Trying to take the stress out of the debt - little steps

Triggles

Well, short break from posting to get other things done. Now, am back posting again so I don't forget to keep myself accountable for finances and such.

We've gotten our letters and £1 postal orders sent out to the creditors, so now we're just waiting for responses. A bit nervous, but at least we're making a positive effort, as opposed to ignoring or avoiding them, so hopefully that (plus the fact that previously we have never missed a payment!) will count for something in the way of good will.

We bought those stair carpet pieces (£20 in Lidl) and are really pleased with them. Now I have a project to start on (in my free time, right? :rotfl:), sanding and painting the stairs. Then the carpeting can be put on. Very very nice! Really looking forward to that!

DS3 is going through a stage where he cries unless he is being held. Hopefully he'll get past that soon - it does make things a bit complicated! Luckily, DS2 is pretty easygoing, and we haven't had any sibling jealousy issues yet.

Since DH gets his 15% discount from now until 6 January, plus this month, employees get double nectar points, PLUS I had a coupon for double nectar points (which means quadruple yay!), we did our big big stock up shop yesterday. Wow!!! :eek: Before discounts and such, it was £347.16... final total was £290.41!!! Hooooray! I'll have to post a list - I'm so pleased with all we got! LOL And we found some basics products we weren't aware of - very inexpensive! And DH is perfectly willing to try! Our cupboard looks like "basics central" right now!

Triggles

Ok. this will be amusing.... here it goes....

cornflakes 2 boxes
kitchen roll pk of 4 (rarely use these now so will last a long time!)
kitchen foil x 4
cling film
freezer bags
bin bags x 3
gravy granules beef x 2
gravy granules chicken x 2 (yes sorry I am not a stellar gravy maker without these!! LOL)
squash
fabric conditioner x 2
neutradol room spray x 3 (pooey nappies really smell! LOL)
bbq sauce x 6
flavoured sparkling water x 7
beef stock cubes 2 pks
chicken stock cubes 2 pks
mushrooms tinned x 10
brown sauce
marrowfat peas tinned x 6
ravioli tinned x 3
sweet chili sauce
sausage casserole seasonings packet x 3
spaghetti rings x 6
baked beans x 12
tinned tuna x 10
soy sauce
minestrone soup tins x 3
mulligatawny soup tins x 3
instant mash x 6 (for back-up or quick dinners - usually we make it with fresh potatoes)
tin of chicken in white sauce (DH tossed that in trolley LOL)
sweet and sour sauce 6 jars
spaghetti noodles x 8
rice 7 bags
feminine products 7 pkgs
toothbrushes 5 of them
tshirt (ok, impulse buy - Christmas shirt for DS2)
razors 2 -10pks
3 items of makeup (for stocking stuffers for DD, were on 3 for 2)
mouthwash x 2
toothpaste x 2
veg oil
atora suet x 3
18pk toilet roll
sultanas 2 bags
shampoo x 2
conditioner x 2
antibacterial handwash x 4
shower gel x 4
deodorant x 6
christmas puddings x 2
shaving cream x 2
lemon juice
5kg bag sugar x 2
yellow mustard
wheetabix 48s x 2
sultana bran x 2
waxed baking paper
multigrain hoops cereal x 4
sage & onion stuffing x 4
bleach - large bottle
tea bags pk of 80
shortbread fingers x 6
snack crackers x 4
milk chocolate bars x 6 (for baking and chocolate emergencies LOL)
ketchup x 2
coffee x 2
salad dressing x 2
antibacterial cleaning spray
stain spray
non bio liquid detergent x 3
washing up liquid x 2
chicken noodle packs x 6
corned beef tins x 3
cranberry sauce x 2 jars
crumpets pk of 12
chopped tomatoes tinned x 12
kidney beans tinned x 6
mayonnaise x 4 jars
soft cream cheese x 2
glace cherries
SR flour x 6
curry sauce x 6
mushroom sauce x 2
tinned pineapple x 6
blueberry muffins pk of 4
tinned peaches x 6
milk x 4
pullups x 2 pkgs
formula (tins of powdered) x 3
8pk shandy
strawberries
blueberries
cheese slices
2 pkgs mature cheddar
beef roasting joint
2 large containers of butter (also use for baking)
container broccoli and stilton soup (ok, my impulse purchase yummm!)
beef mince x 4
gammon joint
peeled prawns
pork streaky rasher ( for bbq ribs in slow cooker)
chicken thighs/drumsticks
whole chicken
bacon x 2
onions 1 bag
carrots 2 bags
garlic 4 whole cloves
french stick bread
salt and pepper crisps 2-6pks
bananas - 3 bags of 8
iceberg lettuce x 2
potatoes x 2 bags
mince pies 2-4pks
18pk eggs
bread x 3 loaves

whew.....

slm6002

wow your cupboards must be ready to explode! good discount on the shopping and of course your nectar points for later will be good too. I went to Mr S for the first time in a very long time and i was taken in by there lovely offers and spent far too much. Our cupboards too are full to the brim, you know the type that when open the door a can of baked beans wacks you on the head! Also glad to see you have sorted your letters out and hope this goes well. If not you always have your stash of choccy!

Triggles

slm - we cleared out an area in the dining room for some of the stash of groceries. It was the only way to fit everything in. We just have a small car, so you should have SEEN how full it was stuffed on the way home from the supermarket!!!:rotfl:

Some of the items that were basics that we bought:
cornflakes 46p
kitchen towels 4pk £2.29
kitchen foil 30p
food wrap 35p
squash double strength 47p
beef stock cubes 29p
tinned mushrooms 49p
baked beans 29p
tuna 58p
mashed potato 34p
sweet and sour sauce 28p
spaghetti noodles 39p
rice 73p
toothbrushes 2pk 10p
sultanas 69p
shower gel 10p
bleach 28p
shortbread fingers 12p
milk chocolate bars 27p
chicken noodles 9p
corned beef tin 1.21
chopped tomatoes 35p
mayonnaise 38p
soft cream cheese 45p
teabags (pack of 80) 28p
snack crackers 49p
SR flour 43p
curry sauce 9p
pineapple pieces tinned 13p
peaches tinned 27p
strawberries 1.48
peeled prawns 1.84
chicken thighs/drumsticks 2.00
onions 1.00
garlic 2 cloves 39p
bananas (8pk) 95p
eggs (18pk) 1.85

So all in all, a lot of white and red labels in our cupboard! :rotfl:For the most part, their basics are good. There are still a few we haven't tried, or tried and didn't like. We'll have to try a few more next time. It certainly helps with the prices!

Triggles

Another day...

Meal planning is going well again. We had roast chicken on Sunday, followed by soup with dumplings on Monday. Chicken meat was used for sandwiches, and some popped into freezer for chicken/mushroom pie next week. Tonight we had sausages and mash. Tomorrow is cottage pie, mince is already in fridge thawing, so at least I feel organised.

I've been using recipe from the £5/meal recipe thing from Sains for the cottage pie, although I've changed it somewhat. We chop up carrot, onion, and green pepper fairly fine in the food processor, then cook it in oil, then add mince, garlic, and mushrooms. Then instead of just stock, we add some gravy granules as well, so it's thicker and pour that into the mince mixture, then put it in the pan, cover with mash, and grate some cheese over the top and bake it. Yummmmmmm.... Pretty quick and easy, too.

We got a funny response from Additions to our letter and £1 payment. Just a text saying our £1 payment would be credited to our December bill and "thank you for shopping Additions"! :rotfl:DH was rather amused, as it was certainly not what he was expecting.

I was pleased that we avoided temptation for takeaway today. DH brought up that Tuesday was a discount pizza day for Dominoes and asked me if I wanted him to order pizza and he'd pay for it out of his "pin money" for the month. Tempting... but no. We had sausages thawed out for the sausage and mash, and it's a quick meal, so I told him no, let's be good and hold out until December, when we are allowing ourselves one Chinese takeaway as a treat for just before Christmas when things are a bit hectic. I'm determined we're going to hold fast to that!

I bought DS2 a pair of hiking boots, as his current shoes are getting too small. They were £9.99 on sale (Karrimoor boots) and then we had a £6 off voucher for the store, so we got them for £3.99! I was well pleased!

I've made the switch official to using cloths instead of kitchen roll now. We have a couple rolls in, but they are tucked away, and are only brought out for really dreadful stuff that I'm not comfortable bunging in the washer on a cloth - which is very little, to be honest! We keep a bucket like a nappy pail in the kitchen and as the cloths are used, they're tossed in there and then washed every few days. Works like a charm!

Next goal - get the dining room ready for the holidays! I've found that simple things, like keeping a nice tablecloth on the dining room table when not in use at mealtime keeps me from putting extra stuff on the table and making it a catchall and make the whole room look nicer. Such a little thing, but it really makes a difference. I have some books piled up in there, I think I will be putting them in small boxes and tucking them away for awhile, maybe bring them out in a year or so, when I'm interested in rereading them. Then it'll seem like I have all new books again. LOL

Triggles

Another takeaway bullet dodged last night. DH suggested pizza... I get the impression he's hungry for pizza lately, as he's suggested it a couple times. Granted, he's offering to pay for it out of his pin money, but I'd rather avoid takeaway altogether - a bit of a slippery slope. The suggestion stemmed from us both being tired and cranky and neither wanting to cook or clean up. So we went with fast and easy instead - we had beans on toast with shredded cheese on top. Funny enough, once we had it on plates in front of us, neither one of us regretted it or wanted pizza instead. So I think it was more a convenience than a pizza mood. But I will look into making pizza this weekend, as we have the ingredients at home anyway.Then we'll feel like we've splurged. We're planning to have chicken curry this weekend too, although making it at home. I always feel like we've splurged when we have curry.

All the usual chores done today. I'm little by little trying to pull all the paperwork together and organise it better. I figure even if I only manage to file a few things or to shred a few papers a day, that's progress. And then of course, there's the incoming mail. I am making an effort to keep right on top of it - file, shred, or bin. Everything. To keep the paper pile from getting bigger!

The homemade cookies are almost gone, so I'm debating what to make for DH's lunches. He's only got 2 days to go, so I'm thinking I might make something easy like a small pan of bread pudding with raisins.

We've been discussing having some "preplanned" meals - like hot breakfast (like eggs and bacon) on Saturday mornings, roast dinners on Sunday lunch, and a hot breakfast (such as oatmeal) halfway through the week, like Wednesday. I certainly don't mind making it, it is just easier if I know we're planning on a specific day, so DH doesn't say "hmmm... shall we have eggs this morning?" and totally throw off my morning schedule! He's even happy to do the cooking for the hot breakfasts if I want him to, although I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just like to know ahead of time, so I can get up a bit early and get my other stuff done so I can relax and enjoy the hot breakfast, rather than trying to eat and get my other tasks done too. We found some fishcakes (at Farm foods - a box of 20 for £2 and they're really quite good!) that DS2 absolutely loves - so we're thinking of having this be his "Friday night tea" - fishcakes, chips, and veg. Then we can eat later that evening and have our spicy curry (which we don't give him anyway) or other meals that we generally just have for the two of us due to being spicy. Would be nice and make it seem a little like a "date night" I suppose - so that plan is going into effect as well.

We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving next week, so I need to organise my meal plan and make sure I have everything in for roast turkey, stuffing, carrots, gravy, mash, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. And then that weekend, we'll be putting up the Christmas tree, so that means on Friday, I'll spend some time baking a few Christmas goodies for over the weekend, while we're decorating and watching Christmas movies. A bit of a family tradition that is. I can't believe we're already that close to Christmas!! I bought some brown paper rolls at Poundland yesterday, so that means I can start stamping the paper and wrapping presents soon!

Triggles

A bit of a rushed morning, as I'm tired. DS2 woke up (for heaven only knows what reason!) at 3am and has been chatting nonstop since then! DH & I have a few errands to take care of in town, so we're off to town this morning.

Couple things we have to take care of:
- new calendar for 2010 for DH's diary
- buy nappies at Boots (have a "spend £15, get £5 off" coupon)
- go to bank and pay £10 on our overdraft from old account (by depositing it) as they haven't contacted us about it and we figure this way we're putting something into it so they know we're not just going to ignore it. Still not sure what to do about creditor letter on this one.
- take a bunch of baby clothing to Barnardos to donate (we were going to ebay it, but decided that since it's the holiday season we always like to make some type of donation to a charity, and since we can't donate money this year, we'll donate clothing instead)
- check date for mailings to the states for christmas (I get the nasty feeling today is the deadline, in which case I'm going to be a couple days late LOL)
- pick up a few small office supplies (folders and folding file holder) to finish up organising paperwork. This way I have one set up with the daily current household stuff and such, and one set up strictly with the creditors (loans, credit cards). I'm planning on doing paperwork for the creditors stuff twice a week, at a planned time. It just makes it easier to compartmentalise it so that I'm not obsessing about it all week. Any incoming correspondence will go into this file, and then twice a week I sit down and review it all, formulate response letters, print and mail.
- meeting a friend for lunch. Okay, so not so OS, but this is someone I haven't seen in awhile and it will be nice to catch up. And it's an inexpensive lunch!
- pick up chicken for tonights curry

We went to Morrisons yesterday for their "buy one, get two free" offers. We got Pepsi, Pringles, and Ragu sauce, six of each. The pepsi and pringles have been tucked away for christmas munchies and the ragu sauce has been put into the cupboard for future use. We're planning on going back and utilising the offer again as well, to get more ragu. The price works out about the same or slightly cheaper than the cheap bolognaise sauce we normally buy, but we like this sauce better, so a bit of a treat for the same price. And while pepsi and pringles aren't necessities, it's nice to have nibbles over the holiday period and this contributes to that with minimum spend. They had some decent priced items, so we're going to peruse Morrisons and their offers a bit more frequently.

We took the christmas tree and decorations down from the attic yesterday. (We put the moses basket and stand up in attic, wrapped up, as DS1 & DIL are trying to have another baby, and if they do, we can then give them the moses basket. If not, we'll revisit it and decide what to do at that point.)The living room needs slight reorganisation for the tree, but we're going to place it in front of the large window, so the tree lights can be seen from outside. I always wanted to put lights in the windows, but it's really a bit of a pain, so DH agreed that putting the lit tree in front of the window effectively does the same thing - a bit of festive lighting showing at the front of our house - without added hassle or expense. :rotfl: Very MSE! The tree and decs will be going up next weekend, just after Thanksgiving (Thursday). I'm looking forward to it, as I'm a bit of a Christmas nut! :snow_laug:santa2::snow_grin

slm6002

Hi, i hope your wrong re the usa posting date as i have not yet finished let alone got the box ready for my mum yet! I too went to morrisons the other day and got some ragu and pringles. i didnt realise the pepsi was on offer until running out of the door - we were late for something although cant remember what!

Have a good day

Triggles

One of those quiet days so far. Kids up, dressed, fed. Washing up done. Bottles all done. Laundry hung up to dry. Now just relaxing. Don't have a whole lot of energy today, probably in direct proportion to the coffee I haven't had yet today. LOL Few cups of coffee and I'll start feeling more like doing stuff I suppose. Been a busy couple days, so need a wind down day, I think.

Triggles

This morning we went out to Morrisons and picked up a few of their offers. Stocked up on coffee and bolognaise sauce, as well as a few miscellaneous items that were also on offer for a very good price. I'm quite pleased with our little stockpile of grocery we are building up. And I did notice that Morrison's value tuna is about 10p cheaper than what we normally buy ours for - it's flakes, as opposed to chunks, but we break up the chunks anyway and add mayo, so I can't imagine it's a big deal. I'll try a tin, and if we like it, will be buying it there from now on. I was quite pleased with their meat and poultry section, so I will probably be returning there sometimes to stock up on good offers.