Jamiedodger's Happy Times 2009 Diary

JAMIEDODGER

Productive day yesterday:)

Emptied entire freezer and wrote down everything I had (there was loads!) Then I wrote a meal planner for the next 14 days and a shopping list with extra things I need to buy.

I have worked out I can manage to feed us quite well but will still need to buy fresh stuff, milk and bread etc and lunch box bits.

Lunch and dinner yesterday were leftovers. Now I have a list of meals to last the month I can start working out what day to have what. I will need to cook double on a wednesday so that we can have leftovers on a thursday when I come home late after college, so that the older ones can heat something up earlier for theirselves. There are also days that I dont have all the children here for dinner. I also need to take into account that DS3 will not eat much variety and make sure I have a separate dinner for him.

Also half term falls into the second week and the kids always go through more food when they are off school:eek:

Today I will be going through cupboards and seeing if I have got anything I can cross off shopping list.

I think I also have enough in freezer to make up a couple more meals which will be useful as kids dont go back to school until 3rd november,

I am planning on doing a huge shop at asda on 3rd nov to last me all month, apart from fresh stuff. It is so much cheaper there! Unfortunately it is quite far away so I wouldnt want to be doing the trip more than once a month!

If I am going to do massive shop, I will need to clear space in the freezer anyway.

Will also be tackling the november budget today and hoping I can think about xmas shopping next month. I am slowly getting a list together of all the things the kids want for xmas. Its not going to be that cheap:(

Better crack on........

hypno06

That is fab news about going to college - I hope you enjoy the next three years and make a complete success of your new venture!

I will be doing a freezer/storecupboard audit today aswell......lots of careful mealplanning here too. I get paid on Friday, which can't come a moment too soon, but between now and the end of the year is going to be draining on our meagre resources so I need to stretch things as much as I can.

JAMIEDODGER

Thanks hypno:) I am really looking forward to thursdays now! A lot of theory and a lot of maths but I am enjoying it!!

I am quite scared about xmas this year! It is sooo expensive and I have a big family but am hoping to manage to get by.

beanielou

Would Asda online shopping work for you Jamie?

JAMIEDODGER

thanks for the suggestion beanie, I might try that this week to help save money:)

JAMIEDODGER

Monday morning again!

Got a fair bit done yesterday and then in the afternoon took dd to a party. Didnt quite manage to get round to the ironing pile but never mind!

Nothing specific planned for today so I might make a start on the online shop and with beanies suggestion I am going to try asda online.

I do have some paperwork to do and also homework to finish and course notes to write up which is top of my list as kids will be at school and I can concentrate!:)

I have 6 baskets of washing in various stages sitting on my front room floor so I will try and tackle this today too...

Still working on novembers budget. I must start a xmas prezzie shopping list and budget. I havent allocated a single penny over nov and dec to anything over and above normal bills, food and petrol, so I am thinking I should be fine for xmas. I will start saving again in january.

Cat_Addict

Well done on your college course Jamie! And sounds like you're getting really organised with the audits and meal planning. I am still a work in progress!

Sounds like you'll manage Christmas. I save from January with a set amount each month into an account I'm not allowed to touch, so I have the Christmas Fund. I couldn't bear to be stressing like mad come Christmas time. I had a friend who used to wait till Mid November and then burst into tears as she realised Christmas was coming and she couldn't do it. It was like she got a shock every year LOL - and I used to say, D, you know it's coming and you will spend the money regardless so why not plan and save? But she never did, she just got a horrible shock and went to a loan shark.

JAMIEDODGER

hi cat:)

I always make sure I dont plan to do anything with the extra money in november and december so that I can afford to do xmas, I may well start saving from january nxt year though as sometimes I see things earlier in the year and I cant afford it at that point!

TallGirl

Remember Quidco has 1% cashback on Asda shopping. You are doing really well keep up the good work and well done on the college course investing for the future.

JAMIEDODGER

ooh thanks Tall girl!!:)