Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

slowlyfading

Jamiedodger, nice to see you back!
Janey, ouch! I feel your pain. Sending lots of (((HUGS))) your way xx
Well today is the first stage in getting my degree results, and I'm so nervous! This afternoon, at 5pm, I have to go and see whether I did enough this year and in previous exams so that I don't have to do another exam tomorrow. If I didn't do enough, then I have another exam to do tomorrow. :eek:
I'm going to try and have a NSD today, but if this afternoon doesn't go well, I think some chocolate will be in order, so that will change x

dfw844

Hi everyone,

Sounds like you're all having busy and frugal days as ever! Welcome back to those rejoining and anyone thinking of joining in next year as well. Watch out, it gets addictive!

I'm afraid I have gone over my £333.33 target this month already, argh!!! Very annoyed about it, as wanted to get properly back on track with the overall target this month. But, we were away for the weekend seeing old friends, and it's so rare we all get to spend time together, I didn't want to be the one to ruin everyone's fun at the pub. I did only spend £30 though, which is very very good for me. Also bought a pair of shoes last week, they are for a wedding and I really didn't have any that would suit. Anyway, there were already on sale and I blagged an extra 10% off because of a tiny mark.

Still, it all counts towards the total, so I have to be v careful with groceries budget now. Got a day off this week (bliss) so plan to make bread, pasta, soup and cereal bars to keep me going until the end of the month.

Good luck in having a low spend week all.

xx

Frugaldom

Good Luck Slowlyfading!

I'm trying to be as frugal as possible and hold off shopping until the last minute, but I now have a sudden urge to start the party food shopping right NOW! :eek: I don't know what's causing it - panic in case I can't get everything I need on Friday/Saturday, scared of missing any bargains, worried I forget something - haven't a clue but I really, really NEED to make a proper start on the shopping. It's made worse by the fact that I now have piles of serving platters, plates, cutlery and party decorations sitting about the place reminding me that I can't make any mistakes! Aaaaaaaarg.... At least the babysitting problem's been solved - DD's future MIL is coming across on Friday, so DGD will have all the attention she [STRIKE]demands[/STRIKE] needs. Thank goodness! I was getting into paranoid mode thinking of all the potential catastrophies that could occur with a 3 y-o in a busy kitchen.

Just to do the post and confirm the accommodation for cousin & partner now - and remember to drag in the washing if the rain moves in - it's clouded over a bit now! Then I'll decide if I need to satisfy my urge to go shopping!

shaz_mum_of__2

Janey51 wrote: »

Ishaz 20kg of rice:eek: Good God woman. Did you use a JCB to get it home :rotfl:

No i used a husband (sorry about your toe)

Actually i wanted a 45kg sack but it worked out cheaper for smaller (going back next week for another :embarasse

Nyk love the garden share idea


Shaz

Janey51

A little, naughty, unbeatable interest beater seed has been sown in my frugal brain compensation:eek:

Ooooooh decisions :rotfl:

shaz_mum_of__2

Janey51 wrote: »

A little, naughty, unbeatable intersst beater seed has been sown in my frugal brain compensation:eek:

Ooooooh decisions :rotfl:

Its not naughty it's your right ..................but its not quick either......it took 4 years to get a 2.5k pay out for my son who had his elbow broken by a disruptive child at his school

Shaz

whowants2brich

Just reading through the updates, from everyone today - my, you're all having a busy day...!

Mine's incredibly uneventful - I've managed to avoid going into the office (working from home instead, saving the 50 mile return journey). As a result, it'll be a NSD for me, too. For a change.

I spent £1.46 yesterday, in Mr T (I'll ignore the massive spends in Costco and Lidl but we did need some essentials, massive vat of tomatoes, huge box of washing powder that'll last an eternity, crate of eggs - all work out at fractions of normal high street shops, and will keep us going a long time). Hence the NSD requirement today!

Anyway, back to the Mr T shop. I returned home from the aforementioned car-loading shopping spree, unpacked the fridgeable stuff, and then looked to my fiancee to proudly say, "right, 4:15pm, Mr T shuts in 45 minutes. I'll be back shortly" and promptly marched out the door. 30 minutes later, I returned with:

2 loaves of bread, 3 finest yoghurts (the fudge ones), pack of 4 paninis, pack of 4 chocolate muffins, 2 pints of milk, and 3 braeburn apples. The apples cost more than everything else put together. Yes, the total was £1.46, and I got 3 clubcard points (including green points too). My fiancee's face when I walked in... was a picture.

I made my own butter the other day, whipped the double cream (into a frenzy ) then stunned my OH when she tasted it and it was sooooo nice. She's now on the lookout for any reduced cream! All I need now are some good recipes for short-life skimmed milk - any ideas, other than rice pudding?

I've got 2 potatoes that I'm trying to grow in a huge tub on the balcony, but they're not doing very much... Highly irritating, especially given the amount of spuds we go through! Still, all the herbs are doing very well, still, which makes it all worthwhile.

Finally, yes, I love the idea of people like us who would love to grow stuff but can't (especially me with a balcony and no garden) - I'd love to take over a garden of anyone who wouldn't be able to maintain it - we could share the produce, and I'd have a lovely time in the process. I think we should push that idea, somehow. Would help the older generation to make ends meet if they were growing their own fruit and veg, maybe even we'd get government subsidy, as we'd be doing the economy a favour... then again, knowing this government, probably not!

Have fun, enjoy the rest of this (windy but lovely) Monday...

WW2BR

mumzyof2

whowants2brich wrote: »

Just reading through the updates, from everyone today - my, you're all having a busy day...!

Mine's incredibly uneventful - I've managed to avoid going into the office (working from home instead, saving the 50 mile return journey). As a result, it'll be a NSD for me, too. For a change.

I spent £1.46 yesterday, in Mr T (I'll ignore the massive spends in Costco and Lidl but we did need some essentials, massive vat of tomatoes, huge box of washing powder that'll last an eternity, crate of eggs - all work out at fractions of normal high street shops, and will keep us going a long time). Hence the NSD requirement today!

Anyway, back to the Mr T shop. I returned home from the aforementioned car-loading shopping spree, unpacked the fridgeable stuff, and then looked to my fiancee to proudly say, "right, 4:15pm, Mr T shuts in 45 minutes. I'll be back shortly" and promptly marched out the door. 30 minutes later, I returned with:

2 loaves of bread, 3 finest yoghurts (the fudge ones), pack of 4 paninis, pack of 4 chocolate muffins, 2 pints of milk, and 3 braeburn apples. The apples cost more than everything else put together. Yes, the total was £1.46, and I got 3 clubcard points (including green points too). My fiancee's face when I walked in... was a picture.

I made my own butter the other day, whipped the double cream (into a frenzy ) then stunned my OH when she tasted it and it was sooooo nice. She's now on the lookout for any reduced cream! All I need now are some good recipes for short-life skimmed milk - any ideas, other than rice pudding?

I've got 2 potatoes that I'm trying to grow in a huge tub on the balcony, but they're not doing very much... Highly irritating, especially given the amount of spuds we go through! Still, all the herbs are doing very well, still, which makes it all worthwhile.

Finally, yes, I love the idea of people like us who would love to grow stuff but can't (especially me with a balcony and no garden) - I'd love to take over a garden of anyone who wouldn't be able to maintain it - we could share the produce, and I'd have a lovely time in the process. I think we should push that idea, somehow. Would help the older generation to make ends meet if they were growing their own fruit and veg, maybe even we'd get government subsidy, as we'd be doing the economy a favour... then again, knowing this government, probably not!

Have fun, enjoy the rest of this (windy but lovely) Monday...

WW2BR

I laughed at your posts about reduced things you bought in Mr T I read it out to my Mum and she said "how did they do that then?" :rotfl:
Reduced buying mother ..i replied.

mumzyof2

Im heading home soon i was hoping for a no spend day as my mum said she would pay for train and taxi to my sisters..BUT i forgot i owed £19.50 to my sister for avon so she has paid that and i have paid £6.40 taxi (i wouldnt of got one if i knew i was paying) and £8.90 on train ..still a saving because i would of had to pay £29.50 avon. Got a twist thingy that you twist on and get fit. \Anyone know of any good cheap fitness dvds??? i want to tone my tummy.

wendywitch

So I don't count my rent, council tax, gas, electric, water rates? But I do count food, my debt payments, petrol, tv license, telephone and mobile, the vets etc?

Have I miss anything?