2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

fallen_angel_shelley

nykmedia wrote: »

Go back a page to where I have put the photo into the post :rotfl: He was cute! He was fluffy! He was scruffy! But I resisted the temptation to take him home because he wasn't part of my budget. If, however, I had quit smoking last January then I'd have had enough spare cash to afford to buy said cute, fluffy, scruffy little donkey.

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh, he is so cute in a funny knid of way. :rotfl:

mumzyof2

why did you want a donkey????

hopeless_spendthrift

liloandstitch wrote: »

well done mumzy of 2, you are trying to make this work like the rest of us. No one said it was going to be easy and I am sure at several points in the year we are all going to be in the same boat. The main thing is that we pick ourselves up, regroup and try again. Everything we save will put us in a better position than we would have been in, and lessons we learn will be with us for life if we choose to - I know I am finding it really hard, and at some point I am sure that my will power will get the better of me!!!!!!! We all are supporting each other, and by sharing our ideas successes and problems we will all get through it
Chin up - lilo

Perfectly said lilo - thank u :T

*hugs* mumzy :heartsmil

hopeless_spendthrift

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

Just remembered something, my son had a bad temperature last night and was in bed with us, so I commented that I could fry an egg on him (I always say that).

Husband pipes up with "Careful son or she'll be cooked the veg on you to save putting the oven on and using electric!"

Obviously he's noticed my current obsession.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: lovely! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

hopeless_spendthrift

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?

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Yay! All round to Nyk's place!:j
Thanks for making me laugh

andromache_2

I love this thread Everyone's so enthusiastic! You're really keeping me motivated and thinking carefully about what I spend my money on.

I had accidentally recorded an Amazon delivery (OH's birthday present - travel guides!) in my spending diary twice - once when I ordered it, and once when the money was taken out :rolleyes: so my signature is looking £15 healthier than I thought it would! :rotfl:

I've spent OVER HALF my money for the academic year! :eek: I keep justifying this to myself with the fact that a) I've had to spend lots on textbooks in the first term and b) I've done ALL 2008's presents (inc. Christmas!) in the Jan sales... but it still doesn't look good! Gonna have to be careful over the next couple of terms. I'm throwing ANY extra money I acquire from cashback sites or whatever at holiday savings so I have to be strict with myself. Ooh, and a little boast... I've just learnt that I've been given a scholarship award for a few hundred pounds which is going towards the holiday fund as well! I'm really pleased with that.

I've just had to write a cheque for a £950 to my uni for rent and hall food over the past term (plus a couple of small fines! whoops!) but luckily the rent portion of that doesn't come out of this challenge! The fines and food do, though. It's the largest amount of money I've ever spent at once

Hope eveyone's still enjoying the challenge! Stay cool :cool:

bigbullyweedave

It's the middle of the month and I'm now over budget. However, I'm looking at it positively because this is the first time I've really ever recorded every penny I have spent. So getting the process started is a step forward this month and cutting back more will come in future months. Plus this month has been a bad one with car MOT, car tax, dentist fees etc.

So even, like me, you have went over budget, stay positive!

MRSMCAWBER

Morning everyone

Even though im not "doing" this challenge, im reading it daily....ok ok -so i visit more than once a day .... and keeping up with what you are all doing is just inspirational :T

I now find myself really loathed to part with any cash :rotfl: .. so, so far this month i have spent :-
€24.95 on groceries -out of my budget of €200 grocery challenge
€10.09 - on seeds an pots -ready for growing all my own veggies
No magazines, no chocolate, no must haves because its on offer etc :rotfl:

But i have opened 2 bank accounts:-
€250 from my "change pots" to open a saving account :jout of the rest of the change pot cash i put a bit on one side for my seeds etc and gave hubby €100 to save him using his bank account
€200 -the other half of my housekeeping money to open a current account

My hope is that, if i can carry on "being good" with the grocery challenge this month i will have enough left to carry over for Februarys grocery challenge ..which means i should be able to put all of Febs house keeping straight into the savings account :j .

I can't believe just how much i am enjoying "not spending" :rotfl:

My long term aim is mainly to get a bit of a "safety net" fund behind me n hubby -so if anything comes up we are ok. But if possible i want to save as much as possible, as we would really like to be able to buy a new car before we leave Germany as we can get it TAX FREE :j the one we have is only 5 years old but is starting to play up a bit :eek: ... and if we decide not to get a new car then the long term savings will mean that when we move into our own house (currently let out) we will be able to do it up as we want (knocking the kithen and back room into 1 big kitchen diner :T )without having to borrow .

Ok im waffling again..but i am just getting so much encouragement from just reading this thread i thought i would pop in again.

Keep up the great work everyone...

fizzel81

Good morning peeps

sorry ive been lacking in anything last few days, boys have been with there dad over the weekend so ive been cleaning and urmm the dreaded word spending money.

up untill saturday i was doing well, had only spent 4.17 which i was so chuffed with
then saturday come and i kinda blew the following (sorry not added a total up yet)

New boots £5.00 this was a must spend my old ones were letting in water, got my new ones at a very good sale price (blisters dont half kill though today)
Haircut £24.00, not had my hair cut in over a year
New pillows for me and kids beds £12.00
hairdye and a suger scrub in boots £2.21 (what a bargin)
1 fleece jacket and 3 new tops as i cannot decide which one for saturday night £14.00
poundland £10 on various house bits new toothbrushs, pillow protectors.
sainsburys £29.01 they have nappies with 1/3rd off, also got boys some slippers, thomas dress up for my little boy and a new water filter for a fiver

im still not doing too badly despite my busy saturday
also paid off all my oweing rent and up to date to start of jan before i go to court next month, that was a wopping £1,780.80 could have cried ive been saving hard all dec to enable me to clear it all, pitiful bank balance now so staying on this wago to make it nice and healthy

given myself £20 for the week for us all, we dont need anything so aiming to have the next 3/4 days as spend free days

hope you have all had a good weekend and off to add up then update my sig xx

Burlesque_Babe

aaaaaaaaawwwwwwww............nyk, that donkey is so cute!! I want to take it home with me and be its Mum!!

Well, I've made it to the 14th without going to the supermarket!! To be honest, my list hasn't grown particularly over the weekend. The washing is about to burst out of the basket so I now do have to go as I definitely need washing powder.

I'm going to try to be really good, although I hope the supermarket devil doesn't get me as I go through the door and I end up spending more than I should!!