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

flippin36

chika wrote: »

Ooohhh Lingo your from Huddersfield? Me too although currently on exile due to uni in Manchester. I really want to go home this week but can't because of the snow, you've just made me feel all homesick. They are beautiful pictures though!

:eek:Isn't that weird we posted the same thing at the same time

gilligansyle

xnatalie81x wrote: »

yeah - it is the place where you put all the stuff that you can't find a home for anywhere else and opened letters that need filing and you can't be bothered to do! i think flylady calls it a 'HOTSPOT'

oh goody, I'm short of cupboard space. Just wish I was taller

chika

Gilligansyle – The lovely old lady down the street has one that she stores potatoes in, swears by it but I’ve never tried it. She said she bought it in the eighties, used it once bit it “doesn’t warm the food properly!” So she now refers to it at the potato cupboard which brings me onto Landregistrylass – Haha yout husband must be daft, but is it odd that I still wait a minute before opening it for the radiation to disappear… I know I’m an eejit!

Slowlyfading – I hope you’re ok? I’d just chill out, do you have to go in tomorrow?

CW18 – That’s good news about the little dog. Hope you get good news at the vets tomorrow.

Flippin – That is seriously spooky. Its apparently a fabulous school. I’ve got my eye on a possible (not advertised) job for one of the feeder schools to start in September. I’m so looking forward to moving home.

Finally back to work today. The car is iced shut so walked to work and took my charge to school on the bus. I’m not too happy about going out in this weather but the roads weren’t that icy and the snow is a weird powdery texture so walking wasn’t that hard. I’m really please to have earned some money today after three weeks with nothing coming in.

I went to get some yeast today but Mr S charged me for it. It was only 16p but I’ll get it from an alternative supermarket next time. Also spent 87p on a bottle of vimt0 as I’m getting a bit fed up of drinking water and tea. Its still miles cheaper than the expensive pure fruit juices I used to guzzle and from a diet point of view there are a lot less calories in it too.

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
I think we might be the only school in the UK which will never close. Got in about 8.15am . Left just after 2pm so not too bad but I FEEL SO HUNGRY IN THIS WEATHER..just want to eat and eat and feel soooo tired. So looking forward to having a rest this weekend. Well we did pick up some essentials today: butter, milk, bread and potatoes. Spent £8.29 but we do plan on eating our way through the freezer this month. Well done to everyone who is sticking to a stricter storecupboard/freezer challenge.


Sf-you poor, poor thing..glad you got sent home. Have a good rest and take care.
Glad you got back safely Bails-Sorry to hear about those awkward lodgers. Give em hell!
Larmy-Glad the bread worked out ok. Mr SFT is self employed too and hasn’t worked all week due to school closures. So of course nothing earnt! Sorry Loopy to hear about your OH. Hope he’s better soon.
Hope you feel better Thriftylass
Welcome Thriftkitten !
Aril-Well done for mending the bean bag.
Aeb-Great to hear those chickens are laying again.
Welcome Catznine!
Glendam-Please join in more..what most of us say is day to day and I’m sure your day is just as interesting as most of ours! Glad the money saving is going well.
Kiwi-Congrats on sorting out mortgage and spare dollars.
Kiwi/CW-Mr SFT saves well and is trained to be frugal but lets me deal with all the finances (unless asked otherwise).
Franke-Have a lovely anniversary!
CW-Glad doggy is doing ok. Sounds like you’ve made yourself indispensable at work! They are lucky to have you.
Nat-Good news about the local press.
Kittikins-And how’s your poor back?
Flippin-How are you feeling today?
Xspender-Are you a vegetarian?
Fayjmck-We are certainly getting through our coal..have wood fires too but coal is so warm and cosy.
Knithappens-Keen to know how the pork meals challenge goes. HOW DO YOU CLAIM TAX BACK ON TEACHER UNION FEES?
China-Congrats on the moneysaving
Landreg-Great cooking in the kitchen …you should feel smug.

Debtmess-Congrats with losing weight..sounds like portion control is really working.
Congrats Flying on all your money saving.

Phew!

sft

mooomin

savingfortravel wrote: »

Sf-you poor, poor thing..glad you got sent home. Have a good rest and take care.
Glad you got back safely Bails-Sorry to hear about those awkward lodgers. Give em hell!
Larmy-Glad the bread worked out ok. Mr SFT is self employed too and hasn’t worked all week due to school closures. So of course nothing earnt! Sorry Loopy to hear about your OH. Hope he’s better soon.
Hope you feel better Thriftylass
Welcome Thriftkitten !
Aril-Well done for mending the bean bag.
Aeb-Great to hear those chickens are laying again.
Welcome Catznine!
Glendam-Please join in more..what most of us say is day to day and I’m sure your day is just as interesting as most of ours! Glad the money saving is going well.
Kiwi-Congrats on sorting out mortgage and spare dollars.
Kiwi/CW-Mr SFT saves well and is trained to be frugal but lets me deal with all the finances (unless asked otherwise).
Franke-Have a lovely anniversary!
CW-Glad doggy is doing ok. Sounds like you’ve made yourself indispensable at work! They are lucky to have you.
Nat-Good news about the local press.
Kittikins-And how’s your poor back?
Flippin-How are you feeling today?
Xspender-Are you a vegetarian?
Fayjmck-We are certainly getting through our coal..have wood fires too but coal is so warm and cosy.
Knithappens-Keen to know how the pork meals challenge goes. HOW DO YOU CLAIM TAX BACK ON TEACHER UNION FEES?
China-Congrats on the moneysaving
Landreg-Great cooking in the kitchen …you should feel smug.

Debtmess-Congrats with losing weight..sounds like portion control is really working.
Congrats Flying on all your money saving.

Phew!

sft

Do you take notes or just have the best memory in the world?

NualaBuala

flying_fresian wrote: »

Do you take notes or just have the best memory in the world?

I was wondering the same thing!:rotfl:

Kerry_Woman

It has been great to read about people's achievements. Hugs for people who need them. Keep safe when going outside and wrap up warm.

xnatalie81x

NualaBuala wrote: »

I was wondering the same thing!:rotfl:

lol - there must be a notebook involved lol

mooomin

flying_fresian wrote: »

I need some quick recipe advice! I have taken meatballs from the freezer for dinner (They were a vastly reduced impulse buy) and have no idea what kind of sauce to do them in. I have canned tomatoes, assorted herbs, onions, peppers. No mushrooms in the house sadly or cream. I also have some garlic. How would you best cook these? They will be defrosted by the time I get home from work and I will be knackered, so some kind of quick and easy sauce would be ace. Thanks in advance!

An update on today's frugality....

I made my meatballs by chopping two cloves of garlic finely and sticking this in some oil then adding two red peppers and an onion finely chopped. Once these were cooked a bit I added two tins of chopped tomatoes, some salt and pepper and a teaspoon of Italian herbs from the cupboard.

Poured over the meatballs the sauce was delish and I have enough to freeze for another portion to be added to the next batch of reduced meatballs

As I posted earlier, much money saved on the home insurance, so hurrah for that :j

FREE tea and coffee finally arrived at my work. We used to pay 20p a cup for coffee and 10p for hot water, so I lug two flasks to work. This means I can make my own (nicer) coffee using free hot water and saving carrying things to work that I don't need to. Woo!

My 3rd NSD of the year today! I'm useless at NSDs so very pleased with this. Although Edinburgh has had LOTS of snow, it hasn't really impacted the public transport network, so it's easyish to get to the shops.

I reminded my manager to approve the overtime I did on Monday, so 8 hours of double time money shall be in my account at the end of the month.

It also turns out that Mr Fresian's sister and her boyfriend are going to have to give up their rented flat as they have run out of cash He is going to move in with his parents, and she will probably move into our spare room. Now, we get on, but I don't necessarily love the girl. I'm not going to see her out in the cold though and she will be paying rent at the same rate that previous lodgers have in the past. Due to my new-found budgeteering skills I know that I will be able to save all of this each month which will be £350 per month for at least the next four months towards my debt payments. Mr F has also told her to speak to me about budgeting and how best to save herself some money from her wages so that her and her OH can get themselves a new flat in a few months when they have some money behind them. She was paying £500 per month rent and £200 per month council tax :eek: + all of the other bills as they were in a "nice" part of town. I'm in a more scummy part of town, so it's £120 for me! It will be a challenge for all concerned but I'm grateful for the extra income and glad we can help.

Off to try and rake through the bookcases to find things to sell on Amazon!

F_F

savingfortravel

flying_fresian wrote: »

Do you take notes or just have the best memory in the world?

I write down my responses as I read your posts (still speak to the laptop)...feels like we're a big group of girlies having a natter.. (no offence Paul) x :rotfl: