Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

whitewing

wendywitch wrote: »

Would he except an I OWE U til you have some change? :rotfl:


I got the calculator out to work out if I can do this £2000 for 6 months (I obviously have more than that coming in though) and I don't think it's possible.
I must be doing something wrong cos I worked out after my DDs I'll only have £272.00 a month to live on that's £10 a week for 27 weeks :eek:
Someone PLEASE tell me I've done something wrong!!:(

If you've just started the challenge, you probably haven't done too much wrong, lol! Time to cut down?

May help you to post up a new thread with your SOA? Then we can go over it

Frugaldom

Good morning my little frugalite friends

Well, you have all been so busy since yestarday and I've only just caught up with all the posts! I'll never remember what everyone's said, but here goes LOL

Mumzy - I didn't manage to get the newspaper voucher, I was too late and the returns had already gone. Glad your DS was dry, but do you really think it's a good idea to pay him? I mean, assuming he's growing out of it, and he lives to be 100 without ever wetting the bed again, he could hold you to your word and cost you over £7,000 in the long term! :eek: :rotfl:

Welldone to Slowlyfading on no exams today! :T

Frugal island hopping - perhaps we could all go, dogs and all, and ask for group discount! We could just take Mr S's £10 tents & a sleeping bag - that would be a site to behold! 100 frugalers, 50 mini tents and ONE GIANT POT OF SOUP on a campfire! And we all got there in Marru's Cleo!:rotfl:

Marru - I am so pleased that you enjoyed your course and think your lan of world travel to help in animal sanctuaries is a brilliant one!

FunBrum - I've been electricity meter reading every day this year. I have a chart to mark of how many daytime units and how many nightime units I use and you soon see what (or who :rolleyes: ) is using the most.

Wendywitch -

I must be doing something wrong cos I worked out after my DDs I'll only have £272.00 a month to live on that's £10 a week for 27 weeks :eek:

You've said both - is it £272 per month left over (6 months x £272 = £1632) or is it £272 for the rest of the year? If so, is your £10 what's left after deducting everything from the £2000 or from your overall annual income, and did you remember to half the totals afterwards to represent only half a year?

Now I can't remember who bought the patio planter for their aunt! :rotfl: I did look at the link, though, and it looks a great idea! I wonder if I could make one from an old clothes airer or whatever else I could acquire via freecycle?

Oh noooooooo... now look what's happened! The above has set of a chain reaction off frugalitis! It makes me think of all sorts that could be turned into planters for next year - I could have a 'frugal fun flower display' with stuff growing out old wellies, kids' toys, OOH! DGD's old Disney Princess kitchen set would look great as a strawberry & herb feature, and her tricycle with the bucket at the back! That would look good with lettuces in the back! I almost freecycled them! I think I'll plant them all up first chance I get! :rotfl:

OK, off to check the posts again, as I've forgotten what else has happened. I do recall a a couple of MrDT mentions - Jumble-Bee, I'm thinking that Mumzy has been putting in extra hours and that if you want to stand any chance of success, your frugal flirtometer will need to be readjusted. :eek: :rotfl:

Mr DT - No, you aren't expected to broadcast your financial situation to the world just because of this challenge . I was just interested in how others' budgets shaped up when looked at from the 4k perspective. My income isn't guaranteed, as I'm self employed, but I always know how much I MUST earn in order to afford to live, hence my challenge method. Everyone has different circumstances but I was amazed at how many people I have met who are on decent (20k upwards) incomes but have very little to live on, purely because of debts and work associated overheads. I know several people who spend over £10,000 per year on mortgages alone. By the time they pay to run their cars to work, council tax and keep up with their credit card payments, they probably don't have much more than £4,000 to live on. So it's all relative.

Frugaldom

MrDT wrote: »

I've just done the math and it was a big surprise

I don't know if it's good form to write down my figures on here so have left them out for now. Suffice to say what I have left over is considerably more than 4k. Anyone who manages on less than 4k, especially those with families in tow, hats off to you!! :T

Whatever is left over should be the amount you have in savings or investments after one year of this challenge. The difference, if it arrives at a lower figure and you haven't anything to show for it (major purchases, investments, holidays) is what got 'frittered away' when we kid ourselves that we aren't 'spenders'. :rotfl:

If we are on this challenge to pay off debts, then the difference should reflect how much of your debts you have managed to pay off, or the reduction you have been able to make on your mortgage capital etc.
I'm not very good at explaining things but I understand what I mean - I think

MrDT

nykmedia wrote: »

Whatever is left over should be the amount you have in savings or investments after one year of this challenge. The difference, if it arrives at a lower figure and you haven't anything to show for it (major purchases, investments, holidays) is what got 'frittered away' when we kid ourselves that we aren't 'spenders'. :rotfl:

If we are on this challenge to pay off debts, then the difference should reflect how much of your debts you have managed to pay off, or the reduction you have been able to make on your mortgage capital etc.
I'm not very good at explaining things but I understand what I mean - I think

Don't worry, I get what you mean Saving saving saving, that's what I'm doing, about half of my take-home pay is bundled into various accounts every month ready for me to one day buy a house with a big fat deposit down

Jumble-Bee, I'm thinking that Mumzy has been putting in extra hours and that if you want to stand any chance of success, your frugal flirtometer will need to be readjusted. :eek: :rotfl:

Oh nyk, I sometimes think there aren't enough hours in the day lol

mumzyof2

Good afternoon well i walked about 5minutes from my house and found a loverly village i want to live in .. also found the field withe the horses in and it was facing a park so we had dinner on the park whilst being watched by horses..then we went to botany bay canal to feed the ducks and now having a coffee before i take DS3 to school

Im now a bit tired but i won't be able to sleep as the kids dont let me in the day. I need to make a shopping list also for when my coupon arrives..just essentials though..as the dry ingrdients i get i will just get as i walk around tesco

NYK - there is another coupon out on sunday and will expire on 5th July

Ohhh its nearly my bday.. im going on my first girls night out! on the 12th.. means i will be hungover on my bday tho and suppose to be going out for a meal with my mum,step dad,sister her fella n her kids. I think im getting £200 off my mum for my bday instead of a bed

Right best go and read other threads before setting off...good job school is right across road from me.

mumzyof2

MrDT wrote: »

Don't worry, I get what you mean Saving saving saving, that's what I'm doing, about half of my take-home pay is bundled into various accounts every month ready for me to one day buy a house with a big fat deposit down

Oh nyk, I sometimes think there aren't enough hours in the day lol

Hmmmm so this is what you call hard at work eh? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Ps: we posted our posts at the same time lol... (im so sad)

Frugaldom

Hi folks, I'm slowly catching up between other things but thought I'd make a start to the third quarter (or second half) preparations with a few comments, hints and suggestions.

For all newcomers just joining us for part 3, this is how I now expect my 4k budget to be spent:

UTILITIES - £1800
Heat & Light
Telephone
Mobile Phone
TV Licence

INTERNET ACCESS - £240
Direct debit for broadband

GROCERIES - £1000
All foodstuffs
All drinks
All toiletries
All cleaning products
All baking ingredients & extras

GIFTS - £400
All special occasions
All Christmas shopping

HOUSEHOLD - £60
Contents insurance

EVERYTHING ELSE - £500
Absolutely everything else such as clothing, footwear, household items, repairs, hobbies, travel, socialising, entertainment, days out.

All of the above make up my £4000 plus I have whatever extra from any winnings, vouchers and cashback.

Handy hints, tips & links I often use:

Spending Diary
MSE Supermarket discount times
MSE My Interest Beater Challenge
MSE Selling on eBid thread
MSE Free crafting/hobbies
MSE Vouchers & discounts search tool
My frugal garden blog site (non commercial, MSE friendly)
Freecycle

I also take advantage of several cashback sites, voucher sites, free bingo and free bets plus save all my spare change in 'Phil the Pig', my sealed papier mache bank. I quit smoking on 31/12/07 and, instead, put £9.45 per week into a new bank account. It's a strange figure, but £10 doesn't divide into equal daily amounts and I had cut down to 40 cigs a week. :rotfl: My aim is to save £500 in 2008, so I only need £5.90 interest over the year. This is for my garden & livestock fund, which is part of my overall 'buying a house without a mortgage' plan.

Anyway, I have waffled on enough now, and it's time to get back to number crunching (work related) whilst catching up with posts.

NYK - there is another coupon out on sunday and will expire on 5th July

Mumzy - thank you for letting me know - is that this Sunday's News of the World?

MrDT

mumzyof2 wrote: »

Hmmmm so this is what you call hard at work eh?

I was shocked when I found out too, but they do let me take lunch breaks here

mumzyof2

MrDT wrote: »

I was shocked when I found out too, but they do let me take lunch breaks here

Thats a very long dinner break your having ner ner

Off now to collect son from school..only come home at twenty to..and DD is asleep grrrr

shaz_mum_of__2

Sophiesmum

re the rice we dont have a costco :-( but the jasmine rice was about 8 quid for 20kg but it was broken rice never had it before so bought a small trial bag for tea tonight


Funbrum

We got a 3 month trial with a dvd by mail company and have so far watched the first 2 serious the 3rd arrived today we are loving it although a bit dated its still funny we would love to live the good life and are to a certain extent i guess we now call it urban homesteading .............just call me barbara


Shaz