2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

DdraigGoch

Well done everyone - it seems that most of us are sticking with our targets *puffs out chest, then suddenly remembers "the firelighters" and sighs"

I'm putting any money I save from one challenge [neutral presents/grocery challenge] into a pot and then it's going into the highest interest account I can get, until Christmas this year [or purchases for said Christmas]. I'm NOT going to spend it, just because it's not spent... if you know what I mean ...

Frugaldom

DdraigGoch wrote: »

Well done everyone - it seems that most of us are sticking with our targets *puffs out chest, then suddenly remembers "the firelighters" and sighs"

I'm putting any money I save from one challenge [neutral presents/grocery challenge] into a pot and then it's going into the highest interest account I can get, until Christmas this year [or purchases for said Christmas]. I'm NOT going to spend it, just because it's not spent... if you know what I mean ...

Use your ISA and get tax free interest, that's what I do, :beer: except it's full up until April, so I opened one of those ICICI accounts - I read about them on MSE - 6.41% and mine only took a couple of weeks to set up over the holidays.

Lexxi

Wow, you're all doing so wonderfully, congratulations everyone :T Only another 51 weeks to go!
I was really pleased with myself the other day and wanted to go out and treat myself but I knew I'd spend at least double what I've saved so resisted. Had a very lazy weekend but did spend £9 on drinks and essentials. Did have a walk round a forrest which was very MS.

JAMIEDODGER

well done everybody so far!

my 'year' starts today, i am quite excited about it all. I have a small pocket diary to record my income and spends in. I have rejigged my 2008 budget many times already seeing where I can save some more money and cancel anything not needed.

my aim by the end of the year, is to have enough in savings to buy a car. mine died a death early december and I have vowed not to get another for the length of this challenge to give me time to save for another one.

i will have a couple of cheques to go out this week and one dd. january will be quite an expensive month for me but i know that it will all balance out by the years end.

good luck to all

Frugaldom

Good morning to all!

Skintwellie, you are certainly going at this with a vengeance - walk home from work twice a week? Wow!

Today I am going to begin making some items for another part of my cyberdosh challenge - the 'start a cottage industry' part, where I am going to attempt to earn £3000 extra in 2008 from virtually nothing. This was an easy option for me to choose as, after adapting to fit in with a shoestring budget to attain a debt free status, the next obvious thing anyone wants is to stay debt free and increase their savings. My 2008 challenge is just one small step ahead of this MSE thread.

Week one almost over for me, will need to pop out to the shop for basics. Week one of the no smoking completed, no ill effects, no weird cravings, no withdrawal symptoms and an extra £8.96 not spent.

Have a good day, catch you all later

debrag

Princess Leia Also my big payments went out 21st Dec so come 21st Jan I'll have spent more

fizzel81

Have i left it too late to join in?
have 3 boys so mine would be 4000 plus childbenifit

all i have spent last week was money given for my birthday xx

Burlesque_Babe

Today isn't going to be a good one, money wise..........just opening my online banking now........

Gas 26.50
Electric 19
Virgin 49.24 (just re-negotiated that down to £32 for next month)
insurance 19.48

So, a total of 114.22

I'll need to get some petrol later, I'm in the red on the gauge

There aren't many more DD's to come out though this month so it will be a question of me, the supermarket and willpower until the 31st!

whitewing

The money saving ethos is now well established in our house. DS (11) said to me recently, 'Mum, if we win £250K, after we have paid off the mortgage, will you buy me a quad bike?'

Like Nyk, even if I did win a lot of money, I would still do this challenge. I'm enjoying it too.

I've been on online banking today and updated my sig to reflect gas+elec coming out. It did occur to me today that I must get OH knowing how to go online and check it all out too. Last year I got into the habit of keeping a good few hundred quid as a balance in the current account, just to ensure that we never incurred bank charges. But although we never got reckless, we tended to dribble money away as it was always there for the odd tenner here and there.

On this challenge, we have just enough for what we need, as a deterrant. At the mo we have just £70 in there, with nothing due to come out, until my child benefit goes in in mid-month. (Well, I will have to get some washing powder before then). So, we'll wait for the food shop. It's just a different way of thinking for us.

slowlyfading

:hello: everyone. I'm hoping that today will be another NSD. I have an essay to write so I'll be doing that for the most of the day. I hate being in my final year, I have so much work to do! Hope everyone has a good day. x