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

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!

sf-Yes Bails is right, holding a hand up or clapping the football rap is very effective. I wait too and the noisy children soon realise that everyone has gone quiet and they are the only ones talking.
Bails-Glad to hear that your plans are going so well with the lovely BB's help. You sound very motivated at the moment.

I have to spend some time sorting out the finances this weekend.
I have sorted out a few pending health issues over the last few weeks. Got an eye test-am mildly short sighted so £117 for glasses and lenses. Also went to the doctor about my knee-have always had probs (as a teenager I had cartilage removed from both) and for the last few years :eek: it has been sore at times. And it cracks terribly. Doc is sending me for an xray and has mentioned arthritis (mild and severe) so I'm preparing myself. But I am glad I know* and going to the gym as the muscles around my knee are strenghtening and my knee has felt better. Got Dentist appointment on Thurs too. So lots of funds needed but you can't put a price on your health can you.
* Losing mobility of course is terrifying but I am so glad we are in our little cottage now.. got to live the dream when you can haven't you.

Had a great evening last night. As we've just got one little bedroom (in the roof of the cottage) my parents slept on our Ebay bargain sofa bed L*ura Ashley (£180 and is beautiful condition). It was really comfortable.
This morning we've had our washing drying in the sunshine and Mr SFT and parents went to next door's cottage (twice the size of ours with a large beautiful garden -with chickens, huge veggie plot and small orchard) to help themselves to apples. Our neighbour's (lovely, door to earth couple) told us at the local Gardening club on Wednesday night we could have as many apples as we wish as they will only rot on the ground.
Then we popped over to a local charity bazaar. Confess to spending £2 on the tombola but I did win a bottle of lemonade, but picked up some Christmas presents, books, some toiletries for next year and a blue dresser jug and bowl with a beautiful floral pattern for £2 (for me, me, me!-blue my favourite colour and it will look great on the wooden plate rack we are putting up in the kitchen).
As well as finances, I've got ironing and meal planning to do. Going to gym at 1.30 too. After that a walk I think to enjoy these beautiful autumnal colours whilst they last.

Sorry for long rambling post.

Have a great day all.

SFT

FrankieM

Morning everyone,
Bit chilly here but at least it's not raining. Need to get on with some washing and encourage my DS to get the dishes done.
It was a NS day yesterday but have spent £25.20 on fuel this morning. I also will be going into town this afternoon so a little bit more will be spent. I only have £40 left out of my weekly budget so I'm hoping that will be enough.

I don't have a pension as I don't work and haven't every really in the UK. I may have some Superannuation in Aus, though, but I can't imagine it would be much. I'm going to just save, eventually and hopefully have enough to be able to get an income off it.

Hope you all have a good day.

Savvy_sewing

Came to Oxford to the Bf's on Wednesday night, so saving on food while I am here! But it cost me £20 to give to DS for his travel and food expenses.
After the hospital, bus fare cost £3.70, I went into town centre to my bank. Needed a cheque drawing up, which cost me £5 for the privelage. The Co Operative bank has told me that they are getting rid of the Visa Electron that we have, and that it will all be just Visa cards. So I will loose out on our next Ryan Air bookings then! Unless BF gets a different account that has Electron.
I also spent About £26 in Mr primarni. Went to get my usual stockings and popsocks, and picked up some camilsole slips and a jumper/drress too! Bit naughtly but I dont have very many jumpers etc and I do need them for the winter in the cottage.
Have made myself a coat, so the cost of fabric etc was £19. Think the coat would be around £80 to buy new. So saved there.
Going to make a few more handbags ready to get a stall somewhere next month I hope. They are using up scraps, remenants and other garments converted. So no spends there.
Still panicing that I will not cope on the ESA alone next year. Or jobseekers allowance if they reckon I can go to work again?
Take care everyone. Have a good weekend.

Blairweech

Hi all,

Been a few days since I posted so struggling to catch up, but (((hugs))) to those in need, congrats and commiserations as necessary.

Read quite a scary article about inflation this morning and whilst I think it is scaremongering, it did make me think about needing to build up my stockpile :think:. But then, I might be moving out very soon, so I don't know what to do!!!

Anyway - The Flaming Tar Barrels on Thursday were good - the thrill of almost being hit by a flaming barrell is unlike no other :rolleyes:. Later in the evening it got exceptionally crowded though - you could not even lift your arm - and there were a few drunken idiots who were determined to 'hold their ground' and not get out of the bl00dy way. OH managed to keep a tight hold of me though and push me away from the barrel whilst pushing them further towards it :A. Tis a shame some people have to ruin it for everyone though, especially the people rolling the barrels as it is a big source of local pride.

Bridgwater Carnival was amazing - every float was a joy to watch, so much effort put in. We were quite far down the town, and thought that the hour and a half delay from the start would mean the dancers would be flagging, but they were really going for it!! So, an evening well spent (plus parking was only £3, and for charity :T)

Have been working on Christmas present ideas, and have already bought a couple of gifts. Want to be finished by the start of December this year.

Other than that, today I shall be doing my online food shop ready for delivery when I get back. Put my bank card in OHs wallet so I did not have to take my bag, then left it in there (he has gone back today) :doh:. Leaves me with £11 until Monday :rotfl:

Edit: Mooloo - I am loving your ideas on making your own clothes etc, as I am seriosuly considering going down the 'cottage industry' route when I move back in with my parents.

Bails - I have just seen this article about frugal ideas for a wedding, but you may have already read it!

grandma247

Just a quick note to say Mr T has hienz beans at £1 for four tins. I bought twelve packs and will get some more later. The offer ends tomorrow.

grandma247

Discodee I understand why you are suprised at the mobile phones and second car but can I suggest you read the whole thread. The person with the mobiles needs those as does their family because of special needs. In their case they are not frivolous but are essential for them to stay in touch. That person makes cuts elsewhere in the budget to account for them.
As to the second car their circumstances too will be different.

We used to have two cars because we both worked,Hubby on building sites and I was an agency cleaner for mostly people who worked full time. I needed to get to each job and public transport was definately not an option. When I stopped working the car went as soon as the mot was due. Ten years later I still do not have a car. Hubby needs one because he now works in a different job and has to be at work at 5.30 am,no public transport at that time or to that place.
If you stick around you will see how we all support each other in our different lifestyles. In fact why don't you come and join us next year? I am sure you have much to offer in the way of tips etc.

grandma247

Mooloo wrote: »

. The Co Operative bank has told me that they are getting rid of the Visa Electron that we have, and that it will all be just Visa cards. So I will loose out on our next Ryan Air bookings then! Unless BF gets a different account that has Electron.
.

I heard somewhere that you can still get a prepaid one.

Frugaldom

Good afternoon

Grandma, you're right, you can get a prepaid Electron card and it costs less to load it than pay the fees if it's for booking flights, I looked into the Post Office one, as there was also cashback available when you applied via the apropriate sites. Several others have cashback, too. MSE has included items about this on several occasions recently in the weekly newsletters.

Interesting article about hyper and superhyper inflation, Blairweech! It's based purely on supposition, by my reckoning, and citing events in Zimbabwee and Germany from the 1920's as examples. However, some of it sounds like it's talking about us frugalers now! Stockpiling 6 months' supplies and grannies fighting in the supermarkets? The latter reminds me of the elderly lady who all but whacked me with her handbag to get at the last bunch or reduced bananas in C0-0p! :rotfl:

Discodee - not everyone here is on a 4k budget, nor is everyone on here doing this to clear off debt. The challenge has been running for several years and a lot of people simply enjoy participating for the moral support and camaraderie. In some circumstances, people don't have land lines, so have mobile phones for contact purposes. My own DS only has a mobile, as it costs her less than having a landline installed and meant she could always keep in contact with her clients whilst she was travelling about for work. On the car issue, I think everyone agrees that to have a car when one isn't absolutely essential is a luxury but when living rural with no direct access to public transport when you need it, it becomes an essential. We all have different circumstances and we all welcome the arrival of new challengees to join us on here and share their views. Like Grandma says, welcome on board if you would like to join us in the challenge before 2010 gets underway.

Skint Lynne - I've just reorganised my freezer and now have all the peapods simmering down for stock to make pea soup, so I hope the winemaking was definitely cancelled. :rotfl:

I also had a sweep through my accounts and ticked off the bills against the income, which was a little extra over the past month thanks to cash back, commissions from a couple of sources and a couple of eB!d sales. :j All the surplus has been swept into my 2009/10 ISA for safe keeping, although I'm not convinced that banks & building societies are really the way to go. With the Bank of England printing money like it's door-to-door flyers, it HAS to be depreciating quicker than any interest gained, tax free or otherwise. :rolleyes:

Anyone got any suggestions for making my pea soup a little more exciting? It's veggie, so no ham suggestions please.

bails

Ah, the carnival Blair, I'd completely forgotten! We always went to the Shepton one as kids, then the Wells one too with school friends and now the Glasonbury one with family friends. Happy times!

Ansoff

Hello

I have been reading this thread for a long time and feel like it's time I joined in. I have started keeping a record of my spending but I am not quite ready for the challenge. You all give me great inspiration, please can I become part of your wonderful group?

Ansoff