2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Janey51

Thanks Nyk
:j :j :j :j

Oh great!! Have had a really good day then. Will update my sig ASAP. Went to a local market today and got (amongst other things) dozen free range eggs for £1 :j Would have got more but I had just bought doz in Co-op for £1.95 :mad: I buy free range eggs if I can.

Penny2myName

Hi, does anyone know a good mixed Veg soup recipe? Have just finished my last portion of carrot and coriander that i made earlier in week. Son has had last of the corned beef and bacon stew, leaving my freezer now empty of HM meals. A number of friends are saving containers for me to store batch cooking in, and one of them has even started making his own bread and soup since I joined this challenge and mentioned it to him. (also used him as a guinea pig for one of my soups). Hoping to do batch cooking tomorrow, so searching for idea now.

whitewing

oh.my.golly.gosh.

I thought I'd better do a little total up as I'm nearly at the end of my first month (started 24th Dec when I got paid). I'm a little overbudget and it has seemed to be creeping up and up. Nearly £500 and my personal target is £441.67

BUT

I have been counting the monthly £50 going into a savings acct and also save the change (LLoyds Bank thingy which adds dribs and drabs of your own money into a nominated acct each time you use your debit card).

If I don't spend any money (all DD's have gone out) between now and 25th, and don't include the above savings, I will have spent £440 !!!

It can be done, by golly, we can do this guys and gals!!

DdraigGoch

Wow! Everyone is so keen and it's taking so long to catch up that I'm just going to say well done to all who are doing well and hugs and sympathies for the problems encountered along the way where needed.

Me? Well, it's bumping along in first gear at the moment, but at least we are trying and seem to be finding more fun along the way than we thought we might.

Our budget is still skewiff, but I'm working on it - frantically:rotfl: I think we might just about make our target, but I really can't see how we can cut down our expenses much further. I already changed my car to a less thirsty one and am due a refund on the insurance. I've got our IFA in for a session of sorting out the insurances/inheritance issues etc on Tuesday [he gets his commission from the companies, not me, plus he's a long standing chum so tends to give us a really good deal, and, yes, I do check up on here before going ahead with anything;)]

all the best to everyone and thanks again to Nyk
DG

catznine

Hi Penny!

I make a cream of veg soup regularily, it changes a little according to what I have in but basically it is:

1 lb veg (any or all of these will do - potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, swede, sweet potato, parsnip etc)

1.5 pints stock

seasoning

knob bujtter

little milk

Peel and chop vegetables and put into a pan with the stock. simmer until soft and blend until smooth. Put back into pan and add a knob of butter and heat through, stirring, add milk and season to taste. this is our favourite way to use up vegetables from the organic veg box. Easy and cheap! hth

debrag

whitewing wrote: »

oh.my.golly.gosh.

I thought I'd better do a little total up as I'm nearly at the end of my first month (started 24th Dec when I got paid). I'm a little overbudget and it has seemed to be creeping up and up. Nearly £500 and my personal target is £441.67

BUT

I have been counting the monthly £50 going into a savings acct and also save the change (LLoyds Bank thingy which adds dribs and drabs of your own money into a nominated acct each time you use your debit card).

If I don't spend any money (all DD's have gone out) between now and 25th, and don't include the above savings, I will have spent £440 !!!

It can be done, by golly, we can do this guys and gals!!

ah you're going wage to wage, I was wondering if I should i'd be in budget then I think lol

EDIT: think I'll stick with month to month as otherwise I'd have 2 month way over budget lol

skintwellie

Hi Guys,
Have enjoyed reading all your threads and fully intend to take a look at the 'make £10.00 a day' threads. Is this used as extra to the £4,000 a year challenge or to clear debts?
Today started brilliantly as I sold my office furniture for £53.00. I have used this money to buy paint to decorate the room and convert it back into a bedroom/home office. Unfortunately this was before a visit to see my daughter. She has just finished uni and is now a fully fledged learning disabilities nurse. Unfortunately she has not yet secured a job in nursing and is working as bank carer in the community. She and her flatmate have done all of the right things and are completely up to date with their bills, but literally have NO food! They have been living on rice and kidney beans (very healthy but very monotonous). I spent £36.00 on groceries for her (far more than I've been spending on our own groceries). I also gave her £40.00 to last her until payday. I could take these monies out of my money earmarked for paying off my debts, but in the spirit of the challenge I will add this to my overspends for January and split it over the next four months or so. Hopefully this will still mean that I come in at £5,000 for the year.
It also appears that my daughter is paying (by key) extra gas money for the tenant before her gas arrears. Surely this is down to the landlord, not the girls?
Grumpy son is moaning about lack of money. He is still at school but does run a little old banger. He works in a pub at weekends and gets EMA but says he is skint. I told him 'welcome to the real world' and he has stomped off in a huff. Oh well.

Take care xxxxxx

Penny2myName

TOTAL FOR BILLS £48.58
TOTAL FOR CHRISTMAS GIFT £8.00
TOTAL FOR CLEANING £1.42
TOTAL FOR CLOTHING £14.00
TOTAL FOR FOOD £36.41
TOTAL FOR PHONE CREDIT £10.00
TOTAL FOR TOILETTRIES £5.02
TOTAL FOR TRAVEL £8.40
TOTAL FOR TREAT £1.50
TOTAL £133.33

Initial amount to spend = £4000 over 366 days, average £76.50 per week
New balance = £3622.10 over 347 days, average £73.06 per week .


ARGGGGGGG This months Budget target was £338.70
Spent so far £595.54:eek: minus debts = £528.14 and still have phone due out and food till end of month.

skintwellie

Hi,
I have just made cauliflower, lentil and cumin soup for tonight.
Gently sweat some chopped onion, celery and carrot in a glug of olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add some red split lentils (sorry never weigh anything) and
stir until coated with oil. Add some veggie stock and the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper and a good couple of pinches of cumin. Cook for about 30 mins or so and puree.

I often add cumin to veg soups as it makes them appear 'warm and homely' especially good after a c**p day.:j

Penny2myName wrote: »

Hi, does anyone know a good mixed Veg soup recipe? Have just finished my last portion of carrot and coriander that i made earlier in week. Son has had last of the corned beef and bacon stew, leaving my freezer now empty of HM meals. A number of friends are saving containers for me to store batch cooking in, and one of them has even started making his own bread and soup since I joined this challenge and mentioned it to him. (also used him as a guinea pig for one of my soups). Hoping to do batch cooking tomorrow, so searching for idea now.

Penny2myName

Thanks for that catznine, will try it tomorrow with what ever cheap veg I can pick up. Got some carrots, some potatoes adn an onion left.