Fire Fox's Debt-Free in 2009 Diary

Fire_Fox

Purchases today:
Two textbooks from Borders (20% discount code and free delivery) £42
Two silicone/ steel kitchen utensils from TK Maxx £8
Cleaning products from Home Bargains £2

Fire_Fox

Mr. Fire Fox made stock today from two of the chicken carcasses AND we had our first vegetarian meal - savoury bread and butter pudding. :T Kind of ruined the MSE element by stopping off in Tesco on the way home for two bottles of wine (offers obviously)! I also got some Portobello mushrooms reduced to £1, and Mr. Fire Fox bought some stilton for the bread and butter pudding, so I feel some soup coming on ... Either stilton and brocolli with frozen veg that needs eating, or chicken and mushroom or maybe both!

I have decided to reduce our shopping budget again! It started the year at £1500 a year each :eek:, then down to £1200 and now down to £1100. We are already over-budget so it's more of a challenge than it seems ... I hope to be able to do this through having a vegetarian meal at least once a week, by baking more often and checking out the nearest indoor market.

Fire_Fox

Mr. Fire Fox is totally not on board with this. :mad: He hasn't been eating much dinner all week, as he gets home late: but immediately afterwards he will eat loads of other stuff as he hasn't eaten all day. Last night that included ham with the result that there is only one slice remaining, not enough for a meal. I know it's really out of proportion but I feel quite upset he ate £2 worth of ham and that he won't touch leftovers.

Made the chicken and mushroom soup, leaving another pint of stock and 200g of chicken for a later meal! Also broccoli and stilton soup, using up all the cheese and all the frozen veg. :T

skysky69

I don't think men use their brains sometimes, or if they do I think their brains are in their stomachs! My OH would eat and eat and eat if I let him, and the annoying thing is he never puts weight on either :mad:

Fire_Fox

Just been to Tesco for a new TV on the 0% credit card (which Mr. Fire Fox didn't buy) and came back with £29 of food. :rolleyes:

Expensive items were
Tesco dark chocolate 'Kit Kats' £3.50
Toiletries £4.30 (offer)
Two mini bottles of red wine £3 (offer)
Whole almonds £2.70
Golden raisins £2
Silicone spatula £2.40

Just about to make flapjacks to use up some of the muesli, and Mr. Fire Fox is going to make dough for pizza.

Fire_Fox

End of month accounting:

Income £720
Essential outgoings £185
Non-essential outgoings £300

Paid into savings £450
Increased overdraft by £250
In my purse -£10
Unaccounted for £45 ... is this the same £35 as last month? :rotfl:

End of quarter accounting:
Income £3090 :cool:
Essential outgoings £700
Non-essential outgoings £940

Paid into savings £1350
Decreased overdraft by £300 :T

So somehow I only have £40 on the quarter unaccounted for, which doesn't seem to make sense cos I don't keep a full spending diary. My spreadsheet - sad as it may be - is now showing me clearly where the money is going: £280 spent on food, £139 on public transport, £312 on household items (inc. the induction hob), £126 on sports supplements and, surprisingly, £120 on socialising! :eek: I don't go out that much at all, but this includes wine drunk at home.

Fire_Fox

My first cashback payout from Wepromiseto of £44 in Amazon vouchers!! And working a couple of hours overtime today.

Lazy-but-cheap dinner yesterday: Asda Extra Special tempura battered chicken (offer) with brown rice noodles and veg, today another lazy day: Asda Extra Special breaded haddock with hash browns and the last of the homemade tomato sauce. Defrosting are a couple of chicken legs to casserole with dumplings, and mince which Mr. Fire Fox has earmarked for burgers but I want to pad out with vegetables.

Fire_Fox

Had to buy a pair of trousers (M&S £15) as we officially launched our residents association last night: I literally didn't have a thing to wear as nothing fits anymore. Then spent another £15 propping up the bar afterwards. :rotfl:

Having been tempted by the low interest rate and made a late application, my student loan arrived in my bank so I am out of overdraft territory again. :T Need to open a new ISA and start moving money around next week - I seem to have bits and bobs all over the place and having trouble keeping up with what is a good deal and what isn't.

Fire_Fox

£34 spent on a textbook from Borders (20% discount and free delivery); I need a few more books this month but want to wait until I have received the last two orders as I am losing track! Also opened my new Cash ISA having cancelled all the DDs to the existing savings accounts. Just checked my online banking to find almost £10 in an old savings account, well it all adds up! :beer:

Fire_Fox

Had to ring the council to sort out the ongoing saga with our council tax (three incorrect bills and two final warnings sent in error to date). Apparently I have £15 on the old account which they are going to refund! Also just noticed that the bill for the current year is wrong - my student discount has been applied for the entire financial year not just til the end of August ...

Just gone to transfer some of my student loan into my new ISA and noticed I have already received the £100 switching incentive payment!!! :money: