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

Brighton_belle

Like your signature buzzbox:D

We had a lovely few hours free fun rock pooling this afternoon with my new camera:j. I haven't learnt how to download from the camera yet so no pics to show. I probably walked about 4 miles in total so very pleased with myself.
Hope you got a good price for your wedding dress SFT. My parents sold their family sailing boat on ebay yesterday - the end of an era as they have had one since I was a little girl (I used to be tied to the railings round the cockpit - I can remember the indignation I felt at 3). But they are now 81 and getting on and off a sailing boat is just too much.

Oh, and finally my £50 for opening an A&L account through quidco has been received by them an is shortly to arrive in my account:j:j.

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all had a fantastic day!
Sounds like some of you had lovely weather and were able to spend quality time outside. Lucky things.
BB-DH and I love rock pooling and found out when we were courting that we used to spend our childhood holidays at the same small Devonshire beach, with fantastic rock pools. Small world isn't it? Great to hear you are living life to the full.
Well done Sophiesmum for such a productive day in your garden.
It wasn't all that nice here but we had a great family day, Mum provided a super dinner and tea. My niece organised an Easter Egg hunt and other activities with 'prizes'. I really loved the family all coming together, especially seeing my German aunt and my brother who has moved to Hampton Court, London a little while ago.
My wedding dress did really well and went for £55! Amazing to think that it just cost £55 to wear it for the day (a lot less than hiring one).
We've been musicmagpie mad. Hopefully we've sold 130 CDs for just over £100 and as a result just need £8 for our Flat Screen TV!!!! :T
We plan to do some more ebaying over the next few weeks as we continue the great Declutter.
Take Care
SFT

Vixstar

Well done on musicmagpie SFT wish my decluttering was so profitable! Will have to try harder

sophiesmum_2

Well done on your decluttering and moneymaking SFT, love your philosophical way of looking at your wedding dress too. My wedding dress lurked in the wardrobe until I had my DD then was promptly chopped up and made into a christening gown and a hooded cape. This is now being saved for the grandkids that may come along in the future (not too soon I hope:eek:) but I always felt the wedding dress was a bit of a white elephant and bulky to store and I was never sentimental over "things".

cw18

My wedding dress is still intact at my parents - as is my Mums !!

There's no way I could bring myself to part with it, but it's not a bulky one (no full skirt or train) - and I hit the roof when my Mum 'suggested' she get it dyed black for me so I can use it as a cocktail dress !! Not sure I'd have any more use for it as a cocktail dress than a wedding dress anyway :rotfl:

Mine cost £110 brand new (including having it turned up a touch) in 1991 for a 1992 wedding, so I don't feel toooo guilty about hanging on to it. I have friends who spent over £1k on a dress within a couple of years of that, which I have to admit horrified me!! My Dad actually paid for it, and the only things he specified were 'not white' (as I already had children, but I don't look good in white anyway so wanted ivory) and 'not a ridiculously high price tag'. When I told him the cost he looked shocked, and said he hadn't meant that cheap so I could get something 'better' if I wanted :rolleyes: It actually took a while to convince him it was exactly the style I'd gone looking for

Just been to see if I can find a decent pic of mine, and this is the best scrapbook layout I can track down). The three youngsters are my children who were then 8yr 8m, 3y 5m, and 13 months - and the combined cost of their outfits was much less than mine as I made them.... very MSE even back then Even the flowers (other than those for the church) were artificial - partly so we weren't in a panic about an early morning delivery (11am wedding), but also so I could keep my bouquet (still have it, along with DDs basket, DH's buttonhole and at least one from the boys), but it also reduced the cost of those as well








No Easter Eggs for me today But DD is bring me some Grasmere Gingerbread tomorrow (she always brings me some back when she goes to the Lakes for a holiday :T ) The boys were thrilled with their eggs today (£1 deals from Mr A - Kit Kat with mug for younger DS and Yorkie with mug for elder DS). DD will get her After Eight one (with mug) tomorrow, and I've got my GDs smaller ones with plastic mugs where the pictures spin in 'slices' to match up the sections of the characters on them (also £1 each). I don't think I've ever had such a cheap Easter....


I need to get this months accounts up-to-date tomorrow, before I lose the will to catch up - but I've not actually got that much to go in as I've done surprisingly little grocery shopping this month, other than a couple of visits to the S'flds closing down sale (which weren't terribly productive anyway). But they close on Wednesday, so will probably bob down for a quick look tomorrow to see if they've anything much left.


I am going to have to head out to find a new mower (and strimmer) in the next week or so though.... I conned elder DS into doing the back and one of the sections at the front today, and even he was ready to trash the existing mower on the spot which means I've little chance of doing the second cut without knocking my back out again. But this is outside the challenge, as it will be an essential if I go ahead with the vague idea of taking up child-minding. (The CRB for my voluntary role at the pre-school arrived on Saturday, so I know for certain this won't be a problem with child-minding now -- not that I thought for one moment it would, but it's nice to see it confirmed!)

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Hi all. Ive been spending most of the day in the garden, weeding, potting on and all things green! Trouble is I run out of time and cant keep up to date with this forum, it moves forward so quickly, you folk with families put me to shame with all you achieve in one day.

Spent most of the time outside today so tomorrow I must give a little tlc to the inside of my house, just running the hoover over a couple of times a week makes a tremendous difference, then I shall go outside again. I find it so hard to discipline myself to finish one job at a time especially when the great outdoors is calling me. Ive got some beans soaking which I will plant then I want to sow a mixture of radishes and spring onions, this way as I pull the radishes the onions are left more spaced out and it saves me from thinning them. I will also plant whatever takes my fancy without having to actually buy any more seeds, some of those I have are a few years old but I must try them before I buy more. I also grow lots of flower plants to sell at the car boot sales and these all need potting on so I have much to do tomorrow. So far I hav'nt done a BS this year and next week will be my first and I'm getting excited just at the thought. Sad or what?!!!

Purplevamp....Where did you buy that cup cake carrier, I could really use a couple of them to carry my creations in.

Enough for now its now after 1am.

shaz_mum_of__2

Happy Bank Holiday everyone

The frugal BBQ went great yesterday and the rain held off ....................just

Having a quiet no spend day today preparing to go away tommorrow for a few days

Its the first trip this year in the caravan so hope we don't forget anything (but if we do we do and we will survive)

Off to derbyshire (peak district )and looking forward to the walks and the nature .....................must get the camera charged up!

enjoy your day

Shaz

Frugaldom

Only just caught up and have promptly forgotten most of what I have read - Bails, I agree, we should have a 'lookalike' between silkie chick and Mr SFT. :rotfl: Cha, as already stated, claim the council for damage to your car, the roads are meant to be safe, we pay council tax, road tax, fuel tax, tax, tax, tax... we should be entitled to know it's safe to go out in the streets whether it's walking or driving.

Nice work with the CD sales, good luck with the flat screen purchase, gel-pad seat sounds ideal for the bike, hope the carboot sale went well, utility room is something I plan for my dream home - everything to do with laundry plus a double sink, shelves, storage, adjoining garden room, cold store and cloakroom/wc... you get the picture. All garden enthusiasts make the most of the good weather, holiday makers have a great time, under the weather folks - hope you all feel better soon, and, finally, to our happy & evangelical frugalites, keep up the good work

I think I've just about covered everything. Thanks for sharing the wedding piccie, CW, photo 'memories' are great to have and share.

Sun is shining here and I've been up for hours. First load of washing is hanging out, chickens all fed and I'm planning a trip to collect some garden things, as I've heard back from a fellow-freecycler. DD might be here this afternoon so we can start making the wedding invitations. Otherwise, I'll be out playing in the garden.

have a great day, everyone.

savingfortravel

Weather is dull but its not raining and that means that we are going out walking. Planned a nice 5 mile circular route which allows us a sweep past our (hopefully) cottage on the way back.
Beautiful wedding pictures CW! Now photographs I get very sentimental over.
Have a great day all. SFT

bails

Enjoy the bank holiday everyone!

I've been busy trying to get a new credit card for my friend (unsuccessfully so far) and have been very interested to read the credit scoring article - I can't get credit myself, almost certainly because I have no credit history so I intend to improve my rating in the ways suggested so when I do actually want something I stand more chance of getting it (for example, a mortgage next year).

Now I'm off out for a walk with the dog as it's a beautiful day here and it'd be criminal to sit inside and miss it Enjoy yours SFT and drooling over the cottage!

Have fun all, back later!x