Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

Zend

Hi Marru. I'm sure you will enjoy the reiki course, I am now level 2 and find it so helpful and relaxing. Good luck with your two new rattie girls. I have two rats, girls who are one year old and were rescues. I find that reiki really helps the rats when they are ill, if they will stay still long enough for you to hold them:D .

whitewing

Very angry now (in a calm and controlled manner).

After MIL's complete strop on Wed and seeing OH absolutely torn in half and heartbroken, we have come to an arrangement about sending money abroad this time. I would have let her go, except that OH would worry about her so much that it would wreck our relationship anyway.

MIL is doing some work for my business, so she is getting paid for that but it is only a few hours a week. Her pay contributes to her board and lodging.

I was going to say tough, and sent OH round to some temping agencies and make him earn the required amount. But the agencies around here are useless. And he can't get anything quickly enough to earn the money now. So, he is busy applying for part time jobs from the local paper. We are going to let MIL send the money she was paid from our business today. And then when she starts her other job, she will pay us her normal monthly board & lodging plus additional on top to cover this 'missing month'.

I have told OH if she leaves this country now, having sent money across, then he can go with her. If he doesn't get a part time job (to fit round existing commitments) within the next 6 months, he can leave. If he EVER dares to ask to send money abroad again, he can leave. I explained that I am totally disgusted with MIL that she can throw such a strop, causing such an impact on our relationship, and that I will not tolerate anyone (be that OH or MIL) making me feel that my home and my relationship is anything other than a retreat from the world. I have explained that I am absolutely furious that I have yet again had this situation dumped on me in crisis mode, affecting my ability to spend time on the business I run from home. I am also furious that I am having to go to work tomorrow, to earn the money that is supporting a family who can treat me like pooh, while they will have a chance to potter round the house doing bits and pieces as they feel like it.

All the above said, I love OH dearly (but a home and security for DS comes above the needs of any adult). His mum is perfectly okay as a human being, just needs to understand we do things very differently in England. I can see it is going to be a bit of an ongoing training process with the pair of them.

(Nb. for anyone who is shocked that OH is not allowed to spend his own money: we bought a house together last autumn, long before there was ever any possibility of MIL even visiting us, and the agreement was that we would work together to overpay the mortgage in the 5 years fixed rate period. I was going to be in charge of finances and long term strategies, and OH was responsible for day to day family life. This was working reasonably well, with a few teething troubles. It is still a shared goal for us, but we have begun to realise that OH has to have more knowledge of the ins and outs of the finances, so that he can better understand the pressures, and how bl**dy IRRITATING it is when even your own family SPRINGS ISSUES ON YOU!!!!!)

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

(I feel better now)

Marru

Hi Whitewing, this is for you:

bails

Sorry to hear it's got to that Whitewing, I'm glad you can offload, hope you feel better.

Sad news from here I'm afraid - FrugalMouse didn't make it Such a shame as he was doing so well last night - when I got up in the night he wasn't so great, drank some water but refused food. Oh thinks it might have been internal injuries, he had a big line of fur missing down one side, presumably from tabby's teeth. What I'd like to know is should I have released him last night when he seemed so well/was actively looking for a way out of the box? I decided against it as he didn't seem able to feed himself but perhaps that was a mistake? Or given him some baby milk solution? Just asking as I feel this probably won't be the last time this happens.

Kittikins, hope when you downsize you can find a job you really love.
Nyk, sorry I wasn't on last night to help you with the bingo! I forgot about it being free on Thursdays so I must try that next time- maybe we could have a 4K bingo night to help alleviate the boredom?
Um, I did have my head round MB before so might be able to help - seems that SophiesMum is the resident guru though. Confession time - I still have money sitting in two betting accounts so I realy ought to play it or withdraw it!

Frugaldom

Whitewing, if I lived closer to you, I'd say to get yer butt round to my place for a cuppa and a goood old moan to get it all out your system. If work is pressing, I have wireless, bring a laptop, we'll work and curse in the same place. You took on so much all at once that I'm still recovering from the shock of your MIL coming to stay for so long. Heaven only knows how you must be feeling about it all. Sending virtual hug and virtual invite to virtual coffee morning with the frugalites in the hope that it helps a little.

Grandma247, if you can store the file somewhere then you can post the link on here I haven't checked to see if MSE allows you to send attachments via PM, will do that too.

Bails, [STRIKE]I hope Pip Squeak is still doing OK[/STRIKE]. Sorry, we must have been posting at the same time. You did everything you could, something else would have caught him if you had set him free last night, so he got his last supper in safety and comfort. You made his last day special, even if he was just a little pip squeak.

Mumzy, hope you are having a great time at your Gran's and if I don't talk to you before, have a fantastic holiday (and stay off the cigs ).

Just checked the bank and the Greasypalm and Topcashback payments are both showing up now, as is another 6p in interest. :rotfl: Must go do some printing now, as I have eBid sales to post out - every penny helps. :T (I didn't take advantage of 5p listing on eBay, though, got distracted in free bingo! Sssshhhh... don't tell anyone.)

BlueFleur

Thank you for the picture Bails, its a shame that he didn't make it. I think you did everything that you could really- it is tricky to look after wild animals.

Uni is going mental at the moment :mad: I really hate group work :mad: Ah well, I think there may be some spending on comfort food in the not too distant future! Aiming for a NSD today again, to help prepare for the weekend.

mumzyof2

I just popped in to say Hello and that im back tomorrow night. Im at my sisters at the moment. I have hardly any money for the airport but instead of paying £85 for taxi by sisters other half has said he would take us for £60. So im saving there

Hope everyone is ok xx

dfw844

Hi everyone, great to see we're all still here and sticking to the challenge! Time for my update, but I'm afraid I haven't done very well this month.... My debt totals have really gone down, but that's because I did so well in February.

Spending for March
Petrol................26
Clothes..............76
Food................147 Naughty!
Healthcare.........24
Household..........78
Fun stuff..........103
Gifts & other.....142
Hair & toiletries...64
Transport..........10
TOTAL:..........670!!!! Aim - 333.33

This overspend even wipes out my good months of Jan & Feb!
Jan : 241
Feb : 324
Mrh: 670
TOTAL: 1,235
Should have been 1,000 overspend 235. Remaining: £307 / month

I don't know if I can do it... but I'm certainly going to try.

In my defence I fully know what the overspend was - it was boyfriends birthday which meant presents, and we went to see my family at Easter for the first time since Christmas, hence lots of easter eggs, trips to the pub, and petrol costs. (Although I did get £20 cashback from an old credit card scheme for the petrol, which brought it down a lot). I had a fabulous time though, so it will be worth tightening my belt for the next couple of months. And to that end I've spent nothing on groceries so far this month (did a big shop on 30th, not good for figures) so I'll be living from the fridge / freezer / cupboards for as long as possible. Just got two salmon fillets reduced to 99p though so that's a treat for tonight. xx

whitewing

I'm okay - some other people have been very good to me with free business advice, spreadsheets etc.

It's fine at home. They are relieved about the money so it is one weight off their minds, and there's no horrible atmosphere.

Well done on frugaltaxi, sorry about frugalmouse and am interested in frugalgreenhouse from a scientific perspective but can't be bothered to make one!

Frugaldom

Postman has just delivered my £10 Woolworths voucher, courtesy of American Express :T I almost missed this offer as I hadn't been checking on the Amex site for their deals and just got my claim sent off in the nick of time. I'm doing not too badly for April considering this is only the 4th! £69 so far, just from cashback, points and surveys Maybe this would be a good time to start comping?

I think I'm all set to begin 'stoozing' as part of my Interest Beater, although I haven't worked it out exactly. It's all a bit complicated and I need to numbercrunch some more.