2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

MarkyMarkD

georgiasmum There's no harm in having a credit card available, for emergencies or whatever, as long as you can trust yourself. There are occasions when a credit card is indispensible - e.g. when hiring a car, where most companies insist on it. It is also better to buy things online with a credit card than a debit card because of the CCA protection.

keren29 It is really unfair for your friends (or one of them unilaterally) to put that sort of extra spending on you. Surely if there was any thought of doing something like that it could/should have been discussed in advance?

Burlesque_Babe

whitewing wrote: »

PS why is Jacks dumped? (your signature, lol)

oooooh, it goes back to a conversation a few days ago. Have a look at immoral_angel, jacs and Snaggles sigs :rotfl:


MarkyMark - I know It was very awkward for me - I could hardly say no. Ifelt it was unfair to be just 'told' as the bill arrived that 2 of them had decided we would be paying for another persons meal. And we were paying for someone who has been able to afford to take an 18 month career break to sail through France, work the ski season and is just about to sail to St Lucia and then New Zealand!!!! I think the fourth person who was also 'told' looked a bit surprised as well.

£35......the stuff I could have done with that. Oh well, I don't socialise much and these are people I used to work with. Haven't seen 2 of them for a year and the others for 6 months. Got it out of the way now though.

Frugaldom

LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY! DAY 60

We have gale force winds interspersed with torrential downpours, so it was a very quick nip to the postie this morning and then back to the computer to complete this month's invoices (and challenge receipts).

Janey, good luck with the hospital appointment, hope all goes well. Like you, I've got the box of candles at the ready for any impending power cuts - yet another reminder of why I need a coal fire in my phantom frugalhome. (If Whites can gave a phantom frugalmite, I can have a phantom frugalhome - I'm trying for one of them and it could take some time ).

Georgiasmum - my personal opinion on the credit card scenario is don't chop them all. I did it once before and it took me years to re-establish my credit rating because of so many housemoves, job changes, divorce etc, etc, etc. Now, I'm a complete CC tart with a penchant for smalltime stoozing :rotfl:

Whitewing, I've seen several references to Agoraphobia recently on here and I really do think it's a direct result of financial problems - if you don't venture out, you can't "freak out" at anything remoterly connected.

Keren, what a predicament to be put in at such short notice, but I'm guessing that the frugal you was able to cope admirably with the situation. It could have been much worse - were you not so frugal, you may not have had any way of paying it :eek: I say well done for dealing with it and I hope you had a great time. :T

Penny2myName

Total spend for 01 Feb 2008 - 29 Feb 2008: £462.08

TOTAL FOR ANIMALS £16.38
TOTAL FOR BILLS £181.21
TOTAL FOR CLEANING £1.22
TOTAL FOR CLOTHING £3.75
TOTAL FOR COLLEGE DRINKS £2.40
TOTAL FOR COLLEGE FOOD £2.50
TOTAL FOR EASTER £5.00
TOTAL FOR ENTERTAINMENT £49.99
TOTAL FOR FOOD £81.32
TOTAL FOR GROCIECES £1.67
TOTAL FOR OTHER £12.95
TOTAL FOR SCHOOL £12.50
TOTAL FOR SCHOOL UNIFORM£39.95
TOTAL FOR SOCIALIZING £15.73
TOTAL FOR TOILETTRIES £2.76
TOTAL FOR TRAVEL £17.90
TOTAL FOR TREAT £13.07
TOTAL FOR VALENTINES DAY £0.30
TOTAL £462.08

Have removed London costs as they are part of College Expenses, which is the one thing I am not including in this challenge (well do add the coffee and any food I buy AT college) but London was good few hundred miles away from college and my cooker.

Mollymop5

Afternoon everyone. I'm here to post my totals for this month
Essential Bills £138.26
Groceries £145.03 under budget:T

"other" items £164.24 under budget too :j

Grand total of £447.53 so off to update my sig

Frugaldom

OK, here's my spending diary for February and I wish it was like this every month! It still looks over budget but don't forget I have March to catch up before the next excrutiating quarterly electricity bill arrives. Signature now bang up to date to reflect the new annual target for groceries of £1200. This will allow £240 of 'play' for any increases in electricity, which means it really IS a case of HEAT OR EAT! What is this world coming to?! :eek:

2008-02-05 eBid online auctions £7.58
2008-02-05 Credit Card £43.78
2008-02-22 Gifts £16.97
2008-02-02 Groceries £4.65
2008-02-03 Groceries £56.48
2008-02-07 Groceries £8.58
2008-02-10 Groceries £5.95
2008-02-12 Groceries £2.70
2008-02-19 Groceries £4.54
2008-02-21 Groceries £2.49
2008-02-22 Groceries £7.29
2008-02-25 Groceries £9.00
2008-02-28 Groceries £2.00
(total for groceries - £103.68)
2008-02-22 Broadband £6.92
February Total - £178.93
January Total - £750.07
Total spend to date: £929.00

After further frugal number-crunching, my annual budget has, once again, been re-assessed. Sorry this is all so boring but it's the only way I can keep it all in one place. It's kept as overall target less expenditure to date, followed by the balance that I have left to last the next 10 months. I'm constantly reassessing my budget, totally addicted to it but I really, really want that phantom frugalhouse one day Just skip these posts as they are more for my benefit than anything else.

My recalculated targets for 2008 are:

Heat & Light: £1200 - £419.44 = £780.56
Telephone: £280 - nil = £280
Mobile: £50 - nil = £50
Internet: £225 - £31.91 = £193.09
TV Licence: £135.50 - nil = £135.50
Insurances: £170 - £52.40 = £117.60
Gifts/Special Occasions: £500 - £66.20 = £433.80
Groceries: £1200 - £189.77 = £1010.23
Everything else: £239.50 - £169.28 = £70.22

Total: £4000 for year. Already spent £929, balance = £3071
Target average weekly spend = £76.50 over a year
Current average weekly spend = £108.38 to date

Day 60 of 2008, 306 days left at average £70.25 per week.

Penny2myName

Just done the maths with adjusted figures, and I have £319.69 for the month of March.

Budget
BILLS £216.21 (estimating new water rates at £35, as I do include my water in challenge)
TRAVEL £22.40
EVERY THING ELSE £81.08

Why am I expecting to seriously go over budget in March. Oh I have my Niece's 16th birthday to do too, which brother has decided we will all put towards the skateboard safety gear. He is getting her the skate board. Hoping between 4 of us it doesn't come to that much each.

whitewing

Penny, I thought you were ultrafrugal with your 30p for valentine's day......until I read £40 for school uniform....that'll explain it, lol!

Penny2myName

whitewing wrote: »

Penny, I thought you were ultrafrugal with your 30p for valentine's day......until I read £40 for school uniform....that'll explain it, lol!

That 30p is for NEXT valentines day, 10p each for a plushie little bee saying 'bee mine' one each for the kids if they want them.
Daughter lost her school uniform on bus on Monday after basketball practice, so new footwear required, got her some Dr Martin shoes, that will have a great lasting heel (she grows very slowly) Next week need to buy her a new school tie. Best bargains was Mother's day, mate paid for my card £1 (will pay her back) for a huge thing, and I got a chocolate and caramel cake reduced to £1.48 from £8.49 at Mr A's, plus the freebie evening bag from my avon order.
As for Easter, spent £5 on eggs in total for all adults, and kids are having the chocolate oranges and tubs of chocolate I forgot to bring down at Christmas. So that's that occasion out of the way.

whitewing

Penny2myName wrote: »

So that's that occasion out of the way.

Oh dear, you're doing what I do now! All occasions on a list to be ticked off - just remember to have fun too!!!

I'm feeling bouncy now, MIL has got the job!!! I just rang up to find out and the letter is on its way.

Fantastic news!

(Won't start though until the CRB forms are back. We got her to sort hers out from her native country before she left, but she will need an English one too. Even though she has been too busy cooking, cleaning, hairdressing and mending my desk drawer to be able to get into trouble in the 13 days she has been here!)