2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

FunBrum

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

I'm interested in how much you £4000 types are spending on phone/internet/mobile.

Whilst I'm not in the challenge, I/my wife spend far less than some of you - and without trying very hard.

For phone/internet I pay Carphone Warehouse/TalkTalk just under £20 a month for unlimited UK calls and "free" internet.

For mobile I (or my wife, in fact, because I get a company phone, but that's not the point) pay nothing at all - because she has a 12-month contract@£20 per month with a full voucher reclaim of the full amount.

Why do people pay £15 a month (or whatever) for mobile phones?

(Just asking - not having a go at anyone).

I can answer this....Bl**dy Orange caught me on an off day and locked me in for 18 months!:mad:

FunBrum

LollopyBear wrote: »

Hmph. I just tried to find an emoticon of a smilie poking another one with a stick as I thought it would be apt here.

Well Funbrum, then I dare you to come and cancel it for me and see if you'll be brave enough. It is a really odd little Newsagent that appears to have been there since time began, with the same man running it. I did manage to cut down from Sat/Sun papers down to just Sat paper and he went very cold with me and seemed very angry. I just don't dare go back and say no more!

Sounds like the little village shop in 'A League of Gentlemen':rotfl:
Just take the bull by the horns and cancel! Put it in writing and never darken his door again:D Failing that....I'll come around and duff him up!:p

whitewing

Happy Mother's Day - remember that kisses and cuddles are free!

FunBrum

Bails..and Nimbo...Cheers luv. I thanks for the advice and correction. I'm as thick as the lenses in my specs!:D

Lilac-lady...You're a mortgage inspiration, and what a sweety for helping out your family:smileyhea Who needs a man?!;)
.
NYK.....Thanks for the kind words.:D I live in a Bournville Village Trust house. Yes, thats right, near Cadburys:EasterBun We've been there for 12yrs and you can't buy the houses as you can Council houses. So I decided to buy a flat 3yrs ago and one of my DD rents it off me with her boyfriend. The rent pays for most of the mortgage but I have to pay a fair whack myself. The rent on my Trust house is £91 a week but is cheap for where it is and the size. I have to pay off another £62,000 for the mortgage and I had a loan which has a balance of just over £14,000:eek: which I plan to pay off by November '09. Then throw every penny at the mortgage so that I can be free of it by the time I'm 55, in 5 years time. Thats the plan anyway:rolleyes:
Hence this challenge is just what I need to keep me on the straight and narrow. I then want to sell the flat and move to Scotland,....might bump into you...! I have a lot to learn, especially as Marky pointed out about my phone/internet/mobile providers, and I will look into reducing some of these this week.;) Hope that has given you a glimpse into my frugal, quiet little life:rotfl:
Redglass.....Thank you for your help. I'll certainly try what you have suggested, I'm getting headaches, so really need to sort it all out!:beer:

Skintwellie.....Love your frugal style, and good luck with your decorating!:D

Sorry for the long post. I'm just popping off to have a frugal bath....3 inches of water,(Haven't got a shower), and put out a frugal washing line full of frugal washing using frugal, free, fresh air. Maybe we have invented the new ' eff word'!:rotfl:

mama67

Morning all, have just updated my sig with this months d/d.

Going back to the phone debate.

I pay
£12 p/m to orange for broadband which includes free evening and weekend calls, normal numbers only.
£10 p/m to BT for line rental signed up for paperless billing and d/d so got the discounts
£10 p/m approx for any other calls which is split between Tesco and 18185 depending on whether or not DH and boys remember to use code.

I also pay
£10 per month d/d to virgin for a calls bundle which gives me 20 mins and 60 texts to use throughout the month,never use them all, but they get carried forward into the next month. Use this to call mobiles.

Janey51

Good morning everyone.
I have just typed replies to all the posts I have just caught up with and then somehow, managed to lose the lot

From what I can remember:
Funbrum thanks for the welcome to the new job Was allowed out on my own last night and managed OK. The clients are lovely. Can't believe I'm getting paid for doing such a lovely job.
As for mileage, I get 30p/mile apart from the first and last 2 miles. I also get paid travelling time at half my hourly rate apart from my first and last journey (ie home to first client and last client to home) Although I have not counted all my petrol costs in the challenge because of being work related, I have kept a record of fuel bought so I will be able to see how much I am saving.

Soapnuts. I am happily using these and the only time I use any soap powder is when I wash DH's work clothes as he is a cook and its hard to get the smell of cooking fat to go completely. Can't wait for windy, warm weather so I can hang the washing out. Line dried washing is the most wonderful smell )along with newly cut grass and fresh bread :j

Mobile phones...what can I say. I hate them. I have a mobile for work as I am a lone worker out in the sticks but it is provided by my employer. I have a mobile (given to me by my son) which is PAYG and I have put £10 on it in the last year :rotfl: There is no reception where we live so its for any emergency that crops up while I'm out and about.

Janey51

Nyk thanks for your good wishes for DH. He will have to have an op but will be fine.
We were going to stay over in a hotel but I had an MSE panic and decided to drive back.
We had been at the hospital for 5 hours and didn't get home until 11pm. The drive was really scarey because of the weather and I was exhausted when I got home.

A little light relief though
DH said he would pay for coffee and scones half way to hospital so we stopped off at a cafe.
Half an hour after leaving cafe, tummy started to make funny noises. Shortly after, tummy was making very very funny noises and needed to be in a quiet little private cubicle away from other humans :eek:
Bombing down the A1, tummy becoming more distressed and rather worried about ability of sphincter muscle to cope.
Made swift exit at next junction when spotting a sign for an Inn.
Drove at breakneck speed but obviously sign was a joke or Inn had been demolished.
Came to screaming halt at farm gate, grabbed box of tissues, told DH to avert eyes and plunged down banking into bushes with very long thorns :eek:
Emerged some minutes later, rather scratched but with happy tummy.
Rejoined A1 and journeyed on.
Ten minutes later, tummy screaming again.
Detoured into little village and DH went into little shop to ask for whereabouts of nearest Public Conveniences. Kind shop assistant volunteered use of facilities.
BUT toilets from Hell and no wash basin

Oh, why is life so difficult at times :rotfl:

And why do I feel the need to share this experience with you all?

1. Free scones provided by DH.
2. Free toilet paper.
3. Free coffee at hospital
4. Saved cost of hotel room by driving home.
5. Accumulated numerous packets of sugar from coffee spots.

Mollymop5

Janey you're fantastic lol.Sorry about your tummy.It wouldn't have been funny for you but it's sooo amuzing me.Sorry

redglass_2

skintwellie wrote: »

My dog managed to completely trash it when she was a puppy (doors, floors, walls, carpets, cupboards and various items of furniture became her teething toys!)
Been there, Skintwellie! My sofa (wooden arms, IKEA, bought in more prosperous days) still bears the toothmarks where my dog used to lie on it and nibble the armrests. They were just handy for his jaws so he enjoyed himself to the full. My mum's dog scratched the wallpaper off the wall in a damp corner of the kitchen - Mum wasn't happy!

FunBrum

Janey....My mileage is 43p per mile, I think different Councils pay different rates. I know what you mean about being payed for having a good time. I was feeling down about the job a while back but that was because of the pressure from the office to take on more calls. I soon started to stick up for myself and they backed off. I don't worry about work anymore and try not to take it home with me, which is difficult as our main objective is to care and be compassionate. Hope your other half is okay.:D

My washing is blowing like a ships sails...hope the pegs will hold! Off to straighten my hair now as I look like a banshee!:eek: Not very frugal on the old electricity, but....I need some luxury!:rotfl: