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

findingmyfeet

thriftylass-i was taught to knit by my gran from being very small. Not done much in the last few years though. I can do most patterns but im not very quick at all, dont like doing more than one colour though, stripes ok but prefer to do plain. I did recently buy some wool for a cardigan from a local shop closing down sale so maybe in the new year i will have a go.
sft- you must have lovely parents at your school. I always sent small gifts but most parents didnt bother ( and they had times more money than me and no regard for teaching staff- you know the sort...you are there for their benefit and get paid so that should be enough!!!! total snobs). Mine are too old for that now though.

glendam

I was at an open air carol service in the town a few hours ago and we had just started singing in the bleak mid winter when the snow started. I said to mu OH aw isnt that a nice touch.To which he replied yes but not from the council its real.!!

Glenda

cw18

I had my last voluntary stint in school (before the Christmas break) yesterday. I got a pressie from the 'staff and children' (guess that means the teacher as much as anything), which I wasn't overly surprised to get as I also got one at the end of the last school year (wasn't there last Christmas) - but it was still very nice to be made to feel that my help is appreciated

But I was really moved to get a box of chocs from one of the girls in the class. Said to DD last night I could have half-understood it (as I'm only a volunteer) had it been from one of the children who was also there last academic year - but she was new this September. Saw her mother this morning, so said thanks there as well (having said thanks to the child yesterday)

savingfortravel

Although I loved the voucher the most meaningful thing I got this year was a message in a card from parents who said how much their child was responding to my structured approach. Some of the children were lively when I inherited them in September (their last teacher is very creative but loud and eratic) and it took a few weeks of constant reminders but now we have no shouting out and they love the routine of the day.
Yes I thought I might use the voucher towards the grocery challenge..amazing reallly because it could have been from anywhere..I've never discussed my financial approach at school

sft

Skint_Lynne

Hi guys,

This laptop is fantastico, it picks up the wireless broadband and I can be in my bed and type/read at the same time. I am still feeling a bit rough, but better than yesterday.

I am nearly finished from work, will get my paperwork done by Sunday and get it sent into them, then that's me until the 4th January. Just the shop to contend with until then.

Thrifty, the crocheting is really nice, I have never been able to do that, but I can knit a bit.

I am almost finished my shopping now, just to get my brother a voucher and that's about it. I will take some stuff with me tomorrow to wrap, and I'll get the hampers laid out on the spare bed on Saturday/Sunday in perperation for the homemade stuff to go in at the last minute. Got some cello wrap locally today for £8.99, saw similar on websites, but it cost a fortune in post and packing, so didn't bother with it.

Food shopping is going okay as well, just to get fruit and veg as my freezer is pretty full. I went to costco tonight and got chicken breasts, stewing steak and I got a full fillet of beef for 63.00 as a treat. It will last a long time and I'll be using it for dinner guests that I am having over christmas and will have plenty left over. I used to get it from the butcher and a piece that was half the size of that cost nearly as much, so it is a bargain of sorts.:o

Thanks for your get well wishes everyone, I appreciate it. xx

grandma247

Thriftylass Your crochet things are lovely.
I saw a pattern today for an owl cup warmer and a beer cosy (presumably to keep it cold).
I find crochet is quicker than knitting but I have been knitting for much longer, I learned to knit when I was about 5 and only learned to crochet at nearly 19.

FrankieM

Morning,
I can neither knit or crochet. I struggle with any 'girlie' kind of thing. I think I'm just too slap dash. My DH can do both!
Children break up from school today. Going to spend some time tomorrow getting them to do housework/tidying jobs so we are all set for the holidays.
I'm still a little unsure what I'm going to do food wise when DH's Gran is here, but I have ingredients at least.
i finally got DD to cut my hair yesterday and I dyed it so no more scraggly witches hair and it didn't cost anything. I've just got to get her to cut DD3's.
We haven't had much snow but its very cold so I'll be wrapping up warm and drinking lots of tea, I'm trying not to have the heating on too much but neither do I want to be sitting inside with all my outdoors clothes on...it can be a fine line.

Hope you all have a good day.

grandma247

We have snow but the worst problem is it has frozen so I am putting off shopping till dh gets home at 2-3 this afternoon. I just hope the gas and electric holds out, electric should be ok though. I have a bit of money that I can put on the gas if I have to from the corner shop but I don't really want to go out.

Everybody be careful out there we don't want to start the new year with broken bones.

shaz_mum_of__2

I am like that Frankie if i can go without the heat on i will,especially when i am home alone,but sometimes its best to just have it on especially when you have oldies or littlies in the house (althogh my ds likes to wrap up in his fleecy blanket all year round lol)

Lynne i have a new laptop but not got wireless router as yet jealous of the use in bed! word of warning though.......my engineer did warn me against use in soft areas, something to do with bedding blocking the ventilation holes? i have a lap tray for mine to stop this!

Getting my haircut today £5 and a a home colour £1.87 and i did OH and DS hair myslf last night. Wanted to get my eyebrows shaped too but the beauty salon in our village has closed down.........have to look in the next town.

other than that hopefully no more spends today

lyndasharp

We've had a tiny bit of snow here this morning, but it's stopped again now.

I need to sort out a haircut, hopefully over Christmas as a friend does it for £3. Just one more present to buy (from my Nan to my H2B) and as I'm due a half day off from work I think I will take that today, and go shopping.

I had a letter yesterday from a competition I entered at a work trade fair last month. I have won a nice bottle of Burgundy wine! Hopefully the wine will arrive before Christmas, it will be lovely to have that to drink on Christmas day. I'm also very surprised that I won it by completing a jigsaw in one of the fastest times of the day, as I didn't think it was that fast - especially as I was talking to the trade people at the time and not really concentrating on it.