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

savingfortravel

nykmedia wrote: »

I
SFT, I meant to say to you that I got lost and couldn't follow your 3 month grocery budget, so I'll reread it today and see if my sponge brain will absorb and process. Does it mean you gave only £96 to last you 3 full months for all your groceries? Or is it the £43 per month?

mmm..I've kind of confused myself. What I am aiming for is to use money we got from ebay £96(earnings?)/plus £20 M and S voucher/plus £13 money left over from this month as Grocery Challenge budget money for next 3 months. Total £129 divided by 3 = £43. In doing so we can save the money we would have spent on groceries for something else...
Would like to use earnings from ebay or elsewhere to pay for the grocery budget as much as poss next year.

sft

Blairweech

Hi all,

Bails - Glad your interview went well, when will you hear?

Grandma - I saw the news about the bank charges, I feel so gutted for Martin. He fought so hard for justice and fairness but because of the banks absolute recklessness and unfallable attitute, which IMO was the major cause of the entire recession - justice has not been done. You are quite right, if the economy had not gone down the toilet, I think the verdict would not have been in their favour. Many banks have now altered their terms and conditions so they cannot charge people more than a certain amount in OD charges, but still :mad:

SFT - Well done you for stepping up to the plate when your placement rang in

Hit the Co-Op after work and picked up some reduced things. Got 2 broccolli heads which will soon be made into soup Had Thai green curry with noodles for tea and it was deeeeelish. Got some washing on now, but other than that just another chilled out night.

savingfortravel

Kerfuffle wrote: »

Hi savingfortravel,
I'm a Yorkshire lass living in Canada, moved here permanently Sept 2008.
HTH

Tell us more if that's not too nosy..sounds like you've had an interesting life Kerfuffle. x sft

savingfortravel

slowlyfading wrote: »

Evening everyone.

As per usual, this is a quick visit for me. I'm sorry for the lack of updates - I am reading most days though.

Today is NSD number 15 for me, so I have met November's target. I think I'm going to make my December target 15 as well, and we'll see how it goes. Its my birthday on the 6th, so I'm travelling home that weekend so that'll be quite expensive, but obviously worth it. And then there's the even more obvious christmas that I need to get more ready for! I've got half of my presents sorted, but still need to get a few more. I'm going shopping on sat with a couple of friends so I hope to get a couple more then.

Uni is so so so hectic at the moment. I'm so tired after today - I'm on a paired placement this placement, and the other girl rang me at 7:15am this morning so say she wasn't coming in. Firstly, she drives us to school, and second, she was meant to be teaching first two lessons! So, I had to walk the 45 mins to school, which I'm not that bothered about, but then I ended teaching her two lessons as well, as I knew what she was doing with them, and I'd also done the same thing already with my classes, but I wasn't prepared as much as I would have liked. So today I had no time to myself at all, as I was in all 5 lessons of the day, and there was choir at lunch so I had time to grab a banana and that's it. I've also got an essay due on monday, which isn't going well, and then on tuesday I've got my Mentor from uni coming to do his official observation with a year 9 class, so I'm really worried about that :S I'm looking forward to the christmas hols now, because even though I have mountains of work to do over them, I'll be at home with my family, and where its nice and quiet and I'll have my nice comfy bed back.

Sorry for not commenting on people's posts, hope you're all okay this evening.

sf x x

Promise me you'll start making some nice plans for your birthday. Sounds like you really deserve a treat with your BF
sft

Skint_Lynne

I used to think that banks were responsible institutions with all of our best interests at heart. I thought that they were trained within an inch of their lives and that they refused people if the could not afford to pay for something.

Reality check: Banks are businesses, and ruthless ones at that, they have certainly had their pound of flesh off of me over the years, that's for sure. It's true that I could have said no on occasion, but as it is a very important part of their remit to get as much of their product sold at any cost, it is difficult when you are badgered every time you visit the bank.

Organised: I believe that this decision today has come from the government because of the state of the banking system, it is exactly right what the others that have mentioned this subject say, if things were not as bad, then perhaps the cash that has been unlawfully taken from people would have been returned.

I hope that Martin and others like him continue to campaign about this issue, I hope that he knows that we appreciate all the good work he does on behalf of us all. I started to visit this site looking for template letters for credit card charges. As a result, I have made some good 'friends' and had some invaluable advice. I am on here almost every day and could not live without it now, I check everything with regard to parting with cash on here first.

I'll have another wee browse and then get a bit of sleep. Speak later. xx

Savvy_sewing

I think My Daughter must have been very lucky that Halifax paid her back her charges on Monday!! £1379 I claimed back for her, using the template here. I did post on the boardss to say thanks to Martin at the time.
All hell has been let loose here.
Social Services have decided that twin1 is struggling with DGD and at 5.25pm tnight rang me and told me, ahhem asked me to have DGD immediately. So once again I have her here.
Tomorrow they will have a meeting to discuss their next move.
Me I am exhausted, gutted, sad for my DGD, worried sick for my Daughter, and agree with the system that hasnt listened to me for the last 10 years or so!
So on top of all the little problems I have, I now have the extra costs of travelling backwards and forwards for DGD to see her Mum, and the other costs involved with heating the place better, and hotwater for baths etc, and of course food,etc.
On the tight budget I already have its going to be a nightmare.
(the one night asked on the phone, was then " upto three weeks before they can put something inplace...." Now this time 2 years ago the same was said when Twin2 had DGS. and she was living me until this May.
Sorry I am synical. But I havent had the best of relationships with the SS.s.
I know they have to do thier job, but I also know that I have seen a lot of places in a hell of a worse mess, with Drugs, and Drunken mums.
Anyway, sorry to vent. its not about living on£4,000l or actually is it?

cw18

Mooloo wrote: »

Anyway, sorry to vent. its not about living on£4,000l or actually is it?

Don't be silly, of course it's to do with living on £4k -- all these extra costs are going to impact your budget !!

And I'm more than happy for you to vent - IMO it's always better for you than bottling it up.

I also know (to some extent) how SS work with their 'timeframes'. My parents were foster parents for a lot of years (first child Christmas 72, last in the late summer of 85), and several times an 'emergency weekend placing' stretched for 2 months or more.... though my parents had (when signing up) insisted on a 6 month maximum stay with us, so it never went longer than that

Savvy_sewing

Cheryl, thats my fear. Twin2 was sent home to me after the birth of her son, and that was 2 years ago. If I hadnt gone mad about it in the summer they would still be all with me. Except we would be in a huge house, with 8 rooms.
I am scared to be honest

Ansoff

Mooloo

You sound the most caring person. I don't have much to say except my thoughts are with you. Surely SS's can tell you what the options are for all of you?

Bails- well done with the interview, they must have been very interested in you to set up the meeting today. Good Luck

I am still trying to work out my spends for next year. I will have 2 at Uni and the costs are huge. A bit worried to say the least but this thread puts it into perspective. I must make it happen. I have told children that if I help with Uni will not help with weddings when they happen. I feel I can only do so much and their education is the most important thing.

I am in the middle of reading Alvin Hall's books on money, should have just continued reading this thread and saved the cash. oops

Sorry rambling

Goodnight

Ansoff

bails

Hi everyone, I have read but no time to post right now as OH needs the laptop. Really wanted to send a huge hug to Mooloo though - hang in there and feel free to talk to us anytime xxx

I've heard back from the interview already Heard last night in fact, and I'm through to the next round. They were happy with my performance so hopefully not too many more 'interrogations' as the Head put it Next week's interview is with some of the pupils, and also a meeting via webcam with the other teachers. It's looking good but so impossible to say when they haven't interviewed the others yet...

Back later x