Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

sophiesmum_2

Just updating my totals I have the following to add,

Stockpile shopping £213.00 + £100 contingency fund
Vet bill and car bill £145
Sealed pot cash in lieu of electricity £100
Petrol £20
Car and life insurance £40
Plants £1.40
Thorntons chocs £3:o :rolleyes:

Total to add £622.40:eek: so that leaves me £2138.67 for rest of challenge.

Frugaldom

Giid morning all, my spelling is fine, really, but the sticky labels that were the letters on my keyboard have completelu worn off again. I've got more in the drawer, so will replace them before I start addressing today's post. :rotfl: As for the cuctas, I dodn't real;ly eat it and, besides, it was only a flower, not the whole cactus; as if I'd be that greedy! :rolleyes: :rotfl:


Ploddy - cost of living doesn't include work related items, only 'living' related items (and cactus, if you like them ), so petrol to work does not count.

Ages of everyone... umm.... in this house there's me (43), son (19) and houseshare, who is 45ish. Plus weekend visitors whenever anyone's coming to stay, which is several times per year.

Bargains coming up - if anyone buys their magazines in Borders then you are in for a bargain treat later this year. They're going to run a Buy One Get One Half Price (BOGOHP) offer between 29 September and 5 October. Just thought you avid mag fans would like to know - umm, does anyone part with cash for magazines here? No matter, it's a small saving for one week in the future. Share with friends and buy 4 for the price of 3 - I think - or is my arithmetic really bad?

Babysitting DGD this afternoon so trying to catch up with heaps of work but ended up on here instead. :rotfl: Sun's shining again, so we'll probably go play in the garden later. Have a good day, everyone.

PS: I know the 'Borders' magazine offer doesn't look much but it's kind of a first, as nobody usually slashes the prices of magazines.

PPS: Just got email saying I will have a cashback payment from 'oilyhand' next month.

PPPS: Just read that Halifax are offering up to 12% in a savings account - going to find out more, as that's much better than 6% in an ISA

PPPPS: Yes, I'm back again! I only need 3 more pig points to get my first £10 voucher from there!

shaz_mum_of__2

HI everyone

I am 38 !!!

Ploddy welcome i just joined in with the conversation a while ago and nobody seems to have noticed i haven't officially joined up................i love the chat and the ideas and the photos we are a friendly bunch and if you think this is a hard challenge look here

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=826653

Nyk your cactus plant is it a catus rose if so i have one too ,you mentioned taking cuttings any ideas how? i think you just remove one leaf section and stick in a pot of compost what do you think?


This stockpiling lark is getting serious i have ordered one of these
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/388451/art/norfrost/c6aew.html?srcid=865

and the coat/hoover/ ironing board cupbord is getting refurbished.........not sure where the stuff coming out is going yet

I keep reading rhonda jeans blog i think its becomming a little obsessive shes my hero

Shaz

Frugaldom

Hi Shaz, my cactus is an epiphyllum or orchid cactus, there's a picture of it a few pages back. It does grow edible fruit and I've read that when you break a piece off as a cutting it is best to keep it in a drawer or similar for a fortnight before you plant it. Tons of stuff on the web about it, I just Googled 'epiphyllum'. Have taken the first cuttings from mine, they are drying now. Will let everyone know if they grow and pass them on to the fringo (free bingo) mob

Edited in: this is the link to the post with the cactus photo, save you scrolling through pages

shaz_mum_of__2

Thanks nyk

mine is slightly different



i know with some succulents you have to let the cutting callous over before planting not sure why??

Will let you know how i get on

Thanks Shaz

ps now had 9 strawberrys from garden hubby says there the most expensive strawbs we have ever had!!

shaz_mum_of__2

Just to let you know i rang my leccy supplier today we have an Economy 7 meter but no longer have the heating system

If we change from 2 meter system to single rate we will save almost 8p a unit thats almost half ..................there is a standing charge but will still be quids in and the meter change is free..

Worth checking if you are in similair position

Shaz

whowants2brich

I just thought I'd say that I've just discovered freecycle, thanks to a few people mentioning it previously, as a way of getting gardening equipment etc.

The problem now is that between MSE and Freecycle, I'm probably not going to get any work done, at all, and will probably end up losing my job and income, which will really hurt us financially. Geez, thanks guys!

I guess it would not be very frugalish of me if I lost my job cos I'm doing all this reading etc, would it?

bails

Ha ha, made me laugh Whowantstoberich - these things can take over your life! I'm a Freecycle mod too so am overwhelmed with emails from that, so much so that I never actually get to see if there's anything I want!
I have to say, recaping everyone's households has been really interesting and once again I am amazed at how well people can do on so little for so many, especially when including everything. We have a long way to go to reach those dizzy heights but at least we're trying! I say we, OH is doing my head in today about it all - feels like I am saving a penny here and he is spending 5 over there - so he got an earful just now Happy to spend the savings though on our trip to Holland wasn't he so humble pie coming up later hopefully

sophiesmum_2

Hi Shaz,
I bought one of those freezers for my stockpiling and our hallway cupboard is now the pantry:rotfl:, although it did mean relocating all my plastic crates full of pressies to my mum's loft;) .
Stockpile challenge
I am making an extra effort to use more pulses and veggies in our meals and also to cut down on portion sizes. I think everyone today is guilty of eating far more food than we need:rolleyes:
We eat two meat based meals a week with the oldies so I am trying to do one fish based meal,three veggie meals,and one other mince/chicken etc meal with the other five evening meals.
We don't eat cereals much just porridge mostly,so no bulky boxes to store. Breakfasts are porridge, toast, eggs,yoghurts or fruit smoothies.
Lunches will be snack type meals, home made soups, salads,things on toast,sandwiches, omelettes etc.

My stores are mostly ingredients:

flours-white,wholemeal bread flours, self raising, plain,cornflour
pulses-lentils , chickpeas, broth mixes, quinoa,split peas, dried peas, barley,black eyed beans,butter beans,haricot beans, buckwheat, linseeds,couscous,salad bean mixes,etc.
wholemeal rice, pudding rice, arborio rice,wholemeal pastas,lasagne sheets,spaghetti.noodles,
sugar,salt,bouillion, garlic puree, chilli puree, tomato puree, mustards, paprika,curry powder, herbs ,passata,etc.
tinned -tomatoes, baked beans,spaghetti and ravioli etc for DD, tinned fruits,tuna, salmon, sardines, crab, mackerel,
oats,bran,muesli,nuts,dried prunes, cranberries, dates, sultanas, mixed fruit,various baking ingredients, cake cases, sprinkles etc.sugar free jellies, honey.syrup,treacle,
fish, mince, quorn,soya mince, frozen veggies, chicken, bacon, black pudding, sausages, pork,gammon, , bacon pieces,
squash,uht milk, dried milk, tea,,coffee.butter, margarines,oils, tomato juice,.

I make my own bread, yoghurt, kefir,jams, marmalade,chutney, pickles,pies,sausages,burgers, cakes, biscuits,pizzas, and cook all meals from scratch so mostly need ingredients.I will also be supplementing stores with homegrown fruit and veg and foraged stuff.
I will be menu planning and plan to spend as little as possible of my £100 extras fund. Eggs are the only thing I am using regularly that I won't be stockpiling. Looking at my menu plans and my stores i think that there will probably even be some of this stuff left at the end of the challenge;)

shaz_mum_of__2

I think semi veggie is the way to go to save and its got to be better i used to have tummy probs and now no probs at all

my storecupboard list pretty similair to yours and i cook from scratch too i am looking into bulk buying organic meat hence the freezer

What is kefir ? is it like quark ?

apologies if thats a silly question but am sure i am not the only one wondering

Got the good life on DVD today so thats our night sorted
Thinking of joining the local self sufficiency club they accept non smallholders as long as you share the dream #(plus they sell to each other organic lamb £1.65Lb!!


Have a good night

Shaz