2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

notanothergreyhair

Hi everyone.

Just a quick hello to wish everyone a Happy New Year. NSD for me and have been busy getting on with some studying (and a spot of sky sports)

Frugaldom

St8 wrote: »

I should have joined in on this challege last year as I knew I would have definately been successful because I only had 6k for the whole year and 2.7k of that was rent. So I only lived on 3.3k. That was for maintaining a car aswell.

Im a student so the same this year but ive also got a job part time now, which is doubling my income to 12k. So I may not manage it but I dont think there will be a prob. Luckily I have no debts so the extra 6k is going into my savings pot :-).

Also last year I didn't struggle and I actually feel like ive got plenty of money to live on and do the things I want. But of course i'm only providing for one person. Im interested in how many people everyones 4k will be providing for? I think people who manage on 4k for 3 or 4 people deserve extra credit!

The challenge wasn't on here last year, as in 2007, I only just added it here for the 2008 stint If you see my post a few back from here, you'll see what mine includes. There have been many additional allowances to enable as many people as possible to participate this year, so am I to guess that you want a number? I'll make an allowance for breaking the deadline of entry to this challenge as it is only the first day of 2008

Welcome, thank you for joining, good luck and Happy New Year! :beer:

Burlesque_Babe

I might have a go at comping. I had a mad splurge once about a year ago. The only prize I won was to take 3 children to meet David Beckham at his football academy and have a training session with him - I don't have any children!!!! I gave the prize to my OH and he took 3 kids from the football club he is a member of.

I see all the prizes on other MSE'ers sigs and think - I fancy a bit of that!! But I never quite get around to it.

So I'm off to do it - now in fact!!

Penny2myName

I would like to win the 'free house maid for a year' comp, some one give me a bell if one like that ever turns up on the boards:rotfl::rolleyes:

Frugaldom

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I am all electric in a 2 bed upstairs flat (One up/One down) I made the mistake of leaving on the water heater all day as genuinely didn't know it ate electric, I also do my washing machine at night and the tumble dryer to make use of the cheap night rate.

I use about 12 units in the day and about 15 at night on average, I have two storage heaters which I try and keep on low as the higher they are set the more lecky they'll use.

I am IMPRESSED! 12 units a day and 15 at night! I can definitely do the 12 per day because I've already got it down to that and asked everyone else to respect the house rules, but night time is different - I wait until after 11pm to switch on the washing machine and tumble dryer (had to get one, as nowhere for a dryer to stand and no heating on ground floor of this drafty house). The other 'added expense' is the fact that this house is 4 rooms plus kitchen & bathroom but it is on 3 floors! It feels like living in a lighthouse! :rotfl: We've got a night storage heater on the first floor landing, one in the mid floor room, one in the bathroom and one on the top floor landing - that is it! If we want more heat we need to use electric heaters until I can contact a chimney sweep to clean & inspect the chimneys. I have no way of knowing how long it is since the fires have been lit or chimneys swept. MUST make mental note to find out as I lam used to having a coal fire, plus I have a logmaker and brought what coal and logs we had left from last house

debrag

nykmedia

£3000 =
Travel (600) food (600) web host (60) mum (300, maybe less) ice+roller skating (751-wks when clubs are closed) other (689)

Other things I have =
rent (4512) debt (3222) left (4086) to be spent on debt, emergencies & tuition if needed.

Burlesque_Babe

I was thinking today.

I work from home now and I'm guessing my winter bill will be higher than this time last year. I only have a thermostat on the radiator in my bedroom so when I want to heat the spare bedroom to work in (or spend many hours on MSE!!) I have to heat the whole house.

I wear a jumper etc, but my work involves lots of typing and my fingers get freezing. I have 2 of those little hot air blower machines (both freebies from catalogue codes a couple of years back with MSE!!) and I was wondering how much they cost to run????? Is it going to be better to heat the whole house for, say 2-3 hours during the day, or to have one of the hot air blowers going whilst I'm working and keep the bedroom door closed?

I'm not really up on the 'usage' thing. I only have a small house (a bungalow) but it has concrete floors and I'm on a raised site, so the cold air really does fill the house from the bottom upwards. The news about the bad weather heading this way later this week got me wondering the best way to heat the house whilst working.

hypno06

I have spent a £1 today.........chocolate for the children when we were at the ski club.

I did manage to offset it by working unexpected extra hours when I was there, so came away with £30 extra to be credited to my pay at the end of the month, but for the purposes of this challenge, I have spent £1.

affordmylife

no spend for me on the first day of our challenge - because i have a hangover from a fabulous party last night so ive been stumbling through the day.

i have set myself a mini challenge to see how long i can go without spending anything at all. i have all the food in so im going to try for two weeks. should be fun.

Miss_Pink_3

Well, I thought I'd be spending nothing today, but someone forgot to put clingfilm on the shopping list yesterday. Needed some so ended up buying that and some chocolate too. So spent £2.38 in total. My daily budget is £4.15 so under budget. Im happy:j