FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 1. (Living on £4,000 a year)

mama67

Kittikins wrote: »

Gillian - I'd have thought your forgotten Christmas cake would be fine, as the icing would help keep it fresh? Yum yum, I wish I had some cake now!!

My DS1 made a Christmas cake in school Dec 2008, as I am the one here who likes it, I was still eating it in June/July, even the icing and marzipan were fine.

hth

liloandstitch

Not a bad day. Spent on coffee/lunch at hospital but that doesnt come out of this budget - when I feel a bit rough this is my treat to myself. Out of this budget comes the £2.00 parking. Had to drive quite a way, over 100 miles to hosp but OH drove at a very respectable 60mph on the motorways, so as frugal as possible on the diesel.

Cant wait for payday, as things are a bit tight this month - overspent a bit on the decorating in December trying to get everything finished for Christmas - will be okay once paid, but will be squeeking through.

edaniels, hope you get through the arrangements for MIL funeral. MIL claimed the funeral benefit when FIL died, and it is very straight forward and fairly quick. The funeral directors should be quite happy to wait for the payout to be paid, so long as you clear any other balance. It is possible to arrange on a budget and have a very respectable funeral.

Taka, I use a cath kidston purse, which was £6.00 it is a zip top with a bus pass type bit on the side, which fits your cards. I can easily fit mine in my jeans pocket and they do different designs, although it depends if it is your style. HTH

Rozeepozzee, what a lovely story about your little boy - happy lad and peace and quiet to get ready - priceless!

Shaz that loaf looked gorgeous. Did you just use chappati flour or were there any seeds etc in the loaf - I am drooling!

Happy frugalling everyone - Lilo

Kerry_Woman

edaniels - Sorry to hear your news.

Have not done any batch cooking as yet. Doing well in NSD's and walking everywhere if possible. Putting things aside to take to the recycling centre.

Pippilongstocking

NYK - thanks for the LETS info - no group here but we islanders do like to barter

Lots to catch up on here today - so hugs to those who need them and stuff

Nessa what kind veg you like? (I'm a gardener in real life when not a student) - if you can grow tomatoes who are as about as 'high maintenance' as you can get then I am sure you can grow anything.....................what are you thinking of wanting?

My only frugaleer news is that today was a NSD until OH broke down on the motorway south (he lives 300 miles from us) the roadside cover runs out on my VW in February - so I joined the AA a bit early - through quidco £50 cash back and OH will split the cover with me - which means I probably will end up with my cover for about £12

rozeepozee

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

This is my basic loaf made in BM from chappatti flour (40p kilo)

WOW!!!

I am going to show OH that photo (he's the Baker in the house)

Have you got the recipe (PLEASE!)

Whoops - just rechecking my spreadsheet and realised I've put the nursery fees in my Totals page twince (£600 each time) so I've now got a £600 contingency fund...

rozeepozee

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

This is my basic loaf made in BM from chappatti flour (40p kilo)

OH says - That is a good looking loaf :rotfl:

loopychriss

Another no-spend day here today, although it very nearly wasn't!:j

Went to local big shopping centre (Bluewater) for a wander and to see if Boots had their 75% sale on (which they didn't). I needed to get out anyway, to look at M&S and Smiths too.

Wasn't tempted by anything in any of the shops, but wandering through John Lewis I did see 3 lovely co-ordinating fabrics in black and yellow, which would make a fab quilt. One was £8 a metre, the other 2 were £4 a metre (still too much for me to pay though: I paid max $6 a metre in the US last April for all my fabrics). I was only tempted momentarily....

Thought we'd look in the basement as they have just opened a new Waitrose food hall and have all the kitchen equipment down there now too. Food department was pricey, no worthwhile reductions, and only on stuff I'd never buy anyway.

While I was looking at the food hubby was looking at the gas cookers: we do need a new one as ours is 18 years old and I think very inefficient, as I have to have it on Gas Mark 8 to get a decent heat to cook anything.

We had no intention of buying one today though, but somehow we were drawn towards them 'just for a look'. There were 2 which are in my price range (and lots that were in hubby's more expensive price range!). The 2 were display models and would be what we would get - one had a small mark on it and the other one was just an old model. The one I like was £295.... plus £75 connection fee and £9 to take away the old one. And that was half price. Didn't realise cookers were so much. :eek:

We're 'sleeping on it'.... I do need a new one, but going to check out Amazon and other sites first. We do have the money as it's our savings and we're living off of them and OH redudancy money.... Still, I suppose that's why I'm an MSEer now... to think about purchases, shop around, and hang onto our money as long as possible!

So..... an NSD today.... just!

homegrown_life

Good evening everyone

Edaniels I'm sorry to hear about your MIL, I do hope it can all be sorted out as smoothly as possible for you.

Shaz - yum yum, wonder if it would work so well without the BM since I just gave mine away... :rolleyes:

Been looking at our local LETS scheme today, I should really give it a go. I need to be brave though as I am rubbish at starting things like this.

Had a NSD and a boring day really. Needed to go home to be in for the AF delivery but the roads were treacherous according to OH so I figured I'd stay and hope a neighbour could get it. Unfortunately it was taken back to the depot so I'll have to rearrange delivery, but better than risking the roads I think. Nearly fell a couple of times taking the dogs out, just horrid ice out there.

I've been trying to do meal plans and thinking about stocking up my unused big freezer in the garage. Like I said boring!!!

Hope we can get out and about tomorrow!

annie123

evening all
Took me nearly 3 hours to get to work this morning:mad: and 2 to get back:mad:

After 2 hours enroute they did say give up and go home but the traffic and snow just as bad to get back, so decided even if I got in for 2 hours work time,(which I did) it would cover the cost of the petrol so at least I was money neurtal for the extra used:D otherwise I would have been £6 out of pocket:rolleyes:

Have contacted my local LETS group and won't be using them, they use cash ontop of the soft currency seems to defeat the point Does this happen anywhere else?

right off to update the CW spreadsheet:D

bails

It happens in my local LETS too annie, I find it odd as well.