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

rictus123

Hey, how is everyone tonight? I had a nice quick day at work, just 11 days until payday though, bring it on!!!

Savethekipper

I wear glasses everyday and have found the best way to pay for them is by joining one of the health cash back funds. I pay £9 per month, but I get a new pair of specs every year and also my dental check up and any treatment paid for. As long as the glasses are around £75.

Let's just say that I ensure I claim back what I have paid in during the year, but at least there are no nasty opticians/dental bills to deal with. there are loads of other treatments that can also be paid for and it is really easy to claim.

I will shut up now as I have just realised I sound like one of their adverts!!:D

ceridwen

xnatalie81x wrote: »

A friend's mum wants to buy eggs from me but i use all 21 a week i get - 6 to neighbour for childcare and then we eat the other 15 (an omlette for us all uses 8!!! and then egg mayo sarnies and gone) but i cannot look into getting any more hens until we move. Still, gives me an excuse to get another 2 when we move as i love my girls and really 1 hen will be hers but i look after it lol - how much do you charge for your eggs if you sell/swop them. I think mine work out to about 10p an egg....... would probs do 6 for £1........ is that good for free range and HAPPY eggs. I haven't bought eggs for ages!

Well - the thing to do is to check out the www.mysupermarket.com website to see what the supermarkets are charging for freerange eggs. Errrr.....I have to say though that, if I have time, that I buy mine from the local farmers market(rather than the supermarkets) and I think (couldnt swear to it.....) that the last box of 6 eggs I got there was about 70p???? (that was for freerange pullet eggs - whatever difference that makes...- and I live in an expensive area.) I think the standard freerange eggs there were 90p or £1??

(as you can tell - I'm not used to checking out prices to the penny - as I AM used to just "gritting my teeth" and paying extra for organic products as far as possible.....as my priority is healthy food).

pagangirl

Errrrm - Nyk - I asked if I could join in with this challenge on page 91 - did put me name in red print - but not added to updated list yesterday??? Boohoo - goes off to sob in corner

PAGANGIRL

Updated finances
(have now heard from JSA/Housing/Council Tax Benefit).

Pension £192
TV Licence £142.60
Council Tax £166.40
Dogs Trust Sponsor Dog £52.08
Insurance £74.04
Landline/Broadband £420
Water Rates £174
Pay as you go mobile £36
Rent £3166.28
Gas/Electric dual fuel £280

Incoming £5969.08
Outgoing £4703.40

Leaves £1265.68 (£24.34 wk) e.g. bus/train fares, food shopping & everything else !:eek:

This is going to be a VERY frugal year - dunno what else I can cut down on.

Had 13 NSD so far, only big spend was £55.00 on new ankle boots (with £18 off in sale) but once yearly spend as due to 2 operations on foot, need extra wide shoes :mad: ( and have tried to get help with expense, but none available)

Have been frugalling here on freezer / storecupboard meals and spent today cleaning hte oven - not my favorite job but needed to be done and another NSD so worth it - I think!

Hugs to all (as been skim reading and can't remember all who need 'em - sorry !)

ceridwen

redglass wrote: »

I was just having a little lurk when I spotted this. YES, DEFINITELY!:rotfl: A friend proudly showed me her little girlie bag which held nothing at all and had to be dangled everywhere on one finger and I thought, 'S*d that for a nuisance...' Other dislikes: hairstyles that trail hair in your eyes, tight skirts that drag on your legs and impede walking, beds with tight sheets and envelope corners, like sleeping in a straitjacket, long nighties that tie you up in knots. I hate to be hobbled....I don't get so much backache since I gave up the long nighties so it's frugal too...saves on physiotherapists' bills.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:and my thoughts for the day on that sorta subject are "I refuse to put up with the discomfort of underwired bras any longer - just for the sake of looking that bit more attractive. Its unwired bras for me from now on:)". Must be one of the signs of middle-age methinks...first its "I refuse to put up with uncomfortable footwear any longer", then its "I'm darn well going to wear thermal undies if I need to" and now that I've got to the "I'm darn well not going to wear underwired bras any longer"...I'm wondering whats next that I'll refuse to do any longer just for the sake of looking attractive....:rotfl:;)......

Maybe the final thing is when I refuse to wear make-up any longer:cool: - thinks ...."better things to do with my time than sit there with the eyelash curlers.....":)

....well its moneysaving isnt it to not even be contemplating any fancy surgical procedures even if I could afford it. For those who are wondering - nope...those non-surgical facelifts DONT work...(ask me how I know....)

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j:j
Work today so no need to spend other than a milk top up. Wore my new to me 10p hippy top to work today and received lots of compliments. Didn't divulge that it had come from a jumble sale:D:D
My halo is polished as I've done the frugal accounts and am going to write some more frugal recipes into my old red desk diary [10p:D] in which I keep such jottings as this was another discovery made in the last lot of decluttering. Decided to sort out all my rags yesterday- I know they're very useful but does a girl really need 5 carrier bags stuffed full of them:eek:. I was strong and have put some out for recycling:D
Am liking the sound of all this laundry gloop and washing up liquid- am very tempted to give them a go but must finish my decorating first.
Intend to spend a bit of time working on my current dolls house carpet [although should really be getting on with frugal blind instead;)] this evening so must be good and tear away from all your fascinating frugal doings!
Arilx

Frugaldom

xnatalie81x wrote: »

they do VALUE FREE RANGE EGGS wow!!! that is new isn't it........

and how free range is free range?

Mine are freerange by the fact that they are free to roam wherever they want during all daylight hours, no artificial light and no shut in time, other than during the night. The actual Government specified definition of 'freerange' would shock most unsuspecting customers and I would never agree to keep my hens in those minimal conditions.

Pagangirl - I can only apologise for having not added your name, I know I read the post but have been so busy that I probebly forgot and the thread had moved on several pages since then. Just read your budget and am amazed at gas/electric £280 - that's only like £5.37 a WEEK and I can spend that a DAY during winter and still have coal & logs to pay on top of that, so I am :eek:.

To anyone else I may have missed off the challenger list, please PM me.

babyboysmommy

It's been an enjoyable day. I posted some books that sold on Amazon over the weekend & went to MrT. I did buy some biscuits that were not on my list but am trying MrT value rich tea instead of the McV ones, my way of justifying the treat!

Took my 3 year old to feed the ducks with the left over crusts from his sandwiches we'd been saving.

I'm starting to realize just how hard it is to have a NSD. Tomorrow we are off to the soft play centre, £1 but that should be the only expense of the day.

babyboysmommy

nykmedia wrote: »

Pagangirl - I can only apologise for having not added your name, I know I read the post but have been so busy that I probebly forgot and the thread had moved on several pages since then. Anyone else I may have missed, please PM me.

You've missed me

candygirl

mama67 wrote: »

Candy Girl,

try www.biggreensmile.com

hth

thanks hun, I kept thinking that Borax sounded familiar, then I realised I was thinking of Borat:eek::eek::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::o:o