2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

bails

The dishwasher stuff is interesting, we've been thinking about this too - if you do find that thread again, please let me know and vice versa!
1st day of my Easter break today - my parents are coming up in a bit, before they head off on hols, and we're going to suss out wooden flooring for the lounge (the boards aren't good enough I don't think). I cna't really be bothered but it's 10% day tomorrow so need to decide...
Still haven't added up last week's spends, must do that. Think I might do my final grcoery shop tomorrow so need to sort out a list so I don't foget anything; it's all fun in this house today I just want to go charity shopping again

whitewing

Oops a daisy. Managed to spend £99 on presents for OH yesterday on play.com. He'd written a wish list, and I was going to pick a few for his bday. Then realised I'd left it a bit late so most won't be here on time. Anyway, will sort out what arrives when and will split out between birthday, xmas and father's day. Remembered to get nectar points on it which is an improvement for me. (Still small moneysaving steps at a time for me).

Anyway that has had to come out of savings, which is annoying, but not the end of the world.

Need to make Easter cards, and a birthday card today.

DS has a schoolpal's bday party on Sat. Already have a card and present from bargains earlier in the year, so am feeling that all our frugalling is beginning to have an effect.

Local Fire Service is coming over tonight to do a free fire safety check. Booked this as a result of a post on MSE back along. Rumours that we may get a free smoke alarm, but even if we don't, I'm sure it will be very useful. I am hoping that they tell everyone that all the shoes in the front hallway is a hazard as I am forever moaning about how untidy it is (we hardly ever use the front door).

We've got some polystyrene off my brother this morning to put in the base of a wicker basket. Am using some chocolate bars that I saved from Xmas shopping (or got given and managed not to eat) to make an Easter basket for our family get-together on Sunday. It's looking good. All it has cost me from this year's budget is £1.55 for wooden skewers to get the bars to 'explode' upright out of the basket. (Got this kind of idea from the 'baskets' thread - check it out if you haven't already done so. Amazing what you can cobble together with stuff you already have and the right frugal attitude).

redglass_2

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

It's definitely way cheaper to use powder.

Thanks MarkyMark. I've already switched to Mr L's powder, but what with the extra fuss, and then the extra recyling afterwards, I just wanted to be reassured it was actually worth it (I spent an hour last night sawing up free wood for the woodstove, and then had a cookathon, and there are limits to my time and energy...:D) Last year I tried some recipes for shower gloop and for making liquid handwash out of those old ends of bath soap. It wasn't very successful, possibly because our water is so hard, and I'd wasted time and fuel grating it, boiling it up, etc. :mad: I would have been better off using Mr S's cheapest shower gel, which I've just discovered is a super-frugal 10p a bottle, instead of bothering with solid soap and then making bath gloop. I'm going to try this shower gel in the handwash bottle when the current lot runs out as it's loads cheaper than Mr L's liquid soap (my favourite up to now). My gran used to be a laundress, I think her genes are kicking in

Jay1_2

Hello all, especially our new frugalers.:hello:

I thought I'd just check in. Did you say we are nearly a quarter through Nyk? My budget thinks we are nearer half way! :eek: And I've just agreed to go to Switzerland with the Guides next year which is £400, I'm hoping I can pay most of it at the last minute (only £10 paid so far) but the letter to Guides' parents says £25 a month. And that will come out of my £4000 although its a luxery because I'm counting most things in - otherwise I would buy loads of stuff "that doesn't count". Oh and any money I make though surveys etc doesn't offset the £4000, just goes into the general pot. This challenge is less about a figure to me than actually properly noticing where my money goes and trying to let as little of it go as possible!:D

ISA advice please
Does anyone know when Banks will start advertising their new rates for ISAs? as I'm ready and raring to go when the new financial year starts. And when is that anyway And am I right in thinking I can pay the money into any old ISA at the start of the year and then a few weeks later (when I've got myself organised) I can transfer it into another ISA with a better interest rate.

MarkyMarkD

The new tax year starts on 6 April.

Normally the banks start to advertise their rates heavily before now, to get the "end of year" people as well as the "start of year" people. I doubt that any significant movements in rates will happen over the next few weeks.

You can indeed transfer the ISA money if you don't like your original provider, but you need to be careful that the ISA itself doesn't have withdrawal penalties.

grandma247

I use 1 litre bottles of shampoo or bubble bath at around 28p for handwash,just refill a pump bottle with it. It does exactly the same job as the expensive ones and do not let anyone tell you any different. I investigated this a while ago and all this antibaterial stuff is a big con and a dangerous one because people fail to wash their hands thinking alcohol gels will do the job. Bugs such as C.Diff. need soap and water to kill them.

Jay1_2

grandma247 wrote: »

I use 1 litre bottles of shampoo or bubble bath at around 28p for handwash,just refill a pump bottle with it. It does exactly the same job as the expensive ones and do not let anyone tell you any different. I investigated this a while ago and all this antibaterial stuff is a big con and a dangerous one because people fail to wash their hands thinking alcohol gels will do the job. Bugs such as C.Diff. need soap and water to kill them.

I got some cheap handwash at the weekend, when I got it home I found why it was cheap - the pump doesn't work grr.

Re antibacterial - I've heard of it being banned in a professional kitchen (a cafe I think) because it kills all the good stuff as well as the bad.

bails

Hiya peeps, I'm going to have a look for this later but just thought I'd pick your brains - does anyone know the best OS way to get your whites really white? Ours look like we've been travelling in India for 6 months, which would be lovely but is sadly not true! Thanks for any gems you can give me; I'm sure it involves bicarb or vinegar Also, I bought some vinegar the other day, to clean my toilet I think , but got brown stuff instead of white, does this mean it's no good? As you can see, I need a long session over on OS...
EDIT: I've just spied something that tells me to use washing soda (sodium carbonate) - where can I get this as cheaply as possible please? and the white vinegar? Thank - youuuuuuuuu!

FrankieM

Afternoon,
I've spent today not doing very much...I've baked flapjack, cauliflower cheese and roasted some parsnips that needed using up. I also prepared some brocolli and put that in the freezer too. I have a leek that I need to make some leek and potato soup with. I went to Wrekin stores yesterday and bought a sack of spuds...
Oh, I also did a last minute mystery shop, so thats £18.

I think I'm going to redo my total so that I put in what I've spent so far...I think that will give me a better idea of what my budget is doing...
I may wait till the end of the month, though and then I can add my totals etc...

Frugaldom

Good afternoon everybody

Interesting dishwasher discussion - I have a box of Co-op own brand tablets that I bought last summer. It has 2 out of it as the only time I've had the machine on was once when parents were staying when we first moved in here and then I used it again at Christmas as a special treat. :rotfl:
I'm loath to use anything that can affect the electricity bill any more!

Bails - you should be able to get washing soda in the pound stores, local general stores or supermarkets. White vinegar should be available in most supermarkets or grocery stores.

NSD for me today agter yesterday's spending blip but I have now totalled up the spend Vs non-spend days and it comes to 4 spend days and 15 no spend days this month (if I don't spend anything today.)

I keep thinking of tons of news!

Woolies are giving away free booklets of discount vouchers for amusement parks and accommodation to every customer spending over £10. And I did a search on Martin's flight checker and found a return flight to Oslo for 2p :eek: (This is main reason I haven't renewed my passport) plus I received a free DVD in the post for completing a survey.

Regarding my free reading hobby, as referred to earlier, I applied as a reviewer (you don't get paid for this) and receive free copies of new books when they are due to be published. Most are uncorrected proof copies and many, in all honesty, I struggle to finish. However, there are occasionally a few good ones and because I have to read them to the very end, they get the benefit of any doubt that arises through my hating the first couple of chapters. I even receive original manuscripts and reams of poetry. There's always some free reading material about here and if I ever run out, I live within easy reach of a library

I checked my oilyhand account and the Paddy Power sign-up has now tracked and shows as pending :T That will take my April payment up to £45! And April reminds me... I hadn't realised that the TV licences were going up to £139.50! Can you tell I've been reading the MSE newsletter? :rotfl:

We have a new shop opened in the street - house clearance and secondhand furniture. If I got my 'bins' out I could probably see right in the shop window from my upstairs room but I'm sure I'd be spotted and it would be just as quick visiting the shop to be nosy!

I'm off to update post one now, seeing as we have another frugalite in our midst. Welcome to the madhouse, cheers for joining and have frugal fun with your £80/week :beer: