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

Savvy_sewing

Cancel that, hes getting a lift to his sisters, and stopping over there the night. Will save me some fuel anyway. But then there is nobody here to go and get the wood, and or help with DGD. Oh well. I suppose who can blame him. 16year olds and 2 year olds just arent that good a mix.!

Frugaldom

Hi guys,

Mooloo, have you spoken to your daughter about the finances? SS won't pay out for the same child twice, so they are probably paying it straight to your DD who should, really, be passing it on to you whilst you have DGD. I think maybe that's what SS are meaning but just not making it very clear.

Just updated my signature and rejigged this year's budget to accommodate the grocery overspend by counteracting it with the electricity under spend, IYSWIM. Here's how it is looking now:

Actual spend (Budget)

Groceries - £1,142 (£1,235)
Toiletries - £46.56 (£50)
Cleaning products - £13.12 (£15)
Electricity - £890 (£1000) This includes business use
Coal - £146.82 (£160)
Logs - £160 (£200)
Internet - £219.89 (£240) Networked for 3 users
Mobile - £20 (£25)
Telephone - £144.40 (£144.40)
TV Licence - £142.50 (£142.50)
Clothing & Footwear £148.47 (£150)
Gifts - £287.43 (£350)
Extras - £26.43 (£30)
Travel - £50.85 (£75) Included special day trip to Belfast
Insurance - £40.28 (£40.28)
Misc - £81.87(£144.72)

Total Spent - £3,532.08
Balance - £467.92

Miscellaneous spending includes the £54.74 I've just spent on cut to measure foam for frugal upholstery project to convert uncomfortable wooden framed futon into comfy livingroom couch. Also, I don't normally spend as much on clothing & footwear but I needed extras this year on accounts of DD's wedding and HS needed wellies so he can help look after the chickens. Any queries relating to my budget, please do not hesitate to ask.

Savvy_sewing

Nyk, I dont know how you doit. I really don't. But as I am at the beginning of that reduced budget NOW, I shall be trying very hard to follow these lines.
Just heard from Fostercare line,they rang me back. Given me a few phrases and clauses to write a letter to SS about, and she says that at they physically took DGD from my Daughter and brought her here she is "a placed child",and they are responsible and must fund it. But it looks like they have done things incorrectly, as my daughter didnt sign anything to agree to them taking DGD and they didnt have a court order either!! It gets interesting. Complicated,and now, I am going to have to stop, make tea and give DGD some attention.
Thanks

skint_chick

Nyk - they sell foam pads in Dunelm Mill if there's any near you? If not figure out what size you need and try ebay?

Maybe this blog entry will help
http://chezlarsson.com/myblog/2009/10/ottoman-howto.html I wish my home looked as good as hers!

grandma247

Mooloo are you able to go higher up the chain and speak to someone in charge?
Also With your financial situation can you see a family solicitor familiar with the rules? If you are on benefits you should be able to see one for free and I think in any case many offer a first visit for free.
They are out there it is just finding the right one.

thriftylass

Hello,

I won't publish my numbers for November as they're abyssmal (in budget terms, still managed to save a bit). Had a day off today and went christmas shopping, got quite a few things and didn't spent too much as I discovered Charity shops .

Still fiddling with my numbers for next year. Definitely want to make a budget I can stick too and that I don't have to adjust as I go along (as that's cheating really ).

Frugaldom

skint_chick wrote: »

Nyk - they sell foam pads in Dunelm Mill if there's any near you? If not figure out what size you need and try ebay?

Thanks skint_chick but I am nowhere near anything like that, there's no public transport and I don't venture far on my own. Just think FRURAL (frugal + rural) I spent a couple of hours this morning pretending to shuffle my paperwork whilst searching online and comparing prices. I'm a comparison research junkie, so eBay always gets included, but their postage and packaging prices meant they more expensive, especially when you factor in the percentage cash you lose when accumulating funds in P*yPal. I need just over 24 square feet and I wanted 3" thick, fire retardant, firm mattress quality foam. I was amazed at the differences in prices for the exact same product in various places - almost £40 difference! :eek: Imagine if I'd settled for the £93 lot and then found the exact same for £54? :eek: Anyway, I settled for the £54.74 inc P&P and used cashback cc to pay, so overall, it'll cost less than £60 to convert the futon into a comfortable couch whilst still retaining that 'spare room' factor. :T I've already received the order confirmation, so it should be despatched tomorrow for delivery within 48 hours. :j Should be interesting seeing the delivery man arrive with that on a windy day if they don't roll it tightly! :rotfl:

Brighton_belle

today I have rehomed/saved from landfill 8 cushions, 4 artificial plants,3 bin bags of curtains and old bedding, 2 sofas, a pouffe, a coffee table, a tv stand , and a partridge in a pair tree.

Frugaldom

thriftylass wrote: »

Still fiddling with my numbers for next year. Definitely want to make a budget I can stick too and that I don't have to adjust as I go along (as that's cheating really ).

It isn't cheating if you make the adjustments within the same budget, it's only cheating if you increase the overall amount, as it then means it wasn't a real budget to start off with. I've had to rejig mine several times as the cost of foodstuffs and stockpiling took me over my £1200 but with careful monitoring of the electricity, the £1200 allowed for that is coming in at just over £1000, so I reduced the electricity budget and used that to increase the groceries budget. If I only have £4,000 to play with, I can't spend any more without incurring debt and, as we all know, we all want to be debt free and then maintain that status at all times.

Brighton_belle wrote: »

today I have rehomed/saved from landfill 8 cushions, 4 artificial plants,3 bin bags of curtains and old bedding, 2 sofas, a pouffe, a coffee table, a tv stand , and a partridge in a pair tree.

Wow! Well done BB! That is an amazing haul! I've just managed to rescue 4 cushions for the soon to be refurbished futon and SM's rescued me an old, but unused, electric underblanket. I'm not jealous of the partridge in the pear tree, honest. I have pear trees in the garden and there is a partridge around somewhere, I just can't get the wee beggar to sit in a tree. :rotfl:

cw18

Mooloo wrote: »

The Social Services are not allowing me any funding. Say that DD has to give me the money.

Unfortunately, I believe that is the way it works. I was chatting to one of DH's friends a few months back, and he and his wife took in grand-children a good few years back. As they're family there's nothing payable from SS, and they even had to fight to get the CB (which enabled them to get CTC) as the parent didn't want to hand it over. If the parent signs a letter relinquishing (sp!) it then it's very quick and straight forward, but if not it can drag on for months until the powers-that-be decide who is entitled to it :mad: