2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Frugaldom

Well done on your decision to 'go for broke', if you see what I mean :rotfl:
Post 1 now being updated :T

Dithering_Dad

I hate to pour cold water on this challenge, but I just don't see how this could possibly be achievable. Unless you exist on a diet of rice, beans and any dead hedgehogs/cats/dogs and other assorted roadkill you come across, the food bill alone for a family of 4 will/should take you above the 4k threshold, with an average spend of £19 per person per week (£4000 / 4 people / 52 weeks).

Add in the cost of shoes & clothing, toiletries, cleaning supplies, household bills such as gas & electricity, telephones, internet, etc, etc. and it looks even more unlikely.

The only I would be able to achieve this is if we condemn our family to malnourishment, force the kids to stop growing out of their shoes and clothes, stop cleaning the house and ourselves, go to bed when it gets dark, sit around in our freezing house in sleeping bags and cancel all birthdays, Christmas and any other celebrations/fun.

In many ways this is the financial equivalent of a crash diet. One where the dieter insists they will eat only cabbage soup for a month, gets 3 days into it and goes on a massive junk food bender due to boredom. Extreme diets just don't work and I suspect neither do extreme finances.

Right, having pooh poohed on this idea, I'm off to the local orphanage to tell all the kids that there is no Santa and after that I'm going to burn down an old folks home. :rotfl:

Frugaldom

I have added my comments in RED

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

I hate to pour cold water on this challenge, but I just don't see how this could possibly be achievable. Unless you exist on a diet of rice, beans and any dead hedgehogs/cats/dogs and other assorted roadkill you come across, the food bill alone for a family of 4 will/should take you above the 4k threshold, with an average spend of £19 per person per week (£4000 / 4 people / 52 weeks). (Anyone else here thinking :eek: Holy Smoke!?)

Add in the cost of shoes & clothing, toiletries, cleaning supplies, household bills such as gas & electricity, telephones, internet, etc, etc. and it looks even more unlikely.

The only I would be able to achieve this is if we condemn our family to malnourishment, force the kids to stop growing out of their shoes and clothes, stop cleaning the house and ourselves, go to bed when it gets dark, sit around in our freezing house in sleeping bags and cancel all birthdays, Christmas and any other celebrations/fun. (Yep, that sounds like my family :rotfl: Would you like to come for dinner some evening? LOL)

In many ways this is the financial equivalent of a crash diet. One where the dieter insists they will eat only cabbage soup for a month, gets 3 days into it and goes on a massive junk food bender due to boredom. Extreme diets just don't work and I suspect neither do extreme finances. (Err... I lost thousands of pounds of debt on this exact diet :cool: )

Right, having pooh poohed on this idea, I'm off to the local orphanage to tell all the kids that there is no Santa (whaaaaaaaaaaat? No Santa?? Mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.... I thought it was he who brought me my new toilet rolls and soap each year. Sob, sniff... :A ) and after that I'm going to burn down an old folks home. :rotfl:

Oh ye of little faith, watch this space

LoadedIWish

Can't wait for Jan 1st. New year, fresh start, new targets. We can do it!!!

Dithering_Dad

nykmedia wrote: »

Oh ye of little faith, watch this space

I'll happily watch, just remember - no cheating!! .

I'd really be interested in seeing a 30 day meal plan for a family of 4 (2 parents & 2 teenagers) that consists of 3x meals per day, that are healthy, balanced and nutritious. That contain plenty of fruit, veg & protein (not necessarily meat) and comes in significantly less than £19 per person per week (as you seem to imply £19 per week is a very large amount of money to pay for good quality food).

Note: No chips, no crap cuts of meat (sausages, burgers, I will allow mince provided it's good quality) and all food groups must be represented.

I'll be watching. :cool:

TigersEye

I'm getting nervous already:o:o:o

SarahNeedle1872

Definately interested.... gonna get my head round it tomorrow, then I'll sign up!

CRANKY40

I've had a quick count up, I reckon I may get by on £5000. Would you put me down for that please?

Frugaldom

LoadedIWish wrote: »

Can't wait for Jan 1st. New year, fresh start, new targets. We can do it!!!

I am dying to find out what everyone does to make a tenner a day extra because if I could do that, it would mean success on 2 challenges in one go! :rotfl:

Frugaldom

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

I'll happily watch, just remember - no cheating!! .

I'd really be interested in seeing a 30 day meal plan for a family of 4 (2 parents & 2 teenagers) that consists of 3x meals per day, that are healthy, balanced and nutritious. That contain plenty of fruit, veg & protein (not necessarily meat) and comes in significantly less than £19 per person per week (as you seem to imply £19 per week is a very large amount of money to pay for good quality food).

Note: No chips, no crap cuts of meat (sausages, burgers, I will allow mince provided it's good quality) and all food groups must be represented.

I'll be watching. :cool:

I have one concession - I don't have a chip pan or deep fat fryer but we do eat oven chips sometimes