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

bails

I've been looking at our LETS again recently Nyk (didn't join up in end as we were coming out here) and will definitely join once we're home. I was looking for useful skills for the wedding and seeing what I could offer - more than I thought it seems :T No one is offering shiatsu and we have various tools we can loan out, and hopefully produce to exchange. Looking forward to it! :T

Frugaldom

That's great news, Bails! So is your other news update, bet you're kind of relieved re the job app and everything I love the concept of LETS, we've borrowed chimney rods and swept the chimney, think that's saved us about £25, and if I equate LETS points to pounds then I've traded out over £200 worth of stuff by way of pet sitting, lemon curd, eggs, soup and quiche. I traded for B&B accommodation and the person who owns the little campsite I'm planning on commandeering for the frugathering is also a fellow LETS member.

bails

:T Yae, well done Nyk! I love the concept of LETS too, a wonderful idea! I've just had an email from ours saying we can join and start trading from here :T So even though this technically means we'll be in 'debt', it's great news as we can book people up to help us with the wedding and 'pay' them back once we're home! I'll have the summer hols to earn some credits and OH is flexible workwise until he gets an engineering job so all good! I'm excited to find out exactly what's on offer...

ETA: If anyone would like to join me, I've started my own thread here about the wedding.

Brighton_belle

eek, nearly scared myself silly: was just forum surfing and something triggered the thought that although my buildings/contents insurer is fine with me having a lodger, now I am going to take a student rather than a employed person, I better check they are ok with this.
They are not and when he moves in tomorrow it will invalidate all my insurance:eek:. Thank goodness I picked up on that. Ins due for renewal anyway 1st dec so spending today scouting round for best deal to start tomorrow.

bails

Good job you checked BB!

This website offers a free book each day, you just pay for P&p. Thought I might keep my eye out for anything good... Today's is to do with Dungeons and Dragons.

Brighton_belle

phew - have now sorted the house insurance and got someone who doesn't mind what my lodger does for a living and haven't paid excessively more - £50 more than last year, but £60 less than the year before. As I have saved each month for the insurance in a savings account, I only have to find the extra £50 to pay.
One relieved BB.

Frugaldom

Bails, how do we find the free book, is it a random selection or do they email you the details if you subscribe? Sounds great, having a wee, quick look to see if I can spot the freebie.

Went into town with HS and got the grocery shopping and hope not to have to go back for at least a fortnight! Very pleased with today's haul as I was hoping the peppers to be back on the super 6, which they are! Thanks Ald! :T I also made further savings by replacing lentils with split peas for soups - they are half the price and are just as good!

Now for the latest garden addition - neighbours have moved out and landlord instructed them to remove the raised bed from garden, so they have been digging and barrowing all that lovely topsoil and it's all being dumped! Had there been any way at all of tipping it from lorry into our garden then we'd have been only too pleased to rehome it, but the atrocious weather has mean no way of driving anything over the grass verge alongside the stream without risking life & limb. However, they have dropped off the railway sleepers, as they couldn't take them with them. :j Those will make a far more secure raised bed behind my greenhouse where the sheep got in and trampled all through my onions and courgettes. Along with the sleepers, we've also acquired 2 more compost bins that neighbours couldn't take with them, so we can start filling them now, too. :j I jusy hope nothing gets blown away tonight in the gales, as it sounds like they are well on their way now, lashing the rain into the front windows. Now all I need to worry about is the amount of stuff we'll have to remove if we ever need to leave here!

Frugaldom

Back again - glad the insurance is sorted, BB

Bails - red face, sorry, me stoopit, that website has big link button leading to the free book of the day and I missed it!

tryingtodobetter

Hello Everyone

Sorry I've been AWOL on this thread but been super busy with lots going on at both work and home. It looks as though we have found some land to buy 2.2 acres of woodland and meadow :j:j:j Everythings in the hands of the solicitors at the moment, DH and I are both itching to get to work on it to prepare it for planting in the spring and chickens of course.

Unfortunately I've kind of lost track of my budget for this year however 2010 will have to be a whole different story as the new land has taken all our savings and will cost rather alot to set up.

Trying to catch up on everything that everyone has said.

TTDB.x.

Frugaldom

Tryingtodobetter - that is FABULOUS! I am so excited for you as buying a bit of land and woodland is one of my long-standing, long-term ambitions! PLEASE keep us up to date with all progress at all times