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

rozeepozee

chika wrote: »

Hi frugallers,

Its been a bit quite here so not much posting. I've been busy trying to make money and thanks to this board discovered Amazon - I've sold 15 things in the past week and made just over £150 after fees and postage so I'm well chuffed.

I took my young charge to the petshop today and totally fell in love with the Degus. I think I may have to make some room in the budget for a frugal pet or two. I think the biggest set up cost is the cage but I'm going to use the Amazon money to cover that. I'm really excited - I can't wait to get them

It's half term/reading week here and I want to go home to Yorkshire to see my family. I might be able to persuade someone to do my hair for free too which is a bonus - In a Manchester salon I'd be looking at £80+. The savings from that will cover the cost of fuel getting there.

Hve a great frugal week everyone :-)

Hi Chika, do you know about ebay local bargain finder? I saw a very large rat cage on there recently and pet houses often come up on Freecycle too - might be worth a thought.

What are you selling on Amazon? I have made my first successful sale this week with a net profit of £68 selling my little boy's pram and car seat. It seemed like a huge effort for such a small reward (I still haven't packaged or posted them and if I've got the weights wrong, this will eat into my profits further) but I have to remind myself that the nearly new secondhand pram I'm buying off a friend would cost £450 new and I'm buying it for £80 so in real terms, it's only cost me £12 - this sounds fab! :T Think I'd get more satisfaction from selling smaller things as packaging large items when I'm heavily pregnant has been a pain.

Budget's not going so well this month - think I need to stay away from Costco as today I bought 4 plastic drinking mugs for DS at £10 and a case of beer for OH for £17 which I wouldn't have from Tescos or other normal supermarket - there's something about Costco stuff that I like. Or I need to not go alone, OH always reins me in from impulse purchases - he's my frugal conscience. I'm comfort shopping as I'm feeling so rubbish in this twin pregnancy but that's an excuse....

I have about £150 left in my budget to last just under a fortnight (thanks heavens February's short month!) but on the plus side, the fridge and freezer's fairly well stocked now so we need to use what's in there before I buy any more.

Hugs to Lilac Pixie and Erme, I'll pray for your HP (although I'm not a Christian...). I admire your philanthropy.

pink_numbers

chika wrote: »

Hi frugallers,

I took my young charge to the petshop today and totally fell in love with the Degus. I think I may have to make some room in the budget for a frugal pet or two. I think the biggest set up cost is the cage but I'm going to use the Amazon money to cover that. I'm really excited - I can't wait to get them

Hve a great frugal week everyone :-)

ohhhhhh I know what you mean, those things are SO CUTE! I once stared at them in a pet shop for hours... Shame that if we bought them, the two cats will make sure that they become nervous wrecks, so that's a no go for us, but sooo cute. How many are you planning on buying? Please keep us updated with degu news!

top_drawer_2

hi everyone,

I am in a bit of a delemia with a telephone table which I was given awhile ago.... On one hand I'm not sure I like it but on the other I kind of do .... I am thinking I could strip it down and paint it white which would make it more modern. However, I don't like the shelf at the bottom but when I put it together I realised its what keeps it stable as on either side of the shelf the fixings dont match ....

This is a pic - I've put both the items in the pic on freeagle and atm am letting fate take its course!

I was thinking of using it as a bedside table (I have been looking around at buying one...) but stripping/painting it etc may cost as much as it willl to buy a new small shelf unit which will do the job.

Nothing else particularly exciting today ... I signed up to the gym again as I had let my membership lapse in January but I realised I really enjoy it so I have signed up again - cost me a whopping £250 (paid in full for 12 months so not bad relative to other gym memberships but a lot of money for me).

I did have a little bit of excitment on Saturday - I stripped down my drawer unit! It was very very hard work.......... and it was a lot colder outside than it looked too! but its done now :T:T and I am trying to decide on what colours to paint it up in ... I was thinking white but that seems quite predictable and boring:( but I seem to have lost my creative side atm.

I also bought a GORGEOUS Jane Norman dress on ebay on Friday for £5 so I am really looking forward to that arriving in the post!! Don't worry though I will post you all a pic when it arrives

Sweet dreams everyone

TD

FrankieM

rictus I'm not adding very much to it, but every little bit helps! I have a loan and also a cc balance....these things take time!

candygirl

TD just looked at your telephone table, can you not cover it with a pretty indian type material.ie chuck it over it and tuck it in at the bottom:)

chika

Hi Rozeepozee and Pink Numbers. Thanks, I'm totally in love with them. Thanks for the tip about eBay - I forgot about that. I've emailed a few people selling them so fingers crossed I'll have little furry babies soon They are quite frugal pets too they tend to get diabetes so they can't be fed lots of treats. Don't worry, I'll be shouting from the rooftops when I get them, expect lots of pictures of the proud mother and the little ones - can you tell I'm a bit broody!

I've just been selling old books, printer cartridges for printers I no longer own and unwated gifts. I got two sets of Charlie and Lola dolls at Christmas for some reason... I'm 26! My line in old diet books went quite fast too. That profit sounds good - I can't imagine how awkward being pregnant must be though, and bending down to box up a pram?! Have you got other things listed?

Jen I like the table, it would look good in white or could you laquer it jet shiny black and change the knob to a glass one? That is a lot of effort though and if you're not happy with the shape of it then I daresay you will never be pleased it it. What's your dress like?

ceridwen

Erme wrote: »

I'm stressed. I have a homeless chap staying with me and so far it's been ok but like now my minister is warning me against having him stay. He's been cleaning and is a frugalite



E

Well - thats very good of you to take that man in:A

As regards what your minister is saying to you - what are his precise objections to you having that man stay? On what evidence does he base these objections?

I say this because I suspect I know what type of church you are in (ie rather similar to one I used to be in MANY MANY years ago now) and I'm wondering if those objections are based on some sort of "moral" grounds (ie not liking a man staying under the same roof as you and wondering if you might get "involved" if you get my drift) OR he has seen practical reasons for objecting (as in some sort of evidence that you are "being taken for a ride").

If I were you - I would discount any "moral grounds" objections on the one hand. Give thought to any "practical grounds" objections on the other hand.

You can see whether Mr Homeless Chap is doing what he can to "pull his weight" in your household - ie helping out with housework/paying in what money he can towards costs/making genuine efforts to try and find himself a job & home. If H.C. IS "doing his bit" then I wouldnt worry about what the Minister says. If H.C. ISNT "doing his bit" then its time for him to move on.

Dont let someone elses moral viewpoints colour this issue - just look at the practicalities in this situation.

knithappens

hi all, not been up to much my first day at work went well, but now it is half term so will get my lesson planning etc done.

Am spending the week taking the kids to free sport sesions int he area, tey signed up for free swim asses at the local leisure centre, plus taking lil man to the free tesco fa football clubs he went yesterday and loved it and he is going again on wednesday, will be off to the park today snow or not lol, but they will be having a treat of the cinema to see the lightening theif. Other than that will spend my week tidying the house, so nothing exciting really

ceridwen

rictus123 wrote: »

Is anyone on this thread in debt? I know its a silly question really given what website im asking on but you never know. Id like to ask how much of an emergency fund everyone has? I know about 3-6 months living expenses is the reccomended but id like to know everyone elses take. Need to get some good saving habits now iv got the budgeting sorted!

I strongly agree with the idea of having 6 months living expenses saved if at all possible actually. I think - ideally - one should have at least a "S*d 'em" amount so that if things went drastically belly-up in a job (so much so that you really couldnt stand it any longer and had to "walk") then you have the money to live on for that (maximum) 6 months disqualification period that DWP can impose on anyone needing to claim benefit that has resigned from a job.

My own personal "target" for immediate savings is £5,000 - which would be enough for me to live on (at a frugal level - and bearing in mind I have no mortgage/debts) for 10-12 months I estimate (barring inflation mucking things up).

NB: I bear in mind that £6,000 maximum amount of savings the DWP allows a person to have if claiming means-tested benefit AND the fact that I think they count the last months salary in the bank/pennies currently in your purse as "capital" even. Hence the £5,000 target I have set myself.

You can always get well stocked-up with food and household goods too - which I strongly suggest. That is a way to save a few hundred £s - in a non-money form (I did that before I started saving the money bit of my "savings").

EDIT: Well - I gotta whinge someplace about it....nasty feeling a few hundred £s of my savings is about to head out the door for emergency purposes (when I've not even finished getting that amount together in the first place - grr!) as my washing machine is playing up a bit. I decided a while ago that I'm only going to get good-quality household goods now (not just from the "not wincing when I look at them" viewpoint - but basically because they will last longer) and decided that that probably meant a Miele washing machine when it came to replacement time - goes off muttering about that probably being £500-£600 of my savings gone down the drain....grr...whinge....grrr....whinge....

Well - got that off my chest now and fingers crossed my current machine holds out at least a bit longer. I think its about 18 years old (and no repairs to date) - but I wont feel I've had my money's worth unless it keeps going to 30 years old at least.

ceridwen

...and further on that washing machine. I just googled for the price of that washing machine.....make that "...and the rest" on top of that figure I thought. Looks like about £700-£1,000 of my savings is about to go west...



I need a strong drink...(and any helpful comments about a cheap supplier of Miele washing machines....)