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

bails

Oh, I do love this thread, always inspiring! :T Thanks for all the congrats, very touching, will let you know how it goes. Can't type much as puppy asleep on my arm (it's gone dead) and don't have the heart to move her.

Congrats on the extra hour Natalie, good rate of pay :T

Ooh, pup has moved herself so can type more!

SM, great news about your eating changes :T I still also eat eggs, and I know some veggies don't, but I don't think the same way. Milk is more of a problem to me (and the ethical implications of soya milk too) - I am considering becoming vegan at some point but we will see, slowly slowly with these things. Our wedding is going to be veggie, which will be a shock to some people, but as I see it, if we choose not to eat meat ourselves, why would we then celebrate our life together by serving meat to 120 people? I'm hoping people will see that veggie food can be yummy (not in an attempt to convert anyone, I'm not like that at all, just so they enjoy the food). Thanks for the recipe too, yum!

TTDB, congratulations on finally owning the woodland, how exciting! :j I think it's a good idea to have a separate budget for things like this (and Nyk's garden etc).

SF, look after yourself for the end of term, not long to go but I know it can seem like forever x

I have had a root around and 'found' over 10 grand for the trip home :rotfl: Don't get too excited, some of this is available credit but it's nice to know we have a good insurance fund should we need it. Hopefully OH will calm down a little now and be able to enjoy our time. When we get back we'll be focusing on work and settling down (well, as much as two people like us ever can ) so it's important to thoroughly enjoy this adventure (without getting ourselves massively into debt of course )

I've now been able to put some money into my Wedding Dress Fund too so that's now full :T I've put £1000 in there :eek: that's for everything for me, dress, shoes, veil, hair, make-up, lingerie blah blah blah but in true MSE style I am planning on spending MUCH less than this. Feels great to know it's there though.

I've also been looking at how to pay back a long-term loan which is invested in my house. It (plus a bit of wedding 'debt', if we end up having any) will take 4 years to pay back...so obviously the challenge is to pay it off more quickly! I see it as paying off my mortgage, so I'm happy with that, and will then continue to overpay until the whole thing is paid off.

I know I say this a lot, but being on here has made such a difference to my life at a time when money became very scary for me and it is so liberating to know that I can manage on very little. It's gives so much scope for the future, what a wonderful feeling that is :T Part of that means I am able to consider this job on much lower pay whereas before it would've been out of the question. So thankyou, once again - it's no less sincere however many times I say it xxx

xnatalie81x

I think i forgot to mention that when i ordered the puppies worming solution and dogs tablets i used https://www.medicanimal.com and i chucked in a 25kg of chicken feed. Well, it was free delivery and the feed was only £12 which was impressive as i hate carrying it from shop to car and the petrol costs - saved loads (drive a v8!!!!!!! BMW)

Hope i don't get full time hours lol. I have enough to do!!! I think it will be 12.5hrs teaching swimming total (6.5hrs at £14, 2hrs at £14, 1hr at £15, 2hrs at £15.71 and 1hr at £25) plus i do perfume parties which is a lil extra and i am trying to build up my swimming teaching so i can get paid £30 week for admin (in addition to the £15)

Budget is due to be re-written and i will be unsure of effect on HB and CTB until it happens and it irritates me as they won't take a yearly income so the 12 weeks a year i get NO INCOME i have to keep sending them wageslips and keeps changing grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Frugaldom

Hello everyone and special 'well done' to JTB re the work decision.

SM, if you need any help in becoming vegetarian sooner rather than later, as a fellow LETS member, I'd suggest just boxing up any beef, chicken, lamb, pork or ham and passing it over the fence with the appropriate alternative invoice and I'll apologise in advance for any BBQ aromas that may drift your way during summer hols. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

STILL no signs of my cushion foam! :mad: I did, however, receive my freebie 'save-a-flush' thingies for fitting into the cistern. These should reduce water wastage by over 2000 litres (about 445 gallons) a year for our household of 3. :j

No luck with getting washing dried today as the fog here just hasn't lifted at all. Best get the fire kindled and start draping the stuff around the house again. At least it got aired, even if it was by damp air. :rolleyes:

Mr Weasel has been back, I watched him run along the front of artichoke corner and around the swede cage. Silly hens keep going for a closer inspection. Between that and the mole hills that are still appearing everywhere, it's a regular hive of fur and feather activity here today! :rotfl:

FrankieM

Afternoon All,
I've cooking a veggie bolognaise for the freezer today and I've been reworking my meals for the rest of the year. Lots of veggie ones, it would seem, just as well DH bought that steak the other week and we have some sausages!
I broke the news that we only have £100 till the end of the month...not sure how he took it but hopefully he'll stop spending or at least be using his allowance and not the credit card willy nilly.
The credit card statement came in so I can pay some more of DH's campervan. Just the engine, still got about £1.5k to pay probably...! But have the money stashed.
I'm hoping I can manage it cause anything I put on the credit card for this month just makes next months budget tight...I think I'm getting that across to DH!

sophiesmum_2

Nyk - have you got space for two of the c0stco chickens in your freezer? If so consider them sold for LETS and I will fetch them up tomorrow. Will need to stocktake what else is there meat wise but happy to trade for lets:D and OH and me will get stuck in with the fish, including the tuna and salmon mountain in the stores:rolleyes:

bails

nykmedia wrote: »

special 'well done' to JTB re the work decision.

drat, knew there was something else I wanted to say - congratulations jtb, hope you love your new role :T

SFT, are you logged out again or just busy? If you don't reply I'll assume it's the former Hi anyway.

Impossibly cute puppy is going to stay with the head of our school while we go trekking. I'll miss her

OH's parents arrive tomorrow so won't be about much til just before Christmas and then they'll take the laptop with them on the 27th:eek:

mama67

Have had a marathon baking session today; started at 9am; 1 loaf of bread, 36 mince pies, 24 coconut tarts, 24 maids of honour, , 2 quiches cases, 36 s/bread biscuits, 36choc chip cookies, 24 fairy cakes, 3 victoria sandwiches, 1 coffee victoria sandwich butter creamed and iced, 2 fruit loaves, 12 choc choc chip muffins & 12 gingerbread muffins, hopefully this will keep the boys satisfied for the next few weeks.finally finished, this will hopefully keep the boys full over the next few weeks.

I didn't have to be in work at school today so thought it the best day to do this.

Most is now packed away in the freezer to be pulled out bit by bit as needed.

sophiesmum_2

Coffee cake sounds just up my street mama, better get it all in the freezer quick before the boys eat the lot

cw18

Coffee cake -- yuuummmmmeeeeeee.........



Posted the following on the GC thread, but wasn't sure everyone on here reads that (and thought it might also be of use to some £4k-ers)

Was chatting to the bakery manager (my boss) today. We had a customer come and ask if we sell fresh breadcrumbs, which we don't. So he emptied the tray from the slicing machine into a bag and asked if those were any good for her - and they were gratefully accepted.

I then mentioned I'd never heard of getting crumbs from a supermarket bakery before, but that I'd heard Mr A give away small quantities of fresh yeast if asked...... and was told that so do Mr M, though it's not advertised (and limited to 40g per request). Thought this might be useful to someone, and I plan to try it when I eventually get a moring off (possibly not until after Christmas or even New Year!!!!)

sophiesmum_2

Cheryl - Mr T also will give you a little of the fresh yeast if you ask nicely, I was told that as it is a "live" fermented food they are not allowed to sell you any but will give you a small bit.


Just had an hours carol singing with the local beaver troop and the oldies with the usual xmas munchies, fortunately I was too busy to eat more than one sarnie and rum truffle:o but won't be cooking dinner now. Big screen cinema show tomorrow with yet more xmas food on offer and a whole week of parties coming up, good job I am doing the catering and usually busy or i would be (even more)ginormous:eek: On the plus side I won't be cooking at home any weekday for the next fortnight so it has to have a positive impact on the grocery budget somewhere along the line:p
Have a good evening everyone, time to chill out now after all those lively little boys have worn me out:rotfl: