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

rictus123

Grandma i know what you mean but thats a risk everyone takes everytime you go out for a drive. Pass plus? Im going over there tonight and no doubt her mum will blether on about the state of the roads...the roads were not that icy and it wasnt frosty this morning. I think her mum just wanted her to stay at home for company as her dad goes out on Friday nights. Her mum doesnt work(because of her dad making enough money she chooses not too) so is glad of her company at nights so tries to stop her coming over here, any excuse really. She always tries to get me over for this reason. Its just a hassle iv got a useless clapped out burst exhaust van yet she expects me to travel to her alot more than she comes here.

I need to have a think about a goal, something to work towards and work for. Keep me motivated and happy. I think my first one will be to have at least £1,000 in current account, the day before a payday. Then i can hopefully keep it above £1k after that and set myself another goal to work towards:o

Erme

I'm so tired from the past few days. Tx ceriwen for your lovely caring comments. How my head is standing up to all this and the elec cig (well it's an electronic nicotine inhalator) is going ok but I'm still smoking a little but having gotten through my blip I don't want to buy any more tobacco this weekend (was planning on buying 12.5g today and like 2 freddos @ 40p and some rice from some pals for £1 a kg).

Good news my 30p deo from Mr T doesn't make my pits itch (well they've just started to itch? Is that psychosomatic?)...My head is going ape again even as I write this. Anyone any ideas on cheaper than 32p a bottle (Mr A economy) washing up liquid. Would bubble bath do cos I have loads of that in and it's only 18p for 500ml. What's cheaper? BB or washing liquid?

And anyone know anything as to where to get cheap but good grow bags for my seeds from GW when they come? Like I have B&Q and HB nearby and the supermarkets. Can ppl keep me posted please.

Meant to put bust blackberry on ebay last night but was 2 tired ...so will put on ebid soon.

Hope everyone is well...need to update sig cos it's the end of the month soon (4 weekly...)

E

pagangirl

NualaBuala_-_I've_been__good_taking_my_lunches_and_snacks_to__college.__But_have_been_bad_by_spending_a_ridiculous_amount_on_takeaways__this_week_because_I’m_so_exhausted. wrote:

Hi Nuala - that's what I was like before finishing work - too tired to do anything but sling a mico meal in - tummy has settled down great since had time to home cook.:D Congrats on the poncho, any chance of a pic?

Erme - sorry about all the probs you'v had with HP, but think you done the right thing - it was lovely of you to take him in, but some people just abuse the kindness/friendship shown to them. Look after yourself hun.

Lily_the_legend - thanks for the heads up on Mr A for glasses - wouldn't have thought of going there.:T

welcome to the challege charliechopstick - nice to meet you

thriftkitten hope DD is ok and you haven't caught bug.:eek:

Well last coupla days have been fun - not - after the escapade with my glasseson friday, we had a power cut yesterday morning, never though about CH till around 6.30ishpm, went to put it on and NO HEAT Tried everything I knew but no good. Put thermals on, fleecy pj's then fleecy tracksuit and dressing gown on top. Phoned emergency HA helpline, I told them no other source of heating, they said will get CH engineer out. I phoned them last night at 6.55pm. Engineer came out this am at 10.20. If I'd know he wasn't going to turn up last night, would've gone to bed early to keeep warm. Forecast for here last night -4/-5' Phwoar it were nippy !!! Good news is - no major problem, has re-set system, and shown me what to do if it happens again. Right, thats 2 things gone wrong - hopefully nuffin else will happen!!!

Bonus was no gas used yesterday !!! (and 2 more NSD's)

Thriftkitten

Just thought I'd post this as I was thinking of a frugal holiday for this year and decided that I couldnt really afford one, single parent with 3 kids(one a foster child) 3 dogs, 2 cats and somedays feels like a partridge in a pear tree too... anyway after browsing other sections in this forum I noticed this link...
http://www.doit4real.co.uk/ the 2 older kids can go for £49.00 each for a week of summer camp(I qualify for the reduced price because I am on working families tax) and if my youngest can go with her dad for that week, I may end up having a weeks break to myself and go to the beach daily here in cornwall to top up my tan, and frugally be saving on food on that time.
I hope its ok to post that link here it was in the MSE forum under uk holidays etc, just thought it may come in handy to anyone here that perhaps couldn't afford a holiday but kids moan about it yadda yadda yadda!!!

xnatalie81x

After steadily increasing gas and electic usage for the last six months, i am pleased to report that the month up to today has seen an 11 units LESS usage for leccy and 3 units less for gas!

I do feel rather invisible on this thread but am posting anyway lol

Only 8 days remain in Feb and budget going well. Half term is over and i am back at work tomorrow morning and then it is back to work. I have secured a weeks crash course in April which is a nice additional income. 3 hours a day 9.30-12.30 every day for the second week of April.

House hunting will begin properly the first week of March. Want to be out end March. Move in 28th then have till the 31st to get out of here. Just need to find someone who takes LHA and dogs, and 3 manic kids...good luck to me??? I really can see the only places that will take us as a flat and i really don't think i could stand that, even if only for a couple of years - just wish i could travel in time to the next month - i know it will be ok. It always is. When we moved here we were homeless for 4hours as we left it till the day before we were due to move out until we found somewhere!

I am going to have a coffee and send these monstArs to bed!

cha97michelle

Hello everyone.

Not posted for a couple of weeks as we were away, and then dealing with the aftermath, and i had myself and DS2 with a tummy bug too. It's been a bit of a strange month here. I have so far not recorded my spending in my spreadsheet, but i have my receipts so will get round to it before the month end. It will hopefully be low as i know i paid £1050 into savings, and also sent £550 to overpay on the mortgage. All in spite of having a couple of lunches out on holiday.

Today i have tried really hard to be frugal although i am really tired and we were very tempted by a takeaway. I've

• had to buy DS2 a new mattress as his was a foam one that had been used by my DS1 and nephew and it was worn and going mouldy. I have got DH to cut up the foam that was ok into six squares to turn into garden chair cushions. I'll look for some nice material on ebay and tackle that. Very pleased with myself for thinking of it as i have saved from landfill and will get something i have avoided buying for 5 years.
• stocked up on nappies on offer
• visited farmfoods after recommendations on here and stocked up on milk to take advantage of their offer.
• got some of the BnQ compost recommended by Lynz - currently on offer at 3x 70l for £10. Also got a mini-propogator and some more seeds we needed.
• I've started off some tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, chives, parsley and lettuces which are all currently on the living room window but might get moved upstairs where warmer.
• we've dug up some leeks today from the garden. 6 the size of sticks of rock which were planted last March. Not our best produce but still tasty. These will be turned into a big batch of leek and potato soup tomorrow.
• Spent the rest of the time in the garden pruning back some shrubs before things start growing again. It was a beautiful day but very cold.
• cooked meals today (soup and spag bol) from ingredients in the freezer.

Other than that, not a lot going on here. DH has had a small win on the premium bonds of £25, and after a long chat about financial goals we decided to put it in my zopa account.

We have been catching up on household chores and TV recorded on the digi box, and i was pleased to pick up knitting again while on holiday. So far i have knitted a scarf, and a small square with a boat on it. The pattern suggested it was a washcloth, but i am thinking it would look really good if i made a few in different colours and stictched them together to make a blanket. We know a lot of pregnant people at the minute, so we are really looking to cut costs on presents which would eat into my budget.

Nice to catch up on your ideas here. I am definitely doing better because of following the thread even if i don't do everything.

Michelle x

loopychriss

Erme wrote: »

And anyone know anything as to where to get cheap but good grow bags for my seeds from GW when they come? Like I have B&Q and HB nearby and the supermarkets. Can ppl keep me posted please.

E

I got some in B&Q this week - £1.58 each, or 4 for £5, working out to £1.25 each. They're big ones too. Probably could have got the Aldi ones, but they were half the size and only 25p cheaper. Don't know if the soil in them is any good, never used them before, but we'll find out this summer~!

Skint_Lynne

Have not been on much due to intermittent internet probs, so have got lots of pages to catch up on.:eek:

Will report in in the next day or 2. xx

Thriftkitten

Up with the lark this morning, or should I say the early bird catches the BUG!!! Yes folks I have been pebble dashing the loo for what seems like hours, however my stock piling of loo roll is well appreciated in some warped way, DD1 has shared her bug and I'm hoping I wont be missing another day at work tomorrow, however the way I'm feeling I can't see that I'll be up to it.
Frugal things today are low on the list but naturally I will be saving on 3 meals and only drinking water or very diluted cordial.
Hoping to be better to start afresh on a new week as last week was an expensive one for me.xx

mama67

We have snow here aagin this morning and frozen ground.

We usually get it this week as the kids have been off for half term and it snows so they get an extra day off.

Back on topic, I made some laundry gloop approx a month ago using 1 bar of value/basic soap, 250g soda crystals and 4½ ltrs of boiling water, this will last me this week as well, so instead of £5 for value/basic laundry liquid for the month, (and that is using less than recommended) it has cost 25p plus a bit of electricity and time.

The other thing is basically no packaging to dispose of.

I know the bottle can be recycled but we are better to reduce or not use before recycling.