The Golden Goose's Quest For The Golden Egg - AKA A Debt Free Life!

mooomin

I've just listed ten items on Ebay as it's free listing this weekend. They will net me £55 if they all sell at their starting price. I'm aiming for £100

brizzledfw

GG..all ok? Hope so

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Evening one and all,

:hello:

I don't know where my days go? Sorry I've been absent for a few days. Bet you thought I'd ditched my diary again?

Been up to my eyes in running goslings here there and everywhere. Chuck in laundry, cleaning (well, some cleaning), cooking, general offspring maintenance and I spend most of the day going from one domestic requirement to the next. Put all the aforementioned bits and pieces on a merry go round and that's my life. A good life yet a busy, tiring one.

Moneywise lately seems to have been disastrous. So many things going wrong. Won't state specifics as don't want to out myself but all spends have been essential and pricing non negotiable. It's an expensive world we live in.

My new pet hate is hearing family claim they don't have any money and then the next time you see them or speak to them they have shiny new things. So I don't know if they are saying it to sympathise or whether they really are in a pickle? I find it hard to lend an ear when I think that they are not necessarily struggling. This makes me sound rude and selfish. Honestly I am not. I'd give you an example but I can't.

The week ahead sees the usual Gosling activities plus maybe a catch up with a couple of friends one evening.

Moneysaving activities will be cooking from scratch, meal planning, using the slow cooker, getting some more books from the library (once I've found where the Goslings have buried the ones we currently have on loan!), a ton of laundry and a good look round the Old Style Board. Feel extremely tired just reading that lot. Dread to think what state I'm going to be in once I've completed it all.

I've got a list of jobs for MrGG too. Not quite sure when to spring that on him.

That's me for today I'm afraid. Off to catch up on some diaries and grab some inspiration.

Til the next instalment.................

brizzledfw

Lovely to 'see' you again GG and sorry RL spends have to have been so high..

RL and goslings is very tiring..but don't worry it will pass!

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Hope you have all had wonderful low/non spendy weekends. Monday tomorrow and back to the grindstone.

It seems our energy provider switchover is not going as smoothly as it should. There is an issue with our meter. Frankly it's a pain and it means that possibly we may lose out on the Winter Fixed Price deal but I plan to argue our case. Nothing ever goes smoothly for us at the moment. Really wish we could be cut some slack.

MrGG has been busy working his tail feathers off again which means at the end of the month we will have some more cash but it does mean more time absent from us which is tough. Even if it is for the right reasons.

Had a bit of an awkward moment recently regarding splitting the bill at a social occasion. I said I was paying for what I ordered/are which I know is entirely reasonable and it's not like anybody could turn round and say no but I don't think they were expecting it. The alternative is not to accept invitations out if it's based on a splitting the bill policy. Of course, I had mentioned that money was really tight currently, but I really think people either don't take it seriously, think you are being a bit OTT or faking it.

I've been using the SayNoTo0870 website lately which is exceptionally handy. I hope it makes a huge impact on the phone bill.

Back on track with cooking from scratch! Made a couple of absolutely amazing meals. Making me hungry thinking about it.

Really should have an early night but the lure of DFW Diaries and catch up tv is too tempting. I did have a lovely long uninterrupted bath this evening. I wasn't far off resembling a prune. Attractive!

It seems I miscalculated my BT and have a credit on my M&S card. Deciding whether to TX it into my account before I go OD on my OD again and incur bank charges or repay it back to the card it came from. I can't increase my OD and really don't want to. I think as I've no income that they wouldn't authorise it anyway. Perhaps some could go into my current account and the rest back on the card. That is probably the wisest decision. Otherwise it will only get sucked up and then my total debt has bounced back up again.

The eldest goslings winter coat from last year still fits. It felt like a small victory when we tried it on for size recently. This means only one winter coat is required for the smallest gosling which I ordered online and it has arrived. Great I thought. Except it's got a blooming stain on it. Do I return it or ask for discount? It's not even that noticeable but it's not the point. I'm also questioning whether to get the next size up. It has some growing room but not a huge amount.

Trying not to use the car much lately. Attempting to keep the use of fuel low as it's one expense I can sort of reduce. I won't be taking it to extreme levels but if I can not use the car or connect chores together and use the car more efficiently then I will. Not exactly rocket science I know but it all counts.

Need to speak to MrT about boosting my vouchers and speak to MrV about the members points system which has ceased to exist now it's all been sent across to another supplier. Chances are I don't have enough points and they say you can make the difference up to redeem a reward yourself in cash. Oh simply brilliant.

I think I'm going to take my indecisive self off to scour the diaries and again get myself motivated.

Wishing you a good week and may you get even closer to your DFD.

Til the next instalment......

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Today has been a long day. Goslings are monkeying around with sleeping. Or not sleeping as the case currently is. I'm going to need some super industrial strength matchsticks if this continues for much longer.

Needed to do an urgent shop today as we had run out of milk and toilet roll. I'm talking completely out. I grabbed a few others essentials and spent nearly £17. We still need so many things. A big frugal shop is in the horizon. I must get back into proper meal planning again. I've let it slip and meal times have become stressful again as I am trying conjure up a meal suitable for fussy blighters at the last minute. I also want to get better at using leftovers. We bin so much food it's untrue. I've stopped buying fresh veg, well sweet potatoes and onions aside! Instead we have turned to frozen. No waste. Ideal.

I also have a ton of filing and paperwork to sort. It's finding the time and the energy to do it. Need time to myself when goslings aren't present. I they are anywhere in the vicinity I may as well not bother even attempting the filing.

Hump day tomorrow! All this talk of food is making me hungry. I'm off to raid the cupboards. I fear I may remain hungry.

Till the next installment.......

brizzledfw

Keep on truckin..GG. It sounds depressing and boring with the money worries (believe me, I know! ) but you will get through this. Meal planning is key so keep on with that and if you can live with baby steps at first you will get there!

Love to the GG household

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Evening y'all,

It's been a long day in the Goose household with another early start. The a Goslings are finally asleep and I should be cleaning the floors downstairs but I really cannot be bothered. We have guests tomorrow and that is usually my motivation at finishing chores "after hours" but tonight even that cannot give me the boost I need to get the floors done. So it's internets and trash tv for me. I shall worry about the floors in the morning, when it's too late! :rotfl:

MrGG and I spent a few pounds at the weekend on Christmas gifts for the Goslings. We took full advantage of a particular child friendly stores 20% off everything, so much so that we are virtually all sorted. I wish we had been a bit more organised and ordered online via a cashback site as we would have earnt a few pounds but that is one of those things I guess. It's more important to make savings. Least that is how I thinking of it. :cool:

We are trying to think of an inventive way to have a Christmas tree but without having one that will be ransacked by the goslings. Aside from putting it in a glass prison I can't see how it would remain intact for the festive period.

The only spend I have planned for this week is for regular activity for the Goslings and it's heavily subsidised and makes them very happy and very tired so it's worth the expense. I'm sure any fellow mothers reading this will be nodding in agreement at this!

Time for me to sign off. Sending all the DFW's ridiculously bargaintastic deal vibes for mega cheap Christmas gift shopping.

Til the next instalment........

Lurker1972

No suggestions about tree....I'd put it up and deal with the consequences....but that's probably not the most sensible suggestion! I put baubles with bells on around the bottom of the tree to alert me to kitty contact..... Seems to work, they run off!

Lucky you being sorted with present buying. I've not started and don't have any ideas.....I love Christmas, but am getting bah humbug about it - must be the lack of a shower!!

Lurker1972

Happy 2014 GG

Hope all is well