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

Blairweech

Good morning!

Landregistrylass - Congratulations to your OH on his new job :j Hope he likes it
Lynz - Oh dear. Surely you could appeal it if you get a fine, saying you were dropping stuff at the charity shop?

My little car is up for sale. It's a sad day, I love that car

Spring has definitely sprung here. The weather is glorious, and the housemartins are back. I have two nesting sites above my window, I love watching them flit in and out. No chicks yet though - they are so so noisy when they arrive! We have to be really careful with open windows - as the nests are right above the windows, the cats can just stand on the ledge and reach out their paw to get to the birds.

Today, I think we will meander down to the carboot, will NOT buy anything unless it is specifically on my wish list (all written down in my notebook so I can carry it with me). Had a very frugal Mothers Day - used a gift and card from my already-bought-in-the-sales stash. Will also be sorting stuff out to go in the loft and on Ebay, and do more Ebay listings.

Hope you all have a fantastic day and Happy Mother's Day to the wonderful Mum's

lynzpower

Just a quick note to say thanks for all the well wishes. Feeling significantly brighter this morning so thanks to everyone for thier kind words.

A beautiful day here today, feeling very spring like indeed. I too have got a wash out -wools- on the airer on the small patio. YAY for outdoor drying :j

It was only a few short weeks ago when we were confined to one small room with the heaters on under lots of blankets, now Im here in short sleeves watching the sun stream in through the window onto my seedlings :j

Fab.

Oh has decided that he is going to treat himself out of his Overtime money to a guitar- im taking him to argos in a bit to collect it. Ill also pop to B&Q while out to get more compost seeing as we are definitely staying put. Did pop out yesterday to the vets and went for a drive to the farm. It is really far from the tube station, at least 30 min walk- (I think more like 50) down an unlit road which is unpaved. Perfect for when we have cars. We are both agreed this is definitely not the right move for us right now.

I might go to the gym in a bit as I still haven't cancelled it, I wonder whether aqua is on I really do enjoy that.

I've been up on the roof to see another broad-bean now coming up. Will plant the rest of the beans up today I think.

I have started going through the filing cabinet and thinking about discarding some of our financial paperwork, we are going to scan the important stuff and stick it on a thumb drive and then shred the rest. I am sure we dont need old mobile phone bills from 4 years ago and i'm darned if im moving it to the next house to gather dust.

Done a full meal plan for the week that means buying nothing but milk so I'm pleased with that, including some meals we haven't had for ages. I'm going to make the chicken & mushroom lasagne and put that in the freezer as the mushrooms look really past best and need to be used. Hopefully OH wont be looking over my shoulder as Ill bulk it out as far as I can

Right better phone me mum, lots of love to all mums on here today- dont be working too hard today at home and let someone else take the strain if you can xx

Frugaldom

Good morning

High winds still battering us here but I have a horizontal washing out on the line regardless. Hope it doesn't land over the field somewhere! :rotfl:I've already retrieved an egg from each of the ducks and the hens are beginning to wander in the direction of nest boxes - first one laid in the duck house, though! If it stays dry, I'm hoping to get the first of the potatoes planted. Having thought carefully about where things are going, I have had another change of plan! I'm going to use one side of the newly extended square foot garden for potatoes but plant garlic in between in an effort to deter critturs. There shouldn't be too many slugs and snails in that part of the garden because it is completely surrounded by chickens - mine on this side, SM's on the other. I just need to try and keep one particularly persistent hen from flying into that area. It'll probably mean clipping her other wing, as clipping the first one has made no difference whatsoever.

Had ha;f a tin of evaporated milk to use up, so I've whipped it up and added a strawberry jelly to it - should be set by teatime tonight. I also have a litre of homemade yoghurt setting in the fridge before straining it to make another batch of soft cheese. Managed to squeeze 2 cartons of stewed apples into the freezer yesterday and have slow cooked a large chicken to turn into 5 days of lunches for DS, who now buys himself a frozen chicken every weekend because it's cheaper than buying lunch at work. He takes that along with App Food or F00d Bargains cous cous - he's frugalising slowly! :j:rotfl:

Hope everyone has a good day

poorbutrich

lynzpower wrote: »

The great declutter started this morning with us parking up outside the charity shop and OH running in with 6 bags worth of gear. However, the bloke in the shop pointed out the bus-lane camera- and that we are bound to get done as its a) a camera- they got me b) its just the way this month seems to be going. S*dding typical _pale_ :wall:

Im hoping its ONLY 60 quid not more.

I have been crying again, this week feels very very frustrating - what the hell is the point of me going without- eg at the moment I don't even have a belt that fits :wall: and im waiting for a bargin to come my way to be frugal- yet will definately get some PCN again, paying 60 quid for the privilidge of taking stuff to chazza shop.
I had a wry smile to myself- SO THATS why they never have any decent stock in there!!

Oh well were here now, what could possibly go wrong at home?

Hope everyone is having a better day than me.

Hope to do some baking in a bit to cheer myself up, better not try anything too complex as it will definitely go wrong and I'll have wasted the ingredients.

Sigh.

Really feel for you here. I got caught in the same fashion dropping my very pregnant friend off at the station and it cost me £100 and a lot of tears of frustration. Similarly, I clipped a bus lane because someone cut me up but I appealed that one and they let me off (although they said they were correct!)

Annoying isn't it - cause someone to keel over and die through years of anti social behaviour and you don't get punished. Try to be a good citizen and you get fined. That's our government for you - go for the easy money!

Appeal it if you can. Good luck Lynz.

landregistrylass

Morning all, and thanks for the congrats on OH's new job! Went to Car boot sale this morning and was very good. I do love a mooch...........sun was shining and you never know what you can find. Today it was bags of organic flour at 50p for breadmaking, so have enough for quite a while now, and a pair of jeans for DD ar 50p. Lovely phone video received with 3 DGS singing Happy Mothers day to her, had to stifle a little sob. Miss them all so much as they live 200 miles away. Roll on Easter when we see them again.

JayneC

lyndasharp wrote: »

Woohoo, getting married in 5 1/2 hours! Very exciting :-) All going fine and the sun is shining, though 3 last minute cancellations from guests, not good when friends are so ill they can't make it to the wedding. Hope they will be feeling better soon!

Speak to you all in 2 weeks.... not sure if we'll have internet access at Boggle Hole! We're now going to be spending honeymoon gift money, so it doesn't count on my spreadsheet :-)

Hope all went well xx. I live near Boggle Hole !!!!

JayneC

Evening everyone. Have been out in my little garden all weekend (so house is a tip lol!) as weather has been so lovely. I'm making slow progress but getting there. Still not sowed anything but want to make sure I know where it's going and not end up with loads of stuff and nowhere to put it! Have sent off for digin seeds, THanks to however gave the heads up. Got 2 huge sacks of the B&Q compost (THanks Lynz) to put on my raised beds as I've made them by lifting flags and I swear it's solid clay underneath!!!

Had a lovely Mother's Day. DS2 got me big bunch of flowers (well his dad did!!) DD1 got me flowers too, DD2 got me a gardening book, DD3 got me some earrings and took me out for tea (bless! - Tho it did actually cost me £6 cos I bought the drinks!!) DS1 sent me a text, lol!!(He is a poor student and has just paid me back £300 I lent him for rent, so I'll let him off!)

Hope all the other Mums had a good day X

rozeepozee

landregistrylass wrote: »

Morning all, and thanks for the congrats on OH's new job! Went to Car boot sale this morning and was very good. I do love a mooch...........sun was shining and you never know what you can find. Today it was bags of organic flour at 50p for breadmaking, so have enough for quite a while now, and a pair of jeans for DD ar 50p. Lovely phone video received with 3 DGS singing Happy Mothers day to her, had to stifle a little sob. Miss them all so much as they live 200 miles away. Roll on Easter when we see them again.

Love car booting - can't wait for the season to start in earnest!

Aril

Hello fellow frugallers:j:j
I am still here quietly frugalling away Aril style in the background although did go beserk in £land last week and buy 6 plain coloured scarves for the Spring. It's rejuvenated my wardrobe though and I now feel like I've got a load more new outfits:j:j
OH has now finalised the veggie plans for this summer [thanks for the free seeds tip- I've ordered mine] So far all we've planted are some busy lizzies and snap dragons as my back garden needs a good splash of colour later on in the summer and we'll follow on with the veggies in the next couple of weeks. OH is also pressing on with the wine and has racked the rowanberry one today.

Frugalling wise my friend has set up a sewing circle which I've joined. It's called Remade and the idea is that we learn how to update clothes and make new clothes from thrifted items. Sounds good to me and might force me to learn how to use the sewing machine my Mum passed over when she got a new one and I've been steadfastly ignoring ever since. If it goes well I think we'll go on and try our hand other at other crafts - there's talk of some blacksmithing:eek::eek:

I see from catching up on all the backlog of posts I've missed there are two new babies and a wedding. Many belated congratulations to all concerned.

I leave you with an on topic joke:

How was copper wire invented?
Two frugallers fighting over a penny:rotfl::rotfl:

Arilxx

rictus123

Well a big spend day today
£48.99 on a new car battery
£7.50 new battery in fob and key cut for my house
£6.50 me and gf in subway
£3.98 on a Peugoet keyring

total of £66.67. Not so bad considering i stayed in all weekend so had no entertainment costs what so ever.

This months spends are now up to £197.02, all i have left to pay is maybe £20 desiel for my van to see out the month before i scrap it, £100 digs and £35 phone bill so about £155 should finish the month, a total of about £355 would be really good.

Cashing in road tax on van should bring £50 for 3 months, scrapping it should get £30 at least, but that 2 will pay the £80 cost of transfering my private plate over.

Good news is its payday Friday and iv got overtime added in on that so should be more than £100 extra compared to normal.

Total spends so far this year =


Every day spends(everything except car insurance, loan payments and cost of car,they are listed below) = ££1,299.78

Cost of buying car + insurance paid so far(just deposit) = £735.29

Money paid to loans/rbs credit card(not counting desiel credit card as then il be counting it twice) - £936.31

Total spent = £2,971.38

Now i can finally see where my money is going. Iv got £200 in an ISA, nearly £200 in current account, £140 or so in cash and another £600+ coming in on Friday(£445 after digs and fuel paid)

Things are looking up i think. Hopefully stay under £500 spends for the next 3 months and earn at least £1200 = £700 savings times 3 = £2,100 saved :T

Going to give it my best shot anyway! Itl get easier after summer aswel as my pay goes up over £400 a month :j:j:j