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

NualaBuala

knithappens, I just had to post to say your 14 year old sounds amazing. You are teaching her such an important life skill:T. Some people spend crazy amounts that they just can't afford and it can't be much help teaching the children to be responsible with money..

I got that Allinson's yeast yesterday too - was so thrilled with my freebie.:j The booklet looks great, I hope there is something easy I can try in it.


I'm feeling so much better today - such a joy to wake up and realise my body wasn't all achey. Still a bit weak and tired but feeling 100 times better, hurray! I celebrated by lashing into the Belgian chocs my lovely next door neighbour gave me.

I think I'll do a vegetable curry tonight, have lots to use up and might do a pot of soup while I'm at it.

Happy to report that I kept within my Jan budget, although I don't mind if I go over so long as I keep within my annual figures. I did have to do a bit of creative accounting - topping up some categories by reducing others but it's all looking ok. I've been keeping a spending spreadsheet for almost a year now and I fill it in religiously. This year's has more categories than last year's and it's so interesting to see exactly where the money goes. Way too much on junk food for example, but I will work on that.

Have a lovely day folks!

candygirl

NUALA glad you're feeling better hun:AI'm hoping wine will cure my cold tonight:o:D
Just been to charity shop and got DGD a lovely red cord skirt for £1.49 and a crocodile telephone for 49p, and got lavender essential oil from health shop, which smells fab in my laundry powder:D
Also put my £40 travel in cheque in the bank!woo hoo:j:j:j

the_cat

Hi everyone
Hooray. January is over! (well mine is anyway as payday today)

Budget going well despite the dishwasher breaking and costing £120 to fix. Thank goodness for the contingency fund! Don't find enough time to post much but read most days. Will try to do better next month!

NualaBuala

candygirl wrote: »

NUALA glad you're feeling better hun:AI'm hoping wine will cure my cold tonight:o:D
Just been to charity shop and got DGD a lovely red cord skirt for £1.49 and a crocodile telephone for 49p, and got lavender essential oil from health shop, which smells fab in my laundry powder:D
Also put my £40 travel in cheque in the bank!woo hoo:j:j:j

Thanks pet! So sorry you've got a dose, hope you feel better soon. I like your thinking with the wine, it's full of antioxidants right? They must be good for a cold :rotfl: Well done on your bargains. I love lavender oil, I use it for just about everything. I like a drop on my hanky when I have a cold cos it gives me plenty of opportunity to enjoy the smell, plus it's antimicrobial.

Off to make a sort of meal plan for the next week and do my shopping list. I guess now I have my appetite back I'll be spending a lot more.

Lily_The_Legend

Hi folks,

Well I've had a NSD today, yippee! :j

Went out to a garden centre at lunchtime with my friend from work and she treated me to a pot of tea and a huuuuge slice of rocky road

Will have to start the diet again on Monday now, as I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and it's my mum's birthday on Sunday so the weekend will involve lots of food, drink and cake

Won't be a very frugal weekend as I'll be buying drinks tomorrow night, plus I've offered to cook for Mum on Sunday, so will be buying food for that

What's everyone else got planned? Whatever you do, hope you all have a fab weekend :T

Twinkles08

Sds like a full weekend Lily.My mum is coming for the day on Sun and I'm really looking forward to it as she is cooking.Got my fingers crossed for a roast!Must think of a pudding to make.I'm having a bit of a pants day today.I have 4wks till due date and up till now I've done ok but know my spd pelvis pain has kicked in with a vengence.I also have fibromyalgia and the 2 combined as virtually left me house bound in the last week.Bit worried about how I will get dd to pre school,its only up the hill but I don't drive and every step is agony.Aeb I really really admire you,how you find the strength is beyond me.So impressed that you've breastfed the triplets,I was weary with just one bab!
Food is running v low at the mo,I just dug out some hm cookies from the freezer as a treat.nom nom.I am starting to think it will be too costly to dye the throw.I was trying to reuse/recycle etc but I think I may just grin and bear it as it does the job,so I guess it's a want not a need again.Prob best if I save my pennys towards a new sofa as it is on its last legs and is stained (but clean:p).That will teach me-note to self next time get one with removable covers and not in cream/beige :eek: lol

pink_numbers

cw18 wrote: »

They're "annual" bills, as in one-off payments.

Means I can tell at a glance whether an 'overspend' early in the year needs to be worried about or not..... if they're one-offs (such as Road Tax and Breakdown Cover, which have both been paid for this month), then I know I don't have to panic, as the spends won't go up during the year

ahhhh yes that makes sense! thank you

NualaBuala

Twinkles08 wrote: »

I am starting to think it will be too costly to dye the throw.I was trying to reuse/recycle etc but I think I may just grin and bear it as it does the job,so I guess it's a want not a need again.

You poor thing, that pain sounds awful. Hope you'll be ok.
On the dye front, would you consider risking homemade dye - from plant berries etc. I guess the results would be unpredictable but it would be free! There's plenty of info out there if you google homemade natural dyes. I remember the green dye Tom and Barbara made in The Good Life, that's what put the idea in my head!:rotfl:

slowlyfading

I am having the worse day. Car is back in the garage AGAIN - same problem as last time but apparently isn't as simple as he thought it was to fix, so is likely to cost a fortune.

I was meant to be going home today for the first time since christmas and now I'm not. feeling really down now.

So, clearly not a nsd here.

Frugaldom

I've been trying to get my costs down for broadband, such as it is, but to no avail. I'm paying £31.53 per month for a pathetic connection speed, line rental and evening/weekend calls. Best offer I can find, so far, is £27.53 per month for line, calls and broadband, but would need to take minimum 12 month contract and switch my provider. One of the pitfuls of country living, but I guess I should be grateful we get broadband at all. Anyone got any other suggestions? This is what BT has provided on the line check:

Maximum connection speed 0.512Mb download, BT Total Broadband.

The quest for frugaldom continues.