2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

hypno06

I have not yet done my January meal plan, but will be happy to share it with you all when it is done! I have to admit though that it will be for three adults only, no kids as they will be skiing all month, so we will have a slightly different menu to the one we will be having in February when the kids will be at home.

Another successful day on my run up to the challenge - I went to Waitrose and spent £9.61 on a Christmas present and some groceries but I didn't part with any real money because I had a piggy voucher :j

So, my "practice" days for the challenge are going well!

hypno06

Oh, and no beer or fags appear in my meal plan......not even with salad to accompany them

jm28cardiff

The amount you live on for the year should be after all bills and fixed costs are deducted I reckon, so your yearly amount is for food/lifestyle spending etc. And some of the early posters working out how much they have for the year are forgetting tax!

Frugaldom

I want to see what all these abbreviations mean, DH, DS, QED, SOA etc Is there a page somewhere that explains them all? Sorry if this is a really silly question for all your diehard MSE forum users, but I'm still fairly new here

Mealtimes get so boring in my house! Nobody likes the same thing and son won't eat anything with a sauce or gravy. My household eats mainly white meat, pasta and rice dishes, I buy wholemeal (non-branded) bread, always have cereal in the mornings and are gluttons for homemade milk puddings such as custard, semolina or tapioca. That's the basics, but I'd like to try keeping a meal diary again if it helps. Oh, and yes, we do eat porrage in winter LOL

Frugaldom

jm28cardiff wrote: »

The amount you live on for the year should be after all bills and fixed costs are deducted I reckon, so your yearly amount is for food/lifestyle spending etc. And some of the early posters working out how much they have for the year are forgetting tax!

I'm curious about your suggestion that some people are forgetting tax. Tax is deducted at source on earned income and bills are inclusive of tax. What tax has been forgotten?

moanymoany

If you go over to the Money Saving Old Style you will find mountains of threads on how to feed a family healthy meals for very little money.

I think the £4000 a year is possible. There are two of us and we allocate £250 a month on food, petrol and pocket money, often we have up to £70 left over. It is something we have achieved over a year. To make a leap from spending lots to spending a little is difficult. The easiest way is to cut back each month until you reach the sum you want.

rachyp

I'm gonna have a go at this challenge, but only month by month I think!! I want to make a serious dint in my debts this year and 4k for the year will give me a few grand to pay them! Great!

Mozette

I've just checked my spreadsheets. I daren't even say what I live on a year. It's a 'bit' more than £4000....

whitewing

nykmedia wrote: »

I want to see what all these abbreviations mean, DH, DS, QED, SOA etc Is there a page somewhere that explains them all? Sorry if this is a really silly question for all your diehard MSE forum users, but I'm still fairly new here ]

There is an abbreviations thread called Forum Message Text Abbreviations but I'm not advanced enough to know how to link it in perhaps someone could:
a) put a link in for us
b) tell me how to do a link, because I've needed to a couple of times now

Thanks

KiKi

Oooh - what a challenge! I'd love to join in at £5000, please!

My budget per month:
TV / Phone line - 15
Internet - 12.5
Mobile - 25
Gym - 39
Elec - 16
Gas - 16
Charities - 20
Food / household - 140 (often come in under this so will try and make savings here)


Other stuff in my Excel budget for 08:
Cats' injections - 100
Birthdays x 13 - 20 each
Contact lens stuff x 3 - 12 each
Haircut x 4 - 18 each
Hair stuff x 4 - 28 each
Clothes shop x 3 - 100 each
Clarins stock up - 80
Contents insurance x 1 - 100
TV licence x 1 - 140
Christmas - 350


Which makes £5092 a year (food is 13 times a year and bills are 12...as I'm paid 13 times a year so that's how I budget it!).

All saved money will go to paying off the mortgage.


Can I be REALLY annoying and ask to be number 24 after someone else has joined?? I have a thing about odd numbers, and I couldn't BEAR to be number 23. I have some OCD issues, I know....! Thanks for humouring me...

And thank you for the challenge!