2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

MRSMCAWBER

Morning folks

FrankieM...
sorry, just realised i answered your post on the grocery challenge thread ....i think its because a lot of the same names turn up on both i get confuddled :rotfl: Im going to have to start making note on a pad about what i have read and where?? :rotfl:

Anyway... We don't have any children, but was saying that all the "army" children i have met have been very confident, and comfortable with strangers. I guess moving around from birth -they are so used to new faces that it doesn't bother them :T . Although with the very small ones like the little boy next door.. I think they see the uniform and think of daddy or mummy when we first arrived next door was only just 1 and he flew at my hubby, wanting to be picked up and he had never clapped eyes on him before :rotfl:

Im sure your children will adapt quicker than the adults ..and have a wonderfull time.... I would move abroad when hubby has done his extra 5 years-but i think hubby has had enough -he has only spent about 3 years in the UK in the last 22....
hope you have a great time out there.....

Well i boiled a gammon yesterday, and turned the stock into pea and ham soup and im now going to slice the gammon u and freeze and use the little bits that drop off to make a quiche....

I was thinking the other day..i do that sometimes:p ..and i realised that i have spent nothing at all on "tat" since xmas -no magazines etc :T .. just the grocery spends so far :j and i haven't missed anything:D

Mortgagefreeforme

Hi all, I've been lurking around this thread since it started and I just have to say how well you're all doing:A
I deciced not to do the challenge myself as I have quite a challenging year already due t various things, but it has inspired me to keep a stricter note of what I spend, OMG how much do I spend on papers:o I was gobsmacked!
I have to say to the people who write frustrated that they've spent more than they hoped to so far, they've still done fantastically well. It would be so easy to not admit an overspend, but reading about where the monsy goes and ideas of how to cut back helps us all, so thankyou.
The challenge I have set myself after reading my true, nothing hidden spending diary is to have more no spend days, anything helps eh!
Keep up the good work:T

Frugaldom

Good morning frugalites, good morning lurkers, good morning members by proxy, how are you all doing today?

It's Wednesday, for me that means my weekly dose of TV tonight! :j Don't forget to tune in to Channel 5 (if you can) and see what Martin's got to say this week. Does anyone else cheat and read it online before the show and then sit watching it ticking off everything you have done or tried or are in the process of doing? :rotfl:

Mortgagefreeforme if you want to cut down on groceries/shopping then take a leaf from MRSMCAWBER'S book because she always has a great recipe or tip - I love today's about using the gammon bits for a quiche!:T (I would have dumped them in the soup :eek: - how unfrugal is that?!! I am ashamed of myself! )

Got a CC bill in today and, even although I haven't been using it, umm... I now have it as part of my mini-stoozer plan. The minimum monthly repayments will be coming out of my £4000 budget but won't be included in my signature until they leave my bank account. It's a mini-stooze, remember, none of your fancy 30k or 40k stuff you read about over on the stoozing threads - not quite in that league yet as I probably couldn't afford the minimum payments!! :rotfl: For this year, I've worked out that my stoozing will cost just a little more than what my smoking habit cost me last year, time will tell.

Catch you all later, off to check links, cashbacks, etc, etc, etc before DGD finishes nursery for the day

Ellidee

Hi just popped in to tell you that Immoral Angel from DFW is on Martin's show tonight. They filmed at her house last week and she will be in the studio too.

bails

Ooh, men in uniform, what a lovely way to start the morning...thanks MrsMcAwber!:D Went out with a Royal Marine once - god, he was gorgeous... Oops, sorry I digress :rotfl:Right, where were we, moneysaving, yes..
Um ,really can't think what I was going to say, mind's gone conpletely blank (except for the RM)

Not sure what kind of day we'll have yet - we've got some kiwis to use up so I might have them with blueberries from the freezer as a smoothie and then I may be able to avoid Mr S. We're going to watch some live (free) music tonight to celebrate the end of exams but as neither of us is drinking at the mo (although OH may change his mind; I've given up for 6 months) it ought to be fairly cheap (and it counts as entertainment). Which reminds me, I have an Orange Wednesday number going spare if anyone would like it - you just quote the number at your cinema and get 2 for 1 tickets. Just PM me.
Have a fab frugal day everyone, off to see what freebies I can find!

Also, I'd just like to say how great it is to have all the encouragement from our by proxy members, it really does give us a boost so thanks!:T

princess_leia_3

I know I have gone over budget already but I really can't resist going to Mr M's today to get some 23p heinz beans and see what BOGOF they have - my reasoning is that I will just not have to spend this £5 in Feb as I already have the stuff!
Cheese n potato pie with saus and beans tonight - yummy!

whitewing

You lot are great! I was just having a mini-panic because I've lately begun to realise how much my (small amount of) savings have been subsidising me. Not great chunks but whenever I've been a few quid short I have swapped it over to my current account. Actually I am getting better, because once if I'd had to ensure a £23.75 cheque was going to clear, I would have transferred over £50 and frittered the rest. Towards the end of last year, I would only transfer over the £23.75. And now, on this challenge, I am trying to force myself to not do it at all, or, I have simply must (it is only Jan, after all) then I am trying to transfer it back as soon as my wages go in.

But anyway, I keep having reality checks. How many more reality checks can I survive?

Good news is that the broken washing machine yesterday only needed a woman's loving touch and is now working. Phew!

I agree with previous poster about not buying tat and not missing it at all. I'm not actually even missing some of the essentials! Not that they're given up completely but certainly cutting down on everything.

I have caught up with your posts, I've still got loads to learn and incorporate in my daily habits but you are all making me smile. I even smile at your bad bits as I so recognise myself in them! Ta ta for now. I am reorganising my filing cabinets and continuing to dejunk and even that is saving money as I am so much more efficient. I will be super organised very soon and it's a great feeling.

Big round of applause to you all!

bails

That's a good point about the beans - I'm currently playing the Drop a Brand size challenge with OH (I've removed the labels to prevent his pre-conceived ideas interfering;)) and so far he prefers Basics to own brand I think it might be all the sugar though....Anyway, might have to get some of the 57 variety in while I keep working on him. Don't go to M. as it's further away - anyone have a clue what time they have good reductions please?
Have just gone back through my spending diary with a fine tooth comb and notice I've added in a few little things I shouldn't so I've readjusted my totals; another 15p a week to play with! Woo hoo! :T

shelovestobuystuff

Just remembered I have about £150 in tesco clubcard vouchers that I have been saving up for about a year.We were saving up for a holiday abroad but will be holidaying in UK now that we have the dogs to consider too.I wouldn,t use them for for deals now, just for groceries so will have a look and see what they normally fetch on ebay.They could perhaps get me a whole months shopping:D I know I put them somewhere safe:rolleyes: .I really need to do some housework:o
Woohooo!!!Just checked ebay and they consistently sell for at least double the face value.I could even,possibly,hopefully,get away without digging into next months budget at all.Ebay here I come!!!
I found the vouchers and I have £145 worth.

hopeless_spendthrift

Hey Whitewing :hello:All the best with your de-cluttering - you and bails are an inspiration to me in that department - thank u! :beer: Noticed this at the end of your siggy and went to investigate :heartsmil Sponsor of Hawkrider123's money saving 2008 book reading challenge £6/£366 Fantastic idea! - well done you! :T
Left a wee message of (i hope) encouragement for your son. Reminded me of a site called bookcrossing which might be useful (and fun!) for the book-worms on here too...