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

grandma247

sophiesmum wrote: »

Thanks ,still no despatch e mail for mine yet:rolleyes: and I am itching to get started.

Updated to add that just received my despatch e mail and funds taken from card so it is on its way Now just have to hope it gets here okay . fingers crossed .

Brilliant mine took around 2 weeks so not long to wait.

mama67

cw18 wrote: »

Just spoken to someone at my mobile phone company who understood exactly what I wanted to do (after I got passed across to a chap in another dept which was definitely in this country - not sure what the accent of the lady I spoke to first was).

All set to change from (expensive) contract to PAYG on 11th, when my minimum term ends - BUT they've also offered me a different plan I need to think about in the next couple of days (offer is only open I get changed).

I budgeted £40/year for PAYG (based on what I used to spend), and will get charged 10p/text and 25p/min for most of my use (only son in the army is on same network for which my costs would be slightly cheaper). But I used to get free texts on the network I was on prior to getting a contract, and won't if I stay with my current network (which, for the time being at least, is more convenient as I can keep the same number without the hassle of 'porting' it across). The other package I've been offered is £5/month (discounted from £15/month as I already have a compatible handset and SIM) and includes 100 texts and 100 minutes a month (effectively worth £35) - all of which can be cross-network (or to land-lines). This works out at £60/year, but once again ties me to an 18 month contact.

Not sure what to do, but have to admit I'm tempted as I'll know exactly what my spends will be as long as I don't have a really heavy month, and as any extra will be billed/charged to my bank it means I can't run out of credit in an emergency (which I came close to a couple of times in my pre-contract days). I've been using about £10/month of my current contract allowance each month (charged at 10p/text and 20p/minute), but a lot of the time I've only used my mobile for calls as I know it's not going to cost me I know I can afford this (subject to no major catastrophes at home) for the first 12 months, but it's months 13 thru 18 that worry me slightly. However, I'd be budgetting £20 for those and this contract would only be an extra £10 over that 6 months, so there's not really a lot in it

And they'd count the contract as 'time served' when calculating future phone upgrade options, or working out special deals if I want to go back on a higher contract (even within the 18 months) if I find work and it becomes beneficial to me to have more included time..... Changing to PAYG wipes my last 18 months history, and any time on PAYG doesn't count either.

Confused? I am :rolleyes2

Cheryl if its any help I have a similar one whih is £10 per month and 200 txts and 200 mins.

We have to do quite a bit of txting for Dhs football team, and use my mobile instead of a daytime landline, evening and weekend calls are free as part of broadband package.

Means we don't usually pay more than £10 per month for calls all in, then Dh has £5 per month top up which is for contacting me and emergencies.

SO what I'm trying to say is unless you have free landline calls 24/7 this might be in your favour.

HTH

cw18

Like you I only have free evening & weekend calls on my landline..... I could increase that to 24/7 for £4/month, but so rarely spend that (even when I forget to use my mobile for calls to 01, 02 & 03 numbers) it's not been worth it. Mind, my small calls spend hasn't stopped the company in question phoning a couple of times and almost bullying me into taking the extra :mad:

slowlyfading

Evening everyone.

Life has been so hectic lately! I've been working every day since I came back off holiday, and the one or two days I have had off I have been doing house work, sorting stuff out for starting the PGCE, and general stuff. I can't believe we're nearly through the first week of August already :eek:

I've had 4 nsds in August so far, which is pretty good. July ended up being quite an expensive month for me - it was the first time I failed on the nsd challenge, and I ended up spending a lot of money on really unnecessary things, like junk food and whatnot. I'm aiming to really pull in the reins in August, but I have spent almost £100 this month already so maybe that isn't going really to plan

sf xx

Herewegoagain

Hiya guys,

We had so much rain yesterday that it flooded by my flat ans my mum and I had to paddle through it up to our knee's:eek::eek: Poor mum, at her age I should have carried her through but (sorry mum) shhhhh! she's too heavy shhhh:cool:

Jtb, I live down there, hope you have a great time hon:D

SFT, hiya hon, can't wait for the piccies, wish I could have fitted into your suitcase:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Bails,

I missed all this, where, how long, are you going. Is it a holiday or work thats taking you.

Hope you have a great time anyway


HWGA xx

Hardup_Hester

Morning all
I thought our budget seriously messed up here as my pc died & had to get it repaired, but this morning hubby had a small win on the euromillions (Yes I know it's a waste of time) but he won enough to pay for the repairs.
Next week I need to re-jig the budget, council tax went up as did water rates, I can't do much about those, but I need to make cuts elsewhere, my salary has dropped back to £863. & my DD's come to £762, ouch. Lets hope hubby's contract is extended.
Hester

Frugaldom

Good morning everyone

Sorry to read about all the rain & flooding, we have been extremely lucky and are back to the summer sun up here. Face is like a beetroot from sunburn (forgot the factor 50 on show day).

We have 145 days remaining of 2009 and my 'get fitter, not fatter' plan isn't working. :mad: I am still GAINING weight, so drastic action is being taken as of today. No faddy diets, gyms or special eating regimes, just a serious effort at cutting down whilst making more of an effort at having my 5 a day. I'm really disappointed that after 2 weeks of following C25K programme to the letter has resulted in weight gain! :mad: I do appreciate that muscle weighs more than fat, but I want rid of the fat all together, not just to drape it over more muscle! :rotfl: So that's the latest addition to my never-ending challenge list. I'm going to fill my shelves with tinned fruit in juice (not syrup) and eat that rather than sandwiches and cheese - my ultimate downfall. I have juggled figures, reducing coal and gifts budgets, to allow a budget of £50 for my GFNF challenge and have set my target at 31st December 2009. That way, I'll can decide whether the new year's resolution will be to return to the 'get fitter, not fatter' routine or go the 'start a diet' route.

HWGA, just click on 'Bails' name and read her previous posts to find out about her trip but basically, she and OH have put tenants in their house and are now off on a 9 month tour. Too much to recount it all here in a couple of sentences.

Frugaldom

Very quiet in here today, so I'll just chat away to myself. Hope everyone is alright.

The attempt at stockpiling frugal tinned fruit for 'get fitter not fatter' challenge has fallen at the first hurdle. We went into town only to discover that nowhere sells cheap tins of fruit! Even the brand new (rubbish) $a!nsbury's was short on selection in that department. I picked up a few cans of peach slices, as it was the only affordable 'Basics' tinned fruit item on the shelf. I'd probably have been cheaper buying a load of Ald!'s fresh Mangos for 29p each. Sigh.... I guess I'll need to just half my portion sizes and fail on the fruit eating part. MOST annoying!

cw18

((hugs)) Nyk. It can be hard enough trying to get 'staples' around here, but at least I know I have two laaaaarge supermarkets almost next door to each other just 10 miles up the road......

You'll just have to give the SM family a list of stuff to pick up for you when they're at they're move [strike]civilized[/strike] town-ified home and fetch it up for you

I can see anyone coming up for a visit needing half a [strike]boot[/strike] car of space to bring up cheap groceries - especially once the SM family are up there full-time :rolleyes2

Brighton_belle

hello Nyk: I'll keep you company for next time you are back:D

Quite a productive day so far here - a frenzy of batch cooking as I gradually work toward once a month cooking. I've worked out a new 10 day rolling menu and and now trying to cook 6 portions at a go rather thanthe usual 4 (i.e. 3 meals instead of 2).
I also realise I have let our portion get a bit bigger - especially with meat so am going back to more veg bulking.
I sympathise with the fatter not fitter! I personally have found it impossible to be truely frugal and eat well and healthily (not saying in can't be done but i haven't found a way that suits me, and I recognise the luxery of not financially having to shave every penny possible off food costs) We gave up eating lots of bread and too much bulking carbs as our weight was too affected and bread for lunch became a constant cheese sandwhich default.


This afternoon so far, with windows wide open for the sunshine and warm breeze, we have been stashing more things in the attic and have first lot of washing outside drying nicely.


well done of the timely cash win hester! And good to hear from you aeb: when facing a very daunting situation myself 18 months ago, the only way I coped was to seriously stop thinking about tommorrow, which was terrifying and just handle today and it was a tremndous help I must say.
Sounds like you have done very well with the decision making:T.

sf - are you getting excited about the pgce? Will you be leaving home to do this?
HWGA - flooding sounds bad:eek: We have had some terrential rain here but we are relatively high up, even though only 5 mins walk from the sea.

I've just suggested a little bike ride to OH later, our first together since I got my new bike but he went a bit pale and mumbly, so not sure if that will come off:rotfl: