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

grandma247

So far it has cost me £93 Not out of my budget it was some unexpected money. and £1.50 my bank charged me to process the bloomin thing. I lost out on the exchange rate. (should have got it last year) It was $89.99 for the pan and just over $50 for the airmail. I went with the no frill eg. no insurance or tracking so I am kind of holding my breath.
Also I do not know if I will be charged tax here yet. some say they have never been taxed on stuff and others seem to have had to pay through the nose.

grandma247

SL no I don't have a blog and I doubt I would have time. I spend far too long on the computer as it is. I have dabbled in preserving for years I should have married a farmer or something. I think it is in the blood as my grandparents were into smallholding.

Skint_Lynne

Oh well,

I'll just need to be satisfied with what you post here. I'm the same, this computer rules my life almost because I am so nosy. More of doing what I read about should be getting done in real life.:rolleyes:

Now, I really am going to bed. See you all tomorrow. xx

cw18

grandma247 wrote: »

Also I do not know if I will be charged tax here yet. some say they have never been taxed on stuff and others seem to have had to pay through the nose.

I've regularly bought crafting stuff from the US for the last 4 years - and for the first 3 was rarely charged v.a.t. when it arrived.

I now get a monthly scrapbooking kit from the US (not part of this challenge, as it's the item at the top of my list to be "ditched" in 13 months time when my income crashes) which I've been getting since last November.

My first 2 shipped together - and no charge. But since New Year our Customs have been really hot on charging - and I think I've only had two parcels (neither of which was a monthly kit!) arrive with a declared value above the limit that weren't charged !! I don't mnd the 15% v.a.t. (too much) - but the £8 handling fee can make small orders incredible expensive! Unfortunately it's the only way I can get hold of some of the exclusive items I want, so I just count myself lucky that I don't get charged import duty as well

And I had one order arrive a few months ago that almost had me floored with the charge! The store sent it by courier - F3dex - rather than normal postal systems, and the charge was almost 3 times what I'd expected. When I phoned to query it I was told they have to apply a £20 landing fee as all their mail comes into the UK via a London airport

grandma247

CW that company has a bad reputation for charging way over the top.
It is import duty that is worrying me most and I can't seem to get a straight answer as to what it might be. I will just have to wait and see. Ds2 often gets small items from abroad and has never paid any tax on them

sophiesmum_2

Well there are now two pressure canners hopefully winging their way towards the uk, couldn't resist as have been after one of these for ages. Just hope it gets here okay and the taxes aren't excruciating:eek:

My £95 saved towards the new storage heater in cottage is now gone, oh well OH will just have to freeze:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:think I will have to put another £1.88 towards it once it converts.

lingojingo

whitewing wrote: »

Oh grandma. Now I want to visit you as well to learn all this canning stuff.

Hmm. Ultimate destination is sm and nyk, of course. Perhaps bails could lead (like the pied piper) and more and more of us join in as we go further north!

What a great idea, lol!

Kittikins

Hello, I can't sleep, DD's in my bed radiating heat (handy for winter, not so great when you're getting over feeling poorly and are still a bit hot and bothered yourself....), so I thought I'd come downstairs and pootle about.

I was so excited yesterday evening, DD and I went for a stroll and gathered some pinecones (probably enough for 5 minutes' burning in the kitchen log burner, might need one or two more...), a few blackberries that didn't quite make it home as DD was busy chomping, some tiny plums, nearly 2lb worth that I'm going to find something good to do with them and discovered some great looking apple trees and some hazelnut trees. Yummy!

Our neighbours are great foragers, and am going to ask them if we can come along too this year when they go out so that I can learn more. I want to make jams, chutneys, sloe gin this year to give as presents.

Going to pick up a big bag of wool today from a lovely freecycler. Want to make some snuggly blankets for us. Determined to keep the heating off this winter for as long as possible, and probably once the double glazing is in, I won't need much anyway!

Lakeland..........the number of times I take a detour to Bluewater on our way back from visiting friends....another fan here!

Boomdocker

Have a great trip SFT, this is the one with the toucans right? Have a fab time.

Frugaldom

I think I may have missed SFT's departure (apologies for that) but HAVE A GREAT TIME - I'm sure you'll check out the forum at some point to keep us all up to date.

Bails, if you think that cottage is for you then GO FOR IT. Seems an awful lot of money to me but I've had plenty time to realise that the north south divide is huge and that everyone isn't as skint as me. :rotfl:

Kittikins (I think?) I'm in similar situation, I can't get a mortgage and don't earn enough to save enough to buy outright. Nor do I know anyone who could help me get a shared mortgage. Guess I just missed the boat on that one and should have fought harder to keep the one I had instead of giving in to divorce terms. :mad:

I see a few splurges, I don't know, you people that have encountered Lakeland. I hadn't even heard of it until I put the 4k challenge on MSE and you all spoke about it. I still haven't heard of there being a shop anywhere but I have looked at the website and pal bought her sloe gin bottles there.

My splurge is another roll of wire for my poultry keeping hobby. Must try harder to recoup the spends and make it all cash neutral. Still time to win the Premium Bonds big style, though.