers up so £53 to collect, which he gifted to me:j.
Went to town and picked up my plant tower things from Wilkos £20,(ended up with two as mum wanted one), then had a trip to garden centre with my mum and bought two blueberry bushes and some ericaceous compost for them(£12.99.) Had a rummage through my dad's garage and have managed to find enough timber, and decking screws to make my raised beds for free:j. Also bought a copy of the square foot gardening book for £10.

Dropped the black bag of DD's stuff off at mums for charity shop, and rehomed a desk,office chair, nest of tables and cd system to friend of a friend setting up first home so lots of stuff recycled too:)

Glad to finally have a minute today as have been running about in the car all over the place

General frugal aims for today;

• storecupboard lunch and tea
• reduce, reuse,recycle one item-lots
• do something nice for me - treated myself to square foot gardening book
• do something nice for someone else- rehomed some furniture
• fitter not fatter - treadmill later
• make another plan for square foot gardening planting - (2 beds)

Todays frugal meals;

• brunch - HM pork and stilton sausages,poached egg, mushrooms,tomatoes
• tuna steak,broccoli & cauliflower gratin,green salad

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

Expenditure or additional income
£2.50 spent on veggies yesterday

£53 extra income from lottery win





Remaining target cash for first 6 months food spends - £221.56 left from budget of £400 for first six months.


Extra income generated £205.43 /spent £112.22 / left £93.21
(tortilla press/flour £33, boots pressies £18.35, hanging baskets and brackets x 6 £17.88, planters £20, blueberry bushes/compost £12.99,gardening book £10)

Skint_Lynne

Hi all,

I've had quite a busy day, so am planning a TV night before getting to work on this pigsty from tomorrow.

Today, I got up, had a bath, spoke to DH on the phone, (he is on a break from work and is staying at a hotel in Kenya), went to mum's for breakfast, went to Costco with sis for stamps for my mailshot, and got some rice while I was there. We stuck the stamps on the letters in the car park as the main sorting office for Glasgow is behind there, then we posted the letters. Then we went to Comet and got her i-pod touch she had saved up for. (They didn't have the one she wanted in costco). Then went to MIL's with her mother's day present as she is going away next weekend. Then went back to my mum's for dinner, took her to the bingo and now I am in the house - phew!!

I spent £11 on myself today, £5 in costo for rice and £6 in the tesco next door for shopping stamps.

It's good that I don't need to go to MIL's next week as I can get a bit more time for myself, I'm going to make some sweeties and cakes for my mum. I would have made MIL some as well, but as she won't be here, there is no point. I'm going to have a look in my cookbooks and on the net tonight for recipies and decide what to make. Defo tablet and maybe a cheesecake. What I might also do is make some mini trifles as my mum is paying £1.70 in Asda for 3 of these, I'll have a go myself and see how much it costs me to make them and I think she'll get a nice surprise.

Not long until DH is back now, it will be nice to see him, but nice when he goes away again.:rotfl: I don't know what I'll do when he comes home for good.:eek:

It's awful quiet today, I'll bet everyone was in the garden as it was such a nice day. Will check in later. xx

Skint_Lynne

:mad: :mad: :mad:

I can't find my book that I mark my spending in. I went to use it and it is not there. What have I done with it:mad: . I hope that I have left it in the shop as there is no way that I will be able to mark things down accurately without it. i suppose that I would need to start again from 1st April and record my spending that way if it doesn't turn up. I hope that I have left it in the shop.

I am feeling sad now.

sophiesmum_2

SL- I make individual trifles for the oldies when we have parties, depending what tubs/dishes you use they work out really cheaply.

I use sp jellies about 9p each, if making sponge type I buy the sp plain fairy cakes (52p for dozen) instead of trifle sponges, or for fruit get the sp fruit cocktail, make your own custard or if in a rush the sp tinned custard tastes nice, I use spray cream and just add when ready to eat, stick a cherry on and a couple sprinkles.
I do batches of 40 and they come in at pence each:D

Skint_Lynne

Thanks sophiesmum, I'm going to get some clear plastic cups from her place this week and say I need them for the house. I'll use them for the trifles. I'm going to make my own custard as I have everything in for it. I've bought the smartprice fruit before and it is nice, so it will be a fruit cocktail one I think. I might do a special one and have both fruit and sponge in it (cause we are greedy).:D

I'm annoyed about my book. I'll need to keep a backup on the computer now and start using spendingdiary.com again. It's my own fault for not being careful I guess.:rolleyes:

Sarah147

Hello everyone, still taking part in this challenge and spending less than I used to but nowhere near where I want to be yet. still little steps and I will get there.... I have stopped wasting money at the shop at work and bring my own work everyday and that money saved is really starting to add up. I "hoy" my spare change in my huge money box to count out and bank when full, and I am transfering as much money into my ISA as I can possibly spare (for the house fund). I am shopping much better, have cut down the amount of money spent at supermarkets and am meal planning well so am throwing less food out. I am also baking more; today I made a lovely wholemeal seeded loaf and a vegan quiche, they were both delicious and will do for all my work lunches this week!

But I must confess I have also splurged on what many would consider a non essential item, a ticket to see Michael Jackson! I shall justify it to myself that I have saved a lot of money in other areas and I can afford it. Plus its a once in a lifetime Still, wasn't cheap though... £75 plus £9 booking fee each

purplevamp

Skint Lynne - :eek: , don't panic too much, hopefully it'll show up soon, fingers crossed it is in the shop. I'm forever losing my spending diary. I'm sure there's a little man that comes in and moves things around :rolleyes:

sophiesmum - re: the sorting out, well I made the mistake of blinking today and their bedroom has gone back to normal.

I made a batch of doughnuts today and they were really yummy . I had a NSD today, did 2 lots of washing and although it was sunny I used to tumbly boo as they wouldn't have dried in time (sheets, etc).

This weekend has been quite a funny one, and not in a good way. I've been feeling frustrated and have snapped at the children, which is not like me. DS2 upset his sister loads yesterday and I did tell him off and made him cry, which I'm not proud of. But we're all best friends again and all had a big hug. :A

angelatgraceland

Been too busy to get online a lot lately but budget is doing well.
Spent very little this week. At long last there is a little tiny bit of breathing space in my freezer and Ive managed to get the baskets back in.

Still waiting for a refund for faulty bikes from Argos Direct. Im really truly peed off with them for taking so long! I returned the bike on 27th Feb. Meanwhile have had one delivered assembled from local bike shop-£40 more but the key thing. Service!

Making good use of my gym membership so its value for money!
Trying to run down the freezer a bit-well I keep saying that but it doesnt seem to happen. Not doing any bulk cooking though until my HM meals are nearly used up.
Collected a load of used/unused breeze blocks yesterday free for a retaining wall we need to stop a landslide at the top of our garden. Will still need to buy some but the cost will be a lot less-only half if I can get a bit more used stuff. Im now asking for some bricks for the top of the wall. Two car journeys yesterday and me and DS slightly knkd but saved us about £35 at a guess! Still trying to declutter and getting no closer to it somehow even though Im always getting rid of stuff.
Skint Lynne-I also use the cheap jellies to make trifles individually. I save yoghurt pots when I can too-use them as jelly pots!
Been eating my sprouted mung beans this week-a few left which now are trying to grow! Guess the g."pigs" can have those tomorrow and I will start afresh.
Found a cheaper place to buy FR eggs and milk and they gave me 2 lettuces when I asked for freebie greens for my g.pigs. Got a small bale of hay in the week for them too-just £2.50. Somehow I think Im getting tighter by the day.

angelatgraceland

Sarah147 wrote: »

But I must confess I have also splurged on what many would consider a non essential item, a ticket to see Michael Jackson! I shall justify it to myself that I have saved a lot of money in other areas and I can afford it. Plus its a once in a lifetime Still, wasn't cheap though... £75 plus £9 booking fee each

Now I do believe that all of this moneysaving is a means of diverting cash into other areas where it will be appreciated more. It enables us to afford such luxuries in many instances. Ive started going to the theatre now with my "savings". If you can do it-enjoy it! You won't get the chance again-so you have done the right thing. Life is to live! Call it 6 weeks moneysaving(or whatever). Well done-you deserve it!

sophiesmum_2

purplevamp wrote: »

sophiesmum - re: the sorting out, well I made the mistake of blinking today and their bedroom has gone back to normal.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Just spent the last hour washing last years seed trays so I could sow some more seeds - 2 more types cherry toms, spring onions,radish, basil,and cos lettuce now draining in the bath after a little watering:shhh: and have just hoovered the compost off the dining table:whistle: :whistle: Can you tell OH is on nights tonight :rotfl:
Trying not to sow too many of each at once so I can perpetuate the growing over the summer.