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

skint_chick

Haven't been around for a while as I've been really busy but have finally updated my totals and scared myself :eek: I've spent over half my budget already! But all my big stuff - heating, TV licence, home insurance are paid for. I also paid my council tax in full for all 3 properties, and OH got a new car last week- it's 2003 and diesel so he won't need to spend so much on fuel now so we can save more.

I spent £25 on fabric and crafting materials today as a treat so I can make myself some skirts and all my presents for the rest of the year. I was also at the hospital for tests and the good news is my tubes are fine so there's no reason I can't get pregnant:D I should be feeling well enough to go the gym in the morning to keep losing weight - 1stone 5pounds so far:D:D Not much else to report - SL hope your burn is ok and CW hope you get tax credits sorted soon

cw18

Congratulations on the weight loss (and test results) skint_chick :T

I'm not surprised you're over budget if you've paid CT in full -- I pay by instalments, but due to the two 'free' months in Feb & March I'm currently well under on this category. Paying up front would swing mine waaaaay the over too - and I wouldn't gain anything by doing so (no reduction for single payment - which I think I've read Nyk say she gets?)

purplevamp

Thanks everyone for your lovely replies, and thank you to grandma247 for the pm.

redglass - I think you're right about a letter. I'll write one to the headmistress, she needs to be made aware of these things.

SFT - I agree about not going into the school all guns blazing, it just makes things worse. I was so angry on Friday it's probably just as well I've got the weekend to think through what I'm going to say. I'm not normally an agressive person so I probably wouldn't have got too angry .

bb - "the sticks"??? Whatever do you mean? :rotfl:


DH and I went out for our anniversary meal tonight, a lovely little thai restaurant. The food was so yummy. I had 2 pina coladas and deep fried ice cream for dessert . Total bill with a tip came to £67, not too bad I guess. Then we came home and had a lovely cup of tea, aren't we romantic? :rotfl::rotfl:.

Right, think I'll go to bed now, nighty night!

Frugaldom

cw18 wrote: »

I'm not surprised you're over budget if you've paid CT in full -- I pay by instalments, but due to the two 'free' months in Feb & March I'm currently well under on this category. Paying up front would swing mine waaaaay the over too - and I wouldn't gain anything by doing so (no reduction for single payment - which I think I've read Nyk say she gets?)

Hi guys and gals,

CW, yes, we get a 3.5% discount for paying in full up front. We did this in November for the remainder of the year here and again last month for the entire year to April 2010. It's the first time it has been worth it, as the discount is so small that it couldn't beat interest gained from HI account. However, that was then, this is now and a 3.5% discount is far better than waiting in the hope of getting 0.5% over the year from a bank!

Having a really good weekend, although the gales managed to claim part of my new greenhouse roof!! :mad: Fortunately, the entire panel (It's double box profile perspex on the roof, not glass) landed in the middle of the pampas grass and wedged intact, so it is salvageable.

Busy, busy, busy here, but I did finally manage to stop SM long enough for a birthday dinner. I think it was round about the time she was chasing a hare around her garden! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: DS arrived home around 10pm last night and we were sat out in the garden drinking coffee - neither of us had watches, it wasn't dark and we hadn't even suspected it was that time! So we retired indoors with a bottle of wine. :beer:

Going out to get more done today, will let SM update you all if I haven't talked her into a springtime hibernation to recover from my incessant chatter.

Catch up with everyone very soon, sun's shining, must get outside to finish the fencing. have a good day everyone - read the posts, appropriate responses as and where due and I agree in full! Everyone on here is like a network of friends. (Although I do know several of you personally, just not saying who, and I know LOADS of the lurkers! )

lingojingo

Just catching up and realised I missed SM's birthday - belated :bdaycake:from me, although it sounds like you had a great time with Nyk and the new house & garden

savingfortravel

Sorry to be a pain but I've lost how to get to the 101 challenge..
Can anyone help..I really want to read more and start making a list.
Thanks
SFT

taka

SFT - The 101 in 1001 mse thread is here... and the dayzero site is here! I just started my 1001 days yesterday!

SL - Ouch... I hope your arm is improving. :eek:

CW - good luck with the CTC. They do seen to get it all wrong waaaaaaay too often.

SM - belated happy birthday!

SF - I thought a PGCE was one of the funded courses?

((((hugs)))) and :hello: to everyone else.

Vixstar

Umm this is somewhat off topic but ... does anyone know how to get creases out of a silk dress? Bought one off e bay for a friend's wedding and it is gorgeous but got a little scrunched in the post.

cw18

steamy room?

grandma247

Vixstar can you borrow a steam cleaner? You can steam it whilst its hanging up.

SL I hope your arm gets better soon. I havent got to that bit in catching up yet.

We bought some plants yesterday from a sale at the allotments. A black cherry tomato and a yellow one,2 foxgloves,12 french marigolds,4 yellow courgettes,1 herb fennel and some bulb fennel all for £4