Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

mumzyof2

:rotfl:

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Hi mumzy

i am planning a lazy day today i really want to go into town and start buying bits for christmas thoughbut am economizing on diesel

I have been reading these threads

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=622943


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=309335


and have been re -inspired to do more i love the cupcakes

I wanted to start a home based gift basket business last year but just couldn't afford the start up money even though its peanuts really went bankrupt last year due to business failing so money was tight

things much better now but am going to start picking things up for family presents

what you up to taday apart from shepherds pie is it a nursey day have you got a bit of peace


Shaz(its really sharron and i don't let anyone in real life call me shaz!)

Hello..
Everyday is a bit of peace for me as DS3 goes everyday :rotfl:
Still have DD2 at home but we tend to smooch round town so its not that bad.
I got freeview yesterday and OMG it has changed my kids..they use to fight all morning and fight over who was sitting next to me on settee...BUT not today they are both sat watching balamory on Cbeebies :T :T

Not got much planned other than what i have said in my previous post..except my Mum has rang get me £100 from my bank, get me 2 tins of quality streets.. oh can you carry them home? i said well i dont have a choice do i mum.. OH then she said and take £10 out for yourself .. my reply was .. well..il certainly carry those sweets home now mother :rotfl: :rotfl:

Im still sat here posting on all my regular threads..with like 3hours before i have to set off from nursery..nothing been done in house or with kids.. and not even got to the No Smoking thread yet

Mumzy (becky)

Frugaldom

Good morning frugal friends! Yet another sunny day here and I've just a few odd bits of paperwork to do and then I really MUST get some housework done! :eek:

I've now completed my spending diary updates and am NOT confident that I'll be able to live on 4k this year. In saying that, I have bought some exceptional bargains for Christmas and have managed to make all of the non-Christmas gifts so far. Plus, I've just bought something for wearing to DD's party (unbelieveable bargain!) and decided to pay cash from this budget, as it was an essential. Everything else relating to the party is coming from savings. Waffle, waffle, waffle, just delaying the inevitable and I should remind you that the end figure does include £150 of 'penny shares'. I could lose the lot but there's also the chance they could increase in value. I KNOW it wasn't an essential but if I really did only have £4k to last a year then that's the risk I would have to take. So, here goes....

GROCERIES
Jan 2008 £86.09
Feb 2008 £103.68
Mar 2008 £99.52
Apr 2008 £97.05
May 2008 £280.61 (The stockpile shop)
Jun 2008 £1.99
TOTAL FOR GROCERIES £668.94

GIFTS
Jan 2008 £49.23
Feb 2008 £16.97
Mar 2008 £4.49
Apr 2008
May 2008
Jun 2008
TOTAL FOR GIFTS £70.69

EVERYTHING ELSE
Jan 2008 £117.92
Feb 2008 £7.58
Mar 2008 £43.50
Apr 2008 £150.00 (Penny shares)
May 2008 £37.00
Jun 2008 £35.00
TOTAL FOR EVERYTHING ELSE £391.00

UTILITIES
Jan 2008 £419.44
Feb 2008
Mar 2008 £59.72
Apr 2008 £534.14
May 2008
Jun 2008 £50.69
TOTAL FOR UTILITIES £1063.99 :eek:

HOUSEHOLD
Jan 2008 £52.40
Feb 2008
Mar 2008
Apr 2008
May 2008
Jun 2008
TOTAL FOR HOUSEHOLD £52.40

INTERNET ACCESS
Jan 2008 £24.99
Feb 2008 £6.92
Mar 2008 £14.99
Apr 2008 £14.99
May 2008 £14.99
Jun 2008
TOTAL FOR INTERNET ACCESS £76.88

TOTAL £2323.90

BALANCE £1676.10 or £56.40 per week to end of year! :eek: :eek: :eek:
A quick look at what's left shows that the ONLY way to complete my challenge successfully is to cut back on gift spending, get off my b*m and get crafting! From July onwards, my focus is going to be kept firmly on making gifts and preparing for winter with regards to avoiding nightmare electricity bills. Even at that, I suspect I will need to allocate £1000 to electricity bills between now and December 31st, which is truly atrocious! Thankfully, the bills are due in July and October, and then IF there's anything left, I have a Christmas budget.

I think I must be insane because, despite everything, I still love this challenge!

Frugaldom

mumzyof2 wrote: »

... Im now off to NYK's favorite place - The Stop Smoking Thread :rotfl:

Bye for now

Mumzy

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: I'd never have quit if I had stayed on that thread, I'm glad they didn't err... 'appreciate' me there! Having smoked for over 20 years without ever having become addicted, I found it easy to quit buying cigs. HOWEVER, I would probably find it just as easy to say yes, thank you very much, if someone handed me one for free, but it wouldn't make me want to start buying them again. My choice was to stop buying cigarettes and use the money for something else. Since 31/12/07 nobody has offered me a free ciggie, so I haven't had one, but I have saved £1.35 every day since then. I'm not preaching or showing off, nor am I condoning smoking. If I had not one penny off debts and had everything I ever wanted, plus enough money to do exactly as I pleased, ie burn it, then I'd happily sit and chat whilst drinking a bottle of wine and smoking a ciggie. In fact, I'd probably choose to smoke a Sobranni colour co-ordinated to match my outfit. Until I am living that lifestyle, I have other things to spend my money on - like family, DD's engagement party, DGD's birthday party, another mini-cruise in July, a trip to Fife in September as I LOVE going to the airshows and I think I have now waffled on long enough to convince you that quitting buying cigarettes is the very best thing for everyone concerned if you really can't afford it. 20 a day now costs £35 a week (£1820 per year) and that's 45.5% of a £4000 annual budget.
Steps off the soapbox and slinks off towards the kitchen for lunch... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

whitewing

I'm feeling quite jealous that I've never smoked and therefore can't give it up to be quids in.

I'm also feeling like a complete idiot because I misread my tax credits notice for 07/08 and thought I'd only been paid some of what I'm due.

I'm also confused about the tc pymnts already being paid on a 4 weekly basis. I thought I could rely on that amount up until end March 08, and that the last tax return (ie the one that needs to be in next Jan) only affects next year's claim.

But apparently not, according to my accountant (who is excellent and knows exactly what he's doing until I confuse him with my questions). I have various income streams so it's all very confusing to me.

Anyway, all I've managed to establish today is that I'm a numpty and that whatever tc actually appears in my bank acct (for my circumstances only, having consulted my own accountant) is okay to spend. I don't at the moment know how much I'll be getting as soon as the latest tax return is submitted (which will be shortly), or next year as H2B started his job this tax year, and tc haven't got room on their system to put him down for two jobs.

Accountant will sort it all out but am feeling crotchety. Haven't heard re issue from part time job and don't know whether to chase that up. Phone line is on the blink and no time to sort it. Got to go anyway. Catch up later.

mumzyof2

Good afternoon all

I was hoping for a nsd but i forgot i needed nappies and also popped into Netto where they were doing 4 large warburtons barmcakes reduced to 20p they only had 2 packs left so i got them both

Total spend today £9.56

Tomorrow WILL be a no spend day. No cigs so far and im not craving.. no more patches left after today.

How come some people have accountants? I dont even know exactly what one is..is it where they sort your money out for you?

I have a onion in fridge thats sprouting, can i stick it in some compost and let it grow - if so how?

lingojingo

whitewing wrote: »

I'm feeling quite jealous that I've never smoked and therefore can't give it up to be quids in.

Me too :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Frugaldom

Whitewing, hope you are coping with everything. It's easiest to think of the tax credit system working a year in arrears, I can't quite explain it and don't fully understand it myself, but I know that this year's accounts are what next year's TC will be based on.

Mumzy, accountants sort accounts for businesses and self-employed. You don't need to worry about not having one, as you don't submit a tax return for self-employment or for running a business etc. My last accountant cost me over £600 for submitting my final accounts so I learned fast how to keep my books and submit my own tax forms but mine's pretty straightforward and I don't exactly earn a fortune.

For all who want to quit smoking and save money without actually taking up smoking, have you anything that regularly costs you money that you could stop buying? Sweets? Chocolate? Magazines? Hairspray? Lottery tickets? Crisps? I had a friend who would have saved up over £250 extra over a year simply by stopping eating crisps. :rotfl:

Signature updated - just had a small win on the Oaks with my place bet. £2 stake (free money) won me £17.40, so I'm £10 better off and have bets on for tomorrow's Derby! :j

lyndasharp

I've just got a decision in principle from HSBC for a mortgage for £96k, which is way more than I ever expected they'd agree to lend. Hopefully I won't have to go to the 'bank of Dad' for any extra money at all!!! Still, that all depends on me finding a house to buy.... there are two places I'm going to go for a second viewing on, but I'm going to make them wait for a week or two ;-)

My love life is still going very well! So glad I tried plentyoffish for dating... New OH is coming to my Nana's birthday party in a week's time, so he gets to meet the whole family....

I went off to work in London Weds/Thurs, so had a hotel paid for. Went with one of the other guys from work, and met up with a friend from London that evening - and spent £50 per head on a meal out!!!!! Eeeeek! Couldn't believe it when we got the bill. Luckily we've been able to claim most of it on expenses, so it's only cost £15 each for the alcohol. Note to self - next time ask how much the bottles of wine are before ordering two!

mumzyof2

Me and my DS3 are off to the billy smarts circus on 19th june.. i was going to go anyways and it was going to cost £20 for me and £18 for DS..but got to nursery and she gave me a ticket that got us both in for £4.50!!! They are in the best seats also.. Just found out i have a baby sitter for DD2 also while me and DS go

Cant wait. Im doing it as part of his birthday present.

Janey51

Marru wrote: »

I HAVE WON :j I HAVE WON :j I HAVE WON

:T £70 LOVELY LOVELY POUNDS!!! :T

Way to go Marru :beer: