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

Frugaldom

I'm back again - had to make a major spend today - a full year's supply of laundry detergent = £4 including delivery. :rotfl: Inflation hasn't pushed up the price of the soap nuts, yet, and I am on to my last half dozen shells, so I've ordered another 200g that should see me through to this time next year. I'm thoroughly used to not using the detergents now and still have the BOGOF Bold I started the year off with. I do occasionally use it for whites, but we're not fans of wearing white here, so it's not very often. I have to thank whoever introduced me to the soap nuts last year, it's been such a saving!

Friend just left, so I've spent an hour gabbing - no rest for the voicebox yet and SM will be back in just over a week. :rotfl:I'm collecting rhubarb from friend's garden tomorrow, so I'll be stewing and baking. If there's enough left over, I may even get some rhubarb wine on the go, have it ready in time for summer BBQ weather.

Had a quick trip into town today, too, and Ald! had their pre-pack ham offcuts back in stock - £1.69 per kilo - so I got a couple of them and have half a pack in the slow cooker just now, cooking for late dinner. The stock will be lentil soup by tomorrow morning and err... hmm! So much for emptying the freezer! :rotfl:

Non-frugal actions of the day - I have switched on an electric heater because it's so damp and chilly and I'm almost out of logs!! :eek: Hopefully it won't need to stay on for too long; it is on a thermostat, but when, oh when, will this rain stop and the winds die down?! :mad:

KKP - glad we've sorted out who is who and, like you say, frugal is about making the most of what you have. It's just that most of us on here do go without in order to clear off all debts before spending on any luxuries. Or, at least, I'd like to think that's what happens, as that is, afterall, what the challenge is all about - being debt free. Hopefully your CC is on a 0% interest rate, as £25 a week is quite a hefty percentage of overall budget of £62.50 On the plus side, if you already know you can live comfortably on that amount, think how much you'll be able to save from any extra income you earn It makes no difference if you're male or female here, I'm sure the guys will be along soon enough sticking up for their corner in this challenge, even although they know they are grossly out numbered. They'll probably be glad of another one on their team, although Mr DT may be too busy setting up (frugal) home to post much. :cool:

Buzzbox - pass the popcorn, it's much more frugal friendly to share.

KKP

whitewing wrote: »

Males tend to approach the understanding of the challenge differently, ask questions differently and give us less ((((hugs)))) ! So if we don't know you're male, you may come across as picky or more aloof. Females tend to witter on about nothing, whereas blokes don't tend to post unless they have something valid to say.

I've had alpha male types call me "gay" for having sensitivity , so obviously I reflect differently on different surroundings... As for hugs, where'd that emoticon go...ah there isn't one :mad:

whitewing wrote: »

Anyway, we like our male perspective on this thread! (Hello Mr DT).

Welcome aboard KKP and your OH.

Thanks.

KKP

nykmedia wrote: »

glad we've sorted out who is who and, like you say, frugal is about making the most of what you have. It's just that most of us on here do go without in order to clear off all debts before spending on any luxuries. Or, at least, I'd like to think that's what happens, as that is, afterall, what the challenge is all about - being debt free.

Unfortunately I can't see that happening with the current student "funding" system in place. There is always that fluke of getting a job in a "recession" though...but doing a degree now seems like the better option, especially as I'm on the youthful end of the age scale.:p

nykmedia wrote: »

Hopefully your CC is on a 0% interest rate, as £25 a week is quite a hefty percentage of overall budget of £62.50

It is. I could pay just the minimum (a lot less than £100 a month) for another few months before any interest is charged.

nykmedia wrote: »

On the plus side, if you already know you can live comfortably on that amount, think how much you'll be able to save from any extra income you earn

As I said above, I don't have any income. The £50 a week is state welfare. Even for that the middle class seems to lump me in with generations of income support claimants with large families for the express purpose of leeching off the system. Can't win either way it seems...

Frugaldom

Oooh, we all love a happy ending! Yeah! I found a huggy emoticon, borrow this one. Well... you didn't really expect me to be 100% serious, did you? Now about 'signing up' as a frugalite, do I add KKP's name as a convert to our wacky ways? Welcome, whatever you decide.

Vixstar

Nyk I take it that the soap nuts work well. I tried the washing balls from lakland and I'm not convinced by them. Although as I do wear white shirts all the time I think i'm going to try the detergent and soda crystals(?) mix to stretch it out.

KKP

nykmedia wrote: »

Oooh, we all love a happy ending! Yeah! I found a huggy emoticon, borrow this one.

Haha. I'm the goofy looking guy on the right then?

nykmedia wrote: »

Well... you didn't really expect me to be 100% serious, did you? Now about 'signing up' as a frugalite, do I add KKP's name as a convert to our wacky ways? Welcome, whatever you decide.

Maybe...and maybe. I think £37.50 a week adds up to less than £4,000 a year...

The count on the "Thanked 103 times" doesn't seem to add up right, incidentally.

Frugaldom

KKP wrote: »

Haha. I'm the goofy looking guy on the right then?

Maybe...and maybe. I think £37.50 a week adds up to less than £4,000 a year...

The count on the "Thanked 103 times" doesn't seem to add up right, incidentally.

Hmm... pushing for more thanks clicks and counting them as he goes, testing us by not putting in the £1,955.35 per year for £37.50 per week and not telling us what the £37.50 per week represents... Could be a maths student, but they aren't renowned for their sensitivity, has to be something more artistic yet involving figures... says he's the goofy looking guy on the right - art & design student, perhaps? :cool: But I don't think fulltime students can claim benefits for being out of work. Umm... out of work tech whizz kid doing a part time degree? Oh, give us a clue! Go on, you know you want to hog the floor for a bit whilst we interrogate you - for those of us who can't afford it, this is the equivalent of our Sunday night at the movies and tonight's showing is a mystery/suspense/thriller.:rotfl:

The soapnuts seem to work fine for my washing and I do also use the washing soda crystals, Vix, it's just that I'd clean (pardon the pun) forgotten about them for my whites!

Vixstar

Thanks may give a sample pack a go.
Just washing a loads of whites to give to a charity shop and the first item I pulled out of the washing machine was a red sock :eek: Luckily no damage done :rolleyes:

KKP

nykmedia wrote: »

Hmm... pushing for more thanks clicks and counting them as he goes, testing us by not putting in the £1,955.35 per year for £37.50 per week and not telling us what the £37.50 per week represents...

£62.50 - debt repayment of £25 = £37.50. Did I get my maths wrong?

And no, I'm actually baffled as to who's abusing the "thanks" button

nykmedia wrote: »

Umm... out of work tech whizz kid doing a part time degree? Oh, give us a clue! Go on, you know you want to hog the floor for a bit whilst we interrogate you - for those of us who can't afford it, this is the equivalent of our Sunday night at the movies and tonight's showing is a mystery/suspense/thriller.:rotfl:

Out of work tech kid will do. Its close enough anyway :rotfl:

Actually, the degree is "full-time" even though the lectures are 9 hours a week. But I haven't actually started that yet. The idea is that I work in an undergraduate placement alongside said degree...

ilovetea

Hi, Let's change the subject to boring old me.Don't post much because nothing much ever happens here.(Sometimes can be a good thing).
Love all the gardening chat and the ducklings and chicks.Brings back memories of the market garden we had when I was a child.
I don't have an OH.Been there ,done that,got the divorce. Now on my own quite happily.though I do sympathise with those who have lost their partners.
My children are grown up and live miles away.Often ring up for advice,luckily never money One now posts on here after I told her about it and now is an MSE fanatic :rotfl:.
All in all I've nothing much to moan about,things could always be worse.Some off the people on here reduce me to tears at times.Maybe because in the past I've been in similar situations.
Seem to have spent quite a bit of money this month,mainly on fruit and veg,Won't be long till I get my free bus pass and can get to some "proper" shops.Costs over £3 on the bus to the nearest town.
Thanks for letting me rabbit on.

ilovetea x