Still on my road to being a millionaire

millionaire_in_training

Hi folks. Haven't been here for a while. Mum is in hospital with a chest infection which with her condition is so not good. Luckily though she seems to be doing really well with the antibiotics and increased steroids. She is jsut a wee soul. She was 67 last week and looks 80. Anyway she will hopefully be fine this time and be around for a while longer .

Money wise I have been not too bad. Got through last month with everyone paid at the right times. We all got fed regularly but no extra bits paid. I have decided to stop beating myself up for a while. I have cut back my monthly payments to the credit cards to £250 instead of the £300 I was trying to do. If I have any extra cash at the end of the month then I will pay it off but am stopping this stress at the moment. I have been lying at night thinking of everything and ending up with palpitations trying to think how I am going to overpay and also get everything else done. So for the moment I am going to pay what I need to an a tiny bit more. I will really try not to use the card and keep within all my budgets otherwise and I should start to see the totals going down instead of up .
I have other things I am paying off so I will increase my payments accordingly when they finish.
I went to the buthchers yesterday and spent £35 but that will cover at least 10 dinners and there was some cold meat in it as well so that'll make sandwiches for a few days.
Need to go to the suoermarket but will wait until Monday or Tuesday to do that as I want fresh food and with this being Easter weekend the fruit etc will probably be minging.

I hope you are all well xx

millionaire_in_training

hi. Was a bit of a spend day today but nothing other than shopping. £56 in ASDA and £17 in Morrisons. Means I have spent >£100 this week on food but hopefully just small amount s for the rest of the month.
Ordered a THomas SAbo bracelet for my DD's 16th birthday. JUst got her the pearl one and her initial in bling lol. My lass loves her bling. If it doesn't sparkle then she won't like it. Very girly girl. Going to get her a couple of bits and pieces clothes wise and take her, ds, her bf and her out to dinner. My brother and his family and also my mum will be coming too but have told them they need to pay their own . Never mind I'll be good to then when I win the lottery :rotfl:.
I signed up years ago for British Gas capped to 2010. It was the best thing I ever did but OMG I have been checking out what I can get when it ends at end of month:eek:. THe best rates I have found are going to cost me £42 extra per month. UNbelievale :mad:

WE had a fabby dinner tonight. Roast ham ( with honey and mustard) mustard sauce, Mash and peas. Then home made cheesecake. Yum yum. No wonder I am a heifer lol. I love food. Been looking at the good food site for hours today. Going to try a few things out the next couple of weeks as I am off of work a lot so will have time. If my mum gets out of the hospital then I will be really busy and plans will change.

I hope you all had a nice Easter SUnday today xx

millionaire_in_training

Been a nice lazy day today. Just what it should be on a bank holiday. Went to see my mum in hospital this afternoon and she is definitely on the mend . SHe will see the consultant tomorrow and we will get more news then. Not sure how she will manage at home but will cross that bridge when I have to. Only spent £2.30 on a sweet for ds and for mum so not too bad spend wise. My brother has brought me a nice bit of chicken lasagne so I will have that tomorrow night for my dinner and kids can have something from the freezer.
I spent ages last night looking at Weezl's thread over on the old style board and wowsa. I couldn't be that strict but there are some really good ideas on there. I am going to go back to meal planning and stop buying all the junk I have started to buy again. That'll save me a fortune. I need to get organised. When I am organised then I cope really well and manage to have money left at the end of the week. So that's what I'll do. I reckon my budget will be pretty tight again this month due to dd's birthday but if I caw canny then I will be fine.

hypno06

Do you keep a true record of what you are spending on groceries etc? I always *thought* I knew what I was spending, yet was always surprised when I went over budget, and therefore using CCs etc to pay for my basic food.

It was only when I started noting what a) I was really spending and b) what I really needed to spend to keep me away from the CCs, that I could start being objective, meal plan, borrow ideas from Weezls thread and stop using the CCs.

Budgets will only work if they are realistic, and that means being honest about what you are currently spending, and how much of that is money that you *could* manage not to spend.

millionaire_in_training

THanks Hypno. I used to be meticulous about keeping a spending diary and I am going to start that again as it really focused me. I am making excuse after excuse not to do this and I know I am doing it. I have jsut looked out my notebook and will start tomorrow by writing everything down. As I said I am wanting to concentrate on not using cards and actually decreasing the debt totals. I am hoping that once I get going in the right direction then everything will fall into place.

millionaire_in_training

Righty ho that's the spending diary reopened . Gave dd £3 today for fares to school for Easter study class and spent 50p on chips from canteen. No other spends so am pleased enough with that. Couple of bills paid from account today but no extras.
Am off the next couple of days :j. Was in work today and it was madness. Why do the British public think it is okay to speak to call centre staff as if they are cr*p. It is so unfair. My team work really hard and so don't deserve the way they are treated. Very difficult to keep them upbeat when they are getting verbally beat up . Was at a funeral tonight, back again in the morning. My friend's mum died so was very sad. I think especially as my mum is so sick I found it quite difficult to stop the tears flowing. GOing to chill and watch cougar town now.

millionaire_in_training

Hi. Day off today . Went to funeral this morning. Was quite traumatic. I hate when kids get upset and my friend's son is my son's best friend ( he is here now actually) and him and his sister were so upset. I was very teary with them. HE is fine now though and he raised a smile with me when he was almost in the back of the hearse trying to see how everything works :rotfl:. He is a right wee gadget geek like my lad is.
Spends today are £3 for fares for DD for study classes. £4.12 at local shops for eggs, custard and a sweet for the kids.
I made an apple sponge today. It is absolutely lush. Hence sending my son for custard lol. I'll never be slim
Looked at my accounts today and reckon I have about £100 towards dd's brithday. I reckon pizza hut will cost me about £60 so I have about £40 to buy a cake etc for her and I have already ordered er main pressie so should be okay. I'm just wondering if there are any vouchers for pizza hut. I'm going to have a wee mooch

millionaire_in_training

Vouchers are out of date on 14th and her birthday dinner will be on the 24th so no good for me. Will check again nearer he time. £25 for petrol tonight. I can't believe the cost of petrol just now. That only bought me half a tank!

My mum is so much better mentally tonight. Her mood has lifted hugely so hopefully that'll help her physical progress. All good tonight and I am happy bunny and away to watch Master Chef final. xx

Keeping_Positive

Glad to hear your Mum is showing improvement. Do pizza hut take tesco vouchers still or was that a trial?

Good going with the spending diary - something I need to do

millionaire_in_training

We don't have a local tesco unfortunately. WIll keep my eyes peeled on here for them though. THey had buy one get one free vouchers. THere are 10 of us going so that would save us a fortune