2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Janey51

Thank you to those who have welcomed me to this challenge :j

My year starts tomorrow :eek: but its really 50 weeks as I can't bear to think of everyone else jumping up and down on Dec 31 and I would still have 2 weeks to go

Did cheat a little bit and we went and got a load of logs which technically doesn't count as we lost the first lot in the house fire so it really came out of last year's budget :rolleyes:

AND I had bought and paid for a polytunnel to use for growing vegs last week before I found this board. I looked through our old seed packets to see what seeds were still viable. Only thing I need to buy is a big bag of vermiculite as we are going to have a go at Square Foot Gardening.
DH has decided to start an Atkins diet so keeping the pennies in check is going to be a real challenge. Lots of cheese and eggs I think. He has visions of lots of big steaks :eek: but it ain't gonna happen.
I'm on a mission.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Janeryan..

we are over on the "old style board" its the "old style weightloss thread -part 2"... we are a happy bunch and the support on there is really amazing.... the more the merrier....:T

it works soooo well with the grocery challenge as i now think about how much money i would be eating as well :rotfl:

hope to see you over there

princess_leia_3

Hey all you happy peeps

Sounds like everyone is doing well, I have spent £2.90 on milk and bread flour today.
I made some bread yesterday only to find out I only had 2 cups worth not 3 :eek: so I hastily added a cup of plain and then decided to make it into a fruit loaf so it didn't really matter if it went too cakey :T it has turned out very nice but as from tomorrow I am hoping to live off more homemade bread than shop bought!

Frugaldom

I'm doing my personal update first, as it's already typed and I can cheat by copying and pasting it. I WILL be back with a general update very soon, I promise Hope the copy/paste from spending diary works! :rotfl: Umm... nope, having to edit already.

End of week 2 - update

My entire spend for the first 2 weeks in January has been as follows:

EVERYTHING ELSE
2008-01-07 Egg Card £59.02
2008-01-10 2 x oil filled radiators £44.97
TOTAL FOR EVERYTHING ELSE £103.99
GIFTS
2008-01-03 Play.com £3.49 (Martin's latest book)
2008-01-10 Additions Direct £12.50 (includes the doll's pram)
TOTAL FOR GIFTS £15.99
GROCERIES
2008-01-02 Co-op £2.05
2008-01-04 Somerfield £4.00
2008-01-05 Co-op £6.86
2008-01-07 Co-op £3.76
2008-01-08 Somerfield £10.94
2008-01-09 Co-op £2.96
2008-01-09 Soap nuts £4.00 (blame Martin's new TV series)
2008-01-11 Local £1.00
2008-01-12 Co-op £3.71
TOTAL FOR GROCERIES £39.28
UTILITIES
2008-01-11 Electricity £569.44
TOTAL FOR UTILITIES £569.44
TOTAL £728.70 :eek:

I have updated my signature because it was showing money saved as money spent, if you see what I mean. My £2 coins and my loose change aren't lost from the budget, they are still here, so I've decided not to show them going out as it's confusing my spending diary. I have had a total of 3 no spend days in the past fortnight, but hope to improve on this for the remainder of the month. Don't ask about the extra £5 for electricity - that occured whilst trying to sort out the overestimated bill. As a result of all of that, my account with Scottish Power has ended up £155 IN CREDIT!

Total spend to date = £728.70
Balance = £3271.30
New weekly average allowance = £62.57

I'm working my weeks from the 1st of January, which was a Tuesday, so tomorrow is the first day of week 3 for me. I'm hoping to come in well below budget on my grocery shopping by using up a load of of stuff I have in the cupboards and freezer. This way my grocery save should cover the cost of my home insurance, which is due off in the next couple of weeks. (Still waiting to hear about the cashback from that, as it doesn't seem to have tracked through the Greasypalm site!)

Now I just need to catch up with everyone on here and see what little nuggets of golden info can be gleaned with regards to even more costcutting. I already know that living off £4000 is possible, but how great would it be to be able to do that with no debt, no mounting bills and no mortgage or rent because you own your home outright?!

sashacat

well I had to get petrol today and a full tank cost me £44.19...it was £100.9 per litre. They needed a gun and a mask...but I need it. so I have only £29.91 left for the rest of January....but Ihave paid all of my buildings insurance and I WILL do it....anyway I have a big birthday this week.
Well done to everybody...this is a real challenge

Lexxi

Welcome to the newbies! And well done all the oldies!! :rotfl: I spent £14 for a weekly bus ticket for new job which I wont count as it's work related then spent £1 on a bar of choc and some chewing gum, I've still got loads left of both though so hoping for a nsd tomorrow, just got to go make lunch but I'm thinking bed sounds like the better option, I'm shattered!!

and to the people that were thinking of switching their phones, if you are thinking of going on 3 they have a recommend a friend offer so you both get £30 towards your bill, it can be done online so if anyone thinks it's a good, MS option for them, I don't mind being your friend!

I've become addicted to this thread too, I haven't even been for a full look round the forums yet as I seem to spend so long catching up here! I've been told I'm not quitting new job in first week to spend more time here, would hinder the challenge a little for me! :rotfl:

Keep up the fab work everyone :T :T

Edit to add. 3 is 18 month contract, just so you know x

Aril

2 weeks down and you're all doing so well:j The latest is that my addiction is worsening not lessening. Will you please stop all posting such brilliant threads so that I can get on and defrost my freezer:D which needs doing urgently.
Another thought [only a very small one as I don't have that many]. If you have gone over your budget during the week but have still bagged some bargains you could jot down how much you have saved during the same period if you had paid full price [a bit like Queenie's pin money idea] so you can still see the progress you're making.
Keep posting
Aril

Miss_Pink_3

A new week for me today, so a new start. My first week went really well, but last week I went over budget. So new start. Today I have spent £1.09. My daily budget after bills etc is £4.15 and tommorrow will be a NSD as tea is all ready done for tomo.

Roll on NSD!!!

MRSMCAWBER

Just a quick one -off topic..

But Aril, when you defrost your freezer -if you wipe over the inside with neat fabric softener and then switch it back on for a few mins before putting the food back in...next time you defrost it the ice will come off really quickly You can also do the same with glycerine if you have any and are worried about the smell of fabric softener transfering to the food... not that i have ever had it happen

i can switch mine off, have it defrosted with just a bowl of hot water and a plastic fish slice, cleand, dried and back on in under half an hour :T -just thought it might help

FrankieM

Hi guys,
you all sound really motivated. Can't wait till we get back so I can make a start with you...only a couple of weeks to go. Of course we'll have no food in the freezer so will have to do a big bumper shop....how hard can it be!!