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

lilac_lady

I'm needing a new printer and was going to get one today but I've decided that it'll have come out of April's money. that's what being on this thread does to us. Even though we need something it gets harder to part with the money if you're above target in the month's spending.

I'm going to get a refund on a jacket (£14 in a sale but I really don't need it) My freezer and cupboards are looking "normal" now thanks to using food I already had but I know I'll have to restock a bit next month.

I'll use the £14 to try and find some grocery bargains later today. 2009 is getter harder, as NYK says.

I'm going to start counting NSD days and hope that'll help me keep on track.

Pips_Mum

JTB I lost the plot too and didnt record anything so this months will be a bit of guesswork, worst comes to worst I will take an average of previous months and use that.

Hugs Skint_chick x x x

Loopylou - Glad Daisy is in a bit more of a pattern now. I was terrified when OH went back to work but it wasnt as bad as I feared, hope its going well x x
Hope you will all be proud of me as yesterday discovered some pears going manky in the fruit bowl and turned them into a yummy crumble for pud last night I was so pleased with myself as previously I wouldnt have thought twice about chucking them.

SmlSave

Just popping in to say hi! *wave*

The cupboards are looking bare so I think we'll have to do a big shop soon. My peas are finally in the garden along with the potatoes but my leeks don't seem to want to grow, I'm going to plant another set to see if they will sprout.

See you soon.

P.S. been spending loads on DIY stuff!

lyndasharp

Right, boss disappeared into meeting now so can carry on with my post. The estate agents kept calling me back when the boss was sat opposite, and wanting long chats, which isn't good!

They have extended the ISA deadline for all Icesave customers, so I've got until October to replace my old ISA funds in a different ISA. The annoying bit is I don't know what I've done with the certificate, and they aren't sending out any replacements any more.

However, I'm going to Barclays today to open a new ISA and a regular saver, will put the rest of the mortgage overpayments into the regular saver as I'd be getting much more interest on them in there. At least I have until October to hunt down the old ISA certificate...

I spent lots of money on tickets for entry into the Real Food Festival in May, plus the train fare, but it is well worth it for all the free food! Managed to find some money off codes online which made it a bit cheaper.

Update: Barclays wouldn't let me open the ISA, but I have got a monthly saver now, and made my first payment :-) It was really busy in the branch, had to wait half an hour!

Brighton_belle

Glad things are getting easier louby - lovely to see all the support for you here. Hope you have a loevly day with your mum looking after you.

Do you know what I love? Deciding to bake a new cake recipe (banana) and having all the ingredients in the house - makes me feel all housewifey:rotfl: .
Spent today batch cooking lentil packed lunches for the month, making a trifle for OH to celebrate his first day in new job:j . (Fortunately for purposes of waiste management, I don't like trifle).Using whoopsied 5p double cream on top.
Got 10kg sack of spuds for £1 from asda and whoopsied 75p for 18 rolls, & 25p granary bread , that I've sliced and now in freezer for toast.

Off to visit semi housebound friend for good [STRIKE]gossip [/STRIKE]intellectual discussion via butchers for April meat perchases in 20 mins
Sun is glorious here today and I'm feeling very optimistic:D .

Oh, and basil & corriander seeds sprouting:j .
Here's to a better week skintchic:beer:

nickynoo08

Hiya everyone, i'm still here just not had chance to update like i used to. Went just over my budget this month but £35 under my gc budget so i just about broke even. My budget for april will be £250 for everything again.

Just a question, if you had the chance to leave work to become a ft mum would you do it? I currently work pt but due to a few things (mainly my probs i've been having with my back) i may have to leave work - my boss aint too pleased that i need to keep taking time off work or changing my shifts, thb i hate it too and feel i would be better off not there. OH has just had his hrs at work increased permenantly so money wise we'd be no worse off but me being at home all the time i'd have more time to make things from scratch again and i'd be able to keep better tabs on my budget. The more i think about it the more i really want to be at home with my 2yr old. Help me make a decision please.

cw18

Wowsers!!!

Went and did my stint at the pre-school this morning, came home, let myself (and younger GD) into the house, and almost fell over/into a huuuuuge box that had been dumped just inside the door.

My AF order has arrived already (taken in by elder DS) - and only ordered at lunch on Thursday. No idea at all where I'm going to put it all though, as I seriously thought I'd have another couple of days to shuffle things around before it came :eek:

Younger DS wanted to know what it was, and didn't look impressed when I said food - until I mentioned there were some sweets in there. He promptly opened up the box and started digging - walking off with a marzipan egg (which he paid me for when I insisted they were all for me ) and a bag of the fruit flavoured sweets. He couldn't believe how cheap those things were - nor how little I'd paid (including postage) for such a large box....... so I'm really surprised he's not been inspecting all the dates yet (he's always been the funniest in the family about eating stuff that 'should be in the bin')

He spotted the 'creamy chicken pie filling' on the invoice, and remarked that 1kg was rather a lot to buy - didn't have the heart to tell him that was per bag not the total for the 2 bags, nor that each bag actually makes 5kg after rehydrating :rotfl:

Brighton_belle

NIckynoo - sounds no brainer:
1)your job is giving you health problems.
2) due to DH raise you would not be worse off
3) you want to stay at home with your child

Sounds like a brilliant idea:j . And as you say, you will save money by being able to concentrate on your budget, cooking from scratch etc. I know it feels risky, but what have you got to lose... and how much to gain And when the economy has turned around in a few years, if you want to find something else when your child(ren) are at school, well what's to stop you going back to work?

taka

Brighton_belle wrote: »

NIckynoo - sounds no brainer:
1)your job is giving you health problems.
2) due to DH raise you would not be worse off
3) you want to stay at home with your child

Sounds like a brilliant idea:j . And as you say, you will save money by being able to concentrate on your budget, cooking from scratch etc. I know it feels risky, but what have you got to lose... and how much to gain And when the economy has turned around in a few years, if you want to find something else when your child(ren) are at school, well what's to stop you going back to work?

What she said... lol! Nickynoo08 - It sounds like you would be no worse off, happier, healthier and have more opportunity to spend time with your wee one that you would never get back again... Sounds good to me...

cha97michelle

Hi guys and gals.

1st day at work was today, and it was very tiring and a bit of a shock to be back in that environment. Hopefully a few days at it and i will get back in the swing of it. The kids were quite ratty this evening as well as it ended up being a long day at nursery for them.

I managed to avoid all the temptations of the school canteen and stick to my homemade sarnies, even though everyone else was eating it and saying how good it was. They were eating nice stuff.

Best news was that they don't really want me around when the OFSTED inspectors are, so i have been directed to spend time in the office getting my lessons planned and resources prepared for the 1st week back, Woohoo

I can see how frugalling could disappear out of the window as we forgot to get food out of the freezer for dinner tonight in the rush to be on time, but i whipped up some noodles and salad with some AF tuna in a packet.

My AF was attempted to be delivered today, so i have rescheduled that for tomorrow. I too will have to have a good sort out of where i am going to keep stuff. I thought it would be next week at least it arrived. That's about it from here, i also had my mini-orange tree arrive today. One of the oranges had come off in transit so i had to taste it. I can't wait till they mature.

About it for here. DH is feeling grotty, and DS2 was a pain again last night waking up. We are really hoping for a good night sleep tonight so we can feel perkier and get some more bits done, although by time kids are asleep (8ish), and we cook and eat, it doesn't leave a lot of time before we collapse.

Off to watch heroes anyway, and then bed i think.

Michelle, x