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

Skint_Lynne

Hello everyone,

I'm in the shop today, it's a holiday weekend here, so there's not much going on.

SFT, I would go to France if it is booked and you have been looking forward to it. You might decide against a holiday next year, so just go for it just now, you can borrow the money from other budgets. As the old saying goes 'yir a long time deid'.;)

I'm going to the supermarket later to get some ingredients I need to make one of the sisters a birthday cake. I've got a butterfly cake mould I bought from l1dl's last year and I've never used it. I've also got a smaller one I used to make a chocolate slab (idea borrowed from SM), so maybe I'll make a mummy and baby butterfly cake family.:p

I'll let you know how it works out.

Will check in later. xx

sophiesmum_2

OH is just finishing the mowing off then we will be moving on to the flagging job, finishing the fencing may have to wait until tomorrow if we run out of time. Got my baking done, made two dozen cupcakes, a ginger cake, a granary loaf, and a banana and walnut cake. Some will be for eating over next few days, some for freezer and OH has already been into the ginger cake:rolleyes: Just got my spinach quiche to make fresh at tea time and will have done everything I set out to do this morning.



First time I hvae baked in this new oven so wanted to get the feel for it;)

sft - Any way you could find a cheaper hotel? I would try and find the cash to go if you could no point wasting tickets you have already paid for.Hope you sort it out.

Brighton_belle

sft: go to France:D. You have your head screwed on about money and you know what you can achieve when you come back and plan for the coming year ahead.
Speaking as someone who has had a life curtailed by health issues - choose to live the life you want as much as possible (in the context of you are not in debt and keep very good accounts).

Bails - I am definitely with the others here: get wed sooner rather than later. 3 yrs is a life time away: you'll have moved on so much by then - imagine sharing that time as husband and wife and maybe a LO on the way:D - I'm sure you can work out a frugal way to get the wedding you want.

Taken a load of old crockery to the charity shop and picked up a very handy little shelf that is perfick in the kitchen.
Just about to place (free) ad on gumtree for lodger. Got a shopping trolley full of books to take to oxfam bookshop.
A load of washing drying in the sunshine outside
Neighbour has confirmed they will be using our front garden for their veg, as offered:j
Chicken to be roasted in remoska tonight.. drooling already.

Plan to varnish a stripped pine door tonight and clean another 2 kitchen cupboards.

savingfortravel

Just come back from our gentle stroll. It really is a gorgeous Autumnal day, the sycamore trees are really beautiful.
BB-Oh I have to go to France now..your wise words always work wonders! x

Skint Lynne-Hope the cake goes well.
SM-Your baking is amazing! Wish I was close enough for a smell. Not allowing myself treats anymore, but smelling sweet stuff satisfies me in a strange kind of way. Maybe MSE.com could attach a smell button for us all?
Thanks for the advice. You're both right of course. So we'll try and go. Got £65 worth of M and S vouchers so that could cover most of our food budget next month combined with what we've got in the freezer. Time to think outside the box.

My sister has decided that we are giving home-made gifts for Christmas this year. This could greatly reduce costs and make a nice challenge.
My parents love anything chocolatey and sweet
As does my 16 year old nephew,
My 13 year old niece likes anything to stick and glue
My sister is the hardest person to buy for-but has embraced home growing this year
My sister's partner is on a health kick but loves anything cooking and dog related.
ANY IDEAS FOLKS..I know its not yet but this is going to need more organising.

Thanks SFT

Brighton_belle

sft - that's more like it:D Thinking outside the box :T

Suggestion for 13 yr old neice who likes to stick and glue: give her (sourced from freecycle), a piece of plymwood about 10" sq and a handful of different coloured tiles Just as you hand it over, all wrapped, drop it: hey presto: a mosaic kit

savingfortravel

Brighton_belle wrote: »

sft - that's more like it:D Thinking outside the box :T

Suggestion for 13 yr old neice who likes to stick and glue: give her (sourced from freecycle), a piece of plymwood about 10" sq and a handful of different coloured tiles Just as you hand it over, all wrapped, drop it: hey presto: a mosaic kit

Not sure if this is a serious suggestion but that is exactly the kind of stuff she likes to do. I took her to the seaside a few years ago and she collected big pebbles and glass (all frosty from being in the sea). She covered the pebbles with the glass and gave them to us as paper weights! She has my creative genes I think, as I was like this as a child, a bit slug like leaving a trail of creative mess behind me as I spread out on another piece of the living room floor. :rotfl:

SFT

Skint_Lynne

sophiesmum wrote: »

OH is just finishing the mowing off then we will be moving on to the flagging job, finishing the fencing may have to wait until tomorrow if we run out of time. Got my baking done, made two dozen cupcakes, a ginger cake, a granary loaf, and a banana and walnut cake. Some will be for eating over next few days, some for freezer and OH has already been into the ginger cake:rolleyes: Just got my spinach quiche to make fresh at tea time and will have done everything I set out to do this morning.



First time I hvae baked in this new oven so wanted to get the feel for it;)

sft - Any way you could find a cheaper hotel? I would try and find the cash to go if you could no point wasting tickets you have already paid for.Hope you sort it out.

SM,

Do you have a foolproof recipie for a basic sponge? Mine would be, self raising flour, baking powder, vanilla essence, caster sugar, butter and eggs. Mix the lot up and bung it in the oven?

I know that yourself and shaz are good at all things culinary, so all recipies would be appreciated. xx

Brighton_belle

savingfortravel wrote: »

Not sure if this is a serious suggestion but that is exactly the kind of stuff she likes to do. I took her to the seaside a few years ago and she collected big pebbles and glass (all frosty from being in the sea). She covered the pebbles with the glass and gave them to us as paper weights! She has my creative genes I think, as I was like this as a child, a bit slug like leaving a trail of creative mess behind me as I spread out on another piece of the living room floor. :rotfl:

SFT

Well, the mosaic idea was serious, but the dropping it on the floor bit...:o. She would need tile nippers though and they're at least a fiver. PM me if you would like to discuss me putting a little kit of pre broken tiles together for her for you if you think thus might hit the spot. MMMmm, but then she'd need to grout it, mmm might be a little tricky maybe so maybe too complicated. Not sure.
Or say, our bead shop has pack of themed coloured mainly glass beads for £1.50. A few of them, with wire and fittings (all available from bead shop)

bails

I absolutely love you guys, not just for the wonderful advice you've given me today but for all the warmth and support in the posts to everyone xxx Thankyou for always making this a special place to visit.

SM, I'm so glad to hear you feel a little normality returning, and what a baking haul :T I hope the coming days and simple pleasures can help put a smile on your face.

SFT, definitely go to France. Having eeked out my money for so long and now being at the end of the pot, I can completely relate to the lack of contigency fund anxiety and yet your own advice of not putting things off also rings true. Make the most of France, really enjoy yourselves knowing you have the wisdom and determination to build up a pot again. And you're right, all the little things really do help.

BB, you are a busy bee at the mo, can't wait to see all the new-fangled improvements when we get back :T

It's great that your family are embracing the homemade idea SFT and I'm sure there'll be plenty of tips from these guys. Will put my own thinking cap on too.

Thankyou so much for all the wedding advice - it was very revealing to have such positive views in favour of next year on the 4k challenge no less! My parents arrived here this afternoon and my mum has already been talking about how we can make it happen on a small budget and has already offered to make the bridesmaids dresses. She's also offered to look into venues etc - yes, we do want a woodland wedding SFT It's lovely to have someone to talk to about it, and I hope we can talk a lot more about ideas over the next couple of weeks. I don't want an all out fancy wedding but it's really important to have the people I love there.

We had a lovely time tonight catching up - Mum brought out a photo of my nephew who has grown LOADS and now looks just like my brother as a baby! There were also photos of the pup who has changed a lot too and loads of funny stories about how all the animals are settling in so well at my parents- they all have such different personalities and it's hysterical how they've been getting on, and wonderful too how my parents have let them take over their house so willingly. I am a very lucky girl

Right, bedtime the Future Mr Bails says, and who am I to argue? Thanks again for being such a lovely bunch of friends, it means the world xxx

savingfortravel

bails wrote: »

Thankyou so much for all the wedding advice - it was very revealing to have such positive views in favour of next year on the 4k challenge no less! My parents arrived here this afternoon and my mum has already been talking about how we can make it happen on a small budget and has already offered to make the bridesmaids dresses. She's also offered to look into venues etc - yes, we do want a woodland wedding SFT It's lovely to have someone to talk to about it, and I hope we can talk a lot more about ideas over the next couple of weeks. I don't want an all out fancy wedding but it's really important to have the people I love there.

We had a lovely time tonight catching up - Mum brought out a photo of my nephew who has grown LOADS and now looks just like my brother as a baby! There were also photos of the pup who has changed a lot too and loads of funny stories about how all the animals are settling in so well at my parents- they all have such different personalities and it's hysterical how they've been getting on, and wonderful too how my parents have let them take over their house so willingly. I am a very lucky girl

Right, bedtime the Future Mr Bails says, and who am I to argue? Thanks again for being such a lovely bunch of friends, it means the world xxx

Your reunion with your parents sounds lovely Bails. They sound very special parents.
We are looking forward to reading all about your wedding plans.
Can't wait to see the blog too!

BB-I think you're definitely onto something. I will check with my sister about the beads (I always worry about age-appropriate pressies, although she is a young 13 year old-thank goodness!). Thanks for all your ideas.
x
I seem to remember something called Millionaires shortbread being a popular thing on the Grocery Challenge last year. Is that correct? Still thinking about ideas for Christmas.

We watched a beautiful sunset today. We drank homemade (by my sister-given to Mr SFT for his birthday) blackberry vodka. It's been a lovely NS Day SF would be proud of me. Now we are just getting the multi-fuel burner ready for a nice cosy evening in watching Strictly.

SFT