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

slowlyfading

Evening everyone.

I'm sorry that I'm rubbish at updating lately. After being ill all weekend and taking monday off uni, I seem to be really really behind, and its making me really stressed. I've caught up with my lesson planning, but I have another essay due at the end of the month and I've not really made any start on that as there's mountains of reading to do so I'm feeling it now. Before this weekend I thought I was on top of my work and now I feel really lost. So, my updates might be few and far between for the next couple of weeks.

I spent £5.25 today at $ain$bury$ - this was on some stamps, some gift tags and some chocolate as I was walking home in the dark and rain, I felt the chocolate was justified somewhat! I am trying to be more healthy, but its just not happening at the moment, I'm not in the right frame of mind right now.

I have read the thread but I'm sorry for not commenting on anyone, but thanks for the well wishes

sf x x

Brighton_belle

I'm fine thanks sft, just difficult stuff that has to be sorted that is slightly out of my hands.

SF - be kind to yourself: you are doing a vey tough and demanding course and you have been sick. Don't worry about keeping track on everyone here, just post when you can because we like to hear from you.
Chocolate entirely medicinal. Just take it all a day at a time.xx

Blairweech

SFT - Sorry for the confusion, I do not have a nice agricultural job lined up yet, that is just wishful thinking!


Have just had an email saying my interview tomorrow is a group interview _pale_. Is to see how you interact with others, but as I am naturally shy, I could not imagine a worse situation.

savingfortravel

Blairweech wrote: »

SFT - Sorry for the confusion, I do not have a nice agricultural job lined up yet, that is just wishful thinking!


Have just had an email saying my interview tomorrow is a group interview _pale_. Is to see how you interact with others, but as I am naturally shy, I could not imagine a worse situation.

Blair-This interview is important to you...I've been in that kind of situation before and alot of overly confident people say alot very quickly-not always of any quality. Bide your time and then say assertively your more interesting point. They will be looking for listening skills too remember. Then deep breath and do it again. Keep focused on the goal. Hope it goes really well for you honey.

SF-Chin up and get through it. Keep your mind on end goal but take one day at a time.

SFT

Skint_Lynne

Evening all,

I've had not too bad a day, visited the wee fella and he was on top form. They are so entertaining when they are wee ones, just a pity they have to grow into adolescents later on.:rolleyes:

I got a good bargain in tesc0 over the past 2 days. I use echinacea drops and they are expensive. They had them for 2.12 for 50ml in there. I checked the h0lland and borret website and they were 8.70 for the very same one, so I have bought 7, so have saved £46.08 by buying them in bulk. The sell by is 2011, so that was well spotted by me.:T:T

I'm off to Barrow in furness tomorrow, so am off to bed now. nite nite. xx

andromache_2

Hello all! I hope everyone's doing OK :cool: Just a quick one as it's late and I'm up early tomorrow but I've finally updated my signature and added up all my spending from the start of the academic year so I thought I'd post it here to provide some accountability... even if I account for the fact that I won't have to buy so many textbooks next term I'm still rather overbudget so I need to keep on top of things!


Category..............% spent..Budget.....Left.... ..Total so far
Academic materials....78.88%...£300.00....£63.35.....£236.65
Food..................30.14%...£350.00....£244.52....£105.48
Entertainment.........14.00%...£350.00....£301.00....£49.00
Clothes, shoes, etc...13.33%...£150.00....£130.00....£20.00
Make-up & toiletries..52.26%...£80.00.....£38.19.....£41.81
Hairdressing..........0.00%....£100.00....£100.00....£-
Gifts.................25.55%...£250.00....£186.13....£63.87
Extra-curriculars.....23.26%...£250.00....£191.85....£58.15
Travel................14.99%...£500.00....£425.05....£74.95
Household.............34.66%...£100.00....£65.34.....£34.66
Health................43.44%...£100.00....£56.56.....£43.44
Mobile................16.07%...£160.00....£134.29....£25.71
Stationery............39.63%...£150.00....£90.56.....£59.44
Odds and ends.........20.28%...£160.00....£127.55....£32.45
TOTAL.................28.19%...£3,000.00..£2,154.39..£845.61
Days of challenge.....16.41%...262........219........43

£4k love to all xxx

Frugaldom

Good morning frugallers and good luck to all who need it at the moment.

Not much to report from here other than wet weather and a round up of the budget. It shows that I'm slightly over on groceries, well under on electricity, bang on for most other things and looking like I WILL manage to stay within my 4k household budget this year. :j

My 'all other spending' spreadsheet isn't quite balancing, as I've spent £2,274.36 (excluding savings spent on DD's wedding) over the year and only managed to recoup £2,042.05, so not quite cash neutral just yet. spending did include some large outlays at the start of the year for setting up the new garden and buying housing & fencing for all the chickens & ducks. Still hoping to make it cash neutral, so I'm trying to focus on my overall balance that I would have had IF I had started the year with 4k and no access to any other income. To succeed in that, I need to restrict spending for the rest of the year to under £600 for everything. There's also the chance of earning a few more pounds from free scratchies, eBid sales and cashback, of course, or even a win on the premium bonds next month. (I wish, I wish, I wish!)

FrankieM

Morning,
Anti-procrastination Day here, which would mean the garden for me, but its raining...what a shame! If it clears up I will do 15 minutes. I'm out this morning and then have some paid work to do this afternoon on the pc. I'm doing a veggie casserole/chunky soup thing tonight with some lamb stock from the freezer and left over veg. I'll serve it with bread.

Fell like I got nothing done yesterday. DH was around so slobbed out with him in the morning, then forced myself into town to do the grocery shopping etc. I spent just under £60 and that included a winebox and a small bottle of vodka. I think going in to the store and using cash is really working in keeping my spending down. When I got back from town DH had sent of our old car to the scrappy so £120 for my pocket...well I'm going to put it towards Christmas.

Hope you all have a good day

Savvy_sewing

Just catching up, DGD is playing with DS's Bass guitar to any music that she hears on the TV.! Or anywhere else. She slept well, and didnt wake till 8am. (ish).
Am waiting for her Mum to contact me this morning, so that I can make plans for what we are to do today. I will have to think about what food I have to be able to feed us all. Having helped the others out so much, my stocks are pretty depleated!.We had a pasta sauce mix from Appr00ved foods yesterday. Had 2 packets for the 3 of us. And it really was not enough. DS was cooking burgers when I went to bed last night.
There are no logs left. Nor the paper ones I was drying out above the stove. Looks like DS was up a lot later then me!.
Better go, DGD isinto everything.:D

bails

Some great advice from SFT, Blair - that would also be my nightmare situation in the past. Wishing you loads of luck.

SF, feeling for you hun, totally know what you're going through. Get a list made up - even if it's scary to look at it'll be on paper and not chasing around in your head. Then prioritise and write the 3 most important things on a separate piece of paper, focus on them and once they're done, cross them off the big list and repeat One day at a time, and trust me, this WILL all be a distant dream one day x

BB, thinking of you today xx

CW, great 1st week's feedback :T

SM, when are you moving up for good?

Frankie, out in that garden with you - you know you'll feel much better for having done it!

SFT, maybe the LETS thing will work in your favour too if you don't have to pay the fees and can trade locally with people? Do you have a contact that's involved in the informal group?

Great news on your budget Nyk, not that I was expecting anything less

Sorry peeps, out of time but Hellos and hugs to everyone x

I've just discovered a tipi supplier on our doorstep so very happy about this, may solve all our problems and cut the costs :T:j