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

savingfortravel

Just wanted to say goodbye before I go to France tomorrow. No internet there I'm afraid. :hello: We've got 246 euros to last us 6 days. Another MS holiday!

See you next Friday. SFT

cw18

Hope you have a FABulous time SFT

Blairweech

Have a great time SFT!!

I have decided that I will be spending the time at my Mums looking at my budget for next year and Christmas presents etc. And from November, I will be taking out cash for groceries and my 'everything else' budget which needs to be broken down I feel, as it really is too vague and covers too many things

I know I am not really part of the challenge anymore this year, but it is nice to keep up with you all. Have decluttered another drawer in the kitchen :rolleyes: Will probably do most of it Saturday as OH is working

Skint_Lynne

Have a great time SFT, keep away from their telly whilst you are there.:p

Nyk, you are a naughty girl, what have you been up to? At least it wasn't me this time getting told off by the swear monitor.:rotfl:

I've been good, not spending awfully much, but I did go to the chippy tonight as a treat, that is a rare occurance now.:A

Will check in later. xx

cw18

I've been spending in our local Coop's closing down sale the last few days.... todays haul was all down to 25% of original price, and included 3kg of currants (70p/kg) and their last 4 bags of Allis0ns wholemeal bread flour (down to just 36p/1.5kg bag) :T


But my "dog food" bills have just gone up again Since starting to move the Dalmatian onto the very expensive low-purine feed he's constantly pestering for food - and empties his bowl before I even get back from the kitchen to the living room. Up-to-date with all meds, so know it's not a problem due to me neglecting something that way. Took him to vets this morning to use their scales, and he's pretty much bang on where he was pre-op.... so the senior lady who works the desk (thinks she's also one of the nurses) said not to worry about weight loss (though we're going to monitor him every few weeks for the rest of the year). She called in another member of staff who has a dog on the same feed, and I was told this is common - so obviously the feed doesn't have as much "filler" in it as the cheaper ones do :mad: Only (safe) option is to pad his meals out with fresh veg, so he had a load of carrots this evening and I'm off out price-comparing/spending on other types tomorrow. Luckily he's always eaten raw veg, so I know what he likes and dislikes - and what he's not allowed (spuds and onions amongst the latter). As he's just finished his week of 50% old/50% new feed I can only see it getting worse if I don't start giving him something extra soon :eek:

bails

Sorry to miss you SFT but hope you have a wonderful time!

Blairweech, everyone is a part of this thread not just the'active' members as it were - people practising, on a specific budget, lurking...even those who scoot off to foreign climes for a while

Exciting news here - yesterday I sent off an email about an interesting job back home, but the start date was for January and we're not back til April. This morning I had an email back from the head saying that, as I was 'very appropriately qualified' for the job, my lack of availability didn't exclude me from applying :j:j:j:j I am SOOO excited!!

Got to dash as OH is badgering me, we've got lots of jobs to do today including renewing our visas. Speak later, have a fabulous day everyone! xx

shaz_mum_of__2

Exciting news bails .....good luck

We go away tomorrow for 6 nights going to rutland water in the caravan ..................brrrrr fingers crossed for dry weather please !!

all packed just some last minute washing and ironing to do so there isn't mountains of the stuff when we get back

Done the food shop already total £35 ,lots of frugal activities planned walking bird watching etc got loads of reading to do for uni too.

had my eyes tested yesterday and i need glasses for the first time .got a really good deal at mr t's a free test £75 for 2 prs designer glasses plus clubcard points and a 5p off a litre voucher for petrol which we will use for the holiday fuel

Better take ds to school i suppose

Shaz

lyndasharp

Not been around for a while due to work, so I've got quite a few pages to catch up on! We had an:eek: moment when the boiler stopped working... I took yesterday off and used the time to clean the house as it really needed doing. Luckily a nice engineer got it going again and only charged £45. I think he was a bit scared by the set up though, and ran away saying he hadn't seen how the system was connected... while recommending I look into getting a new boiler very soon. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it running until after the wedding, as £2k for a new boiler isn't in the budget right now! Plus I'd prefer to get things like that done ni the summer when it doesn't matter that there's no heating.

Part of the reason for major cleaning and tidying is we're renting out the spare room for a month in November - the extra money will be very useful and there is now shelf space in the room too! It will be strange getting a housemate, but she seems really nice and I'm sure it'll be good fun.

Bails, good luck with the job!

taka

Nyk - I didn't see your post either - maybe it just disappeared?

Enjoy your hols SFT and Shaz!

CW - I hope you can get a cheap source of veg for your lovely dog. I'm sure I've heard of people buying massive (cheap) bags of pony carrots? I think they're just the oddly shaped etc ones - nothing wrong with them... Maybe ask on the pets board?

Blairweech - of course you are still part of this challenge... You don't get away that easily! :eek: :rotfl:
Bails - good luck with the job!

lyndasharp - Glad the boiler was fixable... Good luck saving for a new one... I need to get someone out to look at mine - the top up system lever is jammed and the pressure is a wee bit too low now... :eek: Good luck with your new housemate!

My life plods a long as normal... very boring... :rolleyes: Very glad its friday though... :rotfl:

Frugaldom

Hi guys,

Have a great time SFT and Shaz!

Missing post was a great long one in response to several other posts, including a funny (or I thought so) little bit to Dr Taka in anticipation of her PhD and her Tai Chi whatshamacallit attempts. Unfortunatley it appears to have vanished completely and I can't remember all it contained, so don't know if it just got lost or got deleted. Hmph! I did respond to everyone, I'm sure I did, so apologies if it looks like I've ignored anyone. I do read all the posts every day.

It's dry here today, so the washing is out on the line. Breadmaker's been on for today's loaf, slow cooker was on overnight with a smoked ham hough making stock, ham's now been chopped up for pie or quiche making and veg, butter beans and lentils simmering in the stock for tonight's soup. HS has been into town and treated us to a new grate for the fire as the old one had rendered itself useless by losing a leg then falling apart and the pergola/arbor structure I wanted built alongside the greenhouse is almost complete. Who needs a £499 flat pack from Amaz0n when £30 worth of 2" x 2" (with free delivery) does just as well? Not only will it provide an excellent climbing frame for my plants next year, it will also be used for the hanging baskets and as added security to protect the greenhouse from being blown away in the winter storms.

I still haven't sent off for my passport to enable a frugal flight somewhere but I am raking in every odd penny I can find in an extra effort to fill my 2009/10 ISA. It's a long way short at the moment as nothing's been paid in since DD's wedding savings challenge but I'm sure there has to be a way of filling it and topping up DS's birthday fund. I've put out the word to fellow LETS members that I'm Christmas pressie hunting in an effort to save cash this year.