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

shaz_mum_of__2

Sorry you not been well loopylou hope you feel much better soon i had a similair experience with DS2 but never actually got home before the problems started so was at least in the right place

Coming up to the end of my month as payday is in 3 days i will post figures later but i think i am on track in fact student grant is due in a month and i think it will go straight in the isa as we seem to not need it at the minute

Had a heavy month as car insurance, mot, caravan insurance and hubbys nursing fees all due but all done from salary and savings not touched!!

Hoping to pay water rates in advance and council tax so have no monthly bills but will wait and see

Shaz

Frugaldom

Hi Guys, I'll catch up very soon, been busy, busy, busy. Parents now en route to visit. Will pop on to catch up later tonight.

Brighton_belle

louby - so sorry to hear of the extra hospital visits required:eek: . It's great that you are now doing ok and can catch up on daisy cuddles. I totally understand re your OH and daisy photos. I guess it is part of his protective 'daddiness' kicking in and wanting to keep his precious little girl safe: this is a very public forum and it is easy to forget that.
As for having her in bed with you - I'd trust your own instincts. Have a lovely day together.

Shaz - well done on doing so well you can consider putting your grant money in the isa:T

Bumped into someone I haven't see for 24 yrs yesterday, and she's now keeping chickens in her back garden! She was trying to convince me it would be possible for us, but really, our back yard just isn't suitable.

FrankieM

Hi All,
I've been busy getting back into my housework routine. It was the kitchen today and it's now looking fab.
Our people mover died on Saturday. The camb belt snapped but as we were planning on getting our campervan on the road we are going to just plow on with that. Not very frugal but a great vehicle and I've been saving up so I feel I can justify it!!!
I'm hoping to not spend any money this week...wish me luck!

Have a great day, it's raining here unfortnately. Sorry you've not been well louby but congrats on your bundle of joy!!

MrDT

Still on target for a £200ish month here. March total stands at £180.50 spent so far, and no big spends planned for the next week

I'm delighted with how well things have gone this first quarter. Spends are very very low, a total of £675.27 spent this year so far (excluding rent, council tax, transport), and a total of £298.90 extra earnings banked. That's a balance of £3623.63 remaining including the extra earnings offset, or £3324.73 without I'm expecting a couple more payouts before the end of the month to boost the extra earnings too :j

Big change around the corner - we're moving house in one weeks time :eek: I'm looking forward to the move, but it's a little bit stressful too. Can't imagine what the stress would be like moving to a bought house as opposed to rented! I don't know how the challenge will hold up in the coming months, we'll need to buy some bits for the new place no doubt, and there's the possibility of higher bills, but with a bit of luck this great start to the year will help lessen the impact of any unexpected expenses.

How's everyone else doing? No doubt some will have high spends due to stock piling and buying gifts in the january sales etc, others like me maybe below the average so far due to having the bigger expenses fall later in the year, maybe a summer holiday, or planning on buying last minute christmas presents etc. It'd be interesting to see how the first quarter has worked out for everyone so far, and how many are confident they'll complete the challenge under budget! I failed miserably last year, but have a 'good feeling' about this year

Pips_Mum

Hello All

I am sorry, I fell off the wagon and havent been filling in my spending diary or budgets or anything moneysaving at all. Got really fed up about everything money related and buried my head in the sand for a bit even though I knew it was the worst thing to do, why do we do that?
Also think trying to be Supermum caught up with me so took time out and feel better for it. Pip is 11 weeks this week and is doing well.

I am relying on you all to keep me on track again!!!

x xx x

bails

Hi everyone! Sorry to hear you had to go back into hospital twice Loopy, glad all sorted now and you can cuddle up with Dasiy again - this time is so important.
Been on a course today and have homework too but need to take dog out first.
Hope you're all well, congrats Mr DT on your budget going so well so far and good luck for the move.
I really need to add up my spends and update but won't be happening this week :rolleyes:

Frugaldom

Hello to all, I'm back in the land of the living after the storms took out the power for about 3 hours this afternoon! :rolleyes: It's just typical that it's hatch week, but I'm hoping that all the extra polystyrene we had kept the eggs warm enough throughout the duration! I KNEW I should have invested in the adaptors and a car battery but it's too late now. The storm hasn't let up at all, gale force winds still howling overhead and between the sunny spells we've had lashing rain and hail. Horrible weather! I hate the high winds!

Loopylou, I'm sorry to hear you'd to go back into hospital! I hope you are much better now and that everyone's looking after you. DH is right about the photos, it's never wise to put pictures of children on the Internet, especially when everyone is so traceable through public forums.

Hmm... we now have a tremendous downpour of hailstones battering on the window but the sun is still shining! It's a northwesterly gale, so watch out (checks the map) umm... Cumbria and possibly even Lancashire!

SFT I can't believe it's less than a week until your wedding!! :eek: You 'sound' so calm! Hope all goes to plan and you have a magical day I'm sure you'll get that country cottage soon, just use some of your vouchers for a portable gas stove, a BBQ, charcoal, camp cooking equipment and candles then make sure there's an open fire or log burner for heat when the power's out. Think of it as rustic and romantic rather than a 'bleeping nuisance'. :rotfl:

BB, your yard probably is big enough to keep a couple of chickens when you think of how some are kept - 3 to a square foot. They are great little creatures and some breeds can be really tame. The little Pekin we have here is so tame it jumps into your hand if it thinks you have food for it and Silkie chick thinks any pair of shoes that walks past is his/her mum!

MrDT, hope the move goes well for you and doesn't put you off any further moves. Freecycle is great and there are sales everywhere, so the costs might not be too astronomical - unless you insist on one of those all singing, all dancing, mega thousands of pounds entertainments systems as seen on Grand Designs recently. :eek: They were how much over budget?

My 'everything else not included in the 4k' budget is taking a bit of a hit if I include DD's wedding but that's the photographer deposit, invitations, place cards and favours all taken care of so far and I haven't even touched the 'wedding savings' as it's all come out of what I save by living on my budget. :T :j

Do you all realise that it's the end of the first quarter one week tomorrow? New quarter, new thread, new season! :j Sunshine, gardening, veggies! :j Just to make you all feel like it's springtime, look what's here (not literally 'here', I mean in the field outside).



That's distraction & delay tactics until I see just how badly I'm doing with my all-in 4k budget.:rotfl:

WELCOME BACK PIPS MUM It's easy to pick up where you left off and don't forget to make allowances for extra Pip expenses.

Brighton_belle

nykmedia wrote: »

BB, your yard probably is big enough to keep a couple of chickens when you think of how some are kept - 3 to a square foot. They are great little creatures and some breeds can be really tame. The little Pekin we have here is so tame it jumps into your hand if it thinks you have food for it and Silkie chick thinks any pair of shoes that walks past is his/her mum!

Stop tempting me Nyk:rotfl: The idea is a bit appealing but really, my backyard surface is concrete (covered in loose small pebbles) and is L shaped with virtually no direct sunlight. We have 4 people living here who need space in the summer to put out their washing, store and access bikes, and I'm hoping to grow a few veg. Also I am surrounded by other small back yards with no gap between me and the backyard behind us so I am conscious of any unfair noise (I know I wouldn't have a cockerill).
Bizzarrely enough Amazon have just emailed me a special offer on a 'keeping chicken's' book. No I do not see this as a sign:D

Today I have rescued and scrubbed suitable pots for indoor salad leave growing and found half a pckt of cherry tom seeds still in date. Can't think where they came from .

Good luck with the move MrDT - and your first place where you both start off new to it:T

Hi pips mum - not suprised you needed a wee break (unintended pun:o ). The important thing is you and pip are doing well. And after a relatively short break you are ready to resume.

sophiesmum_2

Nyk - we've had the winds here (lancs) too since this morning not quite as bad as you though. Hope your eggs are okay. Love your new tomato house too.

Mother's day brought me amongst other things - two more blueberry bushes and two big plastic cloches which were much appreciated.Still haven't progressed much with getting my raised beds up although the pieces are now cut to size so next weekend should see them completed and filled. Trays and trays of seedlings all over the house now, have potted on some of my first planted toms which are now quite big , same with peppers, Not got much time during the week with work and helping with my dad too, but trying to get something planted each day.

One nice weekend should see it done:rolleyes:

Hugs to those in need xx

life insurance DD out today £14.49 to come off budget other than that a no spend day.