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

XSpender

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

i would allow for one tin(i know it doesn't really come in tins anymore) of formula milk a week although there will be times baby will use more but it will average out same for nappies(1 pack) i guess but cloth ones even better and good for the environment but i understand its a personal choice . I do remember reading somewhere that LIDL$ nappies were good and won awards? but not sure

Thanks for that. That gives me a good starting point.

XS

Brighton_belle

SmlSave wrote: »

Ohhh taka, I'm green with envy!

It's good to be green:D

cw18

bails wrote: »

All good here, just preparing for the interview tomorrow. It's going to be very scary, I know this, but I REALLY want this job so will do the best I can. There are 4 of us being interviewed, although the others aren't til 2nd/3rd December so I will have to wait a while to find out. TBH, not being available til April when the start date is January is a huge disadvantage in this type of school environment but you never know...

Bails - they wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of an informal chat and then an interview on such a long-distance basis if they weren't seriously interested in what you could bring to the role..... especially with 3 others being interviewed.

cw18

Ok, confession time (of a sorts). In order to stand a chance of sticking to my £8k budget I decided not to include some purchases made in the last 10 days, but now I'm dithering again about whether I'm cheating by not doing so !!!

My budget is supposed to be 'all in', whereas I know a lot of folks exclude anything that's work related (wasn't relevant to me when I set my budget).

But because I now have a job I've bought : -

a new pair of shoes £53 (and coppers)
my old ones would probably have held up over the next couple of months for personal use, especially as I also have a pair of trainers, a pair of lightweight walking boots and a pair of wellies that can be worn from time-to-time to stretch the life of the shoes

2 pairs of trousers @ £5 each
one pair I had were really too big around the waist (so my blouse never stayed tucked in), which meant I only had one pair that was suitable

and (the one that's causing the most dithering)

a new iron @ £8.99
buying an iron is totally out of character for me 'cos I'm renowned for my aversion to ironing. The one I've been using was a wedding present in 1992, and was totally DH's choice - but I've never got on with it, and after 2 weeks of having to use it pretty much on a daily basis I was about ready to chuck it through a window. Have only used the new one once (did both sets of uniform before work yesterday, so need to do another ironing session before work tomorrow), but it definitely seems a lot easier to use and gives a much better finish. As I don't iron anything else (unless I'm going to a wedding / funeral / christening / extended family gathering) I'm hoping I can claim this as a works expense and exclude it




Only other real news from me is that I did my Food Safety Level 2 on Saturday, which you need to get 20/30 on to pass. Saw the personnel manager as I was leaving (late again!) today, and she gave me a certificate for passing - and then informed me I'd managed to not only scrape through (I had been unsure about a couple of them), but had manged to attain 100% :T

Now need to try and find out when I'll be doing Level 3, as I have to have this due to working in the bakery.......

Frugaldom

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been around today, not sure what happened or where the time went! I think there must be a minute munching monster on the move! :rotfl:

Hello newbies :hello: I'll get the new list started in another couple of weeks when we relocate to the Old Style boards for the next annual frugal challenge.

My insurance policy cashback has tracked through TCB :j and I've also found a free solution to the cistern water savings. I was thinking 1L milk carton, Shaz, so I could displace a full litre and that would allow me to calculate easily what it saved over the year. Anyhow, Severn Trent water are giving away water saving thingeys, so I have applied through their site and have a confirmation email saying allow 28 days for delivery. In the meantime, I'll use the 1L plastic milk carton if I can get it to fit inside the cistern.

Who mentioned plum crumble?! I now know what to do with the Ald! plums that nobody likes! I'll stew them, add some kiwi fruit and then discguise the lot with crumble! Thanks for planting the idea into my brain.

Taka, enjoy all your days off, hope you get loads done.

Bails, GOOD LUCK tomorrow, just in case I don't 'see' you before that.

Charging kids for their keep is always difficult, so I'm a £5 per day mum, but DS gives me £25 more than that a month that gets banked separately. He'll get £1000 lump sum for his 21st birthday and then any further savings when he eventually moves into his own place.

Must go find something for dinner now - I STILL can't get the hang of this meal planning thing.

Brighton_belle

CW - they are all work related spends in my opinion so don't count. Your original budget was based on not working.
You wouldn't have bought the iron if you hadn't got this job. Ok, you already had one but ironing is a tedious enough chore as it is.
I'm all for making life considerably easier if it doesn't break the bank. It hasn't broken the bank beacue your income is now higher. It's only if the iron would have put you in debt, as you already had one, that you have ended up on the naughty step:D
Well done on contiuing to do so well in your new job:T

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Hi everyone, remember me? I havnt logged in for months as I'm afraid that making money took over my life. You may remember I was baking and selling at Sunday markets...well it went very well and I did not miss a Sunday all the summer but now that the weather is so atrocious its no more for this season. I started an ISA with my financial gains so it didnt exactly go into my pocket but its good to see that all my hard work has allowed me to have something for a rainy (or in the case of East Anglia a very, very windy day)
As far as living on £8000 all inclusive has gone I have my ups and downs, I still get tempted to spend from time to time but being on this forum does make me think twice about buying unnecessary things...TBH well sometimes it does! I also still have a problem keeping to a menu, so tend to eat what I like.... but frugally. Being as I live alone I can do that and live-out-lover does eat with me very much either.
My only additional expense this year is my cat Poppy who I invited to share my house with me in September, she is lovely and I'm very pleased I got her, at least she makes me sit down as she loves lots of fuss and attention. She is however going to cost me a fortune next week as she needs her vaccinations and I want her chipped as well! in all about £70 :eek:
I can,t tell you how my budget is going because Ive kept very few records, I just know if I have anything left over each month I must have done well. I really envey all of you with your well presented budgets, I would'nt have a clue how to do that. I have one written out for my own use but its written on the backs of three envelopes stapled together! Thats enough for me to work on.

Will write again soon hopefully before Christmas... Oh yes, and thats another thing to think about......Oh dear

Brighton_belle

Interesting article here on long term life style change/living without money:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6928744.ece

jbt - really excited at the hope you maybe able to follow your dream and be a SAHM.
I'm another one who see feminism as having equal choices & opportunities. I think it is wonderful if a mum wants to, she can stay at home with the help of community support like this.

savingfortravel

Great article. Especially....

There is a fear, she says, that in not buying or owning an individual will fall out of society. The irony, she claims, is that material goods can never plug a spiritual hole and shopping and hoarding are more likely to isolate people than bring contentment.

I remember whilst back packing many years ago being blissfully happy knowing everything I needed was on my back. Such a great feeling. I've never felt the need to climb on the neverending ladder of want (as I call it)

I'd love to simplify much more and give away as much stuff as poss. Definately a plan for the future.

Bails-Lots of luck for tomorrow! x

sft

Ches

Not a good day today moneywise. The window cleaner came and including todays clean I had to pay him £21 :eek: as the last 2 times he came we were away. OH usually pays this as he isn't mobile enough to clean them himself but he is away this week so I had to pay instead. Every week its the same old story, something crops up so that instead of being able to save a bit for larger purchases the money just slides away from me.:mad: If it hadn't been for this it would have been a NSD today because I haven't been out of the house.