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

MrDT

1274 wrote: »

In other good news, my mortgage is now below £25K (it was £125K in December 2007)

WOW! :T

........

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Kittikins wrote: »

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

It wasn't a waste of £5.95 at all. You've just eliminated one more person from your "Get hitched before I die challenge"

JAMIEDODGER

blimey! I go off for a few hours to make a cheesecake and theres so many posts!!!, better spend next half hour catching up!:)

sophiesmum_2

Good afternoon frunchkins:D

had a busy day already so far, been for a swim and jacuzzi this morning then popped to town with friend to get some veggie bargains from market.
Came home laden with a 20lb net of sprouts for £1 and a 20lb net of carrots for £1:j :j , batch cooking on the menu for tomorrow then:p both are lovely and fresh and the sprouts are huge:D , will need to jiggle a few things about in freezer to make space but plenty of veggies there to keep us going.

Also picked up some bits for OH from boots using his xmas vouchers spent £30, got 120 points, used double points voucher so 240 points,150 points for £20 spend voucher,got another 150 points with voucher for vitamins. Got the £5 number 7 voucher, friend gave me one too, and old lady at checkout gave me hers - bought 3 x no 7 £6.12 nail varnish for DD put through checkout separately so just paid £1.12 each plus got 4 points for each one too:D Total points accumulated this morning £5.52:D spent £3.36 on DD's nail varnish but saved £15, and used OH's vouchers. DD will give me the money for hers;) so overall £5.52 made in points for no layout from me.:j

SL - the nail varnish are good way to use the free vouchers - could always be saved to make up a gift too.;)

My general aims for today are:

• look for lots of recipes to use up carrots and sprouts
• make a loaf in breadmaker
• maximise boots points coupons when spending OH's xmas vouchers
• join Nyk on the "fitter not fatter" challenge and go swimming
• update spreadsheets
• reduce. reuse or recycle at least one item - today's item - remaining xmas cards to recycle box in town, carrier bags to recycle bin.
• Do one thing just for fun - spend an hour looking through some old photo albums.

Today's frugal menu:

• hot chocolate in town (free vouchers) ,satsuma
• poached egg and tinned tomatoes on toast
• buffet at party with oldies tonight

F&V portions - 2 Veg ,1 Fruit, 0 Pulses

Today's extra income / expenditure

Spent £2 on carrots and sprouts.
made £5.52 in boots points
OH won £20 on football card and gave me half £10 free money for me

Nichelette

I love this thread, I would have joined in 2008 but I only joined MSE last year and would like to manage a full calender year. I'm going to try and play along, so I'm just working out now what I've already spent this year. I paid for my car insurance and MOT yesterday so my spending is pretty high already . Also, I do most of the cooking in our house so I'm planning to try and work out a frugal shopping budget for my dad and see how it goes.

Boomdocker

It's not marked in my local store but I asked a cashier to check for me. The xmas loo roll in Wilkinsons that was £1.65 for 4 is included in the half price sale so is reduced by 85p to now just 80p. There was tons of it as its not advertised so a good way to stock up on decent loo roll at a good price. Hey, I'm not worried if I have gold stars on my loo roll in June! lol

slowlyfading

oh my goodness, you people like to talk! :rotfl:

I had an amazing time last night at the Indian takeaway - spent £13 though :rolleyes: It was well worth it though - the food was lovely and I had a really nice time catching up with two old friends who I've not see in ages. One of them works 24/7 in a home with adults with learning difficulties, and the other lives in Manchester, so it was SO nice to see them both together! We had a laugh and a giggle at some old memories, and just had a great time. So, for me, that was £13 well spent.

Today I'm at work at 4pm and then I'm going across to another friends for the evening - she lives about an hour away so I'll have to get some petrol on the way. I can't decide whether or not to include petrol in this budget. I might not for now, and then see how it balances out later :cool: lol. I'm excited tonight as well, as I'm staying over and she's one of my best friends. Wooo!

sf xx

Marru

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

It wasn't a waste of £5.95 at all. You've just eliminated one more person from your "Get hitched before I die challenge"

:rotfl:

I think I have completed this elimination challenge hence I have stopped all dating site activity. And I found perfect person to learn to love this year - myself

FrankieM

Afternoon all,
I've just taken my daughters into town and took the oportunity to put deisel in the car. I'm hoping that will do for the month.
My girls also gave me 'petrol' money for taking them into town. £1 each so £3 in total.
My total is starting to creep up..oh well.
I've got some money in paypal from surveys and I'm currently watching a copy of delia's Frugal Food on ebay. Its at £1.99 at the moment with £5 postage. I've got £12 so thats my limit. I've also got almost enough ipoints to get it through there so I'll have to wait and see.
Of course maybe I should leave the money and points for presents this year? It is last years budget, though, so I don't feel too bad.

Does anyone know a good, cheap place to buy nice bathrobes? And CD players..trying to get ahead for birthday's in March???

fizzel81

Marru wrote: »

:rotfl:

I think I have completed this elimination challenge hence I have stopped all dating site activity. And I found perfect person to learn to love this year - myself

well put xxx :T 3 times i feel ive wasted my time on someone i met via a dating site (admittedly a free dating site) im now not fussed iykwim im more than happy by myself with just the boys