children, cross-stitch and chocolate. Chickywiggles debt-free diary

Tuesday 23rd August

The last of hubbys 3 days off this week (Thank god!!).

Was pursuaded tpo use £115 of the 'excess loan money' to buy a new front room carpet ..... landlord had put cream carpets put throughout and despite us paying around £10-£20 every couple of months in carpet products and giving it a thorough vax it is wayyyyyy past its best. Have begged him for a new one (or to let us lay laminate flooring) and he isn't interested. TBH he is a useless landlord!! So saw a bargain brown carpet for £70 today and got it while the money was there (plus delivery/ fitting).

ANOTHER meal out - £15.

trip to wilkinsons - 2 washing line posts (am gettig p*ed off with next door 'borrowing' ours..... 4 have been broken now and none of em by us!! Plus they have owed us £40 for nearly 2 months now and am we've asked nicely now I'm gonna get stroppy!!) £7.
- pressie for DS1 and hubby (I KNOW!!) 2 x "joker soakers" - 75% off so £2.50
- door hanger for iroing - £2
- couple of large area scrubbing brushes - £4

trip to Home bargains - 2 b'day pressies for DS1 - £15.

hot cross buns as DS1 was hungry and wingey (75p)

quick trip to A for washing powder, gravy powder and bread rolls - hubby reckons he is going to start taking a packed lunch to work ( i give it a week). £9.

filter foam/ paper for deap fat fryer - £3 delivered (but can get 9 filters out of it).

on the plus side £5 paypal payment recieved from a survery site.

ohhh FAB - british gas have now decided they underestimated our mothly usage (read lied to us) when we switched and now want to charge us more per month then our original supplier (BEFORE the price hike is put on).

4 e-mails and a little throwing in of OFGEM's name and miselling (thanks Martin) I have been granted free release from their contracts (however had they read the original email I told them I would be happy to simply move to their fixed price tariff for free but they aren't that clever and have now lost me completly).

So the spare £50 a month is now gotta go on Gas/ Elec (switched to a fixed tariff until april 2013. with tesco clubcard points). GRRRRRRRRRRR. but on the plus side hubby has annouced his job have moved him up a pay grade and he should be getting an extra £150 a month (before tax).

ohhh and that £700 he needed....... is £900..........HOW THE F can someone spend that sort of money and not have anything to show for it. I REALLY don't know what we would have done had that consolidation loan not worked out.... well I do - put it on a CC. Thankfully he has promised he won't be in charge of it next year so no nasty shocks.

Friday 26th August

me thinks my sons obsession with picnics is costing too much!!

more bread and bananas today......... £2

forgot the mince tho!

Had a huge sort out and managed to throw away 3 bin bags of tat. Looked at the "toiletries stash" under the bed and still have enough to sink a battleship (haven't had to buy anything so far this year - other then razors - thanks to my stash)

Week 3

Targets:

Food shopping = £40 (we really do not need anything other then cheese, ham, bread, bananas, milk, coca-cola, potatoes)
Baby shopping = £20 (need a bit of food, a spare milk powder and maybe a pack of nappies)
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = £10 (can't think of anything other then toilet rolls)


Random = £30 (we need a couple of bedside tables - £7.99 each - and a new back door mat)
Days out = £20


meals out/ takeaways = £20 (tho we have £20 of leisure vouchers so that should pay for Pizza Hut)
Clothes = £0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = £20 (if I see anything)

Total available to spend = £160 (plus my £100 personal money)


Think I may take £100 cash out today then not use the debit cards.

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Meal Plan (no specific day set)

- Pork Steaks and Mash
- Fish (or scampi) and chips
- sausage, bacon and potato hotpot
- meatballs and cheesy potato bake
- southern fried chicken and waffles
- Pizza Hut
- Ham, egg and chips.