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

Savvy_sewing

Have decided that I am not putting in enough effort to reduce my spending. I still managed to spend yesterday, as I ended up buying stuff for a birthday tea for my GD1, spent £12.10 Could have been less, if only I had made a cake on Friday!
I am back from a weekend away in Oxford with BF. I get to relax and sew there. So why dont I manage to do things when I am here at home.
Its 11am and all I have done is hang out some washing, and get the meat out for the tea. Last night I realised that I have no choice but to up my game and make sure that I live up to all of the various challenges. I spend when I am upset, I spend on the family too frequently. I then panic that I havent left myself enough to live on. The government talking about reducing Incapacity Benefit by £25 a week, is scaring me.:eek: I am struggling on what I am getting. How the heck am I going to survive on loosing that amount of money.? There must be lots of others out there, who are unable to work due to yoyo effects of ill health> Why do I feel as if the world doesnt believe I have a problem. I have worked all my life, until my job laid me off in January, due to my health problems. Well enough of that. The thought makes me feel inadequate.
What I must do is practise harder so that I am ready to join this challenge properly in the new year.
I also think that I need to push my challenges, like storecupboard challenges, and up the income challenges.
Anyway, enough of my rambling.
Hope everyone had a good weekend. Looking forward to a more frugal week ahead!.

grandma247

Moolooo it is the other side that is talking of reducing benefits by £25 at the conference.
Stockpiling and paying off all debt is a very good start. The stockpile will help if you have bad weeks and it does save on the overall costs if you buy a lot of something only when the prices are reduced. If you want to know more pm me.
With family you have to harden yourself a little as it is the only way to get through this. What I do is keep a little extra food for when they need help and I tell them I will not let their kids go hungry but I do not have the money to pay bills etc for them anymore. I have even taken them in when things got really bad for them but that is only a short term fix.
I think you have a slightly different problem with some of your kids?
Keep your chin up we all have little ideas to help along the way just ask and I am sure someone will have an answer.

cw18

nykmedia wrote: »

Postman brought my invite to receive my free flu jab this morning - I had forgotten that poultry workers are entitled to that!

Another reason for me to wish I could keep chickens !!!!

I'm soooo prone to catching 'flu it's incredible - but I don't qualify any more Used to get it free at work (though they stopped them after 2004 - or maybe that was the first year without?), and in 2007 and 2008 I got it as DH's carer (recognised as such, even though I couldn't get Carer's Allowance due to my other income/benefits). When I worked at my first job I got 'flu 2 years in 3, and every 2nd or 3rd dose knocked me out completely for at least 10 days :eek: Keeping my fingers crossed our GP has enough left after doing the 'at risk' folks, 'cos if they do I've been told I can have one of the surplus for free Just need to remember to ask in 4 weeks time, which is the earliest they'll have any idea of the state of play.....

Savvy_sewing

grandma247 wrote: »

Moolooo it is the other side that is talking of reducing benefits by £25 at the conference.
Stockpiling and paying off all debt is a very good start. The stockpile will help if you have bad weeks and it does save on the overall costs if you buy a lot of something only when the prices are reduced. If you want to know more pm me.
With family you have to harden yourself a little as it is the only way to get through this. What I do is keep a little extra food for when they need help and I tell them I will not let their kids go hungry but I do not have the money to pay bills etc for them anymore. I have even taken them in when things got really bad for them but that is only a short term fix.
I think you have a slightly different problem with some of your kids?
Keep your chin up we all have little ideas to help along the way just ask and I am sure someone will have an answer.

Thanks Grandma,
Yes I do have problems with two of my kids, they have learning difficulties, ADHD< DYSLEXIA>DYSPRAXIA< MILD AUTISM<, Bit of a mouthful package has a name but I never did remember it. They dont understand money, though they try, and twin2 especially is deepy in debt, but its compounded by a BF who will blow half of the benefits they get, on booze, or on himself. He thinks he is entitled to half for himself, yet expects Twin2 to buy everything they need out of her half!. Makes me so angry.
Anyway, I am using the freezer stocks and the veg from the garden today, but will aim to only buy a few veg for the freezer to last us the rest of the month.
I want to dig out the breadmaker and have another go at making the bread.
DS will hopefully start to get his EMA through, and then I wont have to give him money for everything.
I supose the best thing for me to go back to doing is the recording of every thing I spend, so I can see where its all going. (Again!), been there before, but let it all slip. Consistency is the problem with me!.
Anyway we have a chicken casserole in the slow cooker now, that will do us for tonight, and possibly can curry it tomorrow.
Post has arrived, got £66.33 refund from the old car tax. So that will help when its cleared.
I have just over an hour now before I have to go and get DS from College, so I better getmy lunch, and move the washing into the greenhouse, not just think about it.

grandma247

Mooloo wrote: »

Thanks Grandma,
Yes I do have problems with two of my kids, they have learning difficulties, ADHD< DYSLEXIA>DYSPRAXIA< MILD AUTISM<, Bit of a mouthful package has a name but I never did remember it. They dont understand money, though they try, and twin2 especially is deepy in debt, but its compounded by a BF who will blow half of the benefits they get, on booze, or on himself. He thinks he is entitled to half for himself, yet expects Twin2 to buy everything they need out of her half!. Makes me so angry.
Anyway, I am using the freezer stocks and the veg from the garden today, but will aim to only buy a few veg for the freezer to last us the rest of the month.
I want to dig out the breadmaker and have another go at making the bread.
DS will hopefully start to get his EMA through, and then I wont have to give him money for everything.
I supose the best thing for me to go back to doing is the recording of every thing I spend, so I can see where its all going. (Again!), been there before, but let it all slip. Consistency is the problem with me!.
Anyway we have a chicken casserole in the slow cooker now, that will do us for tonight, and possibly can curry it tomorrow.
Post has arrived, got £66.33 refund from the old car tax. So that will help when its cleared.
I have just over an hour now before I have to go and get DS from College, so I better getmy lunch, and move the washing into the greenhouse, not just think about it.

Mooloo that is such a difficult situation for you to watch. It is a shame that there is not some body that helps people with these kind of difficulties to protect their interests.
In your situation I would certainly feed my dd. If they get benefits as a couple then it is difficult to do anything about it but if he is living off her benefits then something can be done, its just hard when you know it may upset your dd. I do understand the anger, been through that.

I forgot to add: I used to have a paper on the inside of the tea/coffee cupboard that I wrote spends and bill payments on.

Savvy_sewing

Thats a brilliant Idea. I could put a page inside mine. Infact as I only have a few minutes left before I go to get DS thats something I could do now.:T

I would like to get the freezer stocked up really, but as funds are low at the moment, I cannot risk it. But perhaps I will manage next month, if I am careful this one.!
Feeling a bit more hopeful with the slow cooker bubbling away, and the cabbage debugged is all chopped up ready to cook this evening.
I will ask DS to get the breadmaker out of hiding for me, and then see if I can use upthe flour etc lurking.
We can have some soup and bread then for lunches at least. :j

Frugaldom

Mooloo - Soup & bread lunches are part of our staple diet throughout winter months here, that and pudding, as it's all very filling but cheap to make. Our fave is micro-sponge with whatever is available on the bottom - jam, syrup, tinned fruit - just grease a bowl, put in whatever you have available, do a basic sponge mix, pour it on top and fire the whole thing into the microwave for about 6 or 7 minutes (depending on wattage of MW, mines a 700w). It's really filling, especially as I make one to split among 3 of us and it should probably be for 4. Pour it out onto a plate to let the jam/syrup run over it and soak in, but watch your fingers, as it's really hot. I've even seen sponge mixes for some silly price like 23p, you could do sponge with a ready custard mix (7p) poured over the top. Only other cost is an egg and you have a filling pudding for 2 - 4 people depending on portion size for less than 50p Frugaler and frugaler!

sophiesmum_2

It's definately heading towards the sort of weather where you crave hot hearty filling meals

feel free to ignore the following - thinking out loud post
Was having a food conversation with OH recently and trying to work out where there would be deficits in our plan to be as self sufficient as possible.Once we get to frugaldom permanently I still plan on using the stockpile/storecupboard model of food supply and aiming on a minimum of 6 months supplies of almost everything and 3 month supplies of some basic well used items like uht milk, tinned toms,fruit juice,flours, frozen veg and sugar etc.I will be cooking everything from scratch and simplifying our menus so we don't need a huge variety of foodstuffs. Breakfasts could be HM bread, HM preserves,our own eggs (eventually:) ) or something simple like porridge. Lunches HM bread + HM soup or a sandwich, evening meals would hopefully include some kind of HG veggies, salads, HM pasta, eggs, and the remainder of the meal from freezer and stores ingredients, making good use of pulses and grains.
We hopefully won't need to be reliant on shops at all for :
eggs, salad greens, sprouted seeds like bean sprouts,bread,fruit breads, cakes, biscuits,and pastry goods,soft cheese mayo,,houmous,pate, yoghurt, jams, marmalades, chutneys, pickles,herbs,stocks,gravies, soups, burgers, fishcakes, and sausages ( although have been lazy not making these for a while).
We are aiming to cut down on meat intake and make more use of veggie dishes and eggs (perfect protein).
HM lemonade and ginger beer will hopefully be mastered by then for soft drinks and I need to learn to make oatcakes or crackers somewhere along the line too:rolleyes: The aim is to try and buy as little processed food as possible( maybe baked beans and curry sauce) and just have a huge store of ingredients to make everything ourselves. Then plant the veggie garden with high cropping veg such as runner beans that we like, and can as much of our produce as possible for using through the rest of the year,as well as making use of foraged stuff too.
We will both be full time frugallers then hopefully so will have time to do all the stuff which will enable us to make these kinds of choices.
Off to look for oatcake and cracker recipes:rolleyes:

cw18

Has everyone seen the information on the changes being done during Thursday's downtime ?


I have subscriptions to ALL the old 'Live on £4K' threads (as well as some other really old threads that have been closed for more than 6 months), and will be losing them in my subscribed threads list :eek:

*** toddles off to bookmark them all in my browser instead ***

shaz_mum_of__2

sophiesmum wrote: »

It's definately heading towards the sort of weather where you crave hot hearty filling meals

feel free to ignore the following - thinking out loud post
Was having a food conversation with OH recently and trying to work out where there would be deficits in our plan to be as self sufficient as possible.Once we get to frugaldom permanently I still plan on using the stockpile/storecupboard model of food supply and aiming on a minimum of 6 months supplies of almost everything and 3 month supplies of some basic well used items like uht milk, tinned toms,fruit juice,flours, frozen veg and sugar etc.I will be cooking everything from scratch and simplifying our menus so we don't need a huge variety of foodstuffs. Breakfasts could be HM bread, HM preserves,our own eggs (eventually:) ) or something simple like porridge. Lunches HM bread + HM soup or a sandwich, evening meals would hopefully include some kind of HG veggies, salads, HM pasta, eggs, and the remainder of the meal from freezer and stores ingredients, making good use of pulses and grains.
We hopefully won't need to be reliant on shops at all for :
eggs, salad greens, sprouted seeds like bean sprouts,bread,fruit breads, cakes, biscuits,and pastry goods,soft cheese mayo,,houmous,pate, yoghurt, jams, marmalades, chutneys, pickles,herbs,stocks,gravies, soups, burgers, fishcakes, and sausages ( although have been lazy not making these for a while).
We are aiming to cut down on meat intake and make more use of veggie dishes and eggs (perfect protein).
HM lemonade and ginger beer will hopefully be mastered by then for soft drinks and I need to learn to make oatcakes or crackers somewhere along the line too:rolleyes: The aim is to try and buy as little processed food as possible( maybe baked beans and curry sauce) and just have a huge store of ingredients to make everything ourselves. Then plant the veggie garden with high cropping veg such as runner beans that we like, and can as much of our produce as possible for using through the rest of the year,as well as making use of foraged stuff too.
We will both be full time frugallers then hopefully so will have time to do all the stuff which will enable us to make these kinds of choices.
Off to look for oatcake and cracker recipes:rolleyes:

Sounds good to me don't forget the elderflower cordial too and if you get a juicer you can "can" wild fruit juice too and use the pulp for chutneys. I am sure with access to the lets scheme as well you can do trades for things you don't buy too.

I think the thing we will struggle with the most is diversity we eat a wide range of stuff and my "basics" would include lots of things like couscous bulgar wheat rice(various sorts) noodles lentils dried beans etc

I think the we cant pop to the shop mindset would be difficult for me too but i understand it would be necessary if we end up in as rural a location as we want

Obviously it takes time to adapt and having savings as a fallback is nice but not always possible


Got tio go supposed to be studying

Shaz