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

Skint_Lynne

I've been a bit naughty today, (but not with money),

Had an abusive customer in the shop who went too far, I slung her out and was just a smidgeon away from lamping her one, but saw sense and swore at her instead when I saw her shaking.:o

She was one of 2, the other lady (her mother), apologised for her, but I was disappointed at myself for losing it so badly. A regular was in however, and said she deserved it and that I was badly provoked.

Most of the time I am a laid back, easy going character, but I do admit to a fiery streak, which I keep in check 99% of the time.

Never mind, I suppose it always cannot be plain sailing in life's funny situations, hopefully today's episode will make Miss cheeky think about what comes out of her mouth before she speaks, she actually told her mother to shut up before she entered into her tirade on me. She got short shrift from me though, cheeky wee madam.:rolleyes:

On a better note, no cash spends from me today, I was good there!:j

I hope that I am allowed to the frugal meet next year, I can be the bouncer on the door.:rotfl:

Frugaldom

Hi guys, glad the forums are back at last!

Darnit, you are very welcome to join the frugang! We're always pleased to [STRIKE]trap[/STRIKE], I mean welcome new members. :rotfl:

SL, you're still ok for attending the frugathering but if you'd rather join security for the occasion, DD, her DH and DS are all licensed, so you'll be in frugal company. :rotfl:

Baked a loaf of bread, padded out the rest of yesterday's spag bol sauce with tomatoes, made egg pasta then had lasagna & hm bread for tea. Trouble is, I still have quarter of the lasagna and 2 slices of turkey pie to use up, so the food is multiplying! I've done really, really well on my store cupboard challeneg this month, with grocery spending amounting to only £37.22 for the entire month! I think that's a record for me! :j:T The freezer is still fairly full and includes some ham, 2 whole chickens, several cartons of cooked chicken and plenty of soup. The hens aren't laying as many eggs now the days are shorter but we are still getting a couple each day, enough for our own use, at least. I'm going to attempt same mini challenge for November and see if I can find a way of stretching the grocery budget to the end of the year. In reality, my biggest regular spends are on dairy products nowadays.

NUMBER CRUNCHING ALERT!

Skip this part if you have an aversion to number crunching I'm trying to calculate how much I need to see me through to the year end for groceries. I've rounded up to nearest £ as I don't like untidy numbers

Milk - 59 days @ 49p £30
Cheese - £10
Flour - £7
Margarine - £5
Lentils - £3
Fruit & Veg - £10
TOTAL = £65

I have £78.60 of my grocery budget remaining and enough meat stuff to string out over the coming weeks, so the above SHOULD allow me £13.60 to buy meat for the Christmas dinner. I WILL remain confident! It HAS to be possible when I've done as much stockpiling and preserving over the past 10 months.

Skint_Lynne

Do you usually go for turkey nyk, surely you could get one via lets around your neck of the woods?

Also, I know that you are short of supermarkets round there, but I often try and get cheese buy 1 get 1 free. Seri0usly strong is on such an offer in both mr m and mr t just now. That's my favourite one and a little goes a long way. Maybe sm could pick some up for you?

Finally, thank you for allowing me entry to the frugathering despite my shortcomings in the temper department. I don't know how angry people can be angry all the time, it is exhausting and draining, I am knackered tonight!:rotfl:

edaniels1983

hi, im new to this but just read the entire thread

---

WOWWWWWW

i still cant get over the turkey leg!:snow_laug:snow_laug dread to think how long a whole turkey would last!!!!!!

i have been tryin for the past yr to live off 10.00 a day with any remaining money going into a 'big pot' and start the new day with a fresh 10.00. thing is BIG POT IS EMPTY!!

SOMETHING ALWAYS COMES UP

heres one of my tips i use. i freeze stock in those ice cube bags you can buy. that way you just pop out the required amount and not have to defrost a whole batch.

i did the same with baby food(homemade) when my son was a baby, but used ice cube trays. a old tip, but one thats easy to impliment and does work!

hope to be a member of the 2010 4k club pretty please:j

Blairweech

Hi all,

CW - Fingers crossed for the job!
SFT - Holiday sounds lovely, I remember getting fresh bread every day when I was in France on a school trip. Of course, now I would just buy cake (No bread? Then let them eat cake!)
Shaz - Well done on the bargains and the ISA savings
SL - :rotfl:at your story!
Nyk - :shocked: at your grocery bill. That is amazing!

Am up at my parents now for a week :T Yay for a holiday - 'tis badly needed Dinner tonight was chicken with parma ham, mash, spinach and roasted tomatoes :beer:

Just seen that the Alliance and Leicester £100 bonus ends on the 8th November - they have a branch in Taunton, so might sign up for that. Plus, it is a fee free overdraft.

bails

Welcome home SFT,we missed you! Glad you had a lovely time!

Nyk and Shaz, you're obviously doing a great job with your budgets, well done :T Hope you had a great hol too Shaz!

Welcome edaniels! Is that £10 a day for everything? Pull up a chair and tell us more...

Sorry to hear you got riled SL, hope you feel better today.

MS from this end - not so much to report, been a more expensive few days for various reasons (visa renewals for one :rolleyes:) and we're out to a Halloween party tonight but then OH goes away on retreat for 12 days so that should cut the food budget right down - him not being here to eat masses and me not eating because I miss him Not really, I'll eat I promise. It's strange, I know it's due in large part to the repercussions of my illness but I wouldn't have batted an eyelid about spending a whole year travelling by myself before, now 12 days seems forever! Maybe I just love being with him...

I have started a wedding dress fund though, so I can get something I will feel gorgeous in without feeling guilty at using lots of the budget if needs be. I've actually got over a £100 now with the scratchcard money but I've not withdrawn it yet.
Have a great time Blair! (did I somehow forget you live in Tavistock or did you only recently put that up?)

BB, is the credit score for what I think it's for??

Frugaldom

Good morning frugal campers

Another fellow frugaler to join our frugal flock! Yeah! Welcome on board, EDaniels1983, I'll add your name to the list ASAP for fear ye change yer mind!

SL, I'm popping into town tomorrow (1st November) to top up on essentials and squeezing the budget even further! Once again, I forgot to add on toilet rolls and toothpaste! If there are no cheese bargains here, then a plea will be sent SM's direction (yet again ).

Bails, you are doing really well with the wedding dress fund! But please transfer the funds for your free scratchies to somewhere safe. I may just be paranoid but if anything happened to the site and they decided to shut down such offers, I'd be really upset if the free cash was lost. I always withdraw mine as soon as it reaches over the minimum £10 mark, just to be on the safe side.

Have a great holiday at parents' house, BW

CW (& CW's DS) I'm mentally keeping fingers crossed for both of you, the extra income will be a major boost to your finances.

I was hoping to hang out some washing but it's started raining here again. With any luck, it'll dry up a little, even just enough to get the towels out for half an hour.

Can't believe this is the last day of October! We've only 2 months left until the next challenge! After a long think and several debates, I've decided that the 2010 challenge will go into the Old Style section of the forum. Much as I dislike being referred to as 'Old style', there's really no doubt about it - our ways are best described as traditional with a mix of ultra modern and technological wizardry, but you don't need to be teetering on the brinks of bankruptcy to take part. So, that's where you'll find next year's 'Cost of Living Challenge'.
Does anyone object to this decision?

Aril

Hello frugal peeps
Weekly pop in here! Have been very frugal with the small person and Halloween this year- made a double batch of my ordinary biscuit mix and then used my Halloween cutters which I already had. He's taking those with him tonight to his sleepover rather than loads of sweeties [I have given him one pack of squirting skulls I'm not a total meanie:D]
Just wondered if any of you read this thread- I'm sure most of you are old hands at this but there might be something new to help you in your frugal endeavours:D
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=826963
Aril

edaniels1983

hi, thanks aril, what a useful thread!!

yes, i am a mother on benefits so 10.00 a day was about all my benefits. and my hubbys incapacity benefit every 2 weeks helps. but thats goes on car fuel and insurance etc.

i was also living in na high rise flat with the dreaded storage heaters but i did make use of the timer on my washing machine for the economy7!!!!

as of last week i have moved to a house with 'normal electric and gas meters' and my great worry now is budgeting for these as i am only used to pre-payment meters, and only electric at that---flat never had gas.

have to say though, down to freecycle and carboots, my house is furnished very delightful and looks more expensive than its cost!!

i am looking for a job! i used to be a debt manager for the CSA before i became a mother, but when u have got ex professionals taking up the jobs in [EMAIL="m@cd0n@lds"]m@cd0n@lds[/EMAIL]!!! what hope do i have!!!!

any tips on online ways to make money pleaseeeeee


sorry to ramble on. but thanks for welcoming me into the group x

BigMummaF

Morning!
I was having a :rolleyes:--well--more of a daydream--& suddenly realised that there are only 61 whole days left of this year :eek: & I've still not fathomed a workable solution for my budgets It hasn't helped that another fact had so obviously been escaping my notice since I first signed up for it, while I was posting on the GC.
Pup eats what we eat & Iggie has things like raw veg & watercress so between them & my efforts to follow portion control for us, I reckon I should be looking at catering for 5 adults at the very least. One of those adults works outside in a physically demanding job, leaving the house by 7:15 of a morning & not home much before 6 five days a week. Thankfully [I think :undecided if I squint while looking at the price] at least three pieces of fruit go into the lunch box, with a sarnie of HM bread & filling & sometimes an instant hot noodle thingie or a tin of beans now the weather is turning. Unfortunately all three of them are not big soup fans & will eat casserole only under protest & Pup turns his nose up at offal so it's as much a waste of time & energy to cook it as it is the money to buy it in the first place :doh:
I was seriously hoping to get a bit of veg-growing done this year--if only some salad leaves to help out with Iggie's food bill--but it didn't happen. You all, therefore, have my full written consent to keep on at me till at least the end of the season for stuff-that-grows-really-easily, next year PLEASE don't say mint!!! I've now committed herbiside on at least seven occasions of this flavoursome leaf alone :embarasse My gardening skills are such that I must have been cursed by Blind Pew with a damned sight more than a Black Spot :mad: & just wish I was neighbours with Monty Don.