Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 2

HH62

Ok well I forgot to add the cost of a few stamps that I needed, and I have some lovely strawberrries that were begging for some ice cream, so in addition to the passport renewal fee I've spent £2.44.

Chika, yep £72 to renew a passport. I nearly fell on the floor with shock when I first found out how much it is now!

Tomorrow I'm going to the farmers market. I've limited myself to a £5 max spend. Not going out at all over the weekend so I'll do free things like walk and hopefully sit in the garden if the weather's as good as promised.
I plan for my total weekend spend to be no more than £10 - to cover any wine or extra bits of food I want.

To those of you who are off out tonight or whatever, have fun!

redglass_2

Thanks for the info on ISAs, Cheryl and BB. It seems things aren't looking too great for my friend right now, but at least I've tried to help,,,, xx

Aeb - I've just realised what's going on! What an amazing surprise. No wonder you feel a bit overwhelmed - but you do sound a very strong person, who will cope with anything life throws at you.

cw18

Got the courtesy bus to Mr M today. Had to 'flat pack' my shopping trolley for the journey there (the aisle was too narrow for it), but the driver said the bus doing the pick up was wider so I should be fine with it.

Bus arrived for the return journey - seats are wider too, so the aisle's the same width!! A very unimpressed driver (different one) put it into the boot, but informed me 'those things should be booked on in advance' Apologised, but explained that with back problems there was no way I'd have managed to lift the amount of shopping on and off the bus, let alone carry it home from the drop off point.......

As we were heading back to the bus door he asked whereabouts I live (within the town) and where I was getting off - he drops at two places, with the second being back at the store. I said the store was better for me, as it means no main roads to cross with the shopping.

Anyhow, we got back to there and I let the others off first as I needed my trolley. As I got up to get off the driver told me to sit back down!! His next job meant he was heading back past my estate with an empty bus to get to the collection point, so he dropped me off at the entry to my estate :T Meant I managed (just) to get the frozen and chilled foods put away before diving out to collect my GD from school

But I was right -- there's no way I can get to the £30 mark to use the £5 off vouchers on my own anymore :rolleyes2 Luckily DD's shopping took it comfortably past that point She's not asked about getting any of the discount, but given I ran her home (extra petrol for me for the 8.5 mile round trip) she's benefited there - and when she goes to Mr A (with 2 youngsters in tow) she normally ends up paying for a taxi home. So effectively she's saved the full fiver on her shopping anyway

Back down to DD's in the next half hour or so, as I'm babysitting tonight.....

bails

Have a lovely time SF!
My SiL's sister had her baby yesterday, 9lb 10 oz :eek: A home birth, which is what I would like when the time comes. Oh, and I've got some new work lined up for when I get back from hol, thanks to networking on my Masters :TYippee!

Spent money today on clothes but it's all saved for. I'm so excited now! Uni friend's wedding tomorrow then flying at 7am the next morning :rotfl:OH says he'll have a G&T waiting for me when I get there, woo hoo! :j

Have a great 10 days peeps, I'll see you when I get back x

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
Well we've moved out of the house. It took a while..despite all our hard work at the weekend. Mr SFT has even more stuff than me!!!!! (sorry Nyk). So we're now at my parents and Mr SFT has sorted out 3gmobilebroadband for me. Hurrah!

Now got 14 days left..and counting..

Have started my own blog about the 101 challenge. So looking forward to that.

Not much else to report. We will go to Waitrose tomorrow to stock up on some food. I've got to start my reports.

Michelle-IMO lesson observations are designed for professional development, to highlight areas to improve not to demoralise people. As part of the SLT I do my fair share and the teachers I watch leave with a spring in their step because we are there for the same reason, the children. Take care. PM me if you want.

lingojingo-My dad wants to know what is on the menu for the £1.99 lunch?

Have a great evening everyone.

sft

Blairweech

Hiiiiii :wave:

Have not been on for a few days , but have been reading

Aeb - Oh my wow! :eek: is all I can say.

BB - Thankyou for sharing that video with us, very cute!

Well done to Chika and bails on the job front

Not much happening with me - got the vouchers from the Sun, and did not even have to pay for the paper as the drivers leave theirs in work and I swiped the vouchers out of them

Plans for the weekend - working until 2 tomorrow, then will prob head out on the bike and stuff. Will do a teensy bit of food shopping, and figure out what is for lunch/dinner next week. I made lentil dhal this week and it was nom nom nom. Made a scrummy spinach and blue cheese pasta for tea - used up spinach, cream cheese and blue cheese. My fridge is almost empty now.

Other than, do a bit of Ebaying - think frugal beau is coming round Sunday night, then back to work Monday :rolleyes:

Hope you all have a good weekend

cha97michelle

Evening all.

Spends today were 65p on a drink at the pub with my department after work and about £22 on some shopping at Mr T. I went to try the new store that replaced the coop. We also need to do a costco, so i will spend more than that for the week, but i am quite pleased with that for what i got.

I am so happy it is the weekend. I was trying to be constructive today and broached the subject of the kids doing 4 days at nursery. They were not sure it would be possible as they have a lot of new starters (under 2s) so though they could take DS1, they can't guarantee DS2. Well there goes that plan. I'll not give up yet, but i will try and sort it out once they tell me what next years timetable is. No sign of it yet as they are still juggling redundancies, so no idea who will be teaching what or when. I'm sure all the little bits like this are not helping my stress.

Thanks again for all your support. I'm sure a bit of rest and getting ahead with some of the work deadlines will make a big difference to me. Y11 left today, so that will free up 4 hours a week for me. I've already donated 2 hours in the 1st week to a y11 student who is resitting and wanted extra help, but there you go, them's the breaks.

It 's lovely to see a few faces reappearing, and nice to see aeb feeling more positive too.

Hoping for a good weather weekend to get out in the garden as it is going bonkers. Cheap entertainment for us all as i feel like i haven't spent time with DH in weeks.

Off to watch some telly with him now, and i'll be around a bit now i think as i won't have as much work to do.

Michelle x

Brighton_belle

Sounds good Michelle: have some relaxing down time with your OH.
Great to hear stage one has gone well sft and you've moved out:T.
Loopy - sounds good you've been making new friends in your community: good luck with the job being confirmed: that would be fantastic and just goes to show how things can turn up you couldn't have planned for.

We picked up a tall thin bookshelf offered on freecycle tonight: which would have been fab but OH accidentally cracked our car windscreen when loading it. Cost for repair will be £75:rolleyes:. Rather gutting - could have bought several new bookshelves with that. We're a bit fed up but very able of putting this in perspective. Frustrating though when you try and save the pennies...
Wecome back HH6: just get back on and refocus and you'll still end up far better off than if you'd just given up trying.

Tomorrow's plan is pilates class in the morning. Pick up a chicken & mince from butchers to see us through to end of May on way home.
PM I need to do more decluttering and cut 3 or 4 shelves for the afformentioned tall thin bookcase. I've already started sorting some of my books to take to charity shop.

Lilo&stitch: well done on getting back to home cooking and breaking away from the take aways:T.

Great to hear life's good for you whitewing. I'm the organiser between me & OH too.

grandma247

Hello everyone just got caught up on the last 12 or so pages. I am still being very frugal (no choice) and have almost finished painting ds3's bedroom with very reduced price paint d*l*x too!
I am counting the days off till friends arrive.
Had a healthy heart mot and tests showed I have very high levels of good cholesterol so I am doing something right.
Congratulations aeb.
Got to get to bed now I have just seen the time.

lingojingo

cha97michelle wrote: »

I've already donated 2 hours in the 1st week to a y11 student who is resitting and wanted extra help

So that's someone else who values your skills. Hang on in there, it can only get better.