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

Frugaldom

Hello fruguys and gals

sorry I haven't been about much but it's been garden, work, house, garden, shopping, garden recently Glad to see you got your wedding dress, Lynda, and glad you are taking the time to enjoy your new house before uprooting and moving elsewhere.

Lack of oomph - that's April for you. One minute it's glorious weather and everything looks rosy, the next it returns to winter doom and gloom but don't worry, enthusiasm will return after we recover from the shock of today's budget. what I can't tell you is if it will be as a result of a good budget that makes frugalers happy, or a bad budget that makes frugalers turn to happy pills - either way... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: (No offence meant to anyone who may be on prescribed medication, St John's Wort or giggle gum. )

I had to go shopping AGAIN! This is getting beyond a joke with prices on almost all the 'cheap stuff' having doubled over the past year. How on earth are we supposed to live if things keep increasing at the rate they are? :eek: :mad: I was so annoyed at the extortionate prices that I spent almost £3 of absolute junk that included sweets and reduced chocolate eclairs!! :o Then I spotted brush fencing in Ald! and had to have 2 packs of that, too! Over £20 on non-essentials and I wouldn't pay £5 for gammon! :rotfl:

The sun has, at last, come out to play, so I'll toddle off to the garden for a couple of hours. At least I can be happy about an almost free lunch - our own free range eggs!

slowlyfading

sophiesmum and skint lynne - I'm glad you both posted what you did. I've been feeling really low on energy lately, and not been bothering with things as enthusiastically as before, and I think it was just me! I'm running the NSD challenge this month, and I'm worried I'll fail it as I just seem to want to buy junk food all the time, which isn't helping with my waist line either. :rolleyes: I think I've slipped into the mindset at the moment that if I spend some money, it'll make me feel better, and it rarely does!


Sorry for not updating as often as I should. To be honest, I've got to update my spends from Sat onwards, as I just haven't got round to it. I'm working in three different places this week - the bakery, a fair trade shop and a restaurant on the evenings - so I'm really tired already, and its not even near the end of the week! I reckon sat is just about going to kill me - I'm at work til midnight on friday, at the bakery 8am til 4:30pm, then back at the restaurant at 6pm til midnight. I just don't know why I say I'll do all these things sometimes :rolleyes: I'm just thinking of the money!

And oooh my gosh, I've not told you all my exciting exciting exciting news! haha ( can you tell i'm excited?!) me and the bf have booked a holiday together :eek: its not until July, but still. and guess where it is?! ?! ?! The Mamma Mia Island!!! (Skopelos, an island in Greece where parts of Mamma mia was filmed - the beach scenes in particular!) and I'm so over excited already. It cost £388 each and that includes flights, for 7 nights, so I think its quite a good deal - we couldn't find anywhere cheaper to stay there, and I had my heart set on going once I found out where it was so yes, that's cheered me up, and I am now skint! (ah yes, that's why I said yes to working a million hours.. )

I have read the thread, and still marvel at all the ideas that are posted, but can't really remember in detail what people have said. sorry.

Sending big (((HUGS))) to those who want/need one.

sf xx

sophiesmum_2

Enjoy your holiday SF, nice that you and bf are getting on so well and that island looks idyllic (and sunny!!!) at least when you are doing all those hours at work you have something to aim for:D

Went to costco for oldies this afternoon and spent money on some stockpile items for myself,
12 litres uht milk £5.98 and 15 2lb bags sugar £8.49 still cheapest by a long way and need to stock up ready for jam making in the summer.



Edited to add - just treated myself to two new books from Amazon, one about preserving garden produce and another a guide to garden birds. Spent £10.78 but no postage to pay as sharing amazon prime membership with my family:) which is great when anyone wants to order stuff as you don't have to consider postage.

So £25.25 to come off budget.

Now as part of my 101 in 1001 day challenge and also my mini challenge I need to cull a couple of books and sell them on Amazon.

FrankieM

Hi everyone,
Not much going on here. Watching my veggies sprout...!
Not spent any money but the Tesco man comes to night. My last shopping of the month. DH gets paid next week so I can work out my budget and start afresh...

Hope you are all well...

miss_keep_counting

Hi there

I'm taking a 6 month break in Brighton.

Not included in total:
Rent: £325
CT: £60
= £385
x 6 = £2310

In total:
Phone: £20
Food + Fun: £95
=£115
x 6 = £690

Plus things I need to pay out:
Dad travel costs and B'day: £50
Bed, storage, bbq, kettle? etc: £100
=£150

6 month outgoing total: £3150 or £525 per month I need to earn back if possible!

Although I have the money saved to cover this trip, I'm paying rent out right and I have savings which could cover the whole thing if needed... my plan was always to make back whatever I spent, and that would equal 27ish hours work per week. I want to have fun which is the point of this break so I'm going to have to be inventive with my saving, spending and earning!

I've decided not to include my e-bay sales of old stuff into the money to cover this trip as technically I would have sold them anyway... but I am hoping freebies and deals will mean my £95 food and fun outgoings are lower to make this easier.

Phew.

slowlyfading

sophiesmum wrote: »

Enjoy your holiday SF, nice that you and bf are getting on so well and that island looks idyllic (and sunny!!!) at least when you are doing all those hours at work you have something to aim for:D

I can honestly say I have never felt so happy with someone and I need to lose weight before we go, so it should be the kick up the bum that I need! I hope you're okay, you've been a bit quiet lately xxx

sophiesmum_2

slowlyfading wrote: »

I can honestly say I have never felt so happy with someone and I need to lose weight before we go, so it should be the kick up the bum that I need! I hope you're okay, you've been a bit quiet lately xxx

:Afine thanks just got other things on my mind at the moment but still lurking about and reading everyone's posts

slowlyfading

sophiesmum wrote: »

:Afine thanks just got other things on my mind at the moment but still lurking about and reading everyone's posts

Well I hope everything's okay, and you take care of yourself xx

DdraigGoch

Hello again - back online after over a month without internet connection AAAAAAAAAargh

Am getting closer to having a budget, still lurking, still hoping, still trying

[very trying! ]

Happy everythings to everyone who's had happy stuff, sympathies and condolences to those who need them, and generally hello and hope life is good to everyone on here.

all the best
DG [who just cannot catch up so I'm starting from here]

Skint_Lynne

Good evening,

Not much to report today re: spends, I have been a bit naughty:o. Was at the shops with my sis today and bought us both a crepe, it cost £5 in total. I have been dying to try one for ages, it was nice, the sis had one with nutella and marshmallows, I had a more traditional one with lemon juice and sugar.

I watched the lady make it and it looks easy. I've got a new kitchen gadget thing that my mum bought me, a multi cooker, it looks like a gigantic frying pan, but it is electric. I'm betting that I can make them in there.

Now, pre MSE, I would have thought nothing about that, in fact I probably would have went out for my dinner and spent £100.:o (that I would not have had to spare).

I am getting geared up for 1st May, I'm all fired up and ready to go again!! Hope you are as well sophiesmum!! I'm counting on you all to keep posting and letting me have a look into the way you all do things.

How exciting slowlayfading, I'll bet that you will have a fantastic holiday, however, don't overdo the overtime, you've been working lots. The money is always tempting though.

I'm away to get organised for work, so will check in later. xx