2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

MarkyMarkD

MSHAWX wrote: »

Broadband - 20.48 per month
Talk Talk, - around £20 per month

I was talking to BT last week and they have a package called option2 which costs £11.00 per month including VAT with free phone calls after 6pm and all weekend. I need to work out my pattern of phone calls to see if it's worth while changing.

I've just realised that I need to add in the cost to the monthly spend, it goes out by direct debit and I've forgotten to add it in. Oh dear - how could I be so stupid ?? -don't answer that!! It's blown a hole in this month budget.

So, why do you need to pay TalkTalk £20 (for what?) and someone £20 for broadband too? Why can't you have line rental, unlimited UK calls, and broadband, all for less than £20?

Sorry for reminding you about a cost you'd omitted from your spend analysis!

MarkyMarkD

nykmedia wrote: »

MarkyM - I could do far better with my Internet & telephone charges but most companies tie you into a contract, which is no good when you have to keep moving house (8 addresses in 7 years!) I hardly ever use my mobile, which is PAYG. Will remedy this when I eventually find myself a permanent address, along with saving on electricity.

Moving house is the biggest reason not to do what I do, I suppose. Minimum contract periods are definitely a drawback.

Amazingly, there are still many people who are unaware of the fact that tax is charged on so many foodstuffs. I don't want to get into a political debate about this but the fact is, the Government makes cash out of a great deal of the food that supermarkets chuck out at the end of the night, so why would they want supermarkets to cut down on the amount that got bought in?

I think you are confused about what's going on with tax, specifically VAT. Apologies for the geeky accountant's viewpoint on this, but here goes.

If a supermarket buys some (say) orange juice for £2.35 including VAT, it will reclaim the 35p VAT and it will actually cost it £2.

If it sells it for £4.70 including VAT, it will pay the government the 70p in VAT and keep £4. So overall it will make £2.

If it throws it away instead, it won't receive any money. But it will already have reclaimed the 35p VAT from the government.

So, to believe that the government benefits in terms of VAT from things being thrown away is wrong. Most foods don't have any tax on them apart from VAT although of course alcohol also has excise duty and that is paid whether the goods are sold or binned.

Your landfill tax point is, of course, valid though.

Edit: I've just noticed that Marru has made the same point - thanks, Marru.

sophiesmum_2

mumzyof2 wrote: »

I have had a great day i have made sausage casserole for our tea and have 23mins left of bread making Just hope it can be freezed?

Hi mumzy, as long as you wrap it well the bread freezes fine:D
Was reading another thread the other day on OS and seems you are not far from me;) My OH works in Chorley, we are over the other side of Wigan:D

Have you got a breadmaker or are you doing by hand?

whitewing

Lollopy, I laughed too about your papershop man. Particularly because I did force my family to cut out the papers, except for the Sunday paper. And I got back from work to find that OH has BOUGHT a saturday paper! I am so having to bite my tongue!!

I can't work out why I'm so annoyed about it..it didn't cost much for goodness sake!

mumzyof2

sophiesmum wrote: »

Hi mumzy, as long as you wrap it well the bread freezes fine:D
Was reading another thread the other day on OS and seems you are not far from me;) My OH works in Chorley, we are over the other side of Wigan:D

Have you got a breadmaker or are you doing by hand?

aww not too far from me then. I live bascally about a mile from town centre :@) I love it here
Re the bread i do it in a breadmaker and WAS going to freeze it but my fella ate it with sausage casserole

Marru

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

Edit: I've just noticed that Marru has made the same point - thanks, Marru.

I have been caught. Yes, sorry, another accountant.

Marru

bails

I had a mooch round our local charity shops today and came away with a teddy for my mum (she collects the old fashioned kind) for 60p! It's brand new and she'll love it so a bargain find for tomorrow!
I was quite surprised at what was there - I go to lots of charity shops but haven't ventured to these since we moved - and I was very restrained, despite seeing lots of things that said 'buy me'! One included a china cow piggy bank which was calling me to save for the smallholding in but I resisted, telling myself if I went later in the week, it was still there and I still wanted it, I might think about whether I really wanted it and then get it :rotfl:
How was the hospital Janey, everything ok I hope?

LollopyBear

nykmedia wrote: »

Lollopy - WOW on the spends! Be brave, I say, face that scarey man in the papershop :rotfl: You could always send a written cancelation letter then never go back in the shop! Now, I need to ask... what is Queens Feast?

I know NYK - I'm very disappointed in myself! I am determined that March will be my month to shine like a Frugal star though and come out way under budget I will try to win against the scary newsagent man. Or I may try and make hubby go and tackle him for me... The feast was at Queens College, Cambridge and consisted of pre-dinner champagne reception (I managed to quaff 3 glasses!!) then 5 courses with a different wine for each course of very very lovely food and great company. This was followed by an after-dinner cocktail party. It was well worth the cost!

Slowlyfading - that is fantastic! Well done you on your lack of spending so far! :T

Bails - That's a great idea to make a pledge for March. Mine is to get back to menu planning again for this month. I slipped by the last 2 weeks of Feb and I noticed a big increase in spending - just due to me being stressed and tired and unable to think far in advance.

Mark - I think you are right and it is horses for courses At the moment I am very satisfied with my PAYG, though of course that may change in the future if my situation changes.

Wendy - Welcome! It sounds like you are well on your way to being addicted to this thread and all things frugal Well done on getting the reduction at Currys!!!

Whitewing - I'm feeling much more confident now to tackle the papershop man as you all are finding it so amusing! It's made me see that it is a silly thing to be scared of. Bad hubby buying the paper after you'd cancelled it! LoL. Does it come out of your budget if he buys it?

Today I bypassed all the normal big planted baskets for Mothers Day that seem so expensive and all the tat that just clutters up a house to buy my Mum a blueberry bush! It was £6.99 so I'm rather chuffed, I'm just hoping that I'm not going to look a bit ridiculous carrying a bush over there.

mini_huny_money

Just skim read the last few pages, hope everyone is well and hya again to Mumzy and new peeps. Another Saturday with a NSD and all tiles off the wall, and stripped 2 walls. The fence that was rippling in the wind, ripples no more. About 8 feet of it is leaning drunkenly between the gardens :mad: Any more strong winds and it'll be down completely. Am I right that my home insurance will cover it???? Will have to read the policy properly. Thing is Im not sure who owns it, me or the neighbours. I remember reading somewhere that if the stabs are in my garden, its mine (cos years ago they built fences that the nice side went to your neighbours)???? or is this a myth???or the other way round. To be honest it needs to be fixed and if I have to do that well so be it. Though I could be doing without it right now...

.keep well and have a lovely Sunday all you (us) deserving mothers XXXX (tho I think my DS has forgotten!!!!!!!!)

MarkyMarkD

Marru There's nothing guilty in being an accountant - thanks for admitting it.

bails My father-in-law remarried a couple of years ago at the age of around 70 - his new wife is around 55 IIRC. He has converted her completely to charity shop clothes shopping. Fortunately she's also toned down his slightly OTT dress sense where any colour apparently went with any other, and the louder the better.

Lollopy I was trying to be a bit frugal on the Mum's Day presents. My wife is getting a card and chocolates "from" my 2 year old which I bought in a 99p shop on Tuesday. My mum is getting something my wife bought for her, which cost a bit more than 99p but not too much. It was a bit embarrassing to come home today (Mum & Dad are staying for the w/e) to a huge bunch of Interflora flowers which one of my mad brothers had delivered to my house for her. I'm sure she'll be happy tomorrow anyway - at least I am the son who (eventually) provided her with a grand-child.