2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Frugaldom

Here are a couple of 'lifestyle' examples that are also posted elsewhere in this thread. Hope they help

Lifestyle 1
Couple with 2 of a family, husband works full time on a salary of £30,000 and wife is a full time mother/homemaker (not sure what the politically correct term for this category is any more!) Total income approx £452 per week including Child Benefit.

Mortgage & Buildings insurance - £740 per month = £170 per week
Council Tax/Water - £125 per month = £24 per week
2 cars, both on HP - £300 per month = £70 week
2 x road tax, insurance, servicing, petrol/diesel etc = £270 per month = £62 week
Credit cards - £100 per month = £23 week
Bank loan - £100 per month = £23 week
Total expenditure before actual living expenses - £372 per week
Balance to live off - £80 for everything else

Lifestyle 2
Couple with 2 of a family, husband works full time, wife part time, joint salary of £18,000 plus Child Benefit, total income approx £300 per week

Mortgage & Buildings insurance - £303 per month = £70 week
Council Tax/Water - £100 per month = £23 week
Home Improvement loan - £266 per month = £61 week
Credit Cards - £100 per month = £23 week
Other debts - £100 per month = £23 week
Car - road tax, insurance, servicing, fuel etc - £100 per month = £23 week
Total expenditure before actual living expenses - £223
Balance to live off - £77.00 for everything else

Please read post number 3 for further info, thanks.

Taka - That is quite near where I live!! The Galloway Forest is only 15 minutes from here and we go walking at the otter pool and elsewhere throughout the forest park - all free other than the occasional £1 parking fee and brilliant for picnics during summer hols

Debrag - I get confused myself as there are so many variations on this. My 4k is for everything except rent & council tax :rotfl:

Frugaldom

mini_huny_money wrote: »

Nyk,,,,this is gettin scary........you posted that you felt like the mother hen.....looks like all you're wee chooks are coming home to roost......:rotfl: You're ok with me.....only went to Stranraer a few times when younger to get the ferry to Ireland........unless.....hmmmm, we missed the boat once cos my dad got lost and stayed at a B & B near the harbour, that wasnt your mums was it??????:rotfl:

Only kidding! I have no aunty Betty and no relatives with a B&B at Stranraer ferry port :rotfl: But I do travel through St John's Town of Dalry when going to visit my mum!!

:eek: Have I blown my cover?? Oh noooooo.............. I'm going to have 114 frugal chicks descending for coffee one day. I NEED enough warning to get in a few extra jars of £1.89 Nescafe and 99p Tetley Teabags from Semi-Chem!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Glass of water, anyone?

taka

nykmedia wrote: »

Taka - That is quite near where I live!! The Galloway Forest is only 15 minutes from here and we go walking at the otter pool and elsewhere throughout the forest park - all free other than the occasional £1 parking fee and brilliant for picnics during summer hols

:T :T :T :T A lovely part of the world:j

mini_huny_money

Thanx nyk,,,,,that made me laugh out loud

XXX

taka

nykmedia wrote: »

Only kidding! I have no aunty Betty and no relatives with a B&B at Stranraer ferry port :rotfl: But I do travel through St John's Town of Dalry when going to visit my mum!!

:eek: Have I blown my cover?? Oh noooooo.............. I'm going to have 114 frugal chicks descending for coffee one day. I NEED enough warning to get in a few extra jars of £1.89 Nescafe and 99p Tetley Teabags from Semi-Chem!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Glass of water, anyone?

You're forgetting the non challengees that lurk too :hello: :whistle: :rotfl:

FunBrum

Great inspriation here and just what I needed after a pants of a night last night!:mad:
Was at work and my car decided that it didn't want to go any further in the midst of a rain storm! Thank goodness my work colleague was 2 mins away and my BF was the same distance and was able to jump start me. Thank the Lord for mobile phones! Spent the rest of the evening travelling in my colleagues car. Now today, I have to get a new battery which will probably cost me about £75:eek: I really could cry! I seem to be taking two steps forward and three steps back, and to cap it off, when I was talking to my BF about my challenge, he was scoffing at OUR (including you guys) attempts, which made me flip:mad: How dare he!

Anyhow....now I've had a rant and a few tears...it's chin up!

Sweetpea, my heart goes out to you as I've been stung by that one. I check my bank account at least once a day so you may find that will help you check whats in and out.;)

Catz...I've never thought of setting by DVDs and videos for pamper/cheer me up nights...thanks for that:T My local market has a second hand stall and is selling their videos for 20p! A very frugal option.

Good luck you guys and I hope I'm in a better mood when I next speak.
Must be my hormones!!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

sweetpea03

Funbrum have a big hug :grouphug: I'm really sorry about you needing a new car battery but try not to worry, I know how you feel about taking 2 steps backwards but as nyk says its a budget for the year so there are bound to be weeks when we all have unexpected added expenses. I'm sorry about your bf too it must've been the last thing you needed but I bet he won't be scoffing at the end of the year when you've succeeded the challenge! :j

FunBrum

sweetpea03 wrote: »

Funbrum have a big hug :grouphug: I'm really sorry about you needing a new car battery but try not to worry, I know how you feel about taking 2 steps backwards but as nyk says its a budget for the year so there are bound to be weeks when we all have unexpected added expenses. I'm sorry about your bf too it must've been the last thing you needed but I bet he won't be scoffing at the end of the year when you've succeeded the challenge! :j

Thanks chuck...I needed that hug! You're right, I wont let it get me down. As for my BF....the way he's going he'll be an XBF, if hes not careful!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

sweetpea03

I loved all your posts from last night, they were heartwarming to read :T

Thrifty - thanks again for another great recipe, I have to buy another can of chickpeas when I do my shopping on Tues then I will give it a go Hope you enjoyed the soup last night

Affordmylife - you sound just like me, Saturdays are definately my weak day!

Debrag - love the way you do your shopping, don't forget cereal & fruit if you have them

Liuhut - Congrats on the matched betting wins this week :j



Nyk - I really loved the story about your horse but find it impossible to think you were a compulsive spender! Maybe theres hope for me yet! I'm so pleased you managed to recoup some of your electric Have no idea where you live as lets just say I am a very long way away (but the lure of coffee sounds very good! )

Mollymop - I went camping on the Isle of Mull in 1980 for a fortnight, were you there then (or maybe you weren't born yet!) I have wonderful memories of my time there, the landscapes are stunning & I remember the sea being full of jellyfish on the way to Iona

I will probably catch up with you all tomorrow as dh is home today Its beginning to feel like a secret mission for me :rotfl: Will post all my weekly totals then too

Don't forget the Boots sale if you are going, its either Mon or Tues, keep checking the Boots thread for the latest news

Enjoy your day everybody

PS lol Funbrum, do you want us all to come over to yours & give him a good talking too!

C U all tomorrow

debrag

Sweetpea I shall be starting that next time I go shopping. Will take a few trips, pity I can't shop online.