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

grandma247

Good afternoon everyone I hope you are all well and just busy. It has been very quiet lately. I will be busier myself for a while as Dd3 has gone back to college to do a three year course so I will be looking after her kids on the days she is there. They changed the days and times she will be there this week but as it happens it seems to be in my favour so I don't have to rush around.
I need to get a car because she is a couple of miles away and it will be horrible to walk in the bad weather, I could get the bus but that is not cheap so I will have to look into getting something soon.

mama67

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

I have freeview Skint-chick so I need to get used to that guide more. I often only used the mag a few times a week and to read the articles at the beginning so it was a waste for us.

cw18 - my teenage sons also go on about the dates being up on food. I buy loads of reduced stuff and freeze so they can get dates about a fortnight out.
Had to smile when I heard my two taking the rise out of me by theatrically saying, 'Wow, heres one without a whoopsi label. How did that one get in the trolley?!' :rolleyes:

Thats sounds a bit like my 2.

The comment I get is "must have been on offer" if it is a labeled product.

slowlyfading

Evening everyone.

Sorry I haven't been around so much lately, since starting my course there seems to be one hundred and one things to do ALL the time! :rotfl: as is life I guess. I'm still reading the thread daily, but as things aren't changing too much for me, most of the time I don't see the point in posting anything.

Today is my 15th No Spend Day of September, which exceeds my target of 13, so I'm pleased about that My spends total seems to be creeping up, though I am well under my target which is also great. But, I have a few birthdays coming up, and then obviously christmas! so I've got to start planning presents, and spreading out the cost of those so I'm not doing a mad panic on December 24th. (Of course, that never happens as I'm too organised :rotfl: )

I am going home for saturday and sunday, so that'll be nice. The BF is going to drive over here on friday night, and has kindly offered to drive me home on the sat, and then bring me back here on sunday. I'm going to give him some money towards petrol costs, but its nice of him. I can't wait to go home and see mum and the dog and just to relax away from uni. It feels like I've been here for ages, even though I only moved in on the 13th Sept.

Hope everyone is well this evening

sf x x

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!

My financial year has been a bit mad so far.
On the plus side we've had an amazing trip to Central America, moved to our dream cottage in the country and Mr SFT got a P/T job after being made redundant last year.
On a negative, our finances are looking more shaky after the roof disaster. Our cushion has gone and we are now hoping and preying that nothing else significant happens before we get back on our feet. I know lots of you are probably thinking 'Welcome to the real world'. It's just being an ex spendacholic I was so proud at what I'd achieved since joining MSE forums last year.
The gym I can only just afford but I've been told my fitness is at the lowest levels poss and my extra waist weight is crushing my internal organs -I'm 5ft 7ins and weigh 11 stone 9 pounds. Its a depressing thought that I'm heading towards loads of health probs later in life if I don't get fitter. At least I'm going to the gym 2/3 times a week and trying to do something about it.

Sorry for the ramblings. SFT

bunny_too

Hi everyone, could i just ask is jan 2010 the start date of the next challange, as i'd like to join. thanks to all have really enjoyed reading this thread,and have picked up some great tips.

cw18

Welcome to the [strike]mad house[/strike] challenge bunny too :T

Yes, the next start date for this challenge will be 1st Jan 2010, but I'm sure Nyk will have us all revved up and ready to go in plenty of time for that date :rolleyes2

I keep track of my spends on a multi-page spreadsheet, but made a fair number of tweaks to it in the early months of this year (and have been adding new stats to my grocery section until very, very recently to help me keep track of progress on a day-to-day basis) - so I would strongly advise having a practise run of keeping your records to check what best suits you (and getting it into a format you can stick to for a full 12 months)

Being a participant of this challenge has certainly got me more in tune with the areas I need to monitor especially closely - and also opened my eyes to how much I used to spend in some areas without realising how much money I was wasting :eek: Participating in the monthly Grocery Challenges has really, really helped me keep that section of my 'Live On' budget under control - and has much more 'specialised' help for that area

That's not to say there's no help on that area in this thread - but here I find it's more about the preserving, growing and storing side of things rather than the day-to-day shopping hints/current offers/every day recipe ideas. As such, the two compliment each other perfectly

Frugaldom

Welcome Bunny too, will look forward to your joining us for the 2010 challenge but will add your name to the list now so you don't feel left out Got to [STRIKE]snag you when[/STRIKE] encourage you to join us wherever we can. :rotfl: Cheerfullness is in practice mode at the mment, along with several others, so feel free to take part and get into the financial swing of frugaldom. The list isn't up to date as many appear to have fallen by the wayside but still, it shows that they are aware of the need to balance their household books.

SFT I think you have so much to br proud of as an EX-shopaholic. Your dream house in the country and your holiday are amazing and will be with you for a long, long time (at least until you lose your memory and go senile :rotfl:), so try not to worry about diets and weight too much. Being a shorty, I'm worse than you and the running most certainly does not shift any weight, it just redistributes it. Like I said to a friend elsewhere recently, last time I was this weight, I was going into labour! Now I have no excuse other than home cooking on a frugal budget.

As soon as work is out of the way, I'm heading outside to try to make the front garden look more presentable. Right now, it looks like a tip with a bunch of feathered scavengers scratching around it. :rotfl:

lingojingo

just popping in quickly to say I've got the dreaded swine flu, just waiting for my flu friend to bring my tamiflu (not sure how i feel about that, but given i was one of 150 students and staff off from our school yesterday i suppose we need to try everything to curtail the spread).

SFT you've done so well, most of us wouldn't have had the cushion there to help with the roof, especielly on top of the trip of a lifetime to central america, so you deserve a big pat on the back.

Congrats ans comiserations to all who need them, I'm back up to bed now.

slowlyfading

Feel better soon lingojingo xx

SmlSave

Hope you feel better soon lingo ((hug))