Everything is falling apart having a major panic **SOA added**

Radish72

Hi

Hope you're filling in those pesky forms :j

Entertainment........................... 80 £20 a week is my spending money - this covers food/drinks at work or anything I do at the weekend. The food at work is a big cost but most times I don't feel well enough to make myself lunch. I'm now considering taking some potatoes and microwaving them as a compromise - must be organised and try this!


This is the plan OH makes youre dinner whilst he's temporary without a job, plus evening meals and cleaning around the house

If you have a microwave at work, baked potatoes are excellent for this, with beans, some left over bolognese, curry

Also get OH to make batches of homemade soup that you can microwave at work to keep your food cost down as well

Jenna

Thanks Radish, they are indeed very pesky! I am currently working on Q. 46 / 61 so I am getting there but yeesh sooo slow!

OH is v. good on 'house stuff' front - he is doing basically everything around the house since am not well which is lovely and so much appreciated but that's a great idea about asking him to help with my lunches, I don't know why, I hadn't even thought of it. We need to do some food shopping soon so I will buy some baked potatoes and ask him to make a bit more of whatever dinner he does (e.g. curry / bolognaise as you said) and put in in a sandwich box for me to take to work with a potato.

I've only been awake for about 4 hours (don't laugh - I was catching up on sleep! ) but already I'm feeling pretty shattered. I think OH has decided that I've taken up professional sleeping! :rotfl:

Debating whether to continue with forms, try some washing up - even only 10-15 mins is better than nowt (my only contribution to the household at the moment) or wash my hair which must be done before work 2mo. Hmm. Maybe forms? They don't involve standing up at least and hold more promise of gaining cold hard cash than my hair ever will !!

firesidemaid

can def. reduce your at work food/drink budget, esp. if you get OH on board.

it all depends on what you like to eat. asda value crisps ( i love 'em) are 4p/pack, serve:rolleyes: with a homemade sandwich/roll (i grate enough cheese for week and store in a container in fridge to make life easier).

i take enough crisps, apples, biscuits, yogs etc for the week to work on a monday so i've always got something to eat. i hate spending money on shop-bought stuff for work lunches.

Jenna

Firesidemaid, that's a good idea about bringing in lots of things on a Monday, then I've always got something in reserve. I don't usually manage breakfast at all these days (need too much sleep so can't get up early enough for that) so I've been thinking of taking some muesli or nice fruity porridge to eat at work in the mornings. Fruit and yoghurts sound tasty and hopefully a good alternative to the chocolate/biccy cravings - it's not a weight thing with me as I'm slim - but trying to eat a healthier diet to support my health really.

I did try and do more with the forms but couldn't get my head round it at all. Had a nice shower thou so hair is squeaky clean and also washed some of the dishes. Will see how I feel after work I guess.

Night all xx

Jenna

Oh forgot to add, have applied for an A&L account for the £100 offer which would be nice towards the CC. The A&L account is better than my current bank offers anyway so quite happy to switch. Just got to wait and see if I get it now! And now I really am going to sleep lol. Night xx

Jenna

Yey - just got an email from A&L saying I've been accepted and to expect paperwork through the post soon!

Now I just need to hope that the Quidco cashback (£50 minus £5 for this year's membership) plus £100 & travel ins new current acc offers both work out as planned.

Weird how A&L have already accepted me but the CC has been 3+ weeks (with several chases) and still nothing...?!

Horace

Hi Jenna

You say you need to eat at work why not take in a small bowl and leave it on your desk and fill it with fruit each week, that way you can have healthy snacks without resorting to chocolate:D

Jenna

Ooh good plan Horace. I think I'll need to try and plan what to take each week. Just done the food shopping today and got butter, cheese and baked pot's (baked beans in cupboard at home already). And also a few bits of fruit. So that should be a good start.

Haven't bought any snack bars or anything as was only buying the real staple ingredients but I can always get those out of my £20/week normal "entertainment" spends. Will have a think about what I want to get, want something fairly healthy & filling but not too expensive. Also do need to buy some easy breakfast food to have at work ... maybe porridge or muesli ... something filling anyway.

Checked Quidco and it seems to have tracked @ £0 so far (this is normal for A&L apparently) so just got to wait and see. And car ins cashback (from Nov) ought to be paying out this month - not that that'll help my budget, since it needs to go straight into the breakdown cover "money pot" so I can afford to do it again come Nov ish.

Haven't managed to call mobile phone co yet or look at the forms (been busy buying the food). Must do this soon...

Hope everyone's having a nice Monday (or as nice as they get!:rotfl:) xx

Radish72

Well done with what you have achieved so far,

I look forward to reading the next lot of news - hopefully telling us that you have filled in pesky forms and sent them off

If you have Outlook at work/home, put a yearly reminder about a month before the forms are next due, so you can start filing them in a few question a day, hopefully less stressful :rolleyes:

Twinblade

Any news on the credit card yet?

If this is accepted then you can use the money that you have saved to pay off the Sofa cost, this will then save you £52 per month, and still leave you with £150 towards clearing the credit card debt.

Others I am sure will assist with reductions elsewhere. Also, even though your OH pays some of the bills, as he is out of work it would be useful if you put details of their costs on here, as its unlikely he can pay them if not working.