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

Frugaldom

Well done Lynda

Well, here it is, the Frugaldom half yearly report:

End of Q2, half yearly analysis
(A fairly lengthy post that you are welcome to skip as it is more for my own records and for anyone interested in comparisons. )

Month to month spending

Month - Household + Everything Else

January - £560.28 + £76.99
February - £273.56 + £268.33
March - £327.21 + £403.39
April - £278.14 + £327.26
May - £292.13 + £197.12
June - £220.82 + £154.40

Totals to date:
Cost of living - £1,993.42 (Average £332.24 per month)
Everything else - £1,427.49 (Average of £237.92 per month)
Extra cash generated - £908.49 (Average £151.41 per month)

Overall spend £3,420.91
Less extra income £908.49
Total = £2,512.42

Average monthly overall spending costs less extra income = £418.74 rounding to £420 per month

Break down of household spending
Item: Original budget - what's left = amount spent to date

Groceries: £1,130 - £382.18 = £747.82 (Cannot sustain this on current budget)
Toiletries: £50.00 - £19.96 = £30.03
Cleaning/Laundry: £20 - £10.33 = £9.67
Electricity: £1,200 - £660 = £540
Coal/fuel: £240 - £132.40 = £107.60
Logs: £240 - £120 = £120
Internet: £240 - £120.06 = £119.94
Mobile Phone: £40 - £30 = £10
Telephone: £160 - £105.37 = £54.63
Clothing & Footwear: £100 - £56.82 = £43.18
Gifts: £350 - £210.76 = £139.24
Extras: £20 - £20 = NIL
Travel: £150 - £127.30 = £22.70
Insurance: £50 - £2.50 = £47.50
Misc: £10 - £7.90 = £2.10

Totals: £4,000 - £2,006.58 = £1,993.42

Going by the overall figures, I am £6.58 within target. The above analysis includes everything except rent and council tax. I am quite happy with my current challenge achievements, but still need to try harder at:

1. Neutralising 'everything else' spending to cover the set up costs of Frugaldom gardens and the mini poultry farm
2. Cutting down on grocery spends

Goals for second half of the year:

Seriously get fitter, not fatter
Make, dry & store enough paper logs to last the winter
Gather, dry & store enough pine cones and kindling to last the winter
Ensure the garden is productive and prepared for 2010
Neutralise all 'everything else' spending
Not buy any eggs (freerange from our own hens)
Not buy any cakes, pies or puddings (homemade only)
Not buy any laundry products (soapnuts & homemade only)
Not buy any jam, lemon curd, jelly or marmalade (homemade only)
Not buy any alcohol, even at Christmas (homemade only + what's already here from last year)
Pay DD's wedding and DS's 21st without touching any previous savings or investments
Fill my 2009/10 ISA (not yet started).
Develop my 2012 plan, 'just in case'. (It's only 1270 days until December 21st, 2012
Succeed in all my set goals & challenges

thriftylass

nykmedia wrote: »

Thrifty, I haven't included targets in the challenger list this year as so many people are on different budgets, so don't worry about being over - it's how and why you got to be over that is the focus of the challenge more than anything. Are you using your actual budgetted figures or are you just cja;;enging yourself to stay within set parameters for spending?

I got budgeting figures for leccy and stuff like food + hh and mostly stick to them. And I got rough limits for travel, gifts etc. My downfall is socialising and holidays/trips with BF. But my self set challenge is basically to reach my savings target to get money together for a house move in a few years, so I know it's not the end of the world if I go over, it's rather that I let myself down. But with all the help I got from you guys here I improved a lot. I'm also practising budgeting etc for the time our family will be bigger and it will be crucial to budget. It would probably be easier if I'd be on my own since my partner makes the whole enterprice a bit unpredictable . Anyway, new quarter here I come......

P.S. Decided to start making my christmas gift list now (earliest ever) so that I at least keep that under control this year.

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Wow can't believe half the year has already passed! Doesn't seem long since I signed up to the challenge! Not doing to bad, to be honest I think some things have been paid out our own "junk money" then not counted into the figures. I haven't actually done a breakdown of what we've spent, but it's all in my spend diary. But we've so far this year spent £1567.32/£1650 (£275/month). OH is amazed at how much we do with our budget, we still go out, have treats etc

Roll on July!!!!

cw18

Just had a call from elder DS (the Army one in Germany).

He's not "working" today, as apparently they have a major inspection coming up that they have to have everything ready for - don't quite understand the reasoning behind this, but it seems to have given him some time to take stock of his finances :T

Today is his pay-day, so he's checked what's gone into his bank. He's then started up a spreadsheet, and from the money in he's deducted all his regular out-goings (car finance, insurance, mobile contract etc), and was planning to record everything he spends.

He phoned me about something else while working on that, but was muttering away to himself (and cursing Excel) at the same time - so I asked what he was trying to do.

Turned out he couldn't figure out how to make it show him how much he had left on a daily basis without changing a cell forumla everytime he entered something - and was also grumbling it was going to take him hours every day.

So I was briefly telling him how mine is set up, and how - now the basic structure is all in place - it only takes minutes (literally) a day to get everything in, which he was impressed by as I have a lot more to key in than he will. I also talked him through how to set up a couple of cells to show his total outgoings as soon as he updates, and then to use that so he can clearly see the total he has left. When we got off the phone he was sounding really impressed with 'his' spreadsheet :rolleyes2

He also dropped the "bombshell" that he expects to be home on extended leave again in August. He had wanted to tour Europe, but apparently can't afford it - and also wants to save so he can go to Cancun in March of next year (for his 21st). So his 3 weeks Summer leave will be spent here - and he's also looking at adding on an extra week as he has loads of leave to use up (he carried over the maximum 3 weeks they're allowed from last year) :eek: I have dropped heavy hints that I expect some keep off him if he's here that long



All my monthly bills for June have now gone out of my bank (was worried a couple were going to be late and not hit until early July), so I think I'm in a postition I could declare my mid-way status. However I'm not going to tempt fate, as I'll be down the road at around 6pm (to hand GDs over to DD after her appt) and will check the C00p for Whoopsies while there.........

Things are looking good just now, but probably won't be as healthy at the end of July as I have my car service and MOT to pay for at the end of next month, and my insurance has to be renewed (or changed) by 1st August. So that's 3 more of my 'one-off' bills to be found in one month, which is going to make a serious impact on the overall 'spend to date' figures :eek:



ETA: DS just phoned back with another Q. He wanted to know how to make his spreadsheet show him how much he has as a daily average for the rest of the month, after deducting the money he's actually spent and without having to edit cells every time. He's definitely a happy bunny with his spreadsheet now :rotfl:

mama67

nykmedia wrote: »

:rotfl: 2p per point and I only have 38 points? :rotfl: I'm surprised they even bothered to inform me I was getting a payment. The paper, ink, envelope and postage would have cost more than my dividend. :rotfl:

Nyk they sent me notification that I wasn't getting payment as under £2. I have 19 points

shaz_mum_of__2

Not going to post figures as they are of no use to anyone other than us

hubby and i are both pleased I found this thread we have lived within our means and managed to save some too(as well as earn a little free money too)

Nyk - i too worry about rising food prices and although we are rural(ish) we have great services (cheap petrol all the supermarkets,several ethnic grocers and a market with lots of butchers)

I am amazed at your earned extra section i was feeling smug about my £300 odd......do tell


CW my son is away too and much to his (and my families) disgust he pays me £50 a month .............when he is home i feed him (and whoever he brings) i do his laundry and i am his taxi i still think he gets good value and teaches him a valuable lesson .........he knows we would struggle without his contribution and despite the moans he has admitted it makes him feel like a grown up..lol

Shaz

Brighton_belle

cw - you are obviously being a great role model for your children as they all seem to be getting to grips with budgeting, or at least the concept:T.
Shaz - once I started work at 17, my parents charged me to food etc too. They would have struggled not to, and as you say - why ever not - why shouldn't we pay our way once earning. There is still plenty of scope for parents to help out if and when they can with specific costs, once that principle is laid down.

I'm off for 24hrs to my parents shortly: tonight we are going on a guided moth walk once it is dark around part of Chichester Harbour and tomorrow morning on a guided tour of the hidden graffitti in the Cathedral, dating back hundres of years.

Need to bake them a cake before I go.

Will also catch up with my budget on my return. Can't believe the 1st 1/2 of the year is nearly over!

SmlSave

Hi everyone :j Can't believe half a year has gone already :eek: I will try and sort out the spreadsheets tonight (promise)

nykmedia - can I have your elderflower recipe please? Is it easy?

See you tomorrow on the new thread!

yours faithfully

dedicated lurker

bails

SM, aah, what lovely comments about my health, brought a tear to my eye! It is truly wonderful to be able to appreciate my health and enjoy every moment!

Patchwork Cat, your neighbours sound awful!! :eek: Looked down on because you only have one car? What ridiculous and narrow-minded criteria to judge a person by :mad: I say sit back in the Land of Frugaldom and stick two fingers up at them!

Still catching up peeps, back later.... Glastonbury was awesome! :j

Back again - sending you huge belated hugs for Tom's anniversary Janey. We think of you lots here, just in day to day life, and miss you being around. I hope you can find the strength and love you need and enjoy your time abroad. Much love xxx

SM, thinking of your dad and family too and sending you all lots of hugs xxx

Completely forgotten what else I wanted to reply to...oh yes, hope your hand is a bit better SF and that you're both feeling better BB and SFT. How exciting about your hol SF!
Your new bedroom sounds wonderful BB, well done for all your hard work :T
I am quite jealous of all the halfway budgets and flourishing gardens - looking forward to joining you all next year :j

We're into serious countdown to departure here now Glastonbury is out of the way...38 days to go...:j:eek: and so much to do! The estate agent came round this morning, I didn't realise she wanted to take photos for the Property of the Week section in the paper...if you live near me you'll be able to see the Glastonbury debris :rotfl:She thinks we may be able to get more money than she originally quoted me with the work we've done so fingers crossed!
The dog won a prize at our final dog training last night - a Kong and some treats - which we were both over the moon about as we lost hers and I couldn't justify the £8 to replace it. I've also made a new friend from the classes so we're going to go dog walking, meet up for coffee etc :TIt's so lovely to be extending my social network again after so long in hibernation.
Here's a money dilemma you may be able to help with - my gym membership is up for renewal: do I pay for the whole year up front and get a free month (I can suspend it while I'm away) or just pay monthly?

Have a great evening all, hope you're enjoying the weather - I look like I've been abroad already

DdraigGoch

We are in the process of renovating our home, so, instead of installing an ensuite loo/washbasin the normal way, which would cost £thousands and £thousands, due to vast electrical/plumbing/sewage alterations, we're considering setting up a "caravan bathroom". As the fitments will not be connected to either water or electricity, this one bright idea will help enable us to get more work done!

Any suggestions about layout/products very welcome