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

skint_chick

Haven't been on as I had a terrible week -my little hamster died Thurs night -I'm glad she wasn't in pain for long but I'll miss her. My laptop also packed up completely -luckily I keep everything backed up online but spent £400 on a new one!! Then my wages didn't go through properly so I have £5 until OH gets paid Weds. Very glad I have savings! The final straw was straining my knee ligament so I'm hobbling everywhere:mad: :mad: :mad:

This week WILL be better - I'll get my totals updated and need to get a few groceries to add to basics I have in storecupboard. Managed to spend 2hours on artwork today since I couldn't do much else! My clothes budget is busted as I had to buy 2 new bras - the hook broke on one and the wire came out of the other:mad: I should have thought about my clothes budget more as the majority of my clothes are at least 2yrs old and cheap so don't last as long. Now I'm focusing on how this week will be better and I will get back on track with my finances - and when I get paid I'll have another £500 savings:D

sophiesmum_2

Sending hugs and positive thoughts to you skint_chick, hope you have a better week.xxx

shaz_mum_of__2

skint_chick wrote: »

Haven't been on as I had a terrible week -my little hamster died Thurs night -I'm glad she wasn't in pain for long but I'll miss her. My laptop also packed up completely -luckily I keep everything backed up online but spent £400 on a new one!! Then my wages didn't go through properly so I have £5 until OH gets paid Weds. Very glad I have savings! The final straw was straining my knee ligament so I'm hobbling everywhere:mad: :mad: :mad:

This week WILL be better - I'll get my totals updated and need to get a few groceries to add to basics I have in storecupboard. Managed to spend 2hours on artwork today since I couldn't do much else! My clothes budget is busted as I had to buy 2 new bras - the hook broke on one and the wire came out of the other:mad: I should have thought about my clothes budget more as the majority of my clothes are at least 2yrs old and cheap so don't last as long. Now I'm focusing on how this week will be better and I will get back on track with my finances - and when I get paid I'll have another £500 savings:D

you poor thing but great positivity there it will get better i am sure

Had a quiet day organising assignments and exam revision for uni only a few weks now it has gone so fast i just hope the summer goes slowly

Should be entitled to some disabled studemts money next year once the consultant send a copy of my diagnosis through ??

not actual money but a grant to spend on aids etc so hopefully a new computer with speial keyboard and mouse and a chair which are mine to keep


Had a frugal tea of falafel and pitta breads with the first of the salad from the garden

Byre for now shaz

jtb2412

Arghhhhhhhhhhh I've totally lost the plot with this challenge ! Still living as frugally as possible but I've not been keeping my spreadsheet up to date for the last week and a half and I can't remember what i've spent . I don't think it's much as we've been so busy with the garden, Guides and the fundraiser that I've not had the time to spend ! Most of it has been on my card so i'll have to go on internet banking and have a reccy I think.

I've no chance of catching up on posts so hope everyone is doing ok? Congrats to SFT (have briefly read this page ) and everyone else who's doing well. Huggz for those who've been poorly or feeling a bit low xx

Other than being extremely busy, things are going really well here. The gardening/allotment is keeping us out of mischief and things are progressing nicely. I've not had much time for surveys or click sites but now our Guide fundraiser is over I'll have a bit more time to do them.

We're away visiting my parents for a week in the Easter hols so shouldn't spend too much while we're there. We're popping down to their caravan on the Norfolk coast for a few days so will have to chip in for food while we're there and when we get back but I plan to do a bit of cooking next week (lasagne, shepherd's pie, rhubarb crumbles etc) to take with us so we can have a nice relaxing time at the van and spend as much quality time together as possible ).

Bills wise, council tax has increased by less than I thought so it gives us a bit more to play with. EDF sent me a hugely wrong estimated bill so I've rung them and given them my readings so expecting the correct bill in within the next few days. Dog insurance has gone down by about £2 per month so another bonus.

DH found out he's not getting a payrise, but we thought as much and are just so thankful that he's still got a job in the current climate. I'm not sure about mine but am LA so think ours have already been set for the next few years.

Right I'm off to work out my spending (well, try to ) and update sig. Will promise to try and keep up this week xx

[Deleted User]

Hi all

Thanks for all your kind messages.... We have had such a better day today. Midwife came and weighed her today and shes put on again! She thinks we have turned a corner with the breastfeeding, its alot more manageable now. She seems to have two big feeds and then sleeps for a couple of hours, shes done that for the last two days. We've also started using that infacol stuff, to help with wind/colic etc so maybe its that that is helping.

I've also been having a sleep when she does, even an hour makes so much difference.

DH going back to work tomorrow but I've got my mum coming over to look after us!

xx

angelatgraceland

Collected a replacement fridge today from a Freecycle member. Gave it a good cleanup and now I can restock it. Wasted some food the other day due to my old one not being cold enough so very grateful that I found a free one so quickly to replace it. 3 people offered them to me-it really is worth asking! This has saved me at least £120!
The chap was very grateful too that Id helped him clear out his garage by removing it! Nobody would know it was a secondhand one-its very tidy.
No spending today. I did pop to Waitrose yesterday for some bits-came to approx £15. Now going to check my Asda order which is due Tuesday to make any ammendments.
DD just sold a load of clothes on ebay so wants me to take her shopping to spend the money. Guess what-I hate spending money! Its sort of alien to me I think. Now I need to declutter so I will be putting some stuff on Freecycle.

slowlyfading

nykmedia wrote: »

Hi fruguys and gals


SF, hope everything went according to plan today and that you had a fantastic day - the first of many as Mr & Mrs SF

:eek::eek::eek: I think you mean SFT!!

thriftylass

Good morning!

I'll be gone for a week and a bit. Friends are coming over to visit and will stay with us. Can't wait. So I'll blitz the flat tomorrow which is in dire need of a clean :eek: and today I'll pop into town to get a few thing: pressie for dad (paid by D3b3nh@mas vouchers), pressie for friend (paid by N3xt vouchers), new pair of jeans for me (Arc@di@ vouchers), some iceland desert (luncheon vouchers) and a few other bits and bobs, but should be an inexpensive trip into town .

Hugs to everyone and keep the frugalness up while I'm gone, I might peak in now and then.

Frugaldom

slowlyfading wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek: I think you mean SFT!!

OOPS! Sorry, I did mean SFT :rotfl: Don't know what I was thinking about, but how is the prospective Mr SF? :rotfl:

Skint_chick, sorry to read about your really bad week but it's good that you're being so positive. Do you think you'll eventually get another hamster and, if you do, will you let us see a photograph?

JTB, don't worry about keeping up, I have same problems and have had to cut down on my signature, never mind anything else. :rotfl: Another couple of days and I'll start the new thread, then it'll be easier to start over again :T

Forgot to say, our council tax bill arrived and with the bank interest rates being so low, we're actually saving money by paying the whole bill up front this year. It's still a pity they don't allow you to pay it by credit card for the cashback as well, but ours charges the credit card fee on top if we do. :rolleyes: You'd think they'd be grateful of every penny they can get when you hear how many people don't pay or rack up arrears.

Went shopping yesterday and topped up on a few items. Spent way more than I intended, but it filled the freezer. I am falling behind on my average spending, but I just don't know how to cut back any further. 2009 is going to be the toughest year yet, I suspect!

lyndasharp

Hi all! Hugs to everyone who needs it. Glad Daisy is behaving a bit better now...

Had a good but busy weekend. H2B's flat is almost done. We're taking Friday off work and I'm booking in some estate agents for the afternoon, we should easily be done in the morning. There's just a bit of cleaning and 'prettifying' left to finish off. We also took apart my ex panda car in places, fitted a new carburettor, new water pump, cleaned out the radiator... car now running much better and quieter! Haven't started on Betsy's engine yet, trying to get this car right first so we have two cars running well between us.