Sunflowers MFW Journey

sunflower76

Thanks to Welshlassies top tip about paying into A&L at the Post Office I took £88 into town yesterday (the weight of it almost killed me) and it has shown on my bank statement this morning. It might have been there immediately but I didn't look. I'll write a cheque for £100 (£88 change + £12 nail savings) and get it posted to LTSB today.

I managed to open the new NW account yesterday, they'll let everyone know (Direct Debits) and then write to me to say I can close the A&L account, which is good. I just need to let our employers know of the new account details.

Halifax had given me duff information last time I went in to close the account so I didn't actually need to do anything but fill in a form. As I was just closing it they didn't need to know about change of name or address so I could have closed it ages ago. Anyway, there was nothing in it unfortunately so nothing to add to the pot.

Yesterday was shopping day which meant an hours meal planning (including lunches - I never include these and then buy stuff at work) then visists to three stores; a lovely indian supermarket which has such bargains, our local butcher and the dreaded MrTesco. I hate Tescos as they seem to be trying to take over the world and I don't like their chicken policy so try to avoid it but they are the closest place that I can buy large quantities of liver really cheaply. A total spend of £56.75, which doesn't seem too bad for two of us as it includes loads of fruit and veg and quite a few things that I needed to stock up on and won't be buying each week. I'd like to get this down to £50 per week but whether it's doable I don't know.

In case anyone is wondering why I need to buy huge quantities of liver (about 3 - 4KG a week), we cook all our own doggie food as my poor baby is allergic to just about everything going and commercial dog food makes him poorly. It costs us around £10 per week to do this which doesn't seem too bad - does it?

I needed cosmetics yesterday so went to Boots and spent £26 worth of points and also saw a nice AA man friend who replaced the battery in my remote central locking key for free . I was given some fennell, tomato, chilli and lettuce seedlings and 4 bags of homemade compost yesterday so I'm hoping for a spend free day at the allotment today.

We're off out for tea tonight as a friend is having a barbeque so I'll have a free meal tonight too :T

sunflower76

The last day of my week off work today (altogether now, "Booooo") but it's been a nice one, like yesterday, weather wise and I've been able to sit out and not do a lot and therefore have NSDs.

I have no plans for the week other than work and allotmenting so I don't think I hsould spend anything until Friday when it's shopping day other than a card for OH as it's our anniversary at the weekend.


So, my challenges for the week are;

• Spend nothing on lunches at work
• No impulse buys
• Spend no more than £3 on MrS's anniversary card
• Spend at least 3 hours at the allotment (depending on weather this one)
• Have meal plans and shopping list ready by Friday evening
• Try and find things for car boot / eBay

sunflower76

I've just checked my Equifax credit report (free one month trial + £5 quidco!) and there are no accounts that I wasn't expecting to see there and it's given me the final payment date of the LTSB loan - Feb 2014. This is a little disheartening as it seems so far away but then it increases my challenge as I'm determined it will be gone before then!

sunflower76

sunflower76 wrote: »

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So, my challenges for the week were;

• Spend nothing on lunches at work - Yep
• No impulse buys
• Spend no more than £3 on MrS's anniversary card - yep
• Spend at least 3 hours at the allotment (depending on weather this one) - yep
• Have meal plans and shopping list ready by Friday evening - yep
• Try and find things for car boot / eBay - yep

Well, I managed most of my challenges :rolleyes: I slipped up on the impulse buys as we decided to go camping last minute on Friday and I had to buy provisions and some essential equipment. I'm not going to beat myself up about this though as we intend to go away for another 4 - 5 weekends before the end of summer so the equipment will be used! I must plan the next trips better though so that I can take HM food with us rather than buy expensive pre-made stuff.

Managed to pay £440 off when MrS got paid and some expenses from a work trip so :T

Made a £20 profit on eBay and managed to find a few things for the carboot I'm doing in two weeks time.

Supermarket shopping was a hefty £81.59 this week but as I said, impulse buys for a camping trip were included in this (Beer, scrummy picnic etc) as well as a new torch and some other bits and bobs. Shouldn't need to buy anything else this week though food wise.

We've got a wedding to attend on Friday so only work for 4 days this week although wedding involves buying a gift (next giftlist so Quidco may be available here ) and staying in a hotel so this week will be an expensive one I think.

Challenges are:

• Spend nothing on lunches at work
• No impulse buys
• Spend at least 3 hours at the allotment (depending on weather this one)
• Have meal plans and shopping list ready by Wednesday for shopping on Saturday
• Try and find things for car boot / eBay

sunflower76

Well what a week; Absolutely nothing overpaid and I feel rather guilty about it. I think writing everything down makes me so concious of not letting myself down that I'm getting really switched on to saving and not spending.

I didn't buy any lunches for work and, other than an emergency trip to the supermarket for an alternative dinner ingredient when MrS made pizza dough without yeast, no additional shops.

I meal planned and shopped accordingly so shopping came in at £56.17. I had to do the full shop at the supermarket this week as I din't have time for market and butchers and the amount of packaging on fruit, veg and meat is really ridiculous. I'm sure prices could be cut if they reduced the bags and boxes that everything comes in.

I totted up the cost of being a wedding guest on the way there and realised that it was aorund £250. This is really shocking and has made me reconsider whether we want to attend any more in the near future; luckily the two others I have this year are with different sets of friends / relatives so I can wear the same outfit but wow - £250?!

I don't have much planned for this week, except for a baby shower on Tuesday; when did baby showers become the norm? I'm onyl going as company for my mum so I won't be buying a gift (I don't know the woman concerned) but as it's in a pub (again why? She can't drink if she's preggers surely?) I suppose I'll have to at least buy a drink.

Vets visit tomorrow for a poorly kitty with a huge abccess I think he's got from fighting. It looks like it has bit marks so I assume a rogue moggy has picked a fight - this will cost at least £35 but you can't put a price on your pets can you.

As we're half way through changing banks I'm spending a lot of time moving money back and forth as I have no idea which will have the Direct Debits coming out.

The allotment is coming on nicely this year and I think I should get a good haul of peas, french beans, broad beans, tomatoes, chilli peppers, courgettes, lettuce, fennell, cucumbers and aubergines; not forgetting the gooseberries, rhubarb, and tree fruit so I certainly should cover the £30 it costs per year to rent.

So aim for this week:

Spend nothing except for the vets and soft drinks on Tuesday at the baby shower and spend lots of free time at the allotment.

Catanddogs

This is really encouraging, it keeps me focused Good Luck!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

sunflower76 wrote: »

the amount of packaging on fruit, veg and meat is really ridiculous. I'm sure prices could be cut if they reduced the bags and boxes that everything comes in.

Tell me about it. I usually buy fruit and veg at the market too but really fancied avacado's in salads for this weeks lunches so I picked some up at the supermarket. They were bragging about the packaging being ok to put in your compost bin... I'd rather no packaging!

Good luck with this weeks aims.

When I wear the same outfit to two weddings/functions... I try to remember what other people wore last time and if I can't remember, I decide they won't remember what I wore either!

Radish72

I wore the same outfit to 3 weddings the other year (work friend, uni friend, family) plus the dress I found in Debenhams for 50% off.

I take a digiatal photo of outfit and then store it on computer with where I have worn it

Typing that has made me feel so tight..........................:rotfl:

SmlSave

Sounds like you're doing well sunflower :T I hope your cat is ok - poor thing.

I've never thought about taking photos Radish......:)

sunflower76

Excellent idea about the photos radish - I reckon I can get three more wears out of it with different family / friend groups and then it'll be off to the bay of E! I was lucky really, one of the dresses I tried on was the same as the bridesmaid dresses. Imagine a guest turning up in your bridesmaids outfit. I don't know who'd have been more embarrassed!

Cat cost £62 and has to go back tomorrow and Friday for further treatment and check ups. The poor thing is now looking decidedly under the weather and isn't being let out for a few days at least. He's old and grumpy and hasn't got many teeth so really shouldn't pick fights with bigger / younger cats :rolleyes:

I had to drive to a meeting today which was an 80 mile round trip. At 40p a mile that s another £32 to whack off the total on Friday when it's paid in to my bank:j

Managed an hour and a half at the plot which was rewarding, and a no spend day (except petrol).

Lunches are made for tomorrow and tea is planned (HM chicken burgers in HM buns - Yum) so should be a no spend day tomorrow too, other than pre-planned trip to pub, which I could really do with out as I'm only going as a favour.