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

cha97michelle

Happy Birthday to Natalie. You sound so positive today.



This challenge would not be quite the same without Nyk, so pleased that she won't disappear. Also really pleased that everyone else is as fond of her as me. She's a good un.

NSD today. Also DH finally got through to a real person at the tax office so it looks like they owe us money rather than the other way round.

I went to visit my parents as i haven't been while my car has been running poorly and it is much better now with a new battery in. I took some pizza leftover from our tea last night, and my sister cooked some extra chips with their meal to go with it so the kids were fed.


I also came home with:

• a novel from my sister (she bought for £1 and passed on)
• some swimming trunks from my sister - she bought for my nephew and were too small and she didn't want to return them as only £2
• a plastic tub with lid (container from some liquorice i got my mum at christmas) which i am planning on starting some lettuces off in as it is quite big and the clear lid will help early germination in the dull days we are currently having

Otherwise today, we have:

• eaten meals from the freezer
• helped my mum do her tax so she didn't have to pay an accountant
• started planning a frugal buffet for my mums 50th next month
• arranged to take out a magazine subscription on my mum's behalf on my cashback CC. She will save the pennies each week and give me the cash. Should work out ok.
• one load through WM, put onto airers
• i have packed away 2 boxes of clothes DS2 has grown out of to go in loft in case of another frugal baby in the next few years. Still undecided on that so we will keep for now.
• i sorted out what clothes the kids will take on our short break to centre parcs next month
• i moved money about. DH's wages went in. I moved the money needed to pay CC bill into my other current account as i then think i will have a better chance at coming in under budget. Works in my head as i don't think i am organised to have transfers needing a few days notice, but this works instantly.

I also saw the family on the news and was really in awe. We haven't had our black bin emptied since the 5th of Jan and it is just about full now. We do have nappies in there though, and we did use the cat litter tray for disabled cat when the weather was really bad as his leg was playing up. I will check out that website for inspiration. Thanks.

xnatalie81x

thanks for birthday wishes - went ok.... but now am up nursing a very sick puppy who keeps being sick! This is the last one left to sell (all others have gone now except Peter who we are keeping) - rang VET as been going on for 1.5days now just keeps being sick. She has appt at 9.30am in morning. OH will pay for consultation of £26 and depending on situation we will need to make decision. She has no insurance yet.......... and exploratory costs for this (happened to staff my mum and dad have that i pay insurance for as was mine) were around £800 even without operation to remove suspected blockage (turned out there wasn't one)

As mum is OH's dog and all money made from selling the pups went to him (i paid out and claimed it back from the sales) i refuse to pay towards any treatment etc. I helped with the birth but it was his irresponsible ownership that led to her getting pregnant so now he must learn the consequences. (i know i sound hard but some lessons in life are hard ones to learn unfortunately)

Onwards and upwards everyone

Just my 2p's worth: i know this thread is far from the original but last year it managed to completely CHANGE my life. I am deadly serious about this. It changed my spending, my thinking and enabled me to save enough money to start my own swim school this year (initial investment) - without NYK and the regulars i would not be where i am today and i feel we should be extending this gift to all those ready to accept it

Definitely needs to be more than one person running thread tho. Most challenges have a few 'volunteers' - just need to figure out some way of sharing the roles!!! Maybe with advice from other volunteers........... I would be happy to help out but just need some guidance.

xx

mooomin

Good morning all!

I didn't have a NSD yesterday as I ended up buying a couple of things I didn't strictly need (Cup of tea when the free vends went down, packet of crisps) at work and was out for dinner last night with a group of friends. We meet up every month and because we all earn different amounts we go to the local carvery to make sure we can all afford the meal - only spent £6.30 there last night thanks to a voucher

Other spends were £2.99 on hand cream as it's 1/3 off Soap and Glory in Boots at the moment. I'm on the No Toiletries challenge but lapsed I also bought two books from WH Smith. I have had £10 in book tokens burning a hole in my pocket for months so bought Time Travellers Wife which I love (My copy went missing a while ago) and The Rapture, which looks quite interesting. My actual money spend for these was only £1.98.

I need to spend some time tonight updating my spreadsheet so I can see where I am. I don't want to end the month vastly overbudget.....! Just aiming for a Low Spend Day today as I need to go to Morrisons after work for bread.

Have a frugalicious day everyone!

lynzpower

Hiya all

Not much to report really here, aside from the fact that Ive decided not to buy a kenwood chef cover and endeavour to try and make something myself I have loads of cloth about ( old duvets/ sheets) and just need a mock up then I will make one in vinyl if it works! Hope so as this will save us 15.00.

Managed to take hot water for my cupasoups yesterday and had to go into mr ts ( who I avoid on principle generally) to buy bread. Do have half left (small baguette) so will have that today. Last night used up some blueberries on a berry cake bar recipe that was deeelish- and used up a lot of random things we had in the cupboard. So will take that with me today also.

For dehydrator- owners- I know this is random- but can I dry soup in a dehydrator? LIke can I make cup-a-soups. I guess so? If so this would really swing it? Has anyone managed this on here? Still dithering.

Tonight's dinner is RTC Sausages, mash, and onion gravy made with comptons gravy salt ( my fave)

Maybe today will be the elusive NSD I need? I doubt it somehow.

Hope everyone has a great day, and sorry I missed your birthday Natalie x hope you had a great day.

FrankieM

Morning All,
nyk Glad you've sorted things out enough to be able to carry on and not get stressed.
I'm generally finding the thread so fast moving that unless I'm able to catch up a few times during the day, I find I'm often barely skim reading. Even catching up means a skim....so it's not that I don't notice people's ups and downs, I just struggle to want to give my life over to the thread...if that makes sense

I made soup last night so we'll have that tonight, though there isn't much so could be more bread needed!
I'm at Uni this morning and will need to buy fuel, but that should be it.

Hope you all have a good day.

Blairweech

Am off on my holidays now, just having breakfast then will be off to the airport! Will update my spends properly whern I get back.

Hope everyone has a good frugal fortnight and I will speak to you all soon! :money:

babyboysmommy

Off to the post office yet again to mail another book sold on Amazon

Taking DS swimming, I had to buy a costume yesterday but I do think him learning to swim comes under 'essential expenditure' as it could save his life one day.

Have run out of HM cakes so will be doing some baking later. I've also run out of the paper cases for fairy cakes. I know Lakeland sell ones you can keep re-using. Has anyone any experience of these? I know it would take a very long time for them to be cost effective but thought they might be more environmentally friendly as well? Was thinking of buying the lining paper you can over & over again as well. Not sure though because of the initial cost so any advice welcomed.

larmy16

babyboysmommy wrote: »

Off to the post office yet again to mail another book sold on Amazon

Taking DS swimming, I had to buy a costume yesterday but I do think him learning to swim comes under 'essential expenditure' as it could save his life one day.

Have run out of HM cakes so will be doing some baking later. I've also run out of the paper cases for fairy cakes. I know Lakeland sell ones you can keep re-using. Has anyone any experience of these? I know it would take a very long time for them to be cost effective but thought they might be more environmentally friendly as well? Was thinking of buying the lining paper you can over & over again as well. Not sure though because of the initial cost so any advice welcomed.

I bought some of the silicon cup cake thingys in Poundland. They are very good and do exactly what they say. My sis also bought me some from Lakeland but the Poundland ones were just as good.

babyboysmommy

larmy16 wrote: »

I bought some of the silicon cup cake thingys in Poundland. They are very good and do exactly what they say. My sis also bought me some from Lakeland but the Poundland ones were just as good.

Thank you, I will see what I can find

grandma247

Lynzpower I haven't done soup but I did do a trial tin of minced beef in gravy and it came out fine. I just wanted to see what happened and see if it would be suitable for camping and it was. I know some do soups and there is a backpacking site that has recipes.
I have however made soup in a mug by putting a selection of cooked dried veg in and adding a spoon of swiss vegetable bouillon and filling with boiling water. I left it to stand a couple of minutes while I did something else.

babyboysmommy I bought mine in lidl and I have seen a lot of silicon baking stuff in homebargains this week.