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

Kittikins

Thanks Jamiedodger for the link to The Times, DD loves eating in restaurants, my little epicure, lol and hey, any excuse to not be sat at home trying to cook something scrumptious when I have no inspiration has to be good eh?!? :rotfl:

Last night I got a bit down and went on a dating website, had an interesting email from someone whose profile looked great, decided to waste £5.95 on 3 days membership so I could reply....which then also allowed me to see his photos and hear his voicemail....we exchanged a couple of emails but he's one of these bitter and twisted, "all women are cheats and liars because my soon to be ex wife is" people, and I wouldn't want to be the rebound relationship as I'm fed up of that role in life (oh, and he sounded really boring on his voicemail, lol...I'm so shallow!).

So, I'm still feeling lonely and unloved but am also £5.95 down, what a waste!! :eek:

Today WILL be better....we're off to a play place with friends in a bit, then picking up more freebie magazines off Freecycle, if I'm good, I'll ration myself to a couple a month, thus replacing the mags I would have bought, after all, most articles don't really date or if they do, its quite funny to see how attitudes have changed, and being grossly overweight, not like I keep up todate with fashion!!

Hoping that today will be a low spend day, sure I'll buy my friend a coffee as she's paying for us to go to the play place but will just get tap water myself

JAMIEDODGER

welcome to the challenge sammey :wave:

HH62

Loads of pages to read this morning!
Well done to everyone so far :j

Had two nasty financial shocks already this morning .:mad:
I owe someone £31.50 that I'd completely forgotten about - must repay today as I hate owing friends money.
But the worst shock was about my passport. It needs renewing. It costs £72 to renew them!! :eek: I'd naively expected it to be around £25 which would still be a huge dent in my budget for the month...So that's over £100 out of my £600.

Today I'm going to visit relatives for a NY party. I need to get a bottle of wine and I'm going on the train. I've budgeted £7 for the wine and £20 for my train ticket.
I'll be coming home tomorrow and must try to resist buying coffee, sweets and magazines at the station when I wait for my second train connection. Will take an empty water bottle and fill it up before I set off for the train. Could also take a few nuts with me to snack on while I wait. Tomorrow should be a NSD.

The week ahead should be fairly low spend too. I need to do a stocktake of my store cupboard and freezer, hopefully only need to buy some fresh fruit and veg and milk this week.

Sorting_Out

Good Morning!
Hope everyone is well.
Just wanted to second the stick blender for soup thing. I've had mine for over 10 years now and use it every other day for soups. DH uses it when he makes omlets.
Today I am going into the big wide world with its open shops for the first time since going on the challenge in earnest. Gulp!
I have a cunning plan, so it is a necessary trip.
To explain, I made my future SIL a bag for Christmas and my sis a scarf. They turned out well didn't take long, and the best bit, cost only about £2.50-£5.00 each to make. DH has a shop and suggested I could make a few...just as I was sitting listening to the radio or something, and sell them in there. Nothing to intense or anything, but he thinks he would certainly get more for them than it cost to make. So I'm off to the craft shop...... and I'm sure there are people on here that know where that can lead.
So my strategy is to think out what I intend to manage in the next fortnight say, and look out the patterns etc make sure I have everything there and intact then go to shop.....(it's sounding good now, but will it last???)
On the organisational side, people keep mentioning spreadsheets. I use EXCEL, but I'm only used to doing straight in and out books on them. Has anyone got any tips on how to set these things up, or what may have helped them in the past?
Hope everyone has a lovely day.

1274

Blimey, I've just spent an hour reading through the last couple of days worth of posts!

First week of zero based budget is going well. The benefits are that I no longer need to keep a record of my spends (I was really bad at that last year and then lost all my records when my computer crashed in December), since when the money gets to zero, there's no more for the month. Also, I took out £40 entertainment cash on Jan 1st and can't take out any more, so that's making me more disciplined on thinking "do I need a coffee/drink at the pub/chocolate bar/sandwich lunch" since, again, when it's gone it's gone. I think I may finally have found a budget method that works for me!

In other good news, my mortgage is now below £25K (it was £125K in December 2007), I've made lots of lovely soup in my slow cooker (lentil and tomato in freezer, kale, bean and chorizo all eaten in the last 2 days, and leek and potato still to come)

skintwellie

Morning everyone.

Today I have to get supplies as we have run out of loo roll, milk and bread.
I'm going to drive to my parents who live just outside town and park for free (saving me at least £3.00). I can visit them then walk the mile into town (good exercise for my 'get fit and healthy resolution').

Then I'm going to spend my £15 Boots voucher on necessary toiletries. I have £15.00 in Nectar points so will be able to stock p on groceries in Sainsbury's.

Total spend: Zilch! (Does this count?).:rotfl:

Happy moneysaving everyone:T .

Purple_Sparkles

Good Morning Everyone

I spent £45 yesterday :eek: which was unexpected really as my DM was taken into hospital and had nothing with her, was sat in a hospital gown when I got there.

I had to buy slippers, robe, nightdress, toiletries etc..... as I simply didn't have time to get them from her house as it's even further away than the hospital and I didn't have a key to get in anyway. Then there was £20 in fuel that I needed for the journey.

I don't begrudge spending it at all, her needs are more important than money and I just hope she'll make a positive recovery.

Today I'm taking my son shopping, he wants to buy something secret with some of his Xmas money!

I only need to get some butter (If I could find double cream reduced I'd buy that and make my own instead) so it should be a LSD for me.

I'm going to have to make back the £45 I spent yesterday as it's a huge chunk out of my budget.

Have a great day everyone.

cw18

Purple_Sparkles wrote: »

which was unexpected really as my DM was taken into hospital and had nothing with her

((hugs)) to you and your DM - sending best wishes for a speedy recovery

not a nice reason to have to spend -- but a totally legitimate one in my eyes !!!

FrankieM

Morning everyone...
In regards to the diaries...what about a food diary?? A goals/ to do list diary?

i have a notebook, one of those with partitions in it for shopping lists, meal plans and my to do list. I'd love to be able to put more in my diary and keep it day to day but I like having a diary I can carry in my bag...can't have everything I suppose..

Anyway, today I've had some payments come out. I wasn't going to add in children's pocket money/ allowance but I'm gong to give it a go and see how I do, so I've put the total in my signature. The more I read on here, the more I think I can manage to use my budget for.

In regards to soup..I think I make the worst soup. I keep trying but I think I'd be best off making bubble and squeak burgers with my leftover veg!

charliedavis

Janey51 wrote: »

Hi Jumble-bee :j :j Your shed bed is still available but you nearly lost it when a tree was blown down just missing it :eek:

Hello to even more new frunchkins :hello:

Did I tell you I mentioned to friends/relatives I would like a diary for Christmas?
I now have 5 :rotfl:
What does a frugalite do with 5 diaries

I have allocated:
!. Secret diary in the manner of "The Bridges of Madison County"
2. Spending diary
3. Social diary....a very small one
4
5

Also have a calendar.

Today I am reconstructing my house after my visitors have mostly gone.
My DIL had been sick on my bedroom floor following inebriation on NY night :rolleyes:
Cat had left a deposit upstairs after they left him locked in house while they went out and then one of the guests trod in it and walked upstairs distributing unmentionable odours everywhere :rolleyes:

Dishwasher is clogged with something

They used all my T bags :rolleyes:

Had a dance competition on NY night and have spilt red wine on my carpet :rolleyes:

Do kids ever grow up???:rotfl:

Have a great day.

Lol am giggling at you with your 5 diaries!