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

ifonlyitwaseasier

meg72 wrote: »

No of course, looking after your own Grandchildi is not care in the community,
why would it be. but if you stop ranting and start looking there is help you can get. Although personally I have looked after two grandchildren for the past six years and not thought this should be a community obligation and Yes also worked all my life. I consider my self lucky, one to have been in good health to have worked and two to have been blessed with the Grandchildren to be looked after.

i thanked you by accident.

have you actually seen what mooloo has been thro? have you read her thread?
She is saving SS money by looking after her DGD and why shouldn't she have some assistance from them in order to do so?

lyndasharp

Had some news yesterday which has got us really focussed on money saving... H2B's work is relocating to Harlow in 5 years. So we now have a 5 year mission - to explore new worlds and new civilizations - oops, no that's not the one - it's to save up enough to do a self build when we get there! It's do-able, with approx £80k equity in the two properties in 5 years (assuming no change in sale value from todays prices), and hopefully £50k savings, we should be able to afford some land outright... then it's just a mortgage needed for the actual building!

rozeepozee

cha97michelle wrote: »

I've just been analysing my spends a bit for January with a view to trying to reduce the grocery budget a bit in the coming months. I have been looking at some threads on old style and was feeling a bit inspired.

One big shocker = MILK.

Wow. Itemising everything really does make you think doesn't it.

Through itemising everything, I've realised that there's a lot of variation in the price of milk (we drink about 24 pints a week, so a significant expense). At Costco, it's 24p per pint and at Tesco I've paid 37p per pint. That's a saving of over £162 over the year :eek:

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

i thanked you by accident.

have you actually seen what mooloo has been thro? have you read her thread?
She is saving SS money by looking after her DGD and why shouldn't she have some assistance from them in order to do so?

A case of don't judge a man until you've walked five miles in his mocassins?

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

Morning peeps:j
I am struggling to keep up with the thread:o and haven't posted as much as I would have liked.
I am almost too embarrassed to reveal my January spending. I am waaaay over budget in some categories and was on the verge of giving up the challenge. HOWEVER..... keeping a spending diary/spreadsheet has been a real eye-opener. I have kept a very detailed groceries spreadsheet combined with a price book and am shocked at the amount I thought I 'needed'.

So, if nothing else, I am now aware of WHERE the money goes. All I have to do now is control HOW it goes:T.:T

I think I will look on this year as a 'training' year and track all the spending. Then next year I can start with a proper 'do-able' budget. I have stemmed the flow of finances out and will work now towards keeping it in:T
Thanks to all you lovely peeps who continue to inspire me....
Lilli

Hey, lady, you need to re-read your own signature - you are right to be proud to be dealing with your debt I'm having a training year too and not beating myself up too much about being over budget - I just want to regain control of my finances.

FrankieM

lynda that sounds so exciting. Nothing like a firmish time to get you focused.

Uni classes are cancelled today so I'm going to get some uni work done here instead. At least during this morning.

It's frosty outside but I have a lovely coal fire going and a pot of tea on the ready!

I'm doing a recipe sophiesmum posted last year involving potatoes, onions and cheese. Will probably serve it with beans.
I've got soup mix to soak for tomorrow night, but I'm up to date with cakes for lunches.

I've got a couple of bags of carrots in the fridge that I may prep and freeze, though they seem to be lasting ok so far.

I guess I should be thinking about getting some seeds planted up. I may try to do that on saturday.

Hope you all have a good day.

knithappens

help_me_please wrote: »

I have a friend who has her neices living with her and its 'kinship fostering' she says. If you ask social services they have to approve you first ie police check etc etc then you should get fostering allowance from them, which i believe is around £60 each child a week.

thats it, the name escaped me.

Mooloo definatley look into it, raising a child is expensive enough, but raising a child when you did not expect too, can be a big financial burden, my mum did it with my nephew, and she had to give up work etc to care for him which had a massive impact on our standard of living, we would not have changed the situation for the world, but if there is financial help available, take it.

cha97michelle

rozee i know about the price difference. Mad. The trouble is we live too far from Costco to justify a quick trip for a few basics, although i could get DH to pop in from work more often. Unfortunately i usually realise i need milk during the day and we need it to give to the kids between 6 and 7 and DH doesn't get home till after then. We will work something out with it though.

The kids amount works out to a pint of milk a day each as they have 2 cups each morning and night. Initial thoughts are to reduce this to 1 cup each time but the kids are reluctant to do this. As it is not snack food i am reducing and milk is so important to growing bodies, i don't want to be too strict. Perhaps swap them to a smaller cup. They need to start drinking less anyway as i want to night train DS1 soon, and DS2 keeps waking at 6 as his nappy is leaking. (That could be all the bath water he drinks though. - Strange child.)

Anyway, this mornings frugalling:

• We've had some ys crumpets with butter for breakfast. The butter was the scrapings from the packet. Took me a long time to get it all, but they cooled before the kids had to eat them which was good. They had a few strawberries each on their plate as my sister brought some with her on Monday when she visited and left them, and they were starting to look on the edge.
• I've put some green bananas near the radiator to ripen off a bit.
• I got some stewing steak out the freezer yesterday evening to defrost overnight, so i am going to get a stew on in the SC in a bit. YS swede, some leeks and potatoes from the garden, and other veg we have in. I'll make a frugal lunch of sandwiches and make sure the kids have some fruit at snacktime.

The kids have found a pack of balloons so we blew a couple up and drew faces on them with permanent markers. (I bought them thinking i would blow a few up for christmas but then it never happened.) They will play with them most of the morning i would imagine.

I want to spend a bit more time on OS board today reading some of the threads.

knithappens

cha97michelle wrote: »

rozee i know about the price difference. Mad. The trouble is we live too far from Costco to justify a quick trip for a few basics, although i could get DH to pop in from work more often. Unfortunately i usually realise i need milk during the day and we need it to give to the kids between 6 and 7 and DH doesn't get home till after then. We will work something out with it though.

The kids amount works out to a pint of milk a day each as they have 2 cups each morning and night. Initial thoughts are to reduce this to 1 cup each time but the kids are reluctant to do this. As it is not snack food i am reducing and milk is so important to growing bodies, i don't want to be too strict. Perhaps swap them to a smaller cup. They need to start drinking less anyway as i want to night train DS1 soon, and DS2 keeps waking at 6 as his nappy is leaking. (That could be all the bath water he drinks though. - Strange child.)

Anyway, this mornings frugalling:

• We've had some ys crumpets with butter for breakfast. The butter was the scrapings from the packet. Took me a long time to get it all, but they cooled before the kids had to eat them which was good. They had a few strawberries each on their plate as my sister brought some with her on Monday when she visited and left them, and they were starting to look on the edge.
• I've put some green bananas near the radiator to ripen off a bit.
• I got some stewing steak out the freezer yesterday evening to defrost overnight, so i am going to get a stew on in the SC in a bit. YS swede, some leeks and potatoes from the garden, and other veg we have in. I'll make a frugal lunch of sandwiches and make sure the kids have some fruit at snacktime.

The kids have found a pack of balloons so we blew a couple up and drew faces on them with permanent markers. (I bought them thinking i would blow a few up for christmas but then it never happened.) They will play with them most of the morning i would imagine.

I want to spend a bit more time on OS board today reading some of the threads.

i was reading on kellymom ( breastfeeding site) about weaning and milk, take a look http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/toddler-foods.html#cowmilk
as i was getting all panicy about bubba needing her milk it maybe a thought to give a yogurt instead instead of milk maybe in the morning

s

xnatalie81x

Started diet today. Need to lose lots. Why is this relevant i hear you ask. Well, i am a swimming teacher and i have to buy swimming cossies which are about £30 each (last longer - cheap cossies go see through in a month or 2 as i am in water 5 times a week!) - the problem is i have a box of tankinis which i bought and have sold some. They are 14,16 and 18's. I also have a speedo endurance bought on last years budget, size 18 (they do come up a little small although i am verging on a 20 now!!!!!!) SO i need to stretch some more use out of the cossies i have whilst losing loads to fit into the others.

I am guessing i have another 2months use out of the tankinis i have at the moment so need to lose about 1.5stone to get into one of the new ones!!!!!!! (1 dress size is about 10lb but these cossies do come up small!) WISH ME LUCK as i really cannot afford 30 out of my 200 clothes budget for this!

Challenge wise i have been ok. Spent £60 summit on literature for work and another 44 on ink so the OTHER budget is completely spent for Feb - plus side is that i got 96 nappies for £10 from morrisons (got mum to collect on way here so no travel costs either) - they are pampers size 5. I usually prefer tesco but these pampers work out cheaper should last whole of Feb if careful and get son on potty during day. Budget is £25 mth for nappies and wipes so could come well under budget this month (wipes about £5 mth)

Not much else. Off to do some cleaning and prep lunch and dinner as working tonight and monsters going to childminder

Kiwisaver_2

Morning Frugaleers.

I had my first foray into the world of 'No-Poo' shampoo last night :eek: and the verdict was ..... not bad at all! I was quite surprised my hair looks and feels quite normal today with no ill effects, other than a faint whiff of 'something'?

Perhaps the fact that I know the 'something' is vinegar and have a very sensitive sense of smell, I may be being a little paranoid about smelling like a chip shop. I'm not sure that someone else would actually recognise it as vinegar, so I will persevere and try it again to see if we improve or exacerbate my itchy, flaky scalp at all. My hair is not in the greatest condition at the best of times due to colouring and it's gotten endy and frazzled by the sun recently, hence my plan for tomorrow; a trip to the 'Shearing Shed' for a very frugal cut and blow and then I can better judge how we get on from there.

Since I am planning some heavy vinegar abuse over the coming months, I headed off to shop tonight after researching cheapest options yesterday and bagged myself a two litre flagon of white vinegar for just over a quid. I was nearly tempted to get some Apple Cider Vinegar as an upgrade (for hairwashing), but decided to wait and see how much it is elsewhere first.

Lily_The_Legend

Morning everyone!

I should have a NSD today! Woohoo! :j

Working through my lunchbreak as not feeling great, so that means I won't be going out and spending money. :T

We get our wedding pictures back tonight so looking forward to seeing those.

Tomorrow I need to get petrol, plus it's my friend's birthday so I've offered to buy her a drink at lunchtime.

Also, I have to go back to the doctor's before work, and might need a prescription, so that will be more money. Went this morning about a cough I've had for ages, and they want me to go for an asthma check in case it's that.

Hopefully I'll get all my spends out of the way tomorrow and have a more frugal day Friday.

Think I'm going to have a cheap hair cut at the weekend, as my hair is in terrible condition. I just have a wet cut now and style it when I get home!

Right, I'm off to read all the posts! Hope everyone has a good day. :beer: