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

slowlyfading

MrDT, thanks for the link

Well, I had a major change today! I have really long hair, and its either straight when I can be bothered to straighten it, or ringlets when i leave it to dry naturally. Well, I got a fringe today! First time EVER. I normally just get my hair trimmed everytime I go, so it was a big step for me. Anyway, I think I love it lol although it'll take some getting used to!

Hope everyone else is okay today.

sf xx

slowlyfading

OMG sophiesmum, that's amazing! Fingers crossed for you

shaz_mum_of__2

Good luck sophiesmum

The commune is starting to take shape ....lol

Shaz

bails

Sophiesmum, I can't believe I have missed all this! Will you and Nyk literally be next door neighbours?? How exciting, I have everything crossed for you! :T:j Does this mean the Malta plan has changed or just delayed? You'll be staying where you are and spending weekends up there til DD's finished? Ooh, so many questions!!

Hi everyone else, I really need to catch up on so many pages of the thread to know what's happening with everyone but in the meantime I hope you're all doing great. I've had an horrendous few days, for reasons I can't talk about on here, but thankfully the worst is behind us now. As a result I am even more skint than previously :eek: but I still have my beautiful OH, family, friends, home and animals so I have everything I could ask for.

Off to chill out and then finish decluttering the piles of books I'm sorting in my lounge. OH's parents are here for the weekend and we're plastering the attic. I'll also be at my Masters all day Saturday so v busy but hope to find some time to read through what I've missed. Thinking of you all and wishing you a lovely weekend xx
ps nearly forgot - OH had his first interview this morning, he thinks it went pretty well...

bails

lol Shaz! :rotfl:Save me a space up there will ya?

Back on page 16 catching up - how cute are your chicks Nyk?!! :heartpuls And how on earth did you say no to the lamb? :eek: I've been cooing over the 3 black ones on my walk and contemplating how to ask the farmer if he had any orphans in need of a good home :rotfl:Only joking, I won't actually ask...til we're back next year :rotfl:

slowlyfading

bails, i'm glad to hear that the interview went okay for your oh this morning, fingers crossed for you two xx

Brighton_belle

sophiesmum - that is stunning and wonderful and I'm metaphorically running round like a... er... headless chicken hearing this news .
I'm just coming out of a ruttish winter so can relate to some of what you have been feeling. Everything crossed for you for Monday - and thanks for sharing this.
I soo love the inspiration of people going for what they want and being inventive in saying 'this is my dream', how can I get there now.

bails

Brighton_belle wrote: »

I soo love the inspiration of people going for what they want and being inventive in saying 'this is my dream', how can I get there now.

Me too BB, it's wonderful to hear how others are making a life they love for themselves :T

SFT, forgot to say, I've always wanted to go to Bhutan too!! At US$250 a day entry though, if we do get there it'll be a flying visit! I told OH we would have to stay awake for the entire time to get our money's worth :rotfl:

I'm loving reading about everyone's gardens and can't wait to get ours up together next year. I just don't have the focus for it at the mo with our sights being set so much further afield. OH tells me if he gets this placement he gets an apartment, woo hoo! I so hope he's successful, it would be a dream come true for both of us!

bails

slowlyfading wrote: »

Lol :rotfl: to be fair, as I live in a very tourist-y area, it is hard work in the summer but i tell you when it does make me smile - when you get little kids come in for a gingerbread man, and i ask them what colour smartie they want (for the belly button) and to see how happy they are to get an orange smartie makes me smile

AAH, this was so cute!! And I think working in a cake shop is a fab idea for you BB! :T

Right, completely caught up now, phew! Nyk, I'm so honoured the first pheasant chick was named after me (I'm choosing to ignore the alcoholic reference ) :j OH told me on the phone we won't know if he's got the placement til next Friday at the latest :eek: I don't think I can stand the wait!
Thanks for all the good luck messages, how lovely!
And Nyk, I had also spotted that HS has become OH/HS again...care to share?:D
Wonderful to read about more frugal meet ups too - we will have that frugal community one day!
Just been on the phone to a very excited friend who just got engaged, but I'm going to miss her wedding boo! She wants me to delay my trip until after Sept 19th but it's just not possible; I'd miss OH too much
Lovely to read how happy you and OH are SF!
And I'm definitely up for being part of the refocusing gang in May...

Frugaldom

bails wrote: »

Nyk, I had also spotted that HS has become OH/HS again...care to share?:D

Sorry, Bails, it's just that there's no appropriate terminology for a partner that isn't an OH but house shares, it's just far easier for everyone else to understand if they don't, if you see what I mean. :rotfl:Shortening all that to OH is much quicker and easier than a lengthy explanation.

And SM! :eek: I didn't think the world was going to know about our masterplan until after Monday's meeting was concluded, but I guess you just can't contain yourself! Secret's out, wasn't me, big boy did it and ran away! :rotfl:Yes, that's right frugalites, SM might one day become my new neighbour and I've been trying not to think about it too much until things are finalised. However, I've been :j:j:j since finding out that there was a possibility and will do everything in my power to help make her dream come true, including help fill her chicken coop with feathered friends and her garden with veggies! :D:D I have everything crossed.

I edited a previous post about the second chick to hatch - it's a little weakling that's still in the incubator recovering (if it recovers) and I've nicknamed it Truffle, as it looks like it's been dipped in mixed vermicelli lke a homemade chocolate truffle. :rotfl:Hoping it makes it, so Bailey can have a friend of the same species. Right now, it's cuddled up to the bantam chicks and will, otherwise, grow up thinking it's a chicken.

Just discovered what all the white flowers are along the edge of our road. Friend came over for a cuppa and we walked along to investigate, because there are so many of them. It's blackthorn! I suspect there'll be sloe gin, sloe vodka and sloe berry whatever else can be made later this year. :j Between the sloes and the brambles, it's making for quite a frugal driveway - I'm thinking plum and blackberry jam, as I can think of someone who may be a neighbour by then, who is ace at making this! :cool:

My new veggie plot is big enough to take 21 potatoes and it's been suggested that I could have a top growing veg in between them to make the most of the space. Wonder if this one will end up behind a fence to save it from the hens? :rolleyes:

On the down side, I've received confirmation today (something I was expecting, as it didn't seem financially viable to me) from a client who is withdrawing work in favour of doing it in-house, so that's another dent in the income. I've already lost several web based clients who are no longer trading and I gave up my part time job last year. Income is slowly reducing, so productivity in Frugaldom garden and mini-poultry farm will have to increase accordingly. These are all steps towards financial self-sufficiency, but with grocery prices soaring, it'll mean even more belt-tightening and learning to like whatever grows best. But I'll still refuse to kill any of my chickens, they aren't going in the pot!