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

cw18

It's been grey, cold and wet here all day Wouldn't be suprised to see an increase in gas use this week, as it was so cold this morning (even at 9am when I finally plucked up the courage to get out of bed) that it's possible the heating kicked in !!! I've got the central thermostat down at 16 degrees, but I refuse to turn it off completely as I'm not going to freeze......

I've been number crunching again today -- real saddo that I am I've been trying to work out income and outgoings for 2010, 2011 and the first part of 2012 (my endowment pays out in March 2012 and will totally lose me anything like Council Tax Benefit I may be entitled to at that point). I'm hoping to use these figures to put pressure onto DD to start paying something towards the costs incurred by me having my GDs (food and car expenses) from September..... If I don't get a penny from her, then I reckon I can just about hold my head above water until Christmas 2011, but only if I don't overspend on any category and don't spend a penny on non-essentials. But if I can get her to cough up what I budget for feeding the girls plus half the costs of the car (bearing in mind more than half my mileage this year has been for her), then I'll scrape through until March 2012 with about £500 to spare :eek:

However, from September 2010 my DS plans to be at Uni - but wants to go to one that means he can stay living at home. He's already been told by me that he'll have to cough up something for his keep (which will help out as well), though I'm not sure how to work it out yet (no idea what he'll get in terms of grants, nor what he'll need for his course). I suspect he may have to try and get an evening/weekend job to help out, and he'll certainly not be impressed about that - but I'd almost like to force him to try as he's not bothered even looking for anything for this Summer, and he finishes at the end of next week (or the one after).

At a quick glance through my budget, if I were to be charging him now then a third my gas, electricity, water, TV licence and phone/broadband plus the budget for his food would work out at around £21.50/week. So I was thinking of around the £25/week mark as not being unreasonable, especially as I actually lose £214/week from other sources (CB, CTC, Widowed Parents and Occupational Pension) as he leaves college and starts Uni I know one local (crafting) friend is charging her son £15/week as he's on one of these apprenticeship things for 17/18 year olds, but even she admits it doesn't come anywhere near covering his costs. And I know that when I started working (in 1984) I was taking home £54/week, and of that my parents took £10 for my keep. I've just had a play with an on-line calculator that works out what the current equivalent is for an amount in a certain year - and that says that £10 in 1984 is now £23.20, so perhaps I'm not as unreasonable as I thought by expecting the £25 from him

I'd be interested to know how this compares against what those of you who currently pay keep to a parent actually pay, or any of you charge as keep from a "child"?

cw18

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

I'm watching with interest to see if Cheryl ends up going to live near Nyk and Sophiesmum, it will end up being a frugal commune down that way, make sure that you make a caravan park/campsite/bed and breakfast space for frugal holidays.:D

:rotfl:

If I only had me to worry about, then I'd be seriously tempted to take a look. But I'd have to sell my house before I could afford to buy, and houses still aren't shifting that fast..... Not sure DS would be happy until he finishes Uni (a good course at two local to us, and he doesn't want to have to fend for himself away from home), and I suspect DD and my GDs would stop speaking to me (especially as DD moved away from all her friends to be near us).

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone

Been reading your posts but been feeling a bit gloomy which I feel guilty about as we are only moving house. But when Mr SFT picked me up yesterday and told me that the mortgage company still needed more info and may not be ready for exchange on Thursday I just couldn't believe this (all we are doing is tranferring our mortgage from one property to another) as it has now taken 4 months. So we went into branch of building society and saw a lovely lady who is now fighting our corner and with Mr SFT's assistance on Monday should sort the mortgage centre out and enable us to exchange on Thursday as planned. SO PLEASE KEEP POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR US..even though this isn't a life or death matter.
Just don't feel like my normal SFT at the moment...

BB -Love the fact you've got your bike. Saw a man on a similar one the other day and smiled thinking of you.

Bails-Sounds like you had a lovely birthday.

Nyk-Been to Scotland and Wales. Just beautiful. Was in Scotland in October half term and the autumn colours were beautiful (pitlochry area-sp) then it snowed which just added to how stunning the scenary was.

Take care

cw18

(((hugs))) for SFT. I really wouldn't have thought moving a mortgage from one property to another was a big deal for the lenders -- as long as the new property is worth more than the mortgage and the survey didn't show any major problems, then you'd have thought they'd want to keep the business

Skint_Lynne

I'll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you SFT. xx

Cheryl, one of my brothers and 2 sisters still live wih mum and dad and they have to pay £20 per week each. This arrangement only started recently but my dad thinks it's important for them to know that home comforts are not free. There are 6 of us and me and 2 other brothers did not pay dig money. However, I was forever buying treats for the younger ones and used to buy some shopping for mum, so I contributed that way.

One day, he will look back and wish he was paying £25 a week for a room, washing done and meals cooked.:rolleyes: By then, you'll be living at the frugal commune doing bed and breakfast for your guests, namely me!:p

slowlyfading

Sending big (((HUGS))) and positive thoughts your way, sft xxx

savingfortravel

CW-I know, I am tolerate of people making mistakes as we are all human after all but not this many mistakes.
Still trying to be positive and if we are in the cottage by Friday I will be so happy as our plan for countryside living can begin.
Thanks for the sympathy. SL and SF.I know I not really deserving but bless you. x

Frugaldom

Sorry, Bails, I meant to wish you a belated Happy Birthday! I keep getting distracted and forgetting who has said what, where and when.

Went round to SM's and we all sat out in her garden putting the world to rights over coffee and then hearing the plans for all the raised beds. It's going to look great if we can get more of the bargain wood. Will try to get SM to tear herself away from decorating and gardening long enough to catch up on here and post tomorrow. It's her tale to tell, I'm just giving sneak previews for now.

SFT - Tomorrow is full moon, so positive thoughts shall be sent your way in the hope that there is some lunar magic in the air.

Skint_Lynne

I think that you do deserve a bit of sympathy, after all, house moving is one of the most stressful things that can happen to someone. You will be all cosy in your cottage on Friday night, I am sure of it. xx

savingfortravel

SFT - Tomorrow is full moon, so positive thoughts shall be sent your way in the hope that there is some lunar magic in the air.

Ahh! Explains why Mr SFT is looking particularly hairy...sft :rotfl:

SL-If I'm in on Friday I will letting all the crazy folk on here now ASAP!!!!!!!!! (Sorry NYK!)