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

sophiesmum_2

Well done scrooge :j:j

BigMummaF

Our closest proper c00p has recently re-opened as a MrM. Still approx 10 miles from us but we were over that way on Thursday so thought we'd shop there for a change. It was one of those interiors that felt oppressive then & unfortunately that aspect hasn't changed, so we won't be going again anytime soon...but I did get some skirt beef :j Annoyingly, it has a 2hr restriction in the car park which makes schmoozing for bargains with an octogenarian a tad fraught. Do these companies WANT to encourage folk to shop or just herd them around like cattle in a milking parlour :mad: as a few MrA have adopted this policy too. When you have to travel a fair distance you want to make the most of the experience & with mum being a diabetic, we often stop for a cuppa at least. It also makes comparing prices--a la Watch0g the other evening & something I do anyways--very difficult without a calculator working at the speed of light!

As yet our local W00lies hasn't shown its new colours, but one in the next village is to be "The Fact0ry Sh0p" & another "[aitch & em]"--I have what either are likely to sell or if they are worth getting excited about. The latter I'd hoped would be a £land, but think it's going in another empty store in the same town.
We don't have places Farmf00ds, swedish furniture, prymarni & only one type of budget supermarket, with any choice we do have being accessible only with a car & good sat-nav. As someone mentioned before, it gets very draining when so-called 'experts' on tv shows assume we all share their availability to the participants of the price-war Eutopia & it's about time they saw how real people live

grandma247

BMF speak to the manager about the length of time in the car park. He may well make an exception if he is not a jobsworth.
I used to go in an out of town mr M when taking my middle daughter to college and used to pay for car parking to nip in to the store before heading for home in the morning and one day the manager came out of his little office and told me not to pay again. He had been watching me and realised I was in and out in just a few minutes. Very nice of him really. So I would let him or her know about the problem.

Frugaldom

Good afternoon fruguys and gals

Not a lot going on here but I can confirm that SM's homemade soft cheese is delicious! I suspect I'll be trading something for that in the future, rather than purchase supermarket soft cheese. Apparently it's low fat, too! Another notch into the belt of healthy eating the frugal way.

Homemade quiche for lunch today and I have some pork chops defrosted for dinner. It isn't as cold today, around 14 Degrees, so I haven't lit the fire. Coalman due this coming week so I may squeeze in another bag just in case the prices go up again next month. There hasn't been any summer reduction for us at all.

CW - after you mentioning about the VAT returning to 17.5% in January I am amazed at how few people have remembered about it! I had forgotten until you mentioned but everyone I've spoken to so far seems to have been unaware that it was temporary in the first place. I'm feeling like the bearer of bad news for them at the moment. Then again, most of them spend more in a week on groceries where VAT applies than I spend in a month, so they should learn their basics from their luxuries. :rotfl:

andromache_2

Hi all!

Well done on the debt-freedom, scrooge

Good to hear from you, sf hope your placement goes OK.

I just added up my spends for the week and they came to £428.47 :eek: I knew they were a lot, but not that they were quite that much! I have, however, bought almost all my textbooks for the year (they came to £278.72); I might take one back and get a couple of different ones but that's basically sorted. Plus I got some things for my room and am sorted for toiletries and groceries for a while. Oh and I bought printer cartridges. Still seems like an awful lot and I'm off to spend another ~£30 on a train ticket to visit OH now...

However, I have made a new frugal innovation! I invested in some plastic airtight tubs from M&S. I made a massive bowl of couscous and mixed it up with a tin of chickpeas and a few handfuls of sultanas, and that's gone in a big airtight tub in the fridge. Then I've been taking some of that for lunch in a smaller plastic tub each day along with a sandwich wrap (99p for 6) and some of whatever's fresh in the fridge and needs using up - diced tomato, fresh spinach leaves, etc - followed by an apple. It's very quick to put together in the morning, very tasty, and very cheap! Well I'm pleased with it anyway

More generally, I think I've picked good subjects this year and am enjoying being back at uni, even if it is scary that it's my last year

OK, gotta go catch my train! Have a good Saturday night all

Frugaldom

Hello,

Boring and quiet day here, just about to go make dinner after doing a bit more number crunching. What with saving for DD's wedding and other such things, I have taken my eye off the savings ball. Time is marching on far too quickly for my liking and, as a result, I need to raise an extra £2,500 to ensure that my ISA gets filled by the end of this tax year! :eek: You know what that means...? I now have yet another mini challenge within a challenge, to find that £2,500 asap. It's going into my signature to remind me that every penny really does count! Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel? My barrel will need to be bottomless! :rotfl:

Blairweech

Hi all,

Not much to report, just wanted to say congratulations to scrooge

I have spent almost £1000 in 10 days This includes car insurance for the year and rent, but I am sailing rather close to my overdraft limit now. Have not put any money into savings this week as I am 2 days down on pay for when I was sick last week. Worked overtime today to make up for it, so it will all balance out in the end.

OH shall be coming over later, having Southern Fried Chicken for tea (have to make it yet though :rolleyes:). Not really got much planned tonight/tomorrow, will hopefully do some jobs around the house tonight and go for a walk or bike ride tomorrow depending on the weather

slowlyfading

Evening everyone.

Have just spent £45.41 on the Boots website! :eek: BUT it did include some christmas presents, and more essentials to make it up to £50 so I could use a £5 off voucher. Got 180 Advantage points as well The £45 spend ensured I didn't have to pay for delivery, and I made a saving of £29.26 on the things I did buy, so I'm pretty happy! That's 3 main christmas presents sorted, and I have vague ideas for other, but at least its a good start.

But, obviously today hasn't been a nsd met some friends in town for a coffee which was a nice break and it was good for a catch up and just some girlie time. Not really been that productive today other than that tomorrow i'll have to make up for it!

Hope you all have a good evening.

sf x x

cheerfulness4

Just wanted to pop in and add my congratulations too Scourge - brilliant.:T_party_:D

After DH number crunching this morning and checking bank account we were relieved to find that it will only take till next weekend to replace the money we had to pay out on cc for the mot repairs.
Am shocked :eek: and so excited :j. Was expecting us to take a few weeks to get sorted but DH says we've been doing well at saving a little since we started practicing for January.
Just my little car to get through now. :rolleyes:

Vixstar

Right all this talk of Xmas has persuaded me to put some effort into my HM presents this weekend. Which should also stop my internet window shopping!