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

JayJay14

Hi everyone,

OH is still out of work - I just hope the TV isn't on all day while I'm out:eek: He has an interview tomorrow afternoon for a 6 month temp job so we live in hope.

The Eon bill was available on line today and at the end of the main winter quarter we are still £7.75 in credit, though what it would have been if I hadn't changed the heating timer (have it on for about an hour and a half less each day). I really need the weather to change now - I'm gettng bored with snow:rotfl:

My car needed oil this week so I cashed in some of the vouchers I earn from a market research company so the £41.99 didn't have to come out of my budget. I usually use these for presents at Xmas but there is ususally a bit of leeway and if I have to use them all I'm sure the offspring will understand. OH also bought some redex for his car to give it a boost.

We haven't been able to plant the fruit bushes from Aldi yet, hope the weather will let us soon. I need to start some seedlings soon so will have to clear some windowledges. There is a cold frame thingy in B&M which we are tempted to get as we don't have a greenhouse any more. It's about £7 so not a lot but I'm really thinking carefully about every spend these days. But i will fit over half of one of our deep beds and we would be able to move it arround to where we needed it (I think I'm taking myself into it )

So off to sort out pudding and have a think......

ifonlyitwaseasier

pink_numbers wrote: »

You are very welcome, I warn you, it's very addictive!

Here are some resources I found really handy:

I followed Rhonda's instructions on my first attempt
http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-make-cold-pressed-soap.html

Then I learnt to be a bit more adventurous with inspirations from:
http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/

hope you have lots of fun

fantastic!! already have Rhonda's site bm'd very addictive trawling thro tho, i have spent hours reading up before,

rictus123

knithappens wrote: »

Every penny counts, your doing amazingly well.

Thanks :T Another good thing is next pay on the 19th is not needed for anything..maybe just £40 for desiel to last until the 5th of March...so will have £500 or so to throw at my loan. Then my pay on the 5th and 19th of March will be needed for that months usual outgoings(£350 or so..+£700 left for mot of van(whatevers left will go to my loan..just say another £500 to loan from there...could have as little as £400 left to pay by the end of March meaning debt free in April...


I CAN DO IT :j:T

grandma247

rictus123 wrote: »

I CAN DO IT :j:T

Of course you can. Well done.

rictus123

Just got to hope for the best that van gets through mot for £200 or less...

Insurance in June though...hopefully pay it in full + be debt free + have a few hundred to my name...il feel the richest i have ever felt in my life. Since i started earning really iv been £4k in debt down to now it looks like itl be gone so soon Really from July to the end of the year im going to be so happy, saving away. If i come in under £6k i cant go wrong.

pink_numbers

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

fantastic!! already have Rhonda's site bm'd very addictive trawling thro tho, i have spent hours reading up before,

ohhhh I know, her site is SO addictive. I want to do everything that she does!!

I've just written up a blog post on the neem soap as few people have asked, with some additional links to resources you might find handy. I do mostly rant on about being safe when making CP soap tho (I'm a safety freak... well I am, after I sliced my hand open while cutting soap...)

Mollymop5

bluestaff wrote: »

hey up just wondering where you buy your stardrops from as iv not seen it at that price. thanx

I buy it from a shop called "savers" not sure if they are nationwide but they're a cheaper Boots/superdrug type of store.HTH

Frugaldom

Good evening

Increased my cash neutral total by £8.13 thanks to some cashback today, but reduced it by £19.99 by investing in a 6.5L slow cooker to allow me to cook large chickens and similar through the night during cheap rate electricity. Went via cashback site to make the purchase via €Bay.

Very cold here today again, but I was out all morning at LETS meeting, so didn't light the fire until dinner time tonight. Nothing much to report from Frugaldom today other than another dinner done in the steamer rather than switching on the cooker. I still can't believe that I've never thought to cook the potatoes in the electric steamer. With 3 tiers, I could get the fish, potatoes and broccoli all done and just had to zap the cheese sauce in the microwave. Have taken the last of the homemade beef olives out of the freezer to have for tomorrow's dinner and will need to decide what to make with all the leftover egg whites.

Will catch up properly tomorrow, just haven't had the time today. Hope everyone is doing OK.

Erme

hermum wrote: »

Hi all I joined this thread last week, along with several others & am more of a lurker really. I have had 6 NSD out of 7. Spent 12.11 on Monday, which should hopefully see me through the week.
Erme, I think you posted somewhere to me about checking how much I can earn on benefits while ebaying? I can't find the post now. To start with I'll be selling my own stuff, of which there's lots, I don't think that counts as income does it?
Could someone tell me how to find the recipes for the hm cleaning stuff you all do-use please?
Many thanks
Have a good frugal day all

The link is here hun

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/IncapacityBenefit/DG_10020667

Hope that helps...

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Mollymop5 wrote: »

I buy it from a shop called "savers" not sure if they are nationwide but they're a cheaper Boots/superdrug type of store.HTH

Yes they are a nationwide store. I get mine from Poundland and thought that was cheap!!! But when my bottles run out i'll be heading to Savers! Thanks Molly