My rags to riches, weight loss, yummy mummy stuff and 'owt else i can think of diary!

ragstoricheswannabe

Hello peeps!!!!!

well not much dfw stuff going on, keep forgetting to do my scratchcards so not getting much free money at the mo. must get back into the swing of it really.

Still not got a start date retro??!!! that must be a new record of the longest time it takes to start work. Have they been in contact at all????

We had a lovely easter weekend, went to flookburgh market on the sunday and did the garden on monday. Have laid grass seed down to create a lawn in the back garden so its looking a right mess at the mo with string all over with stips of carrier bags attched to scare off the birds!!!!!! my arms are still killing me from cutting the hedge!!!!! not made out for the garden malarkey.
Still waiting for my tatie kit and bluebarry bush.

right, off to bed, actually have a day off tomorrow, but will still be up bright and early as need to puree loads more veg for ds2.

Pips_Mum

Wow Rags ticker looks FANTASTIC:T:T:T
Pip can start to be weaned soon what things do you puree for DS2?
x x x x

ragstoricheswannabe

Thanks, shame its only the amount paid off my £4k goal and not my total debt. Will start one for my total debt next month when all my overpayments will be down and recorded.

natsplatnat

Hi Rags!!! Just thought I would cheer you up!!! If I include my OD... then you are only a measly little £1000 behind me!!! See not so bad at all - and you have paid off more than me this year!!!!

ragstoricheswannabe

Ooh, i feel a bit of a battle coming on nats!!!!!!;);) ha ha ha!!!

well, me and the boys walked up town this afternoon as the weather was ok, just very windy and ds1 was starting to get what i call bored naughty and ds2 was just getting too frustrated with not being able to crawl. Had to pick uo a parcel from the post office anyways so was a good excuse.

Ds1 was so good and well behaved so as a treat he had a small 50p cake and got an alphabet jigsaw from the local cheap book shop. whilst in there i found a book that was just what i needed! its called:

"How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet with very little money............and hardly any time, even if you have a tiny kitchen, only three saucepans (one with an ill-fitted lid) and no fancy gadgets - unless you count the garlic crusher......"

I kid you not!!!!!!!!

Have just read up to the recipes and its making sense. All about cooking things from scratch but food the family will eat that doesnt take too long!!!! my kind of book!!!!

Not much dfw things planned, the next bill to be paid is at the end of the month so my total wont be changing any time soon...................:(

Need, need, need to get back into ebaying my stuff, must of picked up now as everyone thinks they have recovered from xmas about now (although we know different;))

have been reading up on everyone elses diaries for motivation, feeling slightly stagnated today as nothing i can do to help pay off the debts really now till next payday.

right, going to make a brew, do ds2's bottles (had forgotten to put the microwave on to sterilise them, duh!!!!) and then off to bed. working the next 3 days whicjh is goona be hard going, hated 5 shifts in a week when i had ds1 who slept through the night, even more so now have ds2 aswell who is getting up in the night as teething!!!!!! must of been very wicked in a former life.................:D

ragstoricheswannabe

Well, am off poorly sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

feeling a little better now, ds2 up most of last night and i think it all caught up with me.

But, seen as the kiddiewinks still at childminders today i have had a good chance to browse the forums on here and feeling slightly more motivated!!!!!

going to do some batch cooking next week for the freezer do ds1 and my fella eat something more substantial and healthier than they are at the mo. including some of the gorge recipes in my new book. surely homemade fishcakes will taste better than shop bought ones?!

Will aim to get my grocery shopping back under control although may have to succombe and start buying bread again as just dont seem to have the time anymore..................:(

going to get some veg seeds and start planting with ds1 next weekend. got some cherry tomatoes so will just dry the seeds out from one to pot, will peppers work the same i wonder?????

going to get one of the 2 tiered plant stands to transfer the strawberry plants in and get some more from aldi (99p i think) so will have a good crop. would love to grow sugar snap peas as love them roasted with garlic or raw with hummous/guacomale/dips.

going to also try my hand at some calzones with beans and sauage melt recipe inside........... might try them for tea tonight?????

just need to keep this motivation, gone off the rails lately as just got sick of trying to live within a budget and seeing people worse off than us not having a care in the world with lots of great stuff in their trolleys................................. yep i confess, the green eyed monster got me and threw me off the wagon;):rolleyes:

Pips_Mum

Yay !!! Its my turn to give you a kick for a change!!

KICK!!

I know where you are coming from, I went round Mr Ms today with my £15 for the week budget and then saw people withtrolleys piled high and I though Grrrrrrr!!

Sorry you are poorly sick, hope you feel better soon x x x

ragstoricheswannabe

ha ha ha!! thanks pipsmum, it is well and truely what i need at the mo!!!! How on earth can you get your weekly shopping for £15??????????????????? I know i have an extra mouth to feed but even when it was just 3 of us with no nappies or extra milk etc i still struggled to get it under £50. The oh can do it with £35 but then we dont seem to have much to eat for the week as he takes most of it for his lunch. Right thats it, must try harder!!!!!

Pips_Mum

Hey Rags

I was really good and made a meal plan and only bought what was on the list, went for all the value ranges and was lucky that they had cheese and several fruit and veggies on offer.
I had been stocking up on nappies and wipes for the last few weeks (for when money drops next month) so didnt need to by them.
My Mum and Nan went halfers on a tin of baby milk for him so it meant I didnt need to pay for that either.
So all in all your £35-£50 is excellent for the 4 of you so dont worry!!!

x x x

Jo_R_2

I know what you mean about the shopping, I'm either reading about people doing their shopping for pennies per week which makes me feel I spend a fortune (£200 for the month for 5 of us, 2 adults 3 kids), or I'm walking around the supermarket seeing hundreds of people with their trollies piled high with premium label stuff:eek: The latter makes me feel virtuous though I have to say

For us, I know at a push we could manage on £160, for example. However this has 'repercussions' on other aspects of our lives. It would mean a lot more time spent calculating and planning, home baking and cooking. I do a fair deal myself, such as making all our main meals pretty much from scratch. However I haven't yet done things such as make my own bread/yogurt/ice cream/whatever else I'd buy as is, although I do make cakes here and there.

I think you have to be realistic in this sense because I know the extra in the budget is worth it for the less stress I have. I'm already going crazy coping with baby as well as DDs aged 5 and 2 let alone thinking about baking bread - and I'm sure you must know what I mean being a mum! It's good for some people but I couldn't work on the very bare minimum right now

And do we have twin OHs because mine insists on eating us out of house and home with his pack up every day??!!! I swear you could feed a small country for a month with what he has in a week - AND he's skinny as a rake!