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

Brighton_belle

ooh I've had a busy week, sorry haven't postd since MOnday.
2TR - great post and very moving. Thanks.
SF - it's lovely to not only hear you tell us how much you are enjoying the actual teaching, it lso come across in your post in unspoken ways.

Any news yet for your son CW?

I've been getting on with my own 'quality of life' project, namely focussing on mosaic & clock making and getting immense satisfaction from actually doing it rather than talking about doing it.
New lodger has settled in and all is looking veru good indeed on that front.
At the weekend I am off to see my nephew play the last post at a very significant rememberance day parade and then spending time with my mum & dad. On Monday we are off to see the recording of 'I'm sorry I haven't a Clue' with D^vid Mitchell:smileyhea:D.
Bought our months meat at the butcher and he threw in a couple of steaks for virtually free and they melted in our mouth last night.

I must catch up with my accounts, I must catch up with my accounts...

cw18

DS got a letter yesterday - so much for "will phone everyone whether we're offering them a position or not". Just says he was unsuccessful.

He's not happy that it doesn't say why, so I'm going to try and catch the HR lady while in for induction (tonight and tomorrow) and ask if he can contact her for some feedback.

Brighton_belle

sorry to hear that CW. I think once you are working there, and they know you, that he will get offered something in the next round of recruitment.
To be honest, they were probably inundated with student apps and it was a shere number thing. No comfort to him of course, at the mo.

Vixstar

BB with you on the "must update my accounts" thing though I have to add "must find my receipts"!

HH62

Spent £39.49 today on Mr T and at the farm shop. I'm doing really well so far this week on 'other' spending so I'm pleased about that. I'd started a new system for my impulse spending (mags, chocolate are the biggest two problems) of getting a tenner from the cash machine on a Friday and making it last a week. Well this week's tenner is still intact in my purse - this is a huge success for me. So I'll make it last now till next week.

I'm also doing well on petrol so far this month and I reckon I may only have to fill up once more before the 30th.

Hope everyone's ok today.

Brighton_belle

Well done HH62 - I do think it's the little things that run away with our money. Perhaps it really is true the old saying... look after the pennies!

Vix - I buy as much as I can on my cashback credit card(transfering the money straight away to pay it off) so I get to keep a fairly good record that way. It's my little cash spends I keep slipping with.

the_cat

Hi everyone

Thanks for the info the other day about allotments/growing your own. It really helped to clarify things and Louby especially - fab tips, thanks
I have decided to give it a go, mostly as a hobby, as my home garden is too tiny and shady to do anything with. Need to make it 'break even' but if it helps with finances, then that is a bonus.

I signed up for this challenge at the start of the year but pretty soon after got lazy with the accounts and had no idea what I had spent. I sort of gave up at this point, although I always read the thread and use many of the ideas.
In a way, I suppose I have been 'playing' at being frugal.

However, OH came home last week with news that his pension scheme is being wound up and frozen at it's current rate.:mad: So saving has become much more of a necessity than it was before.

I am therefore working on an all in budget to stick to for next year and would like to sneak back in for a practise for the rest of this year. Errr, if that's ok, of course.

bails

SF, I echo what BB said, it really does come across how much you're enjoying it. There's a teacher right there, I thought

Well done HH62, I think those are the changes that really add up :T

Sorry to hear about DS CW, hopefully BB is right. He should definitely ask for feedback.

Sorry about OH's pension too the_cat, hopefully being on here will help and of course you can practise :T

Just popped on to let you know that I just had an email back from the head teacher...who thought my application was excellent and is looking forward to speaking to me!!!! (sorry Nyk, this calls for exclamation marks - you can give me that great smiley instead though) :j:j:j I'm a teeny bit excited, as BB can vouch

Frugaldom

Bails.... Hope you get your dream job (and dream wedding).

The_cat, everyone is wrlcome here for whatever reason they need to be here. I can understand your concern over the pension shock as I've been talking about pensions (or lack of them) all week here.

CW, sorry your DS didn't get the job, I'm sure he'll find something suitable soon or else, as BB says, get through next time.

HH, well done with the frugalising, sounds like you've found yourself a 'groove' that suits your lifestyle. Long may it continue

Very cold and STILL raining here. Logs & coal have never had the chance to dry out, so the fire is practically useless for heating, so the storage heaters are going on tonight and if I need a boost of extra heat then it'll need to be from an electric heater. Boo hoo... that'll soon escalate weekly costs and cut back on any savings. I guess it'll be early night again to make the most of electric underblanket

the_cat

Thanks for the welcome back Bails and Nyk

OH's pension is not as bad as it could be I suppose, as he has a half decent amount already put in which will be frozen. I always knew it was on the cards that as it was a final salary (and non contributary) scheme it would probably go. Just need to allocate funds every month now to top up savings. To make up the difference between what he is now going to get and what was projected we would need to save £300,000 to buy an annuity. He is due to retire in 12 years. NO WAY is that going to happen!:eek:

My plan is to save in investment ISA's etc and build up a lump sum. At the rates I have seen though an annuity is defo not on the cards. Quotes online seem to indicate that a £100,000 purchase price would only get us £250 a month:mad:. Just to break even we would both need to live 30 years in retirement.