Go For It - My 2010 Diary of Need!

ceebeeby

Day 80 - Sunday 21st March
Money Spent - £nil - yep, seriously nil - no grocery shopping!
Extra Money Earnt - £nil
Ebay / Gibble Clearance Challenge (Target £50 in March) - Total for Month: £153.98 :j
Hours / Days since last cigarette - 2M, 2 wk, 6 day
Number of sweets / cakes etc. NONE - gave them up for lent - day 32/46
of bread / rolls etc. - off this week **groan** 4/7
Week weigh in on a Thursday: (12.4) -2 = 10 / 35lb
HL Score: 8/10
Flying Stars: 5/5 for this week

Hey, well, I've set yet another challenge and that is to see if I can go the whole week without any grocery shopping whatsoever!

Have also changed my running total slightly above, as some things fall on others fall off ... my ever moving challenges!

I should say I have two well stocked freezers full of bread, butter and milk - a reasonably full larder and the fridge isn't too badly off. My struggle will be dishwasher tablets, but then I can always resort to washing up liquid if necessary!

I'll put up this weeks menu in a minute - and you'll see how bizarre it is, but the family have all agreed to give it a go.

My car is absolutely gleaming inside and out (thank you DH for the inside!), and his car is done on the outside (thank you me!!), the gutters are all cleaned, and the final drops of ironing have been put away. All the shoes are gleaming - wow, totally ready for a new week now. DH3 is in the bath, ready to put on a feel-good Sunday movie with buttery crumpets (for them ... not me!!!)

ceebeeby

Monday 22nd March
Chicken Noodles with Chicken

Tuesday 23rd March
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Mash

Wednesday 24th March
Chicken Chow Mein with Rice

Thursday 25th March
Beans on Toast

Friday 26th March
Smoked Haddock / Omelette

Saturday 27th March
Chicken Curry and Chips

Sunday 28th March
Honey'd Pork Belly, Potatos and Carrots

NO SPENDS ON GROCERY!!

angela110660

what a lovely week's menu especially with no grocery shopping! We just had a chicken stir fry for din which was yum. However, had to do my shopping this morning and spent just under £115. Dont seem to be able to spend less than £100any week recently - really seen the prices shoot up for everything.

ceebeeby

That was me too pre-challenges! I was regularly £100 - £150 per week shopping, now I've no idea at all what I used to spend that amount on! I think it's a bad week now if I go over £30 ... and we eat very healthily still (well, the odd burger and chips excepted!)

The OS Board is fabulous. I think January's groceries came in at under £60 for the entire month, you need to learn all the tricks of cheap spending.

ceebeeby

Day 81 - Monday 22nd March
Money Spent - £54 MOT
Extra Money Earnt - £nil
Ebay / Gibble Clearance Challenge (Target £50 in March) - Total for Month: £153.98
Hours / Days since last cigarette - 2M, 3 wk, 0 day
Number of sweets / cakes etc. NONE - gave them up for lent - day 33/46
of bread / rolls etc. - off this week **groan** 5/7
Week weigh in on a Thursday: (12.4) -2 = 10 / 35lb
HL Score: 8/10
Flying Stars: 0/5 for this week

Car failed its MOT in a tosspotty garage, who messed up the inside after I spent ages cleaning it yesterday - am boiling with rage!

Ooooh, I caught up with a long ago Best Friend whom I haven't seen for ages - taht was fab fun. Trying to arrange to meet up which would be fab.

ceebeeby

Day 82 - Tuesday 23rd March
Money Spent - £60 in Mr T's but on MMHB stuff
Extra Money Earnt - £nil
Ebay / Gibble Clearance Challenge (Target £50 in March) - Total for Month: £153.98
Hours / Days since last cigarette - 2M, 3 wk, 1 day
Number of sweets / cakes etc. NONE - gave them up for lent - day 34/46
of bread / rolls etc. - off this week **groan** 6/7
Week weigh in on a Thursday: (12.4) -2 = 10 / 35lb
HL Score: 5/10
Flying Stars: 0/5 for this week

****yawn****

Tooo sleepy to post lots! Long day at work, and it's piled high for tomorrow also!

ceebeeby

MARCH ARCHIVE

GOALS REMOVED FROM THE FRONT PAGE:

5. Sell the house in Spain (update w/c 15/02 - house valued, and now E50k less than purchase price, so house now being let out for the summer as can't afford to drop that much, hold this over to 2011!!)
11. Walk 10000 steps a day

Make my House Better Project - REMOVED FROM FRONT PAGE LIST AS ACHIEVED DURING MARCH!

vegetable peeling knife that doesn't hurt my fingers
4 new lounge cushions
2 x bathroom bins
Bathroom decorations for shelves
shelf above coats in inner hall - and now fitted!!
get the tumble drier fixed
crystal candle holders for dining room shelf
tin of gloss paint for bathroom shelf, inner hall doors, downstair cloakroom
sort out outside lights front (done 12/03/10)
quote for getting fence fixed (quote was £750 so fence can wait!!!)
replace inner hall light fitting
fix ensuite loo
fix ensuite tap
fix kitchen tap
fix wardrobe slide
get a house keepers box
fix electric fuse that keeps blowing

update interupted .... start from here

Number removed from the list so far: 17

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March 2010 (25th February - 24th March inc.)

My Debts (or the ones I'll currently admit too!)

CC1 - £6,464.81 (APRIL INTEREST NOT ADDED ON). Limit £6,700. (interest 1.52% monthly) MAR BILL = £165.76 PAID Next interest estimate £99.31
CC2 - £2,172.01 (1.77% monthly interest. Limit £2,400 - MAR PAID (Bill was £51.12, however, paid £100)
Catalogue Account - £895.46 - (MAR PAID - £197.37) (0% interest)
Overdraft 1 - £1,450 Mar charges £7.57
Overdraft 2 - £2,800 Mar charges £20.28 on the 26/03
DD1 - (£215) £115 - 115 = £0 (Mar paid £115) :j:j:j
Mum - £2,180
Gran - £980

START OF MARCH TOTAL = £17,312.24 + 3 Head in the Sands (THERE ARE NO MORE, I PROMISE!) :eek:

END OF MARCH TOTAL = £16,942.28

March 2010 Reviews

What's left in the pot after the bills have been paid:
First review (23/2) +261.56
Second review (26/2) +306.57 (saved £20 by using Amazon Voucher for friends purchase; gained £20 from DH payback)
Third review (27/2) +310.35 (paid out for DD's clothes unbudgeted, rcvd cheque 10.10 from dental; used vouchers for shopping; paid less for mothers day)
Fourth (01/03) +282.80 shelf, light fitting, bath mat, dentist for make me and my house better project.
Fifth Review (03/03) +349.65 (-16 for new school jumper; 70 from M to treat Gran for mday/bday; cheaper phone bill following negotiations)
Sixth review (06/03) + 326.23 (MMHB project, shopping, ebay postage)
Seventh review (10/03) + 292.89 (MMHB project and unbudgeted meal out on Monday, more expensive catalogue bill, less expensive bank charges)
Eighth review (12/03) + 213.79 (MMHB project, ASDA shop for school trip, refund from dentist)
Ninth review (14/03) +187.34 (MMHB project, Grans' Birthday plus lunch out etc.)
Tenth review (16/03) +169.67 (Grans' Birthday dinner)
Eleventh review (22/03) +325.67 (re-hash on hols / MOT / car-boot money etc.)
Current and Final Review (24/03) +564.85 (refund to pot on grocery and petrol / carry forward of passport spends etc).

March's Paying Out List

Income: CF £115.33 + 2797.81 + 132.80 + 170.95 + 10.10 + 70 = 3296.99 (+£50 ebay target)
Estimated Bank 1 Outgoings: £57.73/ 125.94 (+68.21)
Estimated Bank 2 Outgoings: £29.63 / 623.20
Estimated Additional Expenses: £267.90

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March 2010

Estimated Additional Expenses Break Down:
2 x Passport Renewals (Kids) - £126.50 - CARRY FORWARD
Kids Guiding Holidays - £70
DD Payback = £115
Car MOT = £70
Grans Birthday = £52.98
Mothers Day = £10
Petrol (£42.50 per week @ 5 weeks) = £83.80 remaining
Grocery Shopping (£25 per week @ 5 weeks) & Pets Shopping (£25 total) = £57.60 remaining
School Bus x 23 days = £16 remaining
Holiday Savings (Single) = £100
Sealed pot for Xmas = £50
Family Holiday Savings (Family) = £100
Additional Extras Total: £1100
Total remaining to pay out: £nil - any extras go back in the pot!
Estimated Bank 1 Outgoings:
Electric (7) - 3.5
C Tax (223) - 0
Mortgage (748.70)- 374.35
Contents (36.44) - 18.22
Gas (35) - 17.50
Head in the Sands 2 (751.40) - 375.70
Sky (88.50) - 44.25
Dental Ins - 21.00 NIL - CANCELLED
Pet Ins (14.74) - 7.37
Landline/BB (25.79) - 12.90 £21.90
Int & Charges - (7.57) - 3.79 Confirmed
Head in the Sands 3 (105.90) - 52.95
Sky Protect (8.08) - 4.04
Build Ins (15.73) - 7.87
Home Care (28.92) - 14.46
Nat Trust (5.00) - 2.50 CF
Total: £960.40
Remaining: £nil cf 5
Estimated Bank 2 Outgoings:

Phone - 44.18 confirmed £31.20
Catalogue - 185 was £197.37
Car Ins - 20.12
CC1 - 165.76 confirmed
Head in the sands 1 - 312.38
TVL - 12.18
Phone ins - 7.99
Life Ins 1 - 27.43
Life Ins 2 - 9.35
Int / Charge - 20.28 CF
CC2 - 51.12 confirmed. Paid £100 to reduce balance
Total: £864.66
Remaining: £nil cf 20.28

2010 Savings Funds
Holiday Savings Fund (Singley's) 1: £450 (Amount added in Mar - £100)
Holiday Savings Fund (Family) 2: £0 (Amount added in Mar - £0)
Christmas 2010 Savings Fund: £0 (Amount added in Mar - £0)

ceebeeby

Day 83 - Wednesday 24th March
Money Spent - £nil
Extra Money Earnt - £nil
Hours / Days since last cigarette - 2M, 3 wk, 2 day
Number of sweets / cakes etc. NONE - gave them up for lent - day 35/46
of bread / rolls etc. - off this week 7/7
Week weigh in on a Thursday: (12.4) -2 = 10 / 35lb
HL Score: 5/10
Flying Stars: 0/5 for this week

Have finished doing the end of March update, and here's the months results:

Weight Loss (-5lb for March)
Debt Clearing (-£369.96), 1 full debt paid off
Not Adding to Credit (remember the £170 tumble dryer!!!)
No sweets / cakes / crisps or biscuits
7 days on / off with bread
Grocery budget (£92.40 / £150)
Ebay Sales Target (£153.97 / £50)
Savings Challenge 1 (£100/£100 ) 2 (£0/£100 ) 3 (£0/£50:()
MMHB Project (16 fixes done)
Flying (18/20 stars)
NSD (11/15)

I feel as if I need a bit of a boost to keep myself on track with some targets (for instance the savings and the NSD.

There's also been some naughty ebay purchasing going on with clothes (not a lot ... but it's there) and I've been hiding it in grocery shopping so you won't know and tell me off - yes, that's really how shallow I can be!

Anyway, next month there is NO HIDING! I intend to confess all, and take all relevant stick (or encouragement to stop!)

I love my new decluttered home life (well, except HL!) but there needs to be fun too, so I want to dust of the Nat Trust card and picnic basket!

Thanks for keeping me company during March, and please stay with me for April too xxx

liuhut

Wow well done on a great month. I have been lurking but never posted! I love the way you have set it all out and its inspiried me to do a mini version just for myself at the moment...well apart from my flying stars!!
xx

angela110660

Amazingly well done - so focussed still - really impressed and will stick with you in April for sure.