2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Burlesque_Babe

£15.64 in petrol (well, petrol plus a twix!) but that should do me until towards the end of the month and might just get me completely to the end.

Mollymop5

All i will need today is milk so will send my son after school so as not to buy anything else if i go.I plan to update my sig monthly when I have all my totals together.So even if it looks like I still have a big balance my grocery challenge shows my grocery bills to give you some idea of how I'm doing
I have a notebook for recording and I also have just signed up tospendingdiary.com.Well done everyone who has completed week one and good luck to anyone just starting.

Protogenia

G'dmorning ladies and gentlemen.

It's very windy here in East Yorkshire today, perfect for putting washing on the line.
Yesterday my clothes prop broke in two, so I have sent D/H in the garage to find some wood and make me a new one...should keep him busy lol...the garage is a bit of a tip.
The postman didn't bring good news - our quarter gas bill of £179.86 :eek: ...that will make a dent in my budget. I am not paying it until the red bill comes in (the longer the money is in my account gaining interest and not theirs...the better.):rotfl:
As we are heating quite a large house, I have gone around and turned off radiators in rooms that are not used that often and have put the thermostat down to 10 degrees. We can then just put the central heating on as and when required. I am going to ensure next quarters bill is alot less.

For lunch we are having homemade chicken curry, bullked out with veggies and for tea it will be something like spagetti or beans on toast with an organic fruit salad for afterwards.

Hope you're all having a fab day so far...Genia X X

Burlesque_Babe

Just done a raid of the freezer and including today it looks like I've got enough dinners for the next 19 or 20 nights. I've got enough lunches for about 10 days so if I can stay out of the supermarket for another week I'll be happy. Now that is a challenge in itself!!!

Carlsberg

Hi guys. I dont get to update on here very often, so 1st of all appologies if it doesnt seem like im involved, but I get all your posts emailed everyday, so im keeping up, and am indeed enjoying taking part. I have been a crazy saver for as long as ive had a penny to my name, and I thought id share a few of my tips with you all.

My 1st and best is to keep a book, at the start of each month, list all you DD regardless of when they come out and deduct them, then deduct every purchase thereafter, if you keep it up to date, then any one time, you should be able to take your online balance, deduct anything which still hasnt been taken, and this should match your book, so theres no chance of over spending.

Another good one if for things like council tax and water rates, these as only paid so many months of the year, and we get used to paying them, so on the months you dont have to, move the money into your savings account rather than spending it, you'll not miss it and feel better for saving it. Likewise, if you start to pay anything, and then it stops for whatever reason, i tend to start saving that money, as ive got used to it being taken.

I have noticed that food comes up alot on this thread, and so it should, its the biggest cost after bills in our house (there is only two of us but we like fresh home made) unfortunaltely it would seem that shops make it difficult for some to avoide the freezers etc as processed food is generally cheaper. Im going to make an effort to use Nettos offers on things like tinned toms and tuna and go to the market and get our fruit and veg. We have also started making alot of our own stuff, like pizzas from scratch, always using chicken bones for stock (I have tons) etc. We are lucky to have a cellar, and we keep a chest freezer down there and keep it well stocked. When we make anything like pasta sauce, we always make a huge pot full, it hardly costs any more and lasts ages.

Im hoping that by the end of the year, I can have saved approx £8000, im £1100 there already. i decided to close my shares account as it only made me £15 in 6 months, and im gonna pay that into my ISA instead, so there'll be another £1000 coming to add to it. 1 week in, and a possible £2000 to my target already. Wohoo.

Everyone soundls like they are really into this challenge, im so glad im not alone with my obsession.

Keep up the good work.

Carlsberg:T :T :T :T

mumzyof2

keren29 wrote: »

£15.64 in petrol (well, petrol plus a twix!) but that should do me until towards the end of the month and might just get me completely to the end.

That twix will last you till end of month???? How many peices did you get out of it to last 24days??? :j :j :j

mumzyof2

im off to asda later :$ i did a shopping list yesterday and worked it out on asda online and it came to £48 including big box of nappies, wipes, all my baking things (want to make carrott cake and biscuits) need to get reduced meat later tho when i go today. so who knows how much il spend.
how do i post pics? i might post a pic of carrot cake when i bake it this week..if anyone wants to see..1st attempt and all lol

Burlesque_Babe

mumzyof2 wrote: »

That twix will last you till end of month???? How many peices did you get out of it to last 24days??? :j :j :j

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

well, I am supposed to be on a diet so if I could make a twix last 24 days i'd be a size 8 by the summer!!!!

Carlsberg

Doesnt a twix last 4 bites min LOL. I darent buy Chocolate. Diet starts today, im ditching slimming world abd buying a battery for the scales. Will start to update on here for comedy value. Will have to start going to the gym maybe, thatnkfully we get membership with our job, so although i never go, its not costing me anything. Wohoo!:p

mumzyof2

lol keren, oh and is ur name suppose to be karen but spelt a diff way?? haha. my mum is Karen with a A , (being nosey now)

Ok with this lloyds, its £570 (i think) they have stopped all charges on the account and they accpeted £70 a month. They have put the overdraft up to £750 and every 5th of the month they will deduct £70 from the overdraft..as we are paying £70 a month. There are 2 charges they cannot stop but these are a one off..and there is one due end of feb for £124 and one of £70 something in march bringing the total to £750!!!!
cannot believe it but glad its sorted now..il be paying weekly £17.50
Just leaves my bank as i have overdraft of £700 and have just changed to natwest as they gave me a debit card..and rang up benifits and they changing my details to natwest so il be paid to that account.
I will try and pay of £50 a month to nationwide..i might keep my rent payment going in to my nationwide just so they see some money is going in each month...as with the lloyds no money was going in and we got about £500 in charges! does that make sense