2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

Frugaldom

Morning all, it's wet and miserable here, too, after torrential downpours through the night. Soup made last night, but we don't have any cats to keep us warm (landlord's rule - no cats or dogs) so the electricity just keeps churning away.

I just realised what someone meant by the work from home and electricity deductions, I had clean forgotten all about that! There are 2 of us work from home, so there are always rooms kept heated through the day purely for this purpose, plus 2 lots of computers and any other office equipment used. I pay the entire household electricity bills as and when they arrive and then work out the percentage business useage per person at the end of the tax year, so will have that towards April's monster bill.

Going to brave the wind and rain now, as I need to post off work stuff. And I really MUST go for a quick rummage around the new secondhand shop that's opened along the street! It's been there for 3 or 4 weeks and I Haven't been in it yet because it's only open Friday/Saturday and I've either had visitors, been working or been visiting. I shall make it my 'frugal mission of the day'!

Keep up the good work with the no smoking, Mumzy, you are doing really, really well and I'm proud of you. :T

mumzyof2

Thanks NYK dont know if i can do it much longer, im wound up and fed up, nothing to do, im bored, kids bored.

dfw844

Hi all,

Sorry not been about much, having a manic time at work. Got someone off sick, and I'm quite worried about her as it seems pretty serious, but the added workload is taking its toll.

Anyway, feeling like a bit of a failure this month... Don't know why though, I've actually done quite well generally, just not at this challenge. Looking at the figures, I've not only spent more than my £333.33, but I've also wiped out the savings I made by coming under in Jan and Feb! I think it's because of OH's birthday. No excuse I know, but it wasn't frittered away, I know where every penny went! Depending on how much I spend at the weekend, I MIGHT be able to update my signature on 1st to show under 9K total debt!! Which would be just amazing.

But a friend is a bit depressed so I said we'd go for a country walk on Saturday, which will inevitably end in a pub lunch, so hoping she'll treat me! Other than that should be a cheap weekend (housework is free, isn't it?).
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Friday, despite the weather. Soup sounds like a good idea! And I keep meaning to have a rummage in our local charity shop, Nyk, must do it tomorrow. Lord knows I've given them enough stuff in my time! xx

Frugaldom

The rain has stopped, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and it now feels warm outside!

Quick trip to postie is over and I popped in to root around in the secondhand furniture shop. It has some really lovely dressers and dining sets! Times like these are when you wish you had a house to furnish rather than awaiting notice to quit arriving from the landlord who, incidentally, was here last weekend whilst I was out working. Don't get me wrong, he didn't serve notice or anything, but he did want to know how much notice we'd need if he decided to sell up. That, in my book, does not make for anything remotely longterm as far as landlords go.

Some may call this paranoid, but I decided to check up on landlord status, since there is now compulsory registration with the local authority here. and surprise, surprise... I appear to be renting from an unregistered landlord and have no document to prove that the deposit is protected. :mad: :eek: We do have a copy of our lease, however, which expires on 1st July... think I may take this to the house renting threads and see if anyone has any suggestions.

PS: I spent £1 from gift budget on a fancy Italian glass bottle that will be put aside until Christmas. Not sure what I'll put in it or who it's for, but it's rather unusual and I hadn't seen any like it elsewhere

FrankieM

Morning everyone,
I've just got back from town. I had to get 'pocket money' out of the bank for next week and buy some petrol. I also need to update my figures cause the Tesco man arrived yesterday...will drag out my receipts in a bit...
Well done mumzy on the no smoking..I've never smoked either but I have a close friend who I watch throw her money away on smokes. I did a budget with her once and her food budget for 2 adults and 2 children was less than what her and her husband spent on cigarettes...that would just make me cry...so WELL DONE to you!!!
DH's salary went in to today so I've been moving money around in my account...it all looks good so far!
I'm hoping that it'll be lots of no spends now, at least for a few days....

mumzyof2

I have been pharmacy and local shop..got some goodies for me with my milk/veg/fruit token of £2.80 and total came to £2.99 so 19p of my own money went towards that. As good as a NSD for me i think. Plenty of f and v in and milk in so didnt need anymore and token would of gone to waste..but seeing as tho my shop lets u buy anything with them it good

DD for £11.27 came out today

Frugaldom

I spent lunchtime bringing my Spending Diary bang up to date and then recalculated my budget. I've decided to wipe out all reference to the cashback as it's confusing things, so it has been sidelined towards the monthly payments for my frugal mini-stoozing account. The following is hom my 4k challenge budget is looking right now:

My recalculated balance for 2008 is:


Groceries: £1200 - £284.29 = £915.71
Gifts/Special Occasions: £500 - £70.69 = £429.31
Utilities: £1400 - £479.16 = £1120.84
Mobiles: £50 - nil = £50
Internet: £220 - £46.90 = £173.10
Household Insurance: £52.40 - £52.40 = nil
TV Licence: £135.50 - £135.50 = nil
Everything else: £442.10 - £164 = £278.10

Total: £4000 budget for year.
Target average weekly spend = £76.50

Already spent to date - £1232.94, balance = £2767.06
Actual average weekly spend = £98.07

Day 88 of 2008, 278 days left with average budget of £69.67 per week

mumzyof2

nykmedia wrote: »

I spent lunchtime bringing my Spending Diary bang up to date and then recalculated my budget. I've decided to wipe out all reference to the cashback as it's confusing things, so it has been sidelined towards the monthly payments for my frugal mini-stoozing account. The following is hom my 4k challenge budget is looking right now:

My recalculated balance for 2008 is:


Groceries: £1200 - £284.29 = £915.71
Gifts/Special Occasions: £500 - £70.69 = £429.31
Utilities: £1400 - £479.16 = £1120.84
Mobiles: £50 - nil = £50
Internet: £220 - £46.90 = £173.10
Household Insurance: £52.40 - £52.40 = nil
TV Licence: £135.50 - £135.50 = nil
Everything else: £442.10 - £164 = £278.10

Total: £4000 budget for year.
Target average weekly spend = £76.50

Already spent to date - £1232.94, balance = £2767.06
Actual average weekly spend = £98.07

Day 88 of 2008, 278 days left with average budget of £69.67 per week

what is the difference between average weekly spend and budget spend?

Frugaldom

mumzyof2 wrote: »

what is the difference between average weekly spend and budget spend?

If you spend £4000 over a year then your average weekly spend is £76.50 but the budget doesn't always work out that way because some weeks I only spend a few pounds and other weeks, like electricity bill week, I'll spend hundreds but it all averages out in the long run. My actual spend averages more than the £76.50 during winter months because of heating, TV license, house insurance renewals etc HOPEFULLY, the biggest bills are all past and I'll spend much less over the summer.

catshark88

Am having a bit of a panic. I started a tiny business last year and phoned the Revenue to register as self employed. Spoke to a really helpful lady who said that various papers would follow. I don't remember receiving anything and as 5th April is approaching, I phoned them again today to chase up the low earnings NI exemption certificate, only to be told that they have no record of my registering as self employed in the first place! Am now panicing that I am going to be hit by the £100 "not registered in time fee" as by now I've been trading more than the 3 months. :eek: Am a tiny, tiny business and a £100 fee would hurt. I always feel vaguely guilty when dealing with the Revenue, even though I always try to be 100% accurate with them!