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

bails

This is exactly my point peeps...

Tell me all your secrets now Lynda! Please!

Um, well, we WANTED an individual wedding with the people we love...we've narrowed it DOWN to 120 :eek: The thing is, we have people to help with things - my mum is making the bridesmaid dresses and the cake; Dad now has a new car OH can use :whistle:; my godmother is doing the flowers; OH's step uncle is performing the ceremony; friend is playing during the ceremony and reception (I think); BB is making me a special little surprise for OH...

Initially we thought the marquee route would be cheaper and then when we found it isn't, we thought well at least we can save on food costs etc but even so it's crazy!

It COULD just be that I am overbudgeting for things, but in all likelihood I'm not. The biggest costs are the marquee and land to put it on, sigh. But I desperately don't want to be on a conveyor belt... and we love the outdoors so it would be really special to us. We also need to have two ceremonies for this reason, although these shouldn't cost that much...

All help very gratefully received at this point please folks. I never deamed I'd be contemplating such a huge total!

cw18

taka wrote: »

Its now £10k apparently!

I stand corrected (quite happily )

I had read Martin's report on this, but for some reason thought it was only for 'older' pensioners Just checked the report again, and it does appear to be for all

Savvy_sewing

I got my weddingcake from Marks and spencers, and decorated it with roses and pillars etc brought in hobby craft. Infact I still have the pillars I think? Will have to go and check that one.
We had caterers in, but there was onlyabout 40 people, to a sit down, meal after the ceremony, and then a buffet for the evening.
We stayed in a local B & B for the wedding night, then went on an all inclusive to Crete for the honeymoon.
Everything came in less then £3,000
But that was 5 years ago now.
My dresses fabric cost me £266 for my dress and 3 bridesmaids, (Adults) dresses.
I would hate to know how much it would have cost me if I had had to buy them!

I have no idea about my pension since going bankrupt. Having trouble communicating with the company as I changed my name back to my maiden name, but dont have a document to prove it. As my passport was never changed into my married name. (Officially I am still married, but we seperated after 18 months-).
I suppose I really ought to sort out if I have any pension left now? I havent paid into it in years.
Mmmm something else to think about. Will have to re think the budget again!.
Am permanantly rethinking the budget. I forget that I have a nasty habit of going over budget, as I forget to account for my sewing materials, and reading materials.
Next year I am definitely going to have to be stronger and stop impulse buying.
Perhaps if I stayed in I would be less tempted. Charity shops really are my weakness!

cw18

nykmedia wrote: »

CW - Do they count in ISA savings when assessing eligibility for state pension top ups?

They count EVERYTHING apart from the value of the property you live in (assuming you own it either with or without a mortgage). Everything from the pennies in your purse, to your current account, savings account (including ISAs), savings bonds, premium bonds, and any second home !!!!

Frugaldom

Bails, I have a friend who was researching the marquee route and she was stunned to discover the £4000 price tag just for the marquee. But then you can get married almost anywhere in Scotland, as long as the ceremony is carried out legally by a registrar or minister etc. They've since changed their minds and opted for a castle, as it was cheaper. DD had about 120 at her wedding and the most expensive part was feeding them all, so I reckon if you could secure the right venue then everything else will fall into place. Just set your budget and juggle it to fit as best you can. To be 100% honest, I can't even remember any details of what the place looked like where I got married, but I can remember the name of the hotel owner's Great Dane! :rotfl:

Vixstar

Mooloo regarding the cost of reading materials have you considered joining a local library as its free.

Where do you get your sewing materials and what nots from?

Blairweech

Bails - Check out the Special Occasions board, they have a special wedding section which has so much great information

Went to Weston, it was raining so we just looked at it out of the car window :rolleyes: Then went to Street instead, I bought a gilet for £15 (RRP £25)

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

They count EVERYTHING apart from the value of the property you live in (assuming you own it either with or without a mortgage). Everything from the pennies in your purse, to your current account, savings account (including ISAs), savings bonds, premium bonds, and any second home !!!!

This is true, but they don't count the value of any life insurance policies that pay out after your death, and they don't count the value of any funeral which is pre paid.Both of which we have done.
I agree with NYK - why strive to work harder and progress through a career, just so you can enjoy life somewhere in the future, if you can enjoy life now, have fewer needs and expectations and need less money to achieve what you want.
Hence our (mine and OH's) plan to stop working and take a drop in income of £38,000 a year, move to frugaldom in rented accommodation, keep a small amount of savings for emergencies,and live a frugal lifestyle,the trade off for this will be to ENJOY life, ENJOY spending time together, ENJOY the small simple things,and ENJOY the present time.I have no aims of owning property again in my lifetime, and intend to end my days under the savings threshold so that I can live on my pension and have my rent charges paid by housing benefit. By which time I will be an expert frugaller and able to live on a very low income;)
My dad was a career minded person all his life,bought property, saved hard, paid into pension plans and policies and investments and what happened - he died a few months into his retirement without enjoying anything having put off all his dreams until retirement :mad:nor did he get value from his pension pots as these were immediately halved when paid to mum,and she only qualified for a small amount extra on her state pension based on his contributions over 50 years:( OH is older than me so we have to enjoy life whilst we can,and we will be living on his private pension paid since he was 55. I've lost too many members of my close family recently to dwell on the future,. I have decided to enjoy the small stuff in life NOW before it is too late.:D

sophiesmum_2

nykmedia wrote: »

To be 100% honest, I can't even remember any details of what the place looked like where I got married, but I can remember the name of the hotel owner's Great Dane! :rotfl:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:That is so funny!!!!

Savvy_sewing

Vixstar wrote: »

Mooloo regarding the cost of reading materials have you considered joining a local library as its free.

Where do you get your sewing materials and what nots from?

I havent joined the library as years ago I used to forget to take them back, and ended up with huge fines!. Put me off a bit. But I also like to keep my books. A lot of what I am buying at the moment are craft/creating books.
I am hoping to get my act together and start doing more gifts etc and start to sell things, once the postal strikes etc are all done and dusted. So next year really.

I am buying materials mostly that are "recycled", I purchase fabrics from charity shops mostly. So is a bit hit and miss. But when I wanted to make this coat, I bought the material to order, from Milton Keynes market.
I have used Ebay as well.

I also convert clothes into things, and they are donated by family and friends, and sometimes bought in the charity shop. The problem with me is I see stuff, say that it will make a good this or that, but havent really got around to making very much of what I planned to do, due to running around after the family. Hence next week, "Mum is out of order". Sewing is my main aim next week. I know that once start sewing, I get carried away, and I can be lost in my work.:D