2008 - Live on £4000 for a full year.

mumzyof2

Hows the no smoking going??? I aint quit yet lmao I still ave about 500 cigs to go pmsl!! Free tho i might add. Hows it going for you?

Lexxi

and could someone advise me on how they have their spreadsheets set up, I have got a paper diary but I spend a fair bit on my computer so a spreadsheet would suit me better

whitewing

Ah, just look at all you fantastic non-spending people. Because my salary from my part-time job goes in on the 25th, I started on Xmas day. Hence my signature looks quite bad. But I have just set up a £50 a month savings acct. At the moment, I am counting that £50 as a spend and adding it to my challenge total. Basically to scare me into being better off than I think I am. The rate on the savings is higher than my mortgage so there's some logic there.

Had a good day after all. Having got toiletries for Xmas, I decided to have a really big tidy up of my bathroom. I cleared out a kitchen cupboard and am using it that to store shampoos etc in. Bit of weird logic but I figured that I look thro the cupboards to do my shopping lists and so it will be easier to tell of I've run out. Also it means that the bathroom is easier (much easier) to keep clean and tidy, and I will only keep the showergel, shampoo, conditioner that I am using at that moment in it, until it is all used up. I am quite bad at opening 50 different bottles just because it's there and catching my eye. So I shall become quite efficient.

Have also reorganised some of our working environment. Am pleased.

whitewing

My spreadsheet for this challenge is really simple. Date in left column, description in middle column (eg electric) and amount in third column. Then total as the sum of the amount column.

I just type each transaction in from online banking each day. No good for budgeting per se but good for keeping track of items in this challenge

vixarooni

Jeez, Im not in debt or anything but i wanna wish you guys good luck with this challenge! It sounds very very tough!

I know i will never ever be able to do it. The only outgoing i have is my £35 phone bill and i still waste the rest

Frugaldom

I have charted the useage from Christmas Eve to New Year's day and now have the final answers to my own questions. Look at the differences in numbers of units of power used:

Day 1 (25th Dec) 63 night, 25 day (extra cooking etc)
Day 2 (26th Dec) 65 night, 21 day (freaked out, turned down temp on a night heater)
Day 3 (27th Dec) 57 night, 20 day (day still too high, switched OFF a convector heater, rearranged house and now have my computer in the living room.
Day 4 (28th Dec) 55 night, 15 day (Wey hey!! A saving beginning to show!)
Day 5 (29th Dec) 56 night, 14 day (Better, and the WM was on last night! Now stopped using groundfloor other than for cooking & eating)
Day 6 (30th Dec) 57 night, 8 day (TD was on last night and I didn't cook much today)
Day 7 (31st Dec) 56 night, 10 day (We were all up and about or watching TV until about 3am LOL)

Have now started a chart for 2008 and aim to get electricity useage down even further by keeping all doors shut, making more draught excluders, sorting out curtains for the silly long window that drops between 2 floors and getting to grips with the storage heater settings. Plus, still thinking of forking out on getting the chimneys inspected - could be worth it over the long term Anyway, I have HALVED my electricity useage in the space of one week just by checking the meter and adjusting stuff about the house - now looking at getting a better rate per unit.

Hardup_Hester

My direct debits went out today, so I've updated my sig.
Hester

sashacat

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
I've worked out that if I'm keeping to £4000 (which I am determined to) then I have £333.33 per month. After my gas, electric, BB,line rental, and TV licence II am left with £193.32 and I am going to live on that. I have spent £1.20 today so have £192.12 left for the month.
I am going to check all of my electric gadgets tomorrow....I only pay £35 per month but I think it's all freezers as I have 3 stuffed full with fruit and veg from my allotments. I turn everything off at the plug even though all my friends think I'm crackers.

sashacat

PS, how do you put things in your signature please?

Mollymop5

Evening everyone.I've had a no spend day today.Infact I haven't spent anything since xmas eve so well pleased with myself.I will update my sig monthly.I have a notebook to keep record of cash spends and direct debits.