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

Annie021063

Popped into Coop this morning as I had a couple of MOC. They had 18 roll packs of loo roll for £3.99, they look and feel good so I bought 2 packs and with my £2 off they were £5.98 for 36 (just over 16p a roll) I thought that was a good deal even without the £2 off.
HTH someone

savingfortravel

Well done on the credit card CW18!!

Lots of DDs came out today. Have adjusted signature..

Remember if Tesco doesn't have the offer in stock they will honour it later. Just ask at Customer Services for a raincheck voucher (I think that's its name). Tesco person should know what you mean anyway..1 or 2 may not/be awkward but I just ignore that and persist..ends justifys means..

Want to see new Che film too....Motorcycle diaries was excellent and learnt loads about him when I was in Havana...

Andromache...Nephew is choosing 2010 trip.. rewarding him for amount/grades of GCSEs he gets..he wants to go to Pearl Harbour... so could be an incentive..if he does his best we'll take him anyway..hope to widen his way of looking at world...
Thanks for the travel info..OH and I met whilst in Cambodia!!! All your ideas sound great.

SFT

mama67

nykmedia wrote: »

Hello, welcome newbies and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. I hope all the poorly people (or those who are just a little bit 'under the weather') are starting to feel better and that everyone has arrived in 2009 with a will to succeed in beating this so-called credit crunch. Cheers to one and all! :beer:

I've just added another few names to the challenger list at post 2, please keep checking to make sure I don't miss anyone and apologies, in advance, if I do. I do try to keep up with all the posts but the memory is as frugal as everything else about here and tends to miss bits out when it comes time to 'sum up'. :rotfl:

It's been a beautiful, sunny and frosty day here, so we went for a walk before dinner and I collected another bag of kindling sticks. One of my new year's resolutions is to collect enough kindling to keep us going all year, another is to practice frugal, digital photography every month so we have a year's worth of photos to choose from when it comes the time to make up the 2010 calendars as part of next year's Christmas gifts.

Dinner was homemade soup followed by roast beef, roast potatoes and mixed veg and I have a cheesecake waiting to be eaten. I have to admit that I am not as frugal at saving leftovers as I probably could be, but I can never resist putting the scraps out for the birds, Bagpuss, Mr Fox and Mr Hedgehog. The wildlife also accounts for some of my grocery spending and my 'everything else' spending, but it's a hobby that I'm not prepared to give up, as I like watching everything. Today we've seen the usual assortment of small garden birds plus a flock of long-tailed-tits that seem to live in the reeds and bushes at the side of the drive. I'd love to see one of the badgers but, so far, all we've seen are the foot prints. Maybe I need to leave them out some peanuts, the same as Bill Oddie does on TV. :rotfl:

I was all prepared for 2009 spending starting right away, so I have already deducted £30 for topping up the electricity meter, 50p for the box of Christmas cards that have been put away for next year (was cheaper than making them), the stockpile foodstuffs I ordered from Approved Foods plus err... £10.33 (inc P&P) for 4 pairs of mock Crocs from http://www.underfivepounds.co.uk/special-offers/ because they are brilliant for wearing as garden shoes and are so comfy! I'll also be adding a pair into each of 2 gardening hampers I'm planning as gifts for later in the year, so have split the cost between gifts category and clothing/footwear. I really need to stay off the Internet so I don't spot bargains! Bargains are my downfall! :rolleyes: I guess I better sort out my shiny new signature and start off 2009 for real!

Edited in - I missed this, sorry! Congratulations JennyBee, I so agree with your decision to save your 4k until such times as it is really needed. Your sister seems extremely wise, and such a lovely person, presenting you with the cheque just as you are expecting your baby. I think that is a wonderful thing to do and can only think that your sis truly believes you deserve it and your grand father would be so proud. My gran did similar with a small amount of money she left for each of the grandchildren (6 of us), so the amount had grown and was made up to £1000 as we each reached 21. It was enough to pay the deposit on a house back then and came as such a welcome surprise that I decided to do similar for my own DD & DS, squirrelling away some savings over the years so they could each have £1000 for their 21st birthdays.

thanks Nyk just ordered some for DS2 to use for when he goes to Karate

JennyBee_2

Nyk - just seen your edit about my good news - thanks It still hasn't really sunk in which I think is for the best. Squirrelling away seems like the best option at the moment and just carrying on as if we didn't have it. I have to say, I have made the rash decision to use £200 of it to buy an annexe section for our caravan awning that is out in France. It was something that we were trying to save up for anyway and will make things a whole lot easier when we go on holiday in the summer! How sad am I? 27 and the only thing I can think about buying is something to go with a caravan!!!

JAMIEDODGER

just got an email from times online and have printed out their online voucher and bonus token, will be collecting some of these this month, so me and my friends can go and have a bite to eat for just £5!:D And they are valid until 30 april!!

taka

Oh... my breadmaker cheese and onion bread = nomnomnom :drool: :EasterBun Not sure it'll last too long!! :rolleyes: I must price it up and see how much it is per loaf...

Store cupboard etc stock-take complete though I seem to have lost some of my curry stuff/pesto. Now to input it into my spreadsheet and menu plan... ummm... via the kitchen for some more bread. :rotfl:

candygirl

oh taka what's the recipe for your cheese n onion bread, it sounds delish:p

Bonaventure_babes

candygirl wrote: »

Just been to B&M Bargains and ALDI and spent £21.99 on nieces bday pressy and doormat, oven glove, socks and groceries from ALDI:D Got Niece a singing musical microphone to bug my bro, and an oops a daisy wooden toy for £6 altogether, where i'd usually spend at least £20 :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
I know I said I wasn't shopping for food but........

Ha Ha...you are so good!!!
All i bought was a packet of batteries...could'nt face supermarket as we had no energy...think we still a bit washed out after the flu.
So the shopping budget is still intact(ish) and we will make do with something out of the cupboard;)

Kittikins

oooo how exciting, thanks JennyBee for saying the Sun are doing their £9.50 holidays again, haven't been on one in years, since pre-DD days, reckon they'll be really popular this year, hope there's one near Salcombe, love it around there...

candygirl

Bonaventure_babes wrote: »

Ha Ha...you are so good!!!
All i bought was a packet of batteries...could'nt face supermarket as we had no energy...think we still a bit washed out after the flu.
So the shopping budget is still intact(ish) and we will make do with something out of the cupboard;)

Lol Bonnie he hates noisy toys, I gave her a party blower yesterday and he went mad:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Good on ya only buying batteries, very restrained;) DD's back at work on Monday so my spending will be back under control;)