2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Frugaldom

nimbo wrote: »

Is it too late to join this???

£4K should be a breeze!!!!

(If i don't eat haha)

I'll get your name added to post one and can recommend the use of www.spendingdiary.com along with making full use of the traditional threads (I am refusing to call them OLD STYLE because it's not old to me, it's normal and it's current and it's downright cheeky calling those methods old!! ) The grocery challenge also helps you focus on food spending.

Can you let us know a little more about your situation? For example, how many are you feeding and are you including all household associated bills other than rent/mortgage, council tax and water?

Good luck and thank you for joining us here. :T
Please take time to read the possible health warnings and potential side effects. :rotfl:

FunBrum

tryingtodobetter wrote: »

Having a really bad day today, I had to force my DS who is 7 to school today he was shouting and crying that he didn't want to go. My heart was just crumbling but I had to make him otherwise I fear it will be a regular occurance. I was going to post my figures for last month today but I just can't be bothered to be honest, no exercise done either. Feeling rather like this

Chin up ducks...! my youngest is 15 and Im still having to hawl his screaming sorry a&$e to school every day!! :mad: I just give in some days but wish I had been stricter earlier on. So keep it up chucks and don't give in!;)

FunBrum

flowerofthewest wrote: »

Hmmm . . . Looks like I'll have to measure around the "fuller" area as don't think I've seen my hip bones for around 20 years. :eek:

Still haven't found a tape measure and only have a 6-inch ruler so am going to buy a proper tape measure tomorrow.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Frugaldom

The first complete month has now passed and we are left in readiness and eager anticipation of what February will bring. For everyone who has adopted the frugaltricity chart (reading their meter regularly in a bid to beat the shock of bills and combat underestimation catch-ups) I now have my final figures calculated.

I have White Meter on Economy 7 with Scottish Power
House is all electric and there are 2 of us work from home.

January 1st to January 31st

Evening units - 1708
Daytime units - 622

Total, including standing charges £151.53 less the web discount. It works out at almost £35 per week!! :eek: :eek: :eek: Roll on springtime!

bails

Afternoon all, still haven't totaled up January (I know!) so will do that later but I have measured - 304 and 7/8ths please Nyk....oh okay then, you can round it up to 305 to help our FOCD
BTW, it's normal for your measurements to be different on different sides - I've been measuring myself for years (now that's depressing ) and my left calf is half an inch bigger than my right. It's a visible difference too, my brother used to always go on about it!:rolleyes:
I've been sorely tempted to head back into town today for end of sales bargains, and it's all my OH's fault! Bingo was a no-go yesterday (silly us thought we could just turn up and play, didn't think about there being rules and etiquette and stuff ) so we went in search of a birthday pressie for MiL, which led to lots of buying and spotting of said end of sale bargains. Despite just dropping him off at the station, I have come home like a good girl so I don't incur the 4K wrath :A

Sorry to hear about the parents with kids not wanting to go to school - my OH has to drag me in kicking and screaming too Kids are amazing at adapting quickly and refocusing, so I expect this morning is already forgotten (I hope so).
Back with Jan totals later x

princess_leia_3

Hi all, just updated my sig (altho it says you can have 5 lines it will only let me have 4??)
Anyway had a few d debits out today, also done a big food shop £105 :eek:
But DH has managed to get hold of the best part of a new kitchen for £20 :eek: we will need to get worktops and sink and a few more cupboards and flooring but we are still using the horrid one that was here when we moved in so I just could not say no!!
I have found a sink and tap set for £35 in a sale shop in the town which looks similar to one in HBase for £100 :T
I am going to use the money I made in Jan and feb on the £10 a day challenges to pay for this so it will not come out of my £4k

Janey51

Help:eek:

DH has just come home from work and announced that tomorrow we are going...shopping... as we haven't done much together this week.

I am quite happy to window shop...I will forget about the parking charges and the petrol..but he will want to buy things :eek:

I think I have developed another symptom of frugalitis. I have a spasm in my hand preventing me unlocking the padlock on my purse.

I suppose I could be ill or plead too much housework to do.

But, if I don't go with him, he might buy more :eek:

elantan

i wish i was suffering from frugalitus just now...my spending this week is like i have just found out i have one month left to live and i have to buy everything ...i would offer to go shopping with your hubby but honestly neither of us could afford it lol

Penny2myName

Just remembered Nyk, didn't you say something to people about treating themselves if they kept with their chosen budget for the month, admittedly I was not one of them:o I just want to know what the possible treats are.

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Hello lovelies!:wave:

Here's my slightly late January roundup.

This was the budget for weekly monthly and annually

Groceries/toiletries/cleaning products £69.23 £300 £3600
Gifts for others £11.54 £50 £600
House Pets (if you have any) £7.15 £31.00 £372
Basic travel £50.00 £200.00 £2400
Essential home maintenance £2.50 £10.00 £120
Essential household goods/furnishings £2.50 £10.00 £120
Essential clothing/footwear £11.54 £50.00 £600
Cigarettes / alcohol £0 £0 £0


And here's what I actually spent:


Groceries/toiletries/cleaning products £239.58
Gifts for others £150 (hubby, MIL, my best friend and DD)
House Pets £62.00
Basic travel £260
Essential home maintenance £152.97
Essential household goods/furnishings £0
Essential clothing/footwear £60
Cigarettes /alcohol £0
Plus
Direct Debits for gas leccy phone, internet, home insurance and TV Licence £195.90
Supplements, vitamins and painkillers £8.99
6 months supply of shampoo(hopefully) £5.94
6 months worth of shower gel £9.92
24 condoms (also 6 months supply probably!) £7.98
cinema and U18 disco for DD £15
Prescription Pre-payment Certificate £98.70
Dentist £92

£1205.71 :eek: :rolleyes: :eek: :rolleyes: :eek:

Plus "in real life" outside the challenge we have also spent

CAR TAX £15 (£180 / 12)
CAR INSURANCE £25.06
PETROL £227.12
MORTGAGE £746.19
SOUTH EAST WATER £18.13

COUNCIL TAX £152.00

£1183.50

£2389.21 plus debt repayments on top of that....I knew I couldn't do this challenge.


But on a positive front our electricity useage for the month is 1054 units averaging out at about 34 units a day plus the gas is 41.33 units for the month averaging out at 1.33 units a day.

(On a side note why the heck do we pay VAT on gas and electricity? It's not as if heat and light are exactly optional in our climate are they???)

Anyway, that's me for January.

I hope everyone else has done better. I'll have abit of a a post catch up now.

Love Jacks xxx