FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.

Erme

Please excuse me for not thanking folk for the creative writing compliments LOL...As I say to NHS Managers...I write (email) to survive NOT so you enjoy reading it....great excuse when you have their work emails (that they try hard for you NOT to get) and ya complaining about services for the umptieth time that month LOL (it's gotten boring. Ironing and the world service is more fun!:A)

Anyhow just wanted to say next stage in recovery starts on Wednesday 26th May 2010...cos I have a voluntary job just one day a week @ a local charity doing admin. Going to let things settle for a wee while now (big upheavals in routine past few weeks) before I hunt for a 'proper' job...DV by then one of the stores will be advertising locally :T. Am central so a lot of places I would consider are within walking distance...

Hope everyone is well. MUST go to bed now - therapy @ 11 tomoz followed by training till 4.30 then food shop... Maybe catch up friday am with folk (veg day Cannae wait)....

E
PS. NOT WISE TO PUT A SINGLE DUVET COVER IN A TABLE TOP WASHER. Yes it gets it clean...it's just wringing it out afterwards. Ya have to have the muscles of Arnie or be prepared to make a flood of genesis like proportions as you lug it down to the spinner...E

Frugaldom

Well done getting the voluntary job, Erme, hope it goes well.

Have fun with DGD, Candygirl.

Not much happening here, so nothing to report.

candygirl

Frugaldom wrote: »

Well done getting the voluntary job, Erme, hope it goes well.

Have fun with DGD, Candygirl.

Not much happening here, so nothing to report.

Thanks hun xx:A

Kiwisaver_2

Hey folks, been neglecting my Frugal buddies of late as I've been away on courses and a business trip for the past few days *yawn* although thankfully I got fed and watered for free.

Nuala I hope you can shake off the shingles PDQ, it's a horrid illness and can hang around for ages

Erme - good news about the job, it will put you in good stead for future paid work I am sure.

Had a bit of a blow to my personal budget today, with the Government having announced theirs this afternoon. Shame the two of them don't line up and I'm going to have to do quite a bit of number crunching to figure this out. Basically they have whacked our VAT up by 2.5% from 1st October. Bearing in mind we pay VAT on absolutely everything including fresh fruit and vegetable; the only exceptions are rent, mortgages, bank interest and fees. It means everything I purchase will suffer this increase, although there is some cuts in personal income tax that are 'supposed' to compensate. It's not going to be easy to figure out and it's all a bit confusing as to how I deal with this in my own budget. I guess that's part of the plan, how will we ever know if we're any worse or better off?

Anyway I'll sort something out nearer the time and do my Christmas shopping in September. :rotfl: Seriously though, I will have to plan ahead any major purchases and stock up the larder. It might be a good idea to get that second freezer I have been promising myself.

Still there was a silver lining to today, I logged into my airline reward account to claim points for my business flight (I have never looked at it before) and found I have about 20,000 points I can claim in goods, travel or vouchers for shopping. Not sure exactly how much this will be until I get credited the points I claimed today, but it's about $150 at present. :T Just thinking out loud, if I can wangle it, I might actually be able to put it towards the cost of that freezer.

Only eight more sleeps to go before I'm off on my travels and I'll have to get very creative with the contents of the fridge over the next few days.

ChinaTea

Hi all another one returning to the flock. Finally got my BB connection sorted and a refund of the £30 connection fee.

The builders finally arrived Monday so have a totally open plan bungalow at the moment. Lovely space but not exactly practical with an openplan bathroom . Tomorrow the studwalls should start to go up tomorrow but there is going to be loads more room and the wider doors will be a boon. Another couple of weeks till it's finished but should see it taking shape tomorrow.

Good thing about them being here is that I haven't spent anything :T. I'd stocked up on catfood last week when Wilkos had whiskas @ 2 boxes for a fiver so should just about last the month out there and I'm eating from the freezer and cupboard.

The garden is doing well. Potatoes looking really well and put the peas into large pots yesterday, I used the dried ones from Asda 28p for 250g as on The edible garden and they have come up really quickly. Sugar snaps, courgettes, beetroot, peppers, squash, pumpkin all at various stages in the plastic greehouses that is earning it's keep. The rhubarb is feeding me and the freezer really pleased with this and the fruit trees from Aldi look really well. Have 20 parsley plants to be potted up or swapped with a neighbour possibly for runner beans.

All in all a very frugal time being had.

Erme

Morning all....recovering from my 'crazy' days beginning of week. Got to training scheme yesterday but not to therapy . Madly trying to learn to touch type before vol work. Am currently a 6 finger typist lol.

Anyhow bad news - they want me to do a test for my ECDL and I have to fork out £30 or so for it :eek:. Pray I not have anymore tests to fork out for soon. Hope everyone is well. Need prayer re sleep pattern.

E
ps. am doing the touch typing tutor via http://alison.com

lyndasharp

Hope you're all also having a lovely sunny Friday. I got a message left to say i've won a Windowgrow, that should help with the planting and starting off seeds etc - less watering!

Our welder arrived this morning so I will be learning something new this weekend. Hopefully I won't set the car, myself or my hubby on fire doing it....

Spent £3 in the pub yesterday and £6 signing up for a classic car rally, so it wasn't too expensive an evening, it was quite a cheap pub!

Frugaldom

Still no sunshine here but it has to reach us sooner or later when all the weather forecasts are predicting it. We've had dull, misty, drizzle, dry spells, grey, cloud, cloud and more cloud. Still, as long as the rain is off, it's mild and good for planting. Only problem is, it's also prime conditions for our good ole midges!

Got to go shopping today as we've run out of fresh fruit & veg and the milk's getting low. With an average of £14.50 left for each week, it's about time I started seeing some return from the garden, but nothing in sight yet, other than the odd leffuce leaf, some chives and the odd mushroom!

missinginaction

HI everyone

I am a previous poster who had to go underground ( aka MissP) and Im afraid Ive had to do it again. I hope you know who I am as Im not really able to spell it out at the mo. Maybe these will be some clues

Things here are really bad. My hand isnt getting any better and I have had to go private. (££) I am still off work and employer is not helping with this at all. refusing any help or an OH assessment for me. I dont think I have many choices right now to be honest, I know they are trying to push me out as it is all to inconvenient for them. I have been given another sick note and part of it is anxiety that has been basically taking over my life.
I have had no choice but to try and find a private counsellor to help me thru as the NHS is not interested nor are they interested in even some temporary help in terms of tablets or anything like that, not that I want to ( who does) but things are just sobad for me emotionally right now i need help to get through the day.

Another downer is that OH and I are "on a break" I personally think we are splitting, he has taken his things and gone to live somewhere else.

Finacially im not sure what is going on, whether im getting paid from work or what, no one is communicating with me.I am v paranoid about what bosses are planning for me, am worried sick.

I am just at total sixes and sevens and just dont know what to do for the best, feel absolutley paralysed and stuck at the moment and can barely put one foot in front of the other.

im just trying not to spend any cash as I dont know what is round the next corner but whatever t is it will mean spending money. Any ideas I had about going to uni have gone to be honest I guess it is now too late to apply and to be honest I dont feel confident even to fill the forms in when they ask "why do you think you would be a good candidate" dont have a lot of positives to write about right now.

Anyway, I am still reading and trying to be frugal in my own way. Havelost a lot of weight so I can fit into last years jeans now so that is at least a tiny positive

Looks like ISAs in OHs name will be closed and given back to me Im guessing sticking them in NS & I is the way forward? Just cant even bring myself to think about it properly and Im not convinced Im going to make a good decision any way.

Anyhow, I am still around, am looking in on you all, congrats to all you baby-parents, how wonderful for you all. For those who are finding love right now, please hold onto it as hard as you can.

Love from L x

grandma247

:grouphug: for you MIA I don't know what to say. Try to get out walking in the sunshine as much as possible, It does help you feel better.