The DFW Diary of a Mogchops!!

mogchops

Gosh am a busy Mogchops this week! :rotfl:

We are off to Scotland on Saturday to visit the in-laws, so getting things ready for that. Tomorrow night it is our Panto Party (our works panto that I do every year in Jan/Feb) where we have a buffet & watch the DVD of ourselves. Somewhere along the line I volunteered to help do the buffet :eek::o then realised it was the night before Scotland!! :rotfl:

But never mind, its all coming together, did the buffet shopping last night, am cooking sausage rolls, sausages & pizza this evening, & chopping cheese & pineapple & carrot & cuc sticks tomorrow! :rotfl:*runs to check pizza in oven - phew, ok*

Also have just made choc chip cookies with the dds for school cake sale tomorrow - which for me is pretty darned amazing!! :j

Money wise - got paid yesterday, still got some left! Flippin heck! But got a lot of extra expense this month - Scotland (petrol :eek:) birthdays, even the cat going in cattery for 6 days is £49!!! :eek: But I have a very determined head on, that we are going to get through as best we can! :T

Tesco Butlins deals arrived today - going to book it in a minute!!!! :T

Keeping_Positive

mmmm buffet and choc chip cookies can I pop round tonight??!

Jealous on butlins thats the one i was looking at but OH doesnt seem keen. Cant think of a mate to go with either.

Hope you have a great weekend. :eek: at the £49 cat costs though. All I can think is thank god for neighbours.

mogchops

Back from Scotland!! :j

Yes it has been a nice few days, but lovely to be home & back in my own house & can go to bed naked & not worry if get up in the night for a wee!!

Managed to be fairly low spending, apart from petrol - but 400 miles each way then everywhere seems to be an hour away once you're up there - equals scary spends on petrol :eek:

Went to a little car boot sale one day, & picked up some nice things for presents for very little money, so bargains there! And I haggled!

Now back, and down to earth trying to balance the budget for the next couple of weeks. Hmmm. Going to be a challenge.

Got some bits to list on ebay, and got £20 coming from Quidco. Really hoping for £75 to come through from natwest car insurance, it has rolled over every month since January - so not holding my breath :rolleyes: but really hoping!

Garden is looking good, need to get some growbags tomorrow to plant out the tomato plants, and some stakes to support the broad beans. Everything has grown in just 5 days!

The_Golden_Goose

How are things in the Mog Chops Household??!

mogchops

How are things in the Mogchops household? Not too bad at the moment, thank you Mrs G-G!!

Enjoyed the rest of half term week at home, got lots of gardening done, and DH has decorated the porch in a wonderfully DFW way using leftover paint and leftover flooring!! Did have to spend £20 on cladding for the ceiling but it was well worth it, and it all now looks fabulous!! :j He is such a star!!

Money wise - still havent got any haha. But am learning to live with that! I am spending more wisely than I ever have in my life, and enjoying the challenges that it brings!

Am getting back into the dieting/healthy living regime too, its 7 weeks till we go on holiday so hopefully can trim up & lose a few pounds. Have been out on my bike for the last 3 evenings, 45 mins hard cycling (free exercise! :j) I dont have any ipod or anything, so I cycle along chanting under my breath "firm bottom firm bottom firm bottom"...... it seems to work :rotfl:

I have already done todays stint, which means can have tea shortly then collapse without having to worry about doing it later! :T

Tea....hmmm..... *shouts to DH to put the oven on*

mogchops

Not been too clever lately, been very down, mostly money, but got so much on at the moment & so busy its been a bit of a struggle

Money wise - not good. Had to get a balance transfer from a card that was zeroed, into my current account - its 0.9% interest, which isnt too bad I suppose. Really didnt want to do it, but just couldnt see another way to cover everything

Have been staring and staring at my budgets, trying to work out where its going wrong; groceries for a start, just cant seem to get it below £90 pw. Need to spend more time on the OS board.

Only 6 weeks till holiday, off to France (paid for courtesy of Mr T :T) am soooooooooooo looking forward to that!!

On the bright side, am just about keeping up with the cycling, though the last few days have eaten far too much while I've been down Am trying to refocus today and get back into the swing of it!! Took DDs to school on bikes this morning then went off for a long bike ride, felt much better for it.

Am currently making a practice banoffee pie if it goes well, will make it again for mums 60th party next week :rotfl:

The_Golden_Goose

Hey MC - post on here more often, I find it helps. TONS.

Decided not to buy a laptop, despite really wanting one. Can't bear to have it as more debt. So unless I can lay my hand on the readies, and considering I dont have any dosh of my own, its all courtesy of my poor MR GG that I shant be getting one. Hard to deal with but for the best I think.

Well done on the cycling and the pie ............. well......... yum yum!!!!

Keeping_Positive

Not been too clever lately, been very down, mostly money, but got so much on at the moment & so busy its been a bit of a struggle

Have been staring and staring at my budgets, trying to work out where its going wrong; groceries for a start, just cant seem to get it below £90 pw. Need to spend more time on the OS board.

Tricky isnt it. I know its always my grocery budget that gets overspent on. Are you religiously meal planning and shopping to a list. It does make a difference. Prob with me is like you I get down/busy etc and it all goes out the window for convienience and at the time s*d the expence :mad:

Only 6 weeks till holiday, off to France (paid for courtesy of Mr T :T) am soooooooooooo looking forward to that!!

Good ol Mr T

Well done on the cycling

mogchops

Thank you Mrs G-G - yep I should make the effort and post more - will help keep me on track I think, and keep me focussed!

Keeping_Positive wrote: »

Tricky isnt it. I know its always my grocery budget that gets overspent on. Are you religiously meal planning and shopping to a list. It does make a difference. Prob with me is like you I get down/busy etc and it all goes out the window for convienience and at the time s*d the expence :mad:

Well done on the cycling

Yep KP, you are not wrong there!! Its the "sod it" factor I need to keep a leash on! I do ok with the meal planning though, so thats something I suppose!

The cycling is good, fresh air and head clearing. Will be going out with the DDs for a ride later. Seems nice here this morning, so hopefully the weather will stay good!

mogchops

Right. New week, new resolution: post every day!! :rotfl:(& really bore everyone!! lol.)

Just got on the scales - 11 st 4. I want to lose 7lbs in 5 weeks, so thats 1-1.5lbs per week. I CAN DO THAT!!!

Unfortunately wont get any cycling in this week, as DH is on lates, so not around in the evening to mind the DDs. But I have still got my Clare Sweeney DVD.....so it could be some quiet nights in for me & Clare

Absolutely skint this week till payday on Friday (that one has been a long time coming!) And really looking forward to the weekend as its my mums 60th & on Sunday its party time!

Onwards and upwards!