And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

I've had a right accident prone day. Whilst wrestling out the most deep rooted and stubborn shrub in the history of b****y awkward shrubs I bent down to grapple a particularly frustrating bit and got a twig in the eye to go with the three broken nails. After that I was enjoying a quick bit of catch up tv with coffee and a bowl of popcorn and lost a chunk of tooth:( I did have to laugh to myself as my first thought was hoping it wouldn't be too expensive - sign of a true mfw addict:rotfl:

Other than the above, today has been a good day. I woke at 8.30:o but felt better for it. Not to be cheated out of my Saturday treat of a coffee and a quiet read in bed by sleeping in I did it anyway so I never got going until 9.30. Felt nice and relaxed when I did though:p

The food shopping was done for £13.53 and that was mainly toiletries and some cleaning bits plus milk and some fresh fruit and veg. I've had some real luck with YS meat recently which is normally hard to come buy so I grabbed it while I could. It will last us months and months and it was a real bargain at £47 for £114 worth of meat plus a load of 10p carvery meat that is normally £2:eek:. However it has decimated my monthly budget. I've got £49.70 to last three weeks:eek: Feel a store cupboard challenge coming on...

Breakfast was fakeaway egg Mcmuffins, lunch was tuna melts using ys artisan rolls which were yummy seeded ones. Dinner was hm pizza and salad. I made double dough and portioned some up for the freezer and did a vat of sauce in the slow cooker so there was 6 pots to freeze.

The rest of the day was battling that sodding bush:mad: It is the second round DS and I have done with it and we are winning. there's about a third of it left to go so I'm hoping one more session will do it. Its right in front of the patio doors and is overgrown and frankly, ugly. I'm going to plant lavender and lovely bulbs in its place:D

Two loads of laundry are done and drying on the airers and DD changed her bed. I've also done my weekly filing:A Must keep it up!

Went for a very cold run!

DD and BF are booking their summer adventure and DS is out with his mates so I'm going to have an hour in front of the TV before my taxi services are required.

I've no money news other than my new for2018 approach to gift buying and in particular Christmas seems to be going well. I was shocked by my annual spend in 2017 (nearly £600:eek:) and its quite honestly neither sensible or sustainable. To try and keep it within reasonable levels this year I wrote a list and toddled off to the sales and bought most of my birthday and Christmas gifts for the coming year. I recorded what I'd got so I wouldn't forget and put them in clip top storage boxes in the attic. There were some amazing deals on make up and nail sets plus half price jumpers, scented candles and reed diffusers and £5 dressing gowns, 50p bed socks and £2 slippers:D I also bid for some silver bangles, bracelets and necklaces from China on Ebay and get several for between 35p and £1.07 plus some organza bags and gift boxes to put them in. Came to less than £10 and that's my nieces all sorted plus some bits for DD:D
I then held my nerve for the Christmas stuff until it hit rock bottom and picked up gift bags, wrapping paper, ribbon, cards, crackers at 75% off:money: I've still got the kid's main pressies to budget for but they will be getting a cheque for a fixed amount plus a few things to open (most of which I have). My spreadsheet (get me:rotfl:) says £76.35 -well chuffed:j

Off for a cup of tea, a few Christmas chocs and a some TV. Living the Saturday night dream:rotfl:

Happy rest of the weekend to you.

PP xx

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

Wow. That's amazing - the present buying and meat buying. Go you.

Boo to the bush though. Dynamite?

Not sure that would shift it :rotfl:

Where's today gone? Mostly helping DS with stuff but what a lovely way to spend a day. I love it that they are building their own lives but I miss have them with me all the time so much:)
Course work is finished and checked, food tech trial run is done and in the oven and we've found ways to speed things up so he can do his three things in three hours. Trialling main course next week and the whole thing the weekend before his assessment. At least he will have an appreciation of how much energy goes into feeding people - he was knackered having done dessert:rotfl:

No money news other than we had lo pizza for lunch and I filled the oven with baked potatoes for the freezer while it was on with ds's food tech so that'll save a few bob. Family are landing for dinner which is ys roast pork with the last of the ys veggies which have been roasted. There was batched cooked cauli cheese, red cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes in the freezer so that made things a bit easier. DS's torte del Nonna is for pud

Laundry needs folding and putting away and I need to make myself presentable but other than that jobs for the weekend are done (still more to do but officially saying no more for today!).
The week ahead is looking busy but manageable although I'm sure a five day week will prove a shock:eek:

I'm reading Greying Pilgrim's diary - she is so positive and upbeat I'm going to take a leaf out of her book and try and get through the week without twining:rotfl:

Hope everyone's had a good weekend.

PP x

Monday done which is always an achievement! Today was busy and without major incident, my marking is done and I got out for a,walk and a good natter at lunchtime so all in all a good day.

In money news I got a £140 bill for the replacement of leaking conservatory flashings which I was expecting but it still proved painful! January is proving to be an expensive month.

Other spends were £2.34 on milk and oats plus 4 x extra special olive focaccia for 10p each:money:

I did a quick wipe and sweep before work and put the laundry away so there was nothing to tonight but make dinner. That involved putting a lo roast pork dinner in the mW and waiting for it to ting:D
Lunch was also lo so a zero effort day!

Managed a kettle bells class but only 1.5 litres of water drank so far.

Off to collect ds from tonight's sports club then reading for a bit and bed.

PP xx