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

thriftylass

What a lovely sunny Sunday, I wish I was off tomorrow too (Just checked the weather and it's going to rain up here so maybe better go to work ).
Congratulations to everyone who stayed within budget last month :T, I wish I was as disciplined as some of you. But it seems like I may stick to more frugal ways in May than I did in April, hope I can keep it up. Spend yesterday cooking work lunches and went to B&Q to get some more pots and some more seeds. Found that the pepper seeds cost as much as the little plants so got one of those, also because it's getting a bit late to start from seeds. I can always keep the seeds then from this plant for next year. Also got a Jalapeno plant. So hopefully I'll be able to harvest loads of chillies over the summer months this year (Can you freeze them, or is drying the only way to kep them longterm?). The packets you get in supermarkets are just to big, rot quickly and we usually throw loads out.
One (first and last this month) big spend was BF's birthday present that I ordered yesterday. But found a good deal online and will get some cashback.
This morning I finally went for a run again (first in ages) as I need to improve my fitness and it'll help to stay off the fags.

BB loved the mosaic.

SM congatulations, so glad your dream came true.

Enjoy the rest of this lovely Sunday

P.S. Just found out a friend off mine is getting chickens soon too. It'll be brilliant to get some idea what it's like for whenever we might get some.

savingfortravel

Thanks BB-What a fantastic idea. Will def investigate.
SFT

purplevamp

Afternoon everyone! It's a lovely day here, so am making the most of it and using the washing line!!

First things first, April's budget...

Expenditure for April

TV Licence 11.95
Gas/Elec 92.50
Catalogues 77.72 (most of the spends for this were from last year)
Home insurance 17.17
Telephone 35.50
Sky 37.50
DFS 42.00 (only 3 more payments to go)
DS1 Bus, etc 16.00
My bus fares 38.60
DS2 & DD bus 4.40
Lottery 10.00 (still no wins :rolleyes:)
Shopping 242.69
Clothes 10.83
School things 8.30
Christmas/B’day 64.69
Everything else 157.30 (inc. tv repair and cupcake caddy)
Entertainment 10.00
Takeaway 38.56
Interest 4.33

Total 938.04 :whistle:

Must try harder in May...
Must try harder in May...
Must try harder in May...



...saying that, we went to a work colleagues wedding yesterday and spent about £15 on drinks. My Mum was babysitting the 2 little ones and took them to a naming ceremony, which by a freaky coincidence was over the road from where the wedding was, and it wasn't even in my town! So they popped in to see us at the reception when their one had finished!

As we were out all day yesterday my plants suffered as a result of the lovely weather. I think i can rescue most of the chillis but it looks like the sunflowers didn't make it. Still no sign of the peppers though.

We had a power cut on Friday morning, but it was only for about an hour, and when we got to school we were forced to watch a bunch of morris dancers dancing around the playground (this was because of the local festival starting), and as we're not allowed to leave the children until they go into school I was late for work, but we're very flexible at work so no-one minded).

Good news - I've won a holiday for up to 6 with Haven/Betterware, to be taken in Sept/Oct :T. So that's this years holiday sorted. We just need to choose which park to stay at. It may have to be a very local one so that the children can still go to school as they're not allowed out during term time (the school is very strict on this, we've tried before. :mad: )

nyk - aww, cute chickies!!

bb - that's a lovely mirror, well done :T

lyndasharp - I pay £25.10 a month for water and we're metered

looby-lou -

list kittens on gumtree (to cover cost of having mum speyed)

- is this your mum or the kittens mum?!

ttdb - well done on the win, I'm only getting 10p's these days

looby-loo_2

purplevamp wrote: »

looby-lou -

list kittens on gumtree (to cover cost of having mum speyed)[/QUOTE - is this your mum or the kittens mum?!

Definately the cat. She was a stray I took in 1/2 way through her pregnancy. This is the third time I have done this so I'm building an eclectic mixture of cats as I always end up keeping one kitten. Pressure for the children. I'm normally so thankful to find a good home that I give the rest away but I though this time I would try to sell one to pay for the neutering. She is only a very young mum herself so I suspect I shall be keeping her for 15 years or so.

Frugaldom

Good morning to all and Happy Bank Holiday Monday, especially to those who are on holiday to enjoy it.

Cold and wet here, so a good day for house-stuff.

Someone asked me how I get enough time in the day to do everything and I've been thinking about that. My working day is spread out over many hours, so there's no rush to start by 9am and no rush to finish by 5pm. Here's how a day in Frugaldom works:

1. Cockeral crows - time to get up (it's getting earlier by the day!)
2. Check/feed/water chicks
3. Let hens out, feeding, watering etc
4. Turn eggs in incubators
4. Inside - washing on if it's a nice day.
5. Kettle on, have cuppa whilst checking emails. This can take quite a bit of time as I work from home and everything comes in via the Internet, so there's stacks of spam gets through because I can't block too much.
6. Read electricity meter and update spreadsheet
7. Start the blog and do a quick few posts on MSE if possible
8. DS leaves for work, frees up kitchen, I can get breakfast
9. It's about 8am by now, washing's done, hang it out if it's dry
10. Log in to network, start downloading, printing, packaging, whatever, read forums at same time, post replies.
11. Sort the mail, have it ready for 11am when it gets taken to post office.
12. Turn eggs in incubators
13. Check livestock, top up feed & water etc, clear up the devastation trail the hens leave behind them
14. Lunch

Egg turning gets done about 5 times a day, work can arrive at anytime and needs processing within 1 working day and I make my hours to suit the weather. I'm aiming to earn my living by being as self-sufficientish as possible so, if it's sunny, I'm outside, if it's wet, I'm inside. Admin work can be done (and often is) up until about midnight with research, reading, writing, photography being done in between times. Mealtimes are not set, we eat when I cook or else DS scoffs something based on eggs.

Hope this helps explain things like why it can take me an hour to type a message on here :rotfl:

Blairweech

Hi all!

Have not *quite* got around to doing my totals yet, will try and do so in a minute. Was going to go to the market this morning, but then remembered it is Bank Holiday so will not be open. Could go to Morries but not sure if I fancy the drive...

Anyway, I had a lovely day yesterday - frugal beau and I went over to Fowey/Polruin, which I have never been to before. It's soooo pretty. Was nice and hot too, and I persuaded him to let us take a picnic instead of buying lunch in a pub out there. Good frugal day out (this was helped by the fact I left my purse in my bag while I was walking around the town, otherwise I would probably have spent a fortune!)

I could take a walk up the lane and go and get some eggs, but I have no change No Monday boiled egg for me

Anyway, I have been writing in my diary my frugal actions every day, and it is very effective seeing it all written down. Makes me quite motivated.

I made laundry gloop yesterday Have not tried it out yet, but it was worth it just for the entertainment (I made the mistake of leaving it in my washing up bowl until it set, then had to get it into suitable containers....think nailing jelly to a wall )

Right off to do a freezer inventory/meal plan and sort a few other bits and bobs out. Have a good Bank Holiday all!

skint_chick

SM - Congratulations on your frugal house and chicken plan!

BB- fab mosaic you should definitely sell them!

I've been busy the last week figuring out what I'm doing with my life. Have spoken to several people about my PhD and how to make it happen so the next few weeks will be spent filling in application forms.

I made a handbag from fabric I picked up on my mystery shop to Ikea for free:D I've ordered some more fabric off Etsy to make a stationery wrap and purse for my mum - she has arthritis and struggles to get purses opened and closed unless they have zips.

sophiesmum_2

Lovely bag sc - lots of creative stuff going on with everyone at the moment.:T:T
I seem to be in a permanent state of list writing here:o and loving every minute of it:D

redglass_2

Love the bag, Skint Chick. :T
Well done on the holiday, Purplevamp! :T

I'm sitting at home looking at a heap of paperwork, heart sinking...

Have started off rhubarb vodka (they call it schnapps on the site but it's vodka). One 75 cl bottle of Mr M's cheapest own brand, split into 2 bottles, and about 3 big sticks of allotment rhubarb chopped up and put into each, (= 6 sticks to a normal bottle size). I added 2tbs of sugar to each bottle and have been shaking them ever since - the drink is going a nice pink colour but seems a bit harsh so far, though this hasn't stopped me tasting it, should I put more sugar in or will it soften down?

taka

skint_chick wrote: »

SM - Congratulations on your frugal house and chicken plan!

BB- fab mosaic you should definitely sell them!

I've been busy the last week figuring out what I'm doing with my life. Have spoken to several people about my PhD and how to make it happen so the next few weeks will be spent filling in application forms.

I made a handbag from fabric I picked up on my mystery shop to Ikea for free:D I've ordered some more fabric off Etsy to make a stationery wrap and purse for my mum - she has arthritis and struggles to get purses opened and closed unless they have zips.

Ohhhh... I love the bag . Its gorgeous! Do you sell them?

Sounds like your doing better than me on the possible PhD stakes - I need to go seriously kick some posterior and find out if there is any update on whether I can fund a PhD at all with my grades and whether my current funder would entertain me starting a PhD on my current grant. I wish I could do this myself but no... :mad: :rolleyes:.

My complete outpouring of job related frustration in my boss's direction a couple of weeks ago about the sort of role I currently have seems to have worked. :j (I was scary - he looked terrified! :eek: Not sure he has ever seen me so single minded and focused in getting my point across... ) I'm now just massively, massively, massively busy as a result! :rolleyes:

I am still on track with the challenge -

Food is ~£30 over (but I have a really full storecupboard and freezer),
Charity is £17-10 over
Spends (aka everything else) - less said about this the better
Gas/Elec - Elec is ok... waiting for my next gas bill but it should be far less than my budget (£45/qtr for gas) going by my xmas/winter usage and heating has been on far less.
Entertainment - underspend in this catagory £129 YTD :eek: I've been doing loads and going out a fair bit but there has been lots of low spends/evenings at friends instead of out in the pub and choosing of more cost effective venues + BOGOF deals + happy hour usage! :T
Clothes - ~£87 underspend
Shoes - £1.32 overspend - I bought more shoes :eek: I seem to have developed a shoe/boot buying obsession - I've bought 5 prs shoes, 3 prs boots this year. :eek: (3prs paid for from last years money - I couldn't get to the Xmas sales before the end of Dec 08 but had the money for them set aside)
Xmas - savings growing but minimal amt spent yet
Birthdays - should be in negative figures now (almost everyone is born 1st half of the yr) but have underspent!

Hmmm I'll try to update with accurate numbers later when I'm back from work!

I seem to be developing a girlie streak! I've bought / worn /used far more make-up, toiletries, pamper stuff and accessories in the last few months than I have in the past 5 yrs! (see spends [STRIKE]fiasco[/STRIKE] budget above for the evidence! ) I've even bought 2 prs of heels! :eek: :j I feel good... but I do need to reign the spends on this it in a bit!:rotfl: I've also bought a seriously sparkly light fitting too!

*wanders off worrying about my sanity... :eek: :rotfl:*