Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget (My attempts to get debt free by April 2010)

Claw_back_money

Sun_Addict wrote: »

We've given up nights out, weekends away and wandering aimlessly around the shops buying stuff we don't need

:rotfl:at the shopping bit! When you put it like that I wonder why anyone does it!
I'm hoping that I will be able to let go of the purse strings a bit when we're all paid off, although I did buy a book on ebay (£2.10) so perhaps I've started a bit early :eek:

Cbm

PS congrats on that first lb shed

Swinstie73

Hi SA, just popping into say hi, not had much time to post recently. Bet can't wait for the next holiday, August is not that far away, scary eh!

Sun_Addict

Hi everyone

Time for an update. I got a phone call from the Area Manager of Aldi regarding my complaint about being overcharged. She apologised and said she would ask the manager of the store to retrain his staff on the tills. She said to make myself known to the manager next time I visited and I would get a refund. Well I've visited since but to be honest I'm not embarrassing myself by seeking out the manager - I don't have the receipt anymore for a start and I really don't think it's worth it for £1.49. But at least the store will be aware of the problem. I am always going to check my receipt there in future so won't be caught out again.

OH still has bits of work but at the moment he's feeling quite downhearted as things are taking so long to pick up. It's more DS he worries about as he works with him and he's struggling to find the money to pay his bills. We've lent him his rent money for this month but now he's come up with a gas and electric bill for £600 of which his share is £200 so we'll have to lend him that as well. We have tried so hard not to touch our precious savings all through these hard times and ironically we've ended up lending money out of them to him. But what can you do, you have to help if you can. He should be getting a decent tax rebate this year so he'll have to pay us back then. Sometimes I think we'll never be able to cut the apron strings with him even though he's 25 and has left home!

Since I listed my April goals last week I've lost 1lb and am currently on my third "detox" day of this week. I've stuck to my grocery budget so far but then it's only the first week! Everything else will have to wait until the end of the month.

BADPENNY_2

Hi Sun addict- just caught up with your diary, sounds like you had a great holiday. Its amazing what you get overcharged for when you check your recipt isn't it. Tescos are a nightmare for having things on secial offer and then charging you the full price. I now check my recipt properly in the car before i leave. Shame about having to lend your son all that money but hopefully people will start to think more about home improvements now the weather is getting a bit warmer. Shame we don't live in the same part of the country as my house/garden would keep your oh in work for a good six months!

Claw_back_money

Glad you got an apology and hope Aldi sort their tills out before you have to go again.
Shame about your son and the money but quite see why you'd do that, lets hope this warmer weather keeps up and the work comes streaming in for them both.

Cheers
Cbm

Sun_Addict

Thanks BP and Cbm for your messages.

Looking forward to the weekend, especially if it's going to be as sunny as it is today. Done my 3 days detox and looking forward to retoxing tonight with a large glass of red!

Picked up some tomatoes for 40p a pack from Tesco so will be making roast tomato soup this weekend for my work lunches next week. This week it's been spicy cauliflower as Tesco had cauliflowers for 50p last week. Also will be making caramelised onion and mushroom lasagne as mushrooms are 49p in Aldi this week. OH is hoping to dust off the BBQ tomorrow night if the weather permits.

Have a brilliant weekend everyone!

Claw_back_money

I hope you had a good weekend - the weather was absolutely glorious round here... not quite as bright this mornning though. That might mean that OH's work is a bit more stable now?
First barbeque of the season was at your's then - finally summer is on its way then!

Cbm

Sun_Addict

Weather has been gorgeous here too Cbm. Actually sat in a deckchair in the garden on Saturday afternoon. Roll on summer! Unfortunately weather has nothing to do with OH's work - he just needs more people to start buying houses and the builders to build more as he works on new build. However, traditionally this is the time of year when people start moving house so fingers crossed.

Had a nice weekend, didn't leave the house, but got loads done. My current project is sorting out all the old photos and putting them in plastic wallets which will then go into a filing box. Am doing quite well with this at the moment and hope to have it done by the end of the month. AND the best thing is didn't spend anything at all during the whole weekend! Shock!!

Made some lovely soup for my work lunches this week with the 40p Tesco tomatoes. Roasted them in the oven with a red onion, a red pepper, some mixed herbs and a sprinkle of chilli. Added a litre of veg stock to this and liquidised. Absolutely lovely if I say so myself! Will make everyone at work jealous when I microwave this every lunchtime! I'm quite famous for my soups in the office.

Some good news - we have received a form to fill in for the endowment policy which will pay off a chunk of our mortgage and it looks like there'll be about £5-£6k left over. It couldn't have come at a better time. There's so much we need to do with it though. The house needs a new damp proof course and the decorating has been neglected lately so that needs to be done. Ideally we'd like to replace our ancient boiler but we'll have to see how things go. Can't believe it's been 25 years since we took it out. OH was only 19 bless him!

Claw_back_money

Great news on your endowment! Ours is quite the opposite - best case scenario is a deficit of £12K on the two - we've had to take action. Sounds like you'll be able to get some things done that have been waiting... not an extra holiday then?! Its interesting to hear how you are still being really sensible with money (food) even though you're now debt free... have you always been, or is it habits that you've got more recently? I think grocery shopping is one of my weak areas and I have to really concentrate even now not to splurge.

Cbm

PS 'habits' looks wrong - should it be double b like hobbit and rabbit?!

Sun_Addict

Hi Cbm - no I haven't always been sensible with money. Used to spend a fortune on groceries until I discovered MSE. The downturn in OH's work has forced me to change my ways, I have no choice now but will never go back to wasting money again even when things eventually pick up. We were tempted slightly by another holiday but we have August to look forward to and there's too much needs to be done in the house. We always MUST save some of it for an emergency fund. Once the money is in the bank I will be finishing my diary as then I will be able to catch up with my spending CC and therefore will consider myself truly debt free. I will actually have the money upfront for once before I spend it. And you were right the first time, there's only one 'b' in habit.

Just when we have some good news financially there has been some bad news (which is the story of my life really!). My Greek bracelet that OH bought me in Greece for my 40th birthday has gone missing from my jewellry box while we were on holiday. Only noticed it was missing on Monday night. Questioned DD about it and she seems genuinely shocked. So only thing I can say is that one of her friends she had in the house while we were away has taken it. I shouted quite a lot at her and said she had better find out who took it and get it back. Told her she has until the weekend to get it back or the police will be involved. I'm not really going to report it to the police as I doubt they would be able to do anything but it won't do her any harm to think I will. I found an iPod under the bed in our room which I believe could possibly belong to whoever took my bracelet. If no bracelet materialises I will be keeping this as part compensation. However, nothing can replace the sentimental value of it. I am so angry!!!! Realised that DD is not responsible enough (at 23!!!!!!) to be left in the house alone when we go on holiday. I know she had a party but suspected she would anyway and luckily no damage has been done there. Don't know what I'm going to do about her the next time we go in August but am thinking of telling her she will have to stay elsewhere for the duration.

Anyway finished shouting now and am trying to keep calm and carry on as they say. It's really taken the shine off the endowment news.