What else can I do?

sanfrancisco

Greenwellies wrote:

Thank you.

I even went to Lidl today and got some bits. I picked up a grater / slicer device thingy, because well it'll make my life easier wont it... and then I thought actually I am very good at slicing things neatly, and there's nowt wrong with my bargain ikea grater that i love, so it went back

THIS IS IT!! YOU HAVE GOT IT!! This is the lightbulb moment, where you start to see every purchase clearly. DO I need it, do I want it etc etc. Generally the answer is NO...You have done really well. The only way is up.

Greenwellies_2

sanfrancisco wrote:

THIS IS IT!! YOU HAVE GOT IT!! This is the lightbulb moment, where you start to see every purchase clearly. DO I need it, do I want it etc etc. Generally the answer is NO...You have done really well. The only way is up.

LOL, but I have been doing that for a number of years now!
I obviously have not been as rigid in the past as I should be. For me it was more about consuming less, and the environmental issues and certainly not giving in to the children and their ever whim

I have noted a spending limit (£400 for everything we buy inc petrol) and stuck it on the notice board, that way both hubby and I can note what we have spent.

Thanks for the support

Greenwellies

Ali-OK

Hi GW

Well done you on the comment to MIL!

I'd say those baby steps are already into strides!

You're doing brilliantly. (Did it feel good to put that slicer back?! I bet!)

Greenwellies_2

Ali,
It sort of did, but it always does when i realise that I have or am able to do things without more clutter in my life, literally!

But then again, getting the bargain feels just as good!

I just need to be a bit better about where I shop in general

Thanks for the support though

GW

tesuhoha

i find it quite easy not to spend money in the shops although sometimes i do overspend on food. My main problem is that everyone seems to be after my money and the moment it comes into the account its taken.

Greenwellies_2

Well I am into week 2.
I have already brought all the foods that I will need for most of this week, but I will need more milk and fruit! (Why does middle child have to eat so much fruit????)

So on the grocery side, I am doing very well.
Yesterday I went to the pet store and I brought own brand cat food rather than IAMS. It's about 50p a kilo cheaper. We also spotted that Homebase had mixed to order paint on offer, and we're decorating the living room, but keeping the same colour theme (so no new carpet etc) so we got that cheaper - saving 20%
We also just happened to 'pop' into B & Q to look for some wallpaper.... they had paint for the outside on offer, and the outside of my house does need doing so I got the paint for 20% less. On top of that, I got tiles for the fireplace for a brilliant £5.55 - very happy. (I have a bronze statue on the mantleplace and it keeps being knocked off and smashing tiles, so it's been moved and the new tiles are thicker)

I am still trying to remain in the £400 per month budget for everything. I think I might do it, I just wonder where I can get wallpaper cheap!


Tomorrow should be a no spend day, I'm at the hospital with middle child, so
unless I take the car (which I might as I want to take uni stuff with me) it shouldn't cost me anything. Hmmmm, just thought, I could ask FIL for a lift - hehehe.

GW

Greenwellies_2

So Day 10, I took lunch to the hospital for me, and I got FIL to take me. We ended up staying later than anticipated so I went to the chippy on the way home. That cost me £7.50

Day 11, I was at home painting. So no spending there, just using up the fence paint from the shed.

Day 12. I went to the market and Iceland. I forgot my shopping list, so I missed off some items, but my spend was £40. (after paying a neighbour £10 for reduced beers from her work, that she got ages ago)

Day 13 (today) I have to get some meat for tomorrows dinner, so I may pop to lidl and get a chicken, and as I have only 2 soups left in the freezer, i will make a soup with the left overs

In total, I commited myself to keeping within a £300 budget for all my spending this month, inc petrol (but excluding all bills / dd's) I am half way through, and considering we have brought some DIY bits and had the window smashed on the car, I am very surprised That I still have £92.50 left.
If I hadn't gone to DIY stores and the wondow had not been broken, we would have been £100 better off.

On the job front, Hubby has only had one day's work come through, but he has been for another interview this week. The interview he went for the salary was very poor, the holidays were only 16 days per year and it was a 6 day a week. Even the woman at the agency was shocked at how badly paid it was. - Ho hum!

I'm still waiting for the cash for the car. I hope the deal will be signed off by next weekend

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragment

Greenwellies

Emmzi

Doing well, GW. Keep it up!

bommer

Hi, Have been reading through your post.

Just a couple of quick things.

Hubby sounds really good at all this DIY - has he thought of starting off on his own? Both my OH, BIL and dad have all done this over the last few years. Hubby's work with his dad dried up so he started working for himself 4 years ago, painting and decorating. Has he tried putting cards in the post office/local shops offering himself as handyman? I know people are always looking for gardeners, window cleaners, cleaners? It would be worth a go?

Spegetti Bol - have you tried adding some soya to your mince? Holland and Barrett sell a bag for £1.25 (flavoured). All you need to do is add hot water to it. I use it for vegetarian meals and get at least 5 lots out of a bag each of which would feed four people. It would bulk your mince out?

I get my dishwasher tablets and rinse aid from Lidl it works just as good as others I have tried.

Have you tried sending hubby to market at the end of the day instead of at the start? You usually find traders want to get rid of stuff and sell it off cheaper?

I usually find if I got to Asda on a evening 8.00ish I find that they have lots of reduced bread etc which are great to freeze. It is also a lot quieter.

Sounds like you are getting on really well

Greenwellies_2

bommer wrote:

Hi, Have been reading through your post.

Just a couple of quick things.

Hubby sounds really good at all this DIY - has he thought of starting off on his own? Both my OH, BIL and dad have all done this over the last few years. Hubby's work with his dad dried up so he started working for himself 4 years ago, painting and decorating. Has he tried putting cards in the post office/local shops offering himself as handyman? I know people are always looking for gardeners, window cleaners, cleaners? It would be worth a go?

Spegetti Bol - have you tried adding some soya to your mince? Holland and Barrett sell a bag for £1.25 (flavoured). All you need to do is add hot water to it. I use it for vegetarian meals and get at least 5 lots out of a bag each of which would feed four people. It would bulk your mince out?

I get my dishwasher tablets and rinse aid from Lidl it works just as good as others I have tried.

Have you tried sending hubby to market at the end of the day instead of at the start? You usually find traders want to get rid of stuff and sell it off cheaper?

I usually find if I got to Asda on a evening 8.00ish I find that they have lots of reduced bread etc which are great to freeze. It is also a lot quieter.

Sounds like you are getting on really well

Thanks for all the ideas.
Hubby's confidence is SO low that he proberbly would agree it as an idea, (decorating) but not have any enthusisam to progress this. And then there would be the cost of things to get him started and insurance in case he spills pain on the carpet etc.

I will mention it to him later, he is out doing an agency job today.
I'm not looing forward to when he comes home though, he has been turned down for two jobs at the same company, so that's not good, but of course the letters say they'll keep his details on file

On an update......

He was really miserable last night as the agency said they had nothing for him to do today, but as soon as he got the call this morning, even though the job is 30 miles away, off he went, as happy as larry!

Money-wise I have £32.38 to last us until 24th *cringe* but it's an interesting challenge! (I could cop out and just say well I didn't do it, but I wont)

If things are desperate, then I have the £50 that I spent for the car window, which I paid out of the current account and not the car account (as I don't have a switch card for it) But having said that I got paid £50 cash for things I sold on ebay / brought on behalf of others, so it matches up really.

I still haven't ot the cash for my car, I hope to send a polite email later setting out a date.

Thanks

Greenwellies