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

sophiesmum_2

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Just a quickie not had chance to read for a while so apologies if i have missed any big stuff


Someone mentioned a couple of diet websites a while ago can someone point me in the right direction?? something like on my plate i think where it works out calories etc


Thanks

Shaz

Not the one you are looking for Shaz but there is a free 24 hour trial here
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories-in-food/default.htm
and their database is very good.

cw18

The site mentioned by SM is a fantastic one - I was a member for about 12 months before GD1 was born, and managed to lose 4 stone!!

Shame I put it all back on around the time GD2 arrived

Have held steady for the last 3 years or so, but seem to have lost half a stone in the past month - which I can't explain as I've not been doing anything different !?!?!?

babyboysmommy

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Just a quickie not had chance to read for a while so apologies if i have missed any big stuff


Someone mentioned a couple of diet websites a while ago can someone point me in the right direction?? something like on my plate i think where it works out calories etc


Thanks

Shaz

This one is 100% free www.fitday.com

Savvy_sewing

I am sorry I have been away from the thread for a while. I am struggling along, haveing had so many disasterous days with the twins that I do not think I am on budget at all. However I will hope that I can get back on track soon. My food budget is already spent for March, £90. but tomorrow I am going to be taking twin2, and the two grandsons back to hers, so it will only leave me and dGD so I think we will manage on whats in store. Except Milk. I should get some milk tokens for her, but they still go to her mum, as does her benefits. So will have to see how that works out.
The petrol is off of the stratusfere, but my lovely Mum gave me some money this week, which has helped. So I haven't put that on the budget?
What do I do with "extra" income like that? As it means that I am actually using more then the £4,000 then? Oh well, its money coming in to cover the extra driving to help the others. If it was just me at home I would not be doing all the extra driving anyway!.
I will try to keep things up a bit better.
As my school reports would say, Can do better!

BigMummaF

slowlyfading wrote: »

Just found out that to pass it's MOT, my car is going to cost me a further £319.95. I think I'm going to have a lot of NSDs this month, as I am not going to be able to afford anything else, ever.

Why can't something just go right for a change? I knew this year was going to be hard, but I can feel myself getting more and more stressed and it's affecting my health and my work.

Is there a mechanics workshop on your uni campus that could fix the car for you? Altho the students do the work, they are completely supervised by the tutors; there would probably still be some cost involved but I bet they'd be grateful for the experience & it would be a bit cheaper for you. They work along the same principles as the Health & Beauty or Catering depts in our colleges so presumably they are like that all over the country...

I know you've said about sharing your home with 'strangers' cw [& I can fully empathise on why ] but what about student teachers at the GDs school, as that could be for term time only. I'm sure SF would be able to spread a little more light on that suggestion & I think there's some kind of loop-hole in the CT legislation about providing temporary lodgings for essential services trainees. Or what about foreign students, as they are only around for 3 weeks max!
I'd also be VERY careful about being so quick to do extra hours at work & I do speak from personal experience here It doesn't matter if you do 48 weeks of 39hrs; those four holiday weeks will still only pay the 20 [?] you are contracted for, same with sick pay. Plus the management will become very complacent & expect you to do the extra hours & will not be so friendly when you tell them you can't cover X shift because you have other arrangements. So Please--just be careful how much you let retail management into your personal time


Hey Rictus..it used to be that you'd get 'overtime' if you worked your holidays but I don't think Health & Safety Regs allow that anymore & especially so in some industries. It's got now where folk are given time off in lieu & that's not really a help either, so I'd suggest enjoying your time off instead

cw18

I've never seen a student teacher at GDs school - not sure they use them at all ?

I'm aware that my holiday pay (and sick leave) would only be based on 24 hrs/week (as is what they pay us for bank holidays, which is an odd system I'm struggling to get my head around the whys and wherefores of), but I'd simply find it impossible to hold my head above water without the extra hours. I'm also hoping (which is reinforced by chatting to other staff on a similar level to me) that by showing them I can cope with the extra hours, that when I've been there about 12 months I'll be able to request an increase in hours on my contract. It may well mean a switch in dept and possibly a change in the days I work (so I may not get weekends off anymore), but if I can get 30 hours on my contract it simplifies things for Tax Credit purposes.

Blairweech

Hello all,

CW - HUGS to you, I hope you work something out soon. I can only add to what everyone else is saying - even though I do not know you, you come across as a very dedicated and caring individual, who would enhance the life of anyone you meet. Shame that I don't live in Lymm anymore!

Top Drawer - I know it is of little comfort at the moment but if you manage on a tiny budget now, just think how well you will do when you are raking the monies in Chin up :beer:

OH came to visit yesterday and we went on the steam train to Minehead. It was great Had a lovely lunch and wander round town, then watched a couple of films in the evening. Fantastic way to spend a Saturday, it was so nice to see him.

I am having some slight difficulties living with my parents again, I had forgotten how awkward my Dad is. I accidentally dropped my mug of tea in the kitchen on Friday - we have tiles so obviously I immediately cleaned it up and it wasn't a problem. But Dad just completely hit the roof about it, like it was the end of the world and did not speak to me for the rest of the day Sigh, I guess it is just something I have to get used to again - all for the greater good and that.

Anyway, today. Doing Ebay listings yet more sorting out. I want to make a dessert for tonights dinner, but am completely uninspired as to what to make...will flick through the cookbooks - have a fresh pineapple which needs using up though :think:

Hope you all have a happy frugal Sunday!

BigMummaF

Just seen THIS :eek: Oh why do things have to get so complicated; talk about the Rich getting Richer while the Poor look on

I know why you're doing the extra hours cw--been there etc like I said--just don't want folk to go thru the nightmare that was/is my experience of it all...

cw18

BigMummaF wrote: »

Just seen THIS :eek:

:eek: indeed :eek:

One more reason I need to get my garden turned into an allotment - and possibly consider a LOT more vegetarian dishes on the menu (once DS2 moves out, as he's one of those that hasn't had a meal if it didn't include meat!)

thriftylass

BigMummaF wrote: »

Just seen THIS :eek: Oh why do things have to get so complicated; talk about the Rich getting Richer while the Poor look on

Wouldn't surprise me at all. Why don't they get it, there are enough areas the governement could spend less on rather than to tax us more to reduce state borrowing. No point getting angry I guess as we can't do anything about it they do what they want.......