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

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

I also counted at a busy time - 7:30am-9am is very much commuter hours around here. So my count was at a 'peak' time, though the evening always seems busier


You can have that one without me even looking at it. I don't "do" flats or apartments. I like to have open space/garden (even if I can't sit in the sun without getting a migraine), and have the dogs to consider as well

:eek:That one isn't for you LIVING in, that's one to pop into your property portfolio as a landlord. Good grief, wummin, am no that glaikit! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

cw18

ah! but when I buy the 'awld smithy' I reckon I'll need a fair chunk of left over cash to get some work done on it (could use a 'proper' roof for starters) - so probably no money left for a property portfolio

patchwork_cat

Yes, Duh, bangs head ofcourse bonds, not pools! Another large employer that lots of the young ones worked at on leaving was the Guardian Royal Exchange! Agree about pension, hence why he pays in, (could opt out), just sometimes I think we could do with it now and I watch neighbours who are rolling in it and think we could be better off and I bet they don't have a pension, but they will be alright ( oh green eyed monster!)

I know some people won't agree, but it is quite hard. We live in a cul de sac of quite new 4 beds and a couple of years ago when my daughter was out playing with a neighbour it was pointed out to her that we were the only ones on the road wiht only 1 car. I did point out that we were probably the only ones without a company car ( or leased or whatever it is these days), but it still made her feel sad. I did point out that because we had no family I didn't work as after childcare I would be working for peanuts and that helped her ( I am the only one here who doesn't work at least part time, most are full)

Umm, BNFL? Bad memories, one of your colleagues was a total sh*t! Won't go into it here, but it was a bloke!

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

ah! but when I buy the 'awld smithy' I reckon I'll need a fair chunk of left over cash to get some work done on it (could use a 'proper' roof for starters) - so probably no money left for a property portfolio

Ah, but we had to remove that one from the suitability list, as it sits amidst fields and they have started making hay while the sun shines, so no good for anyone likely to suffer from hay fever. It would also be very sunny with all those big conservatory looking windows, so no good for your migraines, either. Still think the dogs would love it, though, if you made sure they couldn't get out the garden. And ducks & hens would love it. As an option, I'd expect it to need a lot of money spent on it as it does look quite run down from the outside. I'll bet they could up the price just by painting the outside and straightening up the curtains across the big windows - I'd be embarrassed to be the one selling it. It really doesn't look as fab in real life as it does in the photographs - it looks a bit like a scout hut at the moment.

Ok, must get some more work done before the invoices are sent out, or there'll be no pennies for playing with next month. I ended up spending £25 in town today on yet more garden 'stuff'. :rotfl:

Frugaldom

patchwork_cat wrote: »

... I watch neighbours who are rolling in it and think we could be better off and I bet they don't have a pension, but they will be alright ( oh green eyed monster!) Don't bet on it, these types seldom have spare cash in the bank.

...We live in a cul de sac of quite new 4 beds and a couple of years ago ... it was pointed out to her that we were the only ones on the road wiht only 1 car. What horrible neighbours to rear a child who would repeat such a thing. I did point out that we were probably the only ones without a company car ( or leased or whatever it is these days), but it still made her feel sad. You should have said that maybe you're the only mum who doesn't NEED to work I did point out that because we had no family I didn't work as after childcare I would be working for peanuts and that helped her ( I am the only one here who doesn't work at least part time, most are full). That's because they are probably all up to their necks in debt and cannot afford to be stay at home wives or mothers. They are more likely to be jealous of you!

patchwork_cat

Children do tend to repeat things what upsets me is that obviously the parents had commented. No it isn't very nice it is very cliquey here. We are looked down on because of the car etc. However I KNOW we are better than them!!!

cw18

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Umm, BNFL? Bad memories, one of your colleagues was a total sh*t! Won't go into it here, but it was a bloke!

That's the place ....... and no, I don't glow in the dark :rotfl:

As to colleague - with approaching 3k employees when I joined (down to nearer 2k when I left) there's every chance that I wouldn't have known him anyway

cw18

Well, I've just had an "interesting" trip to my local C00p :rolleyes2

Not yet done my trip to Mr T to use my Mr M voucher this week, so I plan to spend this evening stock-listing the last 4 cupboards and the second freezer (whilst defrosting that). My plans to deal with the freezer earlier this week went to pot, as DD's fridge/freezer decided to give up the ghost on Sunday - so I had to jig everything around to make space for as much of her stuff as possible. Fortunately she didn't have vast amounts in, due to it getting close to the end of the month - so I managed to almost totally empty one drawer (and my ice shelf) which accomodated all but a pizza, a couple of gammon steaks and a couple of (already very defrosted) burgers. She had to get a new appliance (towards which both my Dad and I have advanced her birthday and Christmas present money, which combined covered about half the cost) and that arrived yesterday morning, so her food was delivered back to her this morning giving me almost a FULL drawer I can fill with goodies for us....... This will probably the best use of my voucher tomorrow, as my cupboards are heaving so I don't think I want to be stockpiling any more tinned or packet goods !!!

But I remembered I hadn't yet cashed my dividend vouchers, which I planned to do before doing my Mr T shop (they should cover it, along with what I already had in my purse due to DS using my card to buy a couple of PC games from the auction site and paying me the cash for them). So off I trotted, along with vouchers (and the leaflet with all the terms and conditions, having highlighted section 5.1 which says I can cash them).

The lad I got on the tills (who recognises me and has a laugh with me) said he wasn't aware they could cash them, and even went as far as to say they're not allowed to give change on them if what you spend is less than the face value. He then asked the lass (who is the Mum of one of 'my' pre-school children), and she said the same. So - having read the paragraph in the leaflet - he called for the manager, who also said they can't cash them. But having read the leaflet he went to make some phone calls to try and find out how to do it.

He came back to say he couldn't get hold of anyone who knew anything about the ability to do this, so he made a management decision to process them - though it wouldn't let him scan them as I wasn't actually spending anything :eek: I'm convinced he only 'found in my favour' as (a) he recognised me as someone who pops in for a 'pennies' shop now and again, and (b) I had the leaflet with me. I can see him making more calls on Monday when head offiice is open again - and I think I'm going to try and find a way of contacting the members section by email to advise them they need to let stores know about this and how to process them!!!!! I know some folks would have been mortified to cause such confusion, but it doesn't worry me at all when I know I'm within my rights with what I'm asking for (which I did, thanks to having had that section pointed out to me on here :T )

lyndasharp

cw18 wrote: »

Just done some quick number crunching.....

for each £100 gross you get each month, you're currently paying £3 to your pension. That £3 incurs 60p in tax, which at the moment goes into your pension.

IF they're giving you a lower salary in return for a non-contributory pension (which is what salary sacrifice/surrender is, and what I assume your salary exchange will be), then your gross pay will go down by £3 for every £100 you used to have, but you'll gain the 60p tax.

£100 - £3 (pension) - £20 (tax) = £77
would become
£97 (new lower gross) - £19.40 (tax) = £77.60

then you also have your NI savings (as low as 1p per £1 into your pension, possibly 11p per £1). and then any difference to your student loan payments.

but you should certainly see an extra 60p for every £100 you had as your basic gross payment

No idea how, as I haven't seen my payslip, but that's given me an extra £22 this month!

I'm just paying the minimum into my pension. A few years ago an FA said I needed to put £300 per month away for retirement, but that's not really possible right now! I've decided that I'd rather save up to pay off the mortgage early, then I can think about more money in the pension pot...

Skint_Lynne

Just saying a quick goodnight to everyone cause you can't post until tomorrow afternoon. I'll do a proper post then. xx