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

cw18

jtb2412 wrote: »

Totally agree with CW with the raw veg treats. Our little fella sits while I chop veg and drools bless him. He absolutely loves broccoli stalks, carrots and green beans (we had to fence off our beans last year as he kept pinching them of the plants :rotfl:).

Ditto with the drooling during veg prep :rotfl:

And school regularly have carrots as the 'take home' snack, so when I'm in and getting the next days snacks ready I get to bring home any that are starting to look sorry for themselves (the teacher has now learned not to bin them like she used to) - 'pup' loves those days, and practically mauls me for the carrots as soon as I walk in the house !!!

He's already digging/pulling up one of my fruit bush plants on a regular basis, and it's nowhere near showing signs of being 'real' food yet :mad: I have a distinct feeling I'm going to have to fence off the entire section/half of the garden that's being turned over to growing food :eek:

Erme

Your wee one sounds amazing cheryl LOL. I remember when a child - me and my twin got to the pea crop before Ma did and had a FEAST - raw peas - yep another warning...so yummy . Ma was not happy and we got into terrible trouble.

Fab day 'off' work yesterday and phoned my student veggie friends and told them about all your positive comments. They said they did it all themselves. I think they just asked the Uni for the land. Ours in by the counselling dept but you could I suppose use almost anywhere.

Didn't sleep well. I now know 2 thing following my nutty 2 months. I need to do routine/wrap (see sig) but first things = sleep and eat proper. I got to kirk x2 yesterday so was well impressed and chuffed and that's despite the brain frazzle of reading the puritan Jonathan Edwards (his most famous sermon is 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God') on Justification by faith alone which was kind of confusing. And then I couldn't get hold of the minister. etc. etc. and by the time I got to Kirk I'd forgotten my questions.

So jogging is off for now. Sleep cometh first!!! (cos you know I used to get up around 5.30am 3x a week to go jogging :eek:)

Just have the breadmaker on for food. No weight gained so far in about 2 weeks but am hormonal and due on any day which I think explains stuff. Thinking of paying a trip to the wee market here for veg and eggs tomorrow. Now I have the ice cream maker I appreciate good eggs. Will just get 1/2 doz and like get milk from FF.

Have a little money (cash note CASH) over so really ought to put something on insurance this pm (but I've lost my card. It's payg with the council. Works out about £4 a month for me. Cheapest I can get anywhere!!!) and worry about laundry credit another day . Other than that...in need of a recovery PJ day (though not in PJ's) with a little fresh air.

Quite chuffed last month's expenditure was down by £100. Don't know how that happened!!! Still not my £350 or whatever that I aim for but getting better at the food shop and the cheap treats (£2 or less). Obviously last week's £70 blow will have an impact this month but if I don't spend anymore I'm not worried. I don't know what to keep work spend down to. I think I need a budget for it and sooner than later!!!! Because I will only reclaim £80 a month off benefits for the next wee while (keep - the rest is off pound for pound) so obviously I need to make that min before it warrants any extra spend (I get it taken off on net profit not grosse). So maybe discuss with upline? I don't know.

No I wasn't thinking of visa debit for proof of age when buying cigs...I know about that guys. I was just thinking for certain purchases online and over the phone etc that will only take visa debit or a CC to prove ya over 18. Citizen card isn't worth the hassle for me. I looked into it when a 'friend' at Mr. C refused to sell me cigs x2 last year (I'm like 33!!! The legal age is 18 - hello ).

Anyhow tis all my snooze guys...Hugs...

Breadmaker has another hour to go ....I want lunch!!! And even worse news...I left my chich pea sprouts too long so they stunk and had to bin them yesterday (2nd lot of chick pea sprouts binned)...

E

cw18

Erme wrote: »

Citizen card isn't worth the hassle for me. I looked into it when a 'friend' at Mr. C refused to sell me cigs x2 last year (I'm like 33!!! The legal age is 18 - hello ).

At Mr M we have to challenge you for ID if you look under 25, even for things with an age classification of 18. This is because a lot of 16/17 year-olds (esp girls) can make themselves up to look a good few years older.....

rozeepozee

XSpender wrote: »

Rozeepozee - I am so impressed with the savings you make on things for the babies. We have been lent/given quite a few things for the baby and most of my maternity clothes were given to me too but with decorating and carpeting the nursery and all the other stuff I would say we will spend £1000 by the time he is 3 months old and I thought I was being quite restrained:eek: Luckily savings elsewhere within the budget have meant I can afford this within my £10,500 budget when originaly I was budgeting seperatly for it.


Have a great week all and keep safe if the snow arrives.

I'm not entirely consistent, unfortunately. For example, I spent £30 this month on Duplo solidiers for my little boy to be his "special toys" to play with only when I'm breastfeeding the twins (which will probably be a lot). I'm better in the warmer months when the car boots are on...

Also, we don't have nursery stuff expenses as we don't have a special room for our son or his soon to be sisters. Son is still co-sleeping with us (well, dad alone now) and these babies will no doubt be in with us (or one of us - if they disturb DS too much, I'll stay in the spare soom with them - I'm in there at the mo as I'm up and down 6 or 7 times a night). This approach is partly down to my Asian upbringing (in my experience, it's fairly normal for Asian families to sleep with their kids til age 5) and a belief that children feel more secure by doing this - parenting style, I supppose. Plus, as I breastfeed, it's way easier to do night feeds when the bub's in bed with you! Obviously, there are some unavoidable expenses, (I've had to get a travel cot, travel system and the moses basket - spend, less than £200).

Off for my scan now - hoping that these contractions I'm having today are Braxton Hicks and not the real thing!!!

kezlou

Oops i'm really sorry everyone, i clicked on reply and the stupid cat knocked my hand. Clicked on spam button instead sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well managed to get the worktops sorted and delivered today! Still negoitating with the land lady over the pipes so fingers crossed we can start on the kitchen next week!
More good news hubby's contract has been extended for another two months :rotfl: so well chuffed with that .

Got some pots, peas, onions, garlic and a rhubarb to plant out decided to spend a little to get a lot this summer, hopefully,
Forecast is snow tomorrow and wednesday so the heating back on again but at least we get to play in the snow.
Didnt spend anything on sunday just dived in the mud and exploring mines with the kids.

Still working out kinks in the budget but so far so good. Oh is stil muttering at me about the credit cards, but what can ya do. Apparently he thought i was paying off HIS credit card first, but i found out that i have three overdrafts in MY name (one is OH's) which has totally knocked my credit rating :mad::(.

Ah well onwards and upwards.

Going to grab the boys, prob back on later. x

cw18

Had a nice surprise today

Got my latest pay slip on Friday, and was double checking it last night...... but couldn't for the life of me figure out how they'd calculated my holiday pay as it was on a significantly higher rate than my basic hourly pay.

After a bit of playing and number crunching I came up with one formula that worked - but it seemed very suspect to me, and I was worried I'd been overpaid and would have it claimed back later.

So first port of call on arriving at work today was HR, where I queried it with a lady who works in that office (and is getting used to me asking questions about how things work). She thought my calculation was the way it's done, but offered to cross-check against some other peoples pay slips and let me know - and she's confirmed that it's right :T

Working lots of extra hours has paid off, as holiday pay is calculated on an 'average of the previous 52 weeks' (or since you started there if you've not been there that long, which is me). To get this average they take your total gross to date, and divide it not by the number of hours actually worked (which is how I thought it should be done), but by your contracted hours...... So as I've averaged at least an extra 6 hours a week (and quite a few of them have been on 1.5x either for running over 39 hours or for working a Sunday) there's a significant difference between the two figures, but I've been assured it's been done in line with company policy and it's 'mine all mine' :T :T



I also phoned the Child Benefit office, who have confirmed that (unless DS starts a full time job in the meantime) it will continue to be paid until the start of September. So that means my WPA definitely stays in place until then, and I just have Tax Credits to confirm with - which I can do as soon as the Tax Year changes now I have a confirmed figure to give them for the WPA.

Still need to call Inland Revenue to try and get my tax code for 2010-11 changed though, as they've set it on the assumption WPA will be paid for the full year instead of just 5 months !!!

Blairweech

Hello everyone :wave:

I have been reading, but will have to go over it again as I can't remember anything...will edit this later.

Not had such a frugal week - went clothes shopping and bought a couple of things - one of which I will take back (a shirt I bought for £40 :eek: Why would I do that?!!). Then went to visit a friend on Saturday and had lunch, which was good.

Have sold my car - got a very good price for it, so I am pleased. Now I am trying to find another one - which I am not so pleased at. Due to scrappage, there are not many older cars available now, and the ones that are available are either a)way too expensive (as they are now 'rare/vintage') or b)total buckets as the people who own them could never afford to finance a brand new car whether they had scrappage or not!! Oh, and of course the tax on these cars is horrendous - my brother owns a 5L Merc and pays £190/year for tax, I am looking at a 1.1L Fiat and the tax is £150/year!! So for an extra £40 I could have an engine that was 4 times as big!
New drivers must be really struggling atm. I'm so angry that the government has actively encouraged people to put a new car on finance and buy more than they can afford through scrappage as a quick fix to our burgeoning economy and thus created this whole problem!! AAARGH! Plus my Dad is furious that I sold the car, and now can't even bring himself to look at me.

Sigh, sorry for that rant everyone. I feel so demotivated right now, and have had a few rejection letters for jobs (Not a problem but its another thing the parents are hassling me about - it's not like I'm not trying!!) And OH is mysteriously always busy now, I have seen him for one day since I moved back

So, back on the frugal wagon. My spreadsheet is all up to date, will post it on Wednesday. Dig In seeds have arrived, hope the weather gets better soon then I can get planting. Have managed to convince my Mum to buy recycled toilet paper and take her own carrier bags to the store, a small environmental triumph there.

Hope everyone is good x

Right, after editing:

CW - Glad your evening out went well and the kids were alright with it, fingers crossed for a blossoming romance

Natalie - Hope you are enjoying the new house

Lynz - Well done on deciding to do a Masters :j

SF - Glad to hear you are enjoying your second placement

Lynda - Love the pic, your frugal wedding is a real inspiration

Erme - The student veg garden is a great idea, and looks like a really good way to spend your time - I am going to agricultural college in Oct and despite the college having 3 huge farms, they have nowhere on site to actually grow anything or get your hands dirty really, so I will mention it to the SU when I'm up there. Becycle and the fair trade society sound great too.

Jayne - Sorry to hear about you and OH. Hope it works out for the best x

Rozee - What a lovely story about you and your OH, a real fairytale ending. I have an Indian friend who is now married to her childhood sweetheart after an arranged marriage forced them apart (he was literally on his way out of the door to propose to her when she rang and said her parents had arranged a marriage and she could not see him anymore!). Well done on your frugal finds for the beans - when I am at the carboot virtually every other stall is full of baby stuff, so I definitely would not buy anything new.

XSpender - Great news about the IVA, hooray for almost being debt free!

knithappens

Just popped on from cleaning and itemising stuff to put on amazon, ebay to ask a question. I am tryignto cut my shopping bill still further. Does anyone have any experience of using Lidl own brand nappies, are they any good?

Also value rice from Tesco Asda, does anyone buy this, at the moment i buy Tilda basmati, and Tesco own long grain rice, but was wondering if the value stuff from Asda/tesco was any good - well edible, any input would be appreciated, well back to taking pics of stuff to sell - I hate listing things, buit love when they sell - so off i pop again.

grandma247

My seeds arrived today too.
I have my little car back now so have been out practicing, It's just night driving I find scary but it seems I am not alone as quite a few people have told me they hate it. I took ds2 to his house sitting place this evening . Not bad but the rain did not help, the roads were reasonably quiet though.
Rozee My late stepfather who was in his eighties when he died always said kids belong in their parents room till they are five but he did come from a big family. It is only in the last 30-40 years that people have put their babies in another room and unless you had a boy and a girl or an only child having your own room was not the norm.

Knithappens My daughters have used lidls nappies among others and they like them but I found it does depend on the baby. Also the rice should be fine. It will not be like basmati but will be like the long grain I think.

cw18

knithappens wrote: »

Also value rice from Tesco Asda, does anyone buy this, at the moment i buy Tilda basmati, and Tesco own long grain rice, but was wondering if the value stuff from Asda/tesco was any good - well edible, any input would be appreciated

I've been using the value stuff from Mr T for years, though we're currently on S0merfields stuff (from when they closed our local store and sold it all off dirt cheap) and then have a 5kg bag of Natc0 Basmati to work through (bought the same way)

Rice is one thing I won't need to buy this year - and probably well into next