Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

whowants2brich

Hi all,

I'm back, after a few days out... looks like I've missed lots of fun, and also lots of not-so-nice stuff... Hope the weather picks up soon, otherwise all our gardens and veggie plots will be waterlogged...

My car's been repaired after faling the MOT, didn't cost as little as I would've liked, but as I use it to get to/from work, and there's no alternative, I haven't got a choice but to pay it... (and exclude it from the target).

I have a question about my basil plant - it's probably quite pot-bound, so this may be causing the problem - but the lower leaves are small (finger nail size) and very yellow whereas the higher leaves are huge, green, and lovely. Is this the case that it's pot-bound, low in fertilizer, dry, or what? I do keep watering it loads (the top leaves wouldn't be perfect if the water was an issue)... Any ideas/comments? I haven't got a suitable container to replant the basil into, they're all too shallow and wide...

As for Mr T, I struck it lucky last week. My soon-to-be in-laws stayed here for the weekend, so I bought a few goodies... Gave the lady my vouchers from the recent clubcard mailing (a combination from two cards), she scanned them all, and promptly gave them back to me! So, last night, I did a smaller version of our usual shop, spent £13 and used the vouchers a second time. Got 140 points, again! Though I never seem to get any till spits, so I don't get anything extra, which is irritating...

As for money saving, I've managed to get my manager to agree to me working from home one/two/three days a week (the joy of being in IT) which will save me £10 a day in petrol/car repairs (50 miles rtn at 20p/mile).

As for the other questions/comments, here's what I can remember from what I read:

1) H2B should never see the bride's dress options, even if there's no chance of the bride buying the dress she looks at. It's wrong, just wrong. I'm a H2B for someone (poor lady ) and she's told me she's going off and trying things, and that she doesn't need to tell me anything about her plans for the dresses for her or the bridesmaids, not even the colour. So I can't sort out the flowers, the table decs, the room colours, I can't even sort out the colours for the best man etc... There are some things that brides should never reveal, other basic facts that should be shared. But not much.

2) As for identity theft, I think that it's far too common and the banks have no control over it. That's why they are all too quick to hand money back, correct/remove any references on the credit reports, and ensure that victims aren't in any financial issues as a result. If only banks were to be able to get a control of things, before the fraudulent activity took place. If people can buy cars and houses, something fundamental is wrong with the system...

3) For those who stockpile, where do you store things? Do you have a warehouse just like the supermarkets, where you keep everything until you need it? Or have you got a 3-bed property, where the 3rd bedroom is a storage room? I'd love to start stockpiling a few things when they're on offer, but I think that the aforementioned wedding might be cancelled if I didn't find a hidden place to store things!

4) Slowlyfading... What's the point of a £2 savings tin with £4 in... Better start saving... Mind you, I used to have a 10p/20p savings pot when at uni, for the laundry (as that's the only coin combination that the machines used), and I was amazed at how fast it grew when I threw money in there regularly. Now I throw some money into my car, for car parking...

Happy frugalling...

bails

Nyk, that's so awful about the ID fraud, and scary how easy it is.
Welcome back SophiesMum!
Hope to post properly again soon x

redglass_2

Aww, Looby-loo, that's such a sweet story about the mouse. Hope she moves to a nice new nest so everybody can be happy (except possibly the cats). And I love the vision of the Lone Artichoke! :rotfl: Lyndasharp, I'd be interested to know how hard it is to get the woodchip wallpaper off, as all my ceilings were woodchipped when I moved in and I have never dared remove it - I have nightmare visions of the entire ceiling crashing around my head if I so much as pull on a corner of it. So there it stays and I just paint over the wood chips. And they say I'm not fashionable! Anyone else faced this one?

Frugaldom

Welcome back holidaymakers, hope you had a great time. :cool:

Nobody needs to worry about my ID theft issues except the idiot who tried it in the first place :rotfl: I've nothing for them to pinch. They didn't buy the car or the house in my name, they simply insured the car and took out mortgage insurance - curious, I know, but that's why I think it may be some kind of banking administrative error.

Sophiesmum - I am trying the foodstore for most of the bulky dry goods, tins and toiletries that I can fit into my understairs cupboard.Tesco order is being delivered this week to mum's, but it doesn't include any meat, dairy, eggs, fruit, veg or frozen food. That will need to be purchased as we need it and I'm limiting myself to £10 per week from now until December to see if I can come in within my £1000 per annum target. If nothing else, it should be fun trying and we can all compare notes along the way.

Gotta go, but will catch up with the latest posts as soon as I can. We've had some torrential rain here, so that should help the veggies after the fortnight 'drought'. Scottish weather, eh? :rotfl:

slowlyfading

whowants2brich wrote: »

4) Slowlyfading... What's the point of a £2 savings tin with £4 in... Better start saving... Mind you, I used to have a 10p/20p savings pot when at uni, for the laundry (as that's the only coin combination that the machines used), and I was amazed at how fast it grew when I threw money in there regularly. Now I throw some money into my car, for car parking...

4 is a multiple of 2.. and I only have 2 x £2 so it equals £4! I have banked £60 of them though, and it all adds up. I also have a pot to put in all loose change, and it does help me with the laundrette.

mumzyof2

Good Afternoon everyone, i have just got back from a meeting and im waiting on a lady calling round with some info with me but she was suppose to be here for 3pm and still not arrived yet and i need a bath..garauntee i will get in bath and she will ring door bell LOL

Im re starting this challenge on the 1st June..and i cant wait.

whitewing

Phew! So glad I took your advice and didn't take H2B, and I have spent an absolute, absolute fortune this morning on the most beautiful, fabulous, gorgeous wedding dress and tiara. It is ivory and claret, and stunning.

Haven't told H2B that it's a proper dress. He thinks I've got a claret chiffon skirt. I must, must, must not give it away because he will be totally blown away when he sees it. My friend's husband saw the photos we took in the shop (no, I'm posting nothing at this stage) and even he was very surprised. And that was with a shocking pink chiffon stole in the photo as they didn't have a claret stole in the shop.

I am very, very delighted with it. The shop was excellent and service outstanding. It is going to kill me to keep quiet.

I will have to sell it afterwards, along with the accessories, and I keep muttering that I need to be married for at least 50 years to make the cost justifiable!

bails

Redglass, we are the woddchip kings in our house, it is literally covered in the stuff from top to bottom, including the ceilings like you! We've done one room so far and used a special scraper (can find out what it's called) which made it SO much easier (especially when I actually turned the blae round so the sharp bit was pointing out ). I think if you wet the paper first that makes it even easier, but I would definitely try a small section first becasue there is a possibility that the plaster may come away with it :eek:
Great news on the wedding dress Whitewing - definitely don't spill the beans to your OH, it's going to be such a lovely surprise why spoil it?
The outlas have just left so I'm off for a rest, then need to pack every waterproof item I own for the weekend!

redglass_2

bails wrote: »

Redglass, we are the woddchip kings in our house, it is literally covered in the stuff from top to bottom, including the ceilings like you! We've done one room so far and used a special scraper (can find out what it's called) which made it SO much easier.

Thanks, Bails, I think that may be what I need...though I won't guarantee to get scraping straight away as there are so many other jobs piling up.... :rolleyes:

lyndasharp

Whitewing, congrats on the dress, it sounds lovely!

Redglass, what worries me with that house is what's hidden by the woodchip... the plastering in that house looked a bit lumpy even under woodchip! As for getting it all off the walls, I'm assured by OH that it's easy, but then he used to be a painter and decorator. Anyway, have now got 5 viewings booked in on Saturday. However, just realised a house I had decided I probably couldn't afford has just dropped in price by £10k http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-19483112.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy so think I'm going to have to set up a viewing there! My cars would be very happy in a double garage :-)