Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

cheerfulness4

Love the frugrally planned trip to Ireland sightseeing. Might have to use the same approach to a day trip for DH and DS instead of whinging that everythings too pricey.

I have to be nosey and ask - What does 'HS' stand for in NYKmedia's postings?
I came up with House-sharer, Half son, House servant :rolleyes:, half sister....
Am I getting warm?? Its been driving me crazy trying to work it out over the weeks.

Frugaldom

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Love the frugrally planned trip to Ireland sightseeing. Might have to use the same approach to a day trip for DH and DS instead of whinging that everythings too pricey.

I have to be nosey and ask - What does 'HS' stand for in NYKmedia's postings?
I came up with House-sharer, Half son, House servant :rolleyes:, half sister....
Am I getting warm?? Its been driving me crazy trying to work it out over the weeks.

Yes, you got it - house sharer. But a house servant would be great! :rotfl:
I can highly recommend the 'alternative' method of visiting Belfast. The tour is one of those hop on, hop off ones, so you have no need to stay on the bus, you can simply go and explore Belfast and surrounding areas but have free transport each time you flag down a tour bus - they run round the city every hour, I think, and you can also stay later than we did but you miss out on the courtesy bus from the city centre back to the port, so maybe not as cost effective. Only other problem is luggage - you are restricted to basic hand luggage, so you couldn't go on a wild shopping spree then expect to bring it all back with you. Although - nobody checked our tickets, let alone requested proof of ID. Handbags got scanned leaving Stranraer and they had the drugs sniffer dog and the usual security measures for illegal immigrants entering the country when we returned here - I suspect the gentleman being cuffed and bundled into the police van may have been an immigrant, either that or he'd been carrying something he shouldn't have. I don't, however, suspect it to have been a carrier of £1 items from the Belfast bargain shop or fancy gifts from House of Fra$er nor do I think it was because he had an extra bag whilst travelling with a reduced fare sightseeing tour ticket. :rotfl:

PS - If you book and pay online, there's no fee for using a debit card, it's only charged if you use credit card. And if it's Scotland/Ireland, our bank notes are interchangeable. Not sure if England accepts Irish notes once you get back, as I've had trouble in the past trying to get some places to accept Scottish notes.

Vixstar

Sorry been otherwise occupied for a few weeks (hols, work, reading the pages I missed!). Lost count on August's budget but judging by my savings for that month things weren't too bad and I've managed to recoup half the cost of my summer holiday through various means so it all seems good. On a negative note I've just come back after being away from home for 3 weeks to find out I'd left my immersion heater on for the whole time :eek: the elec company raised my monthly dd a little while back and as I'm only home at weekends I think this will cover it. Am going to find out about getting a timer switch fitted to the immersion.
In better news I might have got an allotment, as work are planning to convert some land, though I won't find out for definite for a little while as they need to test the ground. Am off to the library soon to look for a book on veg growing

Skint_Lynne

Good morning,

Sorry that I've not been on much, but I've had a pretty hectic week, I was down south 3 times and they were all early starts. I was in Manchester yesterday, I wouldn't normally go there, but my colleague is off sick so needs must. If I had of thought ahead, I could have arranged to meet up with cheryl and I went past Wigan as well, but I knew that you were at home in D & G sophiesmum.

I was in Wythenshawe, I don't know if that is nearby your place cheryl. I left home at 6.15 and didn't get home until 7.15pm, I am still knackered today.

I have been good moneywise, so am still trying hard. I feel as if I have not done as well as I could though so will try much harder next year.

Will check in later. xx

cw18

Skint_Lynne wrote: »

I was in Wythenshawe, I don't know if that is nearby your place cheryl.

A place name I recognise, though I've never actually been (only past). Route planner says about 15 miles....

Brighton_belle

hello all, sorry have been a bit absent too. Busy here today helping lodgers move out (been with me 7 years). Then a busy week redecorating 'their' room so I can get an ad in buy end of next week.

I did something I have never done before this week too: I bought a carpet:D. Well 2 actually:D:D. They are going to be fitted end of next week and I am tragically excited - it feels so grown up. The house is all floorboards but the downstairs room I let is quite cold, due to no foundtions - the floorboars are basically over a chalk pit, so I want to insulate it a bit better.
I need to decorate by next friday. when they will be laid. Then I decided to do the open plan dining room (come walk in larder, bike store and laundry room - we rarely actually eat in it) too as it is north facing and unattractive and it needs help, and I have never liked the space. So I spotted an off cut of lovely deep orange which will look very nice. I've been squirreling away money all year so I have the funds.
It also gives us a chance to reorganise the 'dining room' which will be for our use only from now on and I think we can make much better use of the space now we don' have to consider others. Room will be advertised without that included.
It is going to be tight financially for the next 2 months - I am in the middle of 2 weeks unpaid leave, OH has just changed contracts so will be missing a weeks pay and then will get less than he has been on(contract reducing form 30 to 22 hrs a week) and the room will be unlet for probably at least 2 weeks. So massive income deficite. I have been financially planning and expect this all year (those not expecting it all to happen at the same time!) and have squirreld away £1000 since January so we will just be ok (including carpets and paint etc). Once again, thanks to this forum I have learnt how to tuck away bits and pieces of cash when ever possible and it really does make a difference. I've opened my £2 coin box: 62 in a year, not bad.
I've make a strict listof spends between now and end November to stop me goig over budget before back on an even keel.
My income will drop a bit too as I will only have one lodger to replace two. but hopefully utilites may drop a bit.

Sounds a great trip Nyk & sm.
Lynne - if you are ever really down south I'll put me kettle on:D

Must dash...

cheerfulness4

nykmedia wrote: »

Yes, you got it - house sharer. But a house servant would be great! :rotfl:

Aha, I guessed right! Now I can sleep at night again.

Was just discussing this thread with DH in the car and we were saying that just when we think we've learnt all that we can to help ourselves something else comes along and opens a whole new load of possabilities up to us.
I didn't think a couple of years ago (actually more like 3.. time flies) that we'd be able to start enjoying life again and on a fraction of what we had before. I love this site for the help and ideas that everyone continually keeps coming up with.

I've now been inspired too to come up with my own '10 things not to buy next year.' I was quite interested in the suggestion of making new clothes rather than buying.
So far I've got:

1. Bread
2. Pizza
3. Sanitary towels (mainly use washables but will go totally over to)
4. Clothes for me (including knitwear)
5. Cut flowers (grow my own)
6. Green veg (frozen loads to last till next year)
7.

ummm...... stuck now. Will have to go ponder. :cool:

thriftylass

Hello, not much to report here, apart from spending is in check and I made more free jam as the first batch has already disappeared to friends and family. This morning I picked another batch of blackberries in our backalley and a woman walked passed saying "Oh, how nice to see someone making use of them"

sophiesmum_2

I love the colours of the fruits when they are cooking,your jam making going well thrifty lass:T:T. Full of a cold today so have done absolutely nothing at all, still sat here in my jammies. Was planning laying a base for chicken coop with OH today but 1) It is raining and 2) the builders yard never got around to delivering the paving flags, so it wasn't going to happen anyway:rolleyes:

Blairweech

Had a lovely trip to Dunster Castle today, and cause of the NT membership we have it was freeee (plus Mum bought lunch)

Steak for dinner Probably play cards afterwards or something - we did play Scrabble but my dad is so clever and so competitive that none of us stand a chance!

My darling brother has set up his cassette deck so that I can record all my parents tapes onto my computer, then burn them onto CDs (for their Christmas present).