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

slowlyfading

well done silkbeast, that's great! :j

Mollymop5

Hi Nyk, sophiesmum ect.Just a quick post to say I'm still about and hanging in here.My house is upside down at the mo as my housing association just about to do major electrics/heating works and I'm getting a new kitchen too
I haven't toalled up my spends but as I have been living on a weekly budget I know I'm on track.I just lift my cash from the bank weekly and when it's gone its gone.Most things come out of bank by direct debit and I'm on track there too.
Love reading your posts and your figures.Great inspiration.keep up the good work.Hope I don't loose you if you move to a new thread! I will have to make sure I pop in tomorrow

sophiesmum_2

Hi Mollymop
Good to know some of the old hands are still about even if you aren't posting Hope all goes well with your house refurb xxx

Whitewing and Janey - hope all is well in your worlds xxx

Skint_Lynne

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm ready to go again tomorrow, got my new book ready and will back it up on the computer. I've been to sunderland and back today, thot it better to do that than stay in a hotel. I'm off to carlisle tomorrow, the girls are coming with me as the shop is closed.

They are taking sandwiches with them, they have decided that it is too expensive to eat outside (and that it is rubbish):p .

I've got a coolbag ready for them.

I'm off to find the new thread and then it's bedtime.

Nite nite. xx

Frugaldom

THANK YOU to everyone who took part in this thread, it's great to see some new names (and old ones) reappearing to let us know they are still frugaling.

WELL DONE EVERYONE! See you all in the new thread, which can be found HERE.

bails

Hi everyone, I hope you're all okay and frugalling away, and noone has had any awful April Fools played on them

Apologies once again for not being around, it seems I've gone and got myself a life :rotfl:Things are going really well with my health so I'm able to do so much more and to be quite honest, I'm just loving it! :j I still think of you all lots and wonder how you're getting on, and I do intend to stick around, I've just been making the most of life As it's the 1st, I'm back to writing everything down again - spends wise, despite the up in lifestyle we're still doing well and I've squirrelled away £660 so far to the Dream Pot (which OH still seems oblivious to :rotfl:).
I must dash now as we're playing tennis later so I'm off to the charity shops in search of balls (rather than paying £1 to hire them) and I have to be back at half 4 for an important phonecall. See, the frugal genes are still alive and kicking!
Hope you're all well and I will be back soon to catch up fully with everyone (reading a few posts when I can at mo) xx

ilovetea

Hi.Sorry I'm a bit late.
Not been posting an awful lot,but been lurking with enthusiasm !
My total for the first quarter is £415. That sounds good,but there is only me:eek: .
In my defence,I had two big birthdaay pressies to buy,a Mothers day one one two lots of Easter goodies for my grand children.
Must try harder:D .
Envy you with the gardens,I've got a basil plant and some bean sprouts,not much else todo in a first floor flat with no window sills.
Thanks for you ideas and inspiration,

ilovetea x

purplevamp

My totals for March are:-


TV Licence - 11.95
Gas/Elec - 92.50
Catalogues - 84.68
Home insurance - 19.48
Telephone - 35.50
Sky - 37.50
DFS - 42.00
DS1 Bus, etc - 41.00
My bus fares - 46.10
DS2 & DD bus - 10.20
Lottery - 10.00
Shopping - 199.65
Clothes - 0.00 :j
School things - 16.00
Christmas/B’day - 50.76 (Easter, Mothers Day, DH birthday)
Everything else - 18.19
Entertainment - 56.75 (pantomime in December)
Takeaway - 46.70 :whistle:
Interest - 6.75

Total = 825.71


This is £119.87 less than last month. I had to get shoes for DS2 but these are from the catalogue and so the money comes out of that. Other than that no clothes bought! Bus fares came to just over £96 :eek:

See you all on the other side

angelatgraceland

lilac_lady wrote: »

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.

That made me grin:+) What do "normal" cupboards look like? Im guessing that you dont mean that the doors dont shut properly and that a couple of cupboards worth of food are sitting on the worktop and under the stairs as there is nowhere else for it to go?

angelatgraceland

nickynoo08 wrote: »

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.

Well-I will put it differently-if I were YOU then yes, I would indeed leave-I would think it the right decision. I work because I want to rather than because I truly need to and I feel I have a balance as its only a couple of days a week so I have the best of both worlds.
In your shoes though Id regard my health as the most important and then my peace of mind and the improved way of life I would gain as a result of leaving. It is true that money is not everything! It must be stressful for you as you know your boss isnt happy and by the sounds of it-neither are you as you feel constantly judged? I think you want to leave by the sounds of it but maybe not sure about taking such a leap. Your 2yr old will also be happier and you will have more time to watch your child grow. Good luck with being a ft mum cos thats what I think you will choose ;+) That is indeed what I did for 12 years!