sj`s diary

savingmummy

Pinky hope luck comes your way you never know there may be some £`s a month saved, i will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Everyone has these clouds and it seems to be effecting everyone i know even the wealthier of people.

Last weeks betterware we got £230 in orders So i`m pleased with that as it is better then it was at Xmas time. The commision will be going towards the car tax.

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary and it has been a very strange day starting off with us having an argument after i opened a bank letter stating DH had set up a planned overdraft for £100.
My reasons for not wanting him to have this was
1, He had this last time and struggled badly when his wages came and were £100 less a month then ended up in trouble and got a loan!!!
2, He never asked or informed me about it!!
He done the whole management loan behind my back in 2008 and he promised to never hide anything from me after i found out.
His reason for wanting an overdraft was `incase we needed it`.
Trouble being if he used his overdraft his wages would then be £100 less! Meaning not all bills could be paid then he`d owe (OD) and end up back to square one overdrawn and oweing money. SO he went off to the bank and cancelled it so NO overdraft!
His been like a naughty school boy all afternoon and very snappy BUT i just cant bare to be back in a rut and relying on debt. Overdraft is a debt and i am not a fan on relying on it.

THEN i got a bill in for the gas and elec - estimated!!! (we done metre readings last month over the phone).
Due to the estimated readings they were stating our monthly direct debit would be going up £21 a month :mad:
SO i called up and explained and was told they had no record of our readings from January so asked for todays ones. After i gave them it turned out i was in credit with both £140 elec and £13 gas :jand it is being given back to me SO i will have £153 for my bedroom furniture fund which has perked me up no end!:T
Then to top it off she has confirmed the monthly direct debits will remain the same no rise so i`m very pleased.:beer:

Pinky15

Ah thanks hun - DH got some overtime in so hopefully things won't be as bad as I thought.
Happy Anniversary!!!:T:T:T
Boo to naughty DH hiding the overdraft - hope you get things sorted.
Yey to the electric refund. We are due one but asked if they could hold onto it till the summer just so I knew we were covered and also thought it would be a bit extra when the kids were off. Will update you come the summer. At least you can get the bits for your room now. We really need a hall carpet but cant afford it at the mo but hopefully at the end of the year once the credit cards are gone we can get one!
xx

savingmummy

:TExcellent Pinky fab! It is so unheard of `overtime` so many cut backs so lovely to hear his got some

I usually carry it forward, BUT it just goes on and on and tbh i do pay a little too much a month they always owe me something.
We are so good with electric now and really use only basic and little LOL! Gas is the same although we have used the heating ALOT especially since we had that bad draft over the winter months so i`m guessing we would of been owed a lot more then £13 if i hadnt of had a freezing home :mad: Grrr!

Today we got a letter stating our rent is going up :eek: it is a extra £28 a month - never rains but pours here:rotfl:

BUT today we had a planned visit from DH`s dad and stepmum. Normal monthly visit (they live in Norfolk, us in Essex) and all seemed normal, UNTIL they said they had something for us and handed us a carrier bag with a plastic gold envelope - I was scared i must admit
THEN as i pulled it out it was a Butlins brochure:eek: DH`s dad said you have £400 to spend on a break - you deserve it!!
I cried so much and was so shocked NOT only was it so very generous but it has made the childrens year!!
DD has been asking if we can go again and i have had to say NO! No way could we go or even afford to go on a day visit somewhere let alone a break there.
SO we went online and had a look and i managed to get a 3 night 4 day break for £311 - Used a 40% off i had in a email! Skegness gold apartment self catering Sooooooooo happy!!

This will be our 2nd EVER holiday (1st was last May at Bognor regis butlins) and without this very generous gift we would never of been able too!

They always go abroad and have several UK holidays a year and know how jealous i am. I actually think they feel sorry for me at times. I see my MIL look at me as if to say `you poor woman` LOL!
I certainly am grateful and they both know 110% how grateful we all are.
I am still a bit shocked they have done this as they dont really do things like this, they have bought us things for xmas, birthdays etc BUT never been giving without an occasion its normally my parents who help or give.
SO again as low as it gets i`m lifed by generosity :beer:

Pinky15

Wow to Dad & S Mum:A - how kind - see what goes around comes around. You def deserve it and it will give you something to look forward to and be a nice break for you and the kids! Yeh! Glad to hear you have some good news! x

savingmummy

We are all still so excited and happy, and shocked!
We wouldnt of been able to have had a small holiday this year, and next year i very much doubt either unless we somehow come into money so it really is wonderful to know we can this year!

Payday tomorrow and the bills will be paid, hubby`s car tax too `BOO`. We wont be doing the monthly food shop due to the car tax so will be eating very basic for the next month, although we will have betterware money each week which will buy the immediate essentials that we need.
I have some frozen veg, frozen chicken pieces and loads of sausages (was on offer), frozen mince, pasta, cereals, tuna (tins of it LOL!) and tinned spaghetti, beans, toms and soup so if needs must we do have some food.
I will get some potatoes, fruit, bread and milk from iceland. Its amazing what you can scrape together when you have too
Luckily we dont need toiletries or cleaning things which is a bonus.
Although we will need nappies. DS is nowhere near ready to be potty trained his showing no signs at all.

Once this month is over we will be fine. I always find when something crops up it makes the month go to pot ie, car tax, unexpected bill hike or tv licence etc (we now pay DD monthly for this so that will be better).

Pinky15

Haha I so know what you mean about the unexpected/cropping up bills - we have so many of them. Next month is car&home insurange going to have to put home insurance on a direct deb as simply cant afford to pay in full at the mo which is rubbish. We too will be on basics next month - it is really carp isnt it?
I put a lottery ticket on this week - fingers crossed - If I will a million I will upgrade your holiday to a fortnight in spain!:D
Here's hoping.
Glad you are sounding positive tho I know I get sooo sick at times and am having one of those weeks lol. x

savingmummy

Hehehe! Good luck with the lotto
It is rubbish but we always come through at the end dont we? I went to tesco today (betterware commision) and watched so many people just throwing things in their trolleys and paying by credit card at the checkout. I actually watched a lady just walking alone and spending approx £30 on make up - can`t remember the last time i done that, maybe my teen years?!!
I`m glad i just used my shopping list NO extras and spent a small £42 on a trolley load of useful things!
I got a lot of things with that and will be fine this month ie, no baked beans on toast every day Phew LOL!

You know i have spent so long being negative, panicking and being stressed out i have decided this year to laugh and smile more and be POSITIVE.
I can`t fix a problem by being stressed and making myself ill something that has taken me so long to learn!!
We are lucky in the respect the only debt we have is the management loan which is paid each month and is manageable (This made me freak for over a year when really others have much worse!).
DH is working full time and is safe in his job and we have a part time job.
We have a house which is liveable and we have food (albeit basic).
Everything else can wait and anything we cant have/afford to get really doesnt matter at all as we have health and each other which is important.

I have no home insurance - you have reminded me pinky i must work on sorting that out especially once we have the place decorated and fully furnished this summer! I had it with our flat and never continued once we moved so i must do it as it is important who knows what may happen.

Pinky15

Re - home insurance - remember to go through quidco.:D
I know what you mean about feeling postive - I usually am and try to be grateful but some days it's just no enough and now and again I get fed up. Part of human nature I spose.
DD1 is picking the lottery numbers tomorrow - apparently the numbers I picked last week were rubbish:D so the pressure is on her to pick the winners lol.
Have a nice weekend x

savingmummy

Oh how i wish the Lotto was easy!! It gets so disheartening when your number dont bloody match haha!

Been an odd week or too starting with half term DD was poorly throughout and had to take her to A&E twice and the GP once (took 3 days to get an appt) she has a upper respiratory infection then she had a tummy bug. She had last Monday off and went back Tuesday fine.
THEN DS had tummy bug Tuesday,weds,Thiursday THEN Friday morning DS woke up and had breakfast and was fine!! We were just leaving for school and DD got tummy cramps and had another upset tum all day so another day off school!!!
She is better now and in school and DS has recovered too.
It is book week this week and Friday they are dressing up. DD wants to be a pirate so looking forward to dressing her up

I got a birthday invitation for DD/DS through today and not only is it joint (2 cards/2 pressies) it is fancy dress. Ruby will have to go as a pirate LOL! And DS will have to use something from his dressing up box i can`t afford to buy new AND presents!! I agreed to go to the party before i knew it was fancy dress AND a joint!! It is also a long way away so going to cost a bit for petrol too

DH was doing the betterware yesterday morning and a lady who is a regular customer has a broken hip and was asking if he knew anyone who would do housework for her for a few weeks. He said i could do it and gave her my number but she hasnt rang as yet. Would be nice if she did, bit nervous though i must admit cleaning someones hom you dont know and also her being there while your doing it Eek!

savingmummy

My DD is still poorly!! She has a constant dry cough and has been referred to the asthma nurse for weds.
She also has been given antibiotics for an ear infection which came on this afternoon
My poor girl has been so poorly this year and i`m so worried about her.

Its been a tough few weeks - finacially!! NO money in the bank at all and we are struggling.
NO petrol in the car at all, managed to borrow £10 and it still didnt come off the red!!!

The lady found someone else to do the cleaning
Stupidly i helped the lady who i used to iron for to pack as she is moving next week. Her flat is a hoarders den - no joke!!
I spent 4 hours trying to clear out her kitchen - 19 black bags of rubbish and 10 boxes packed and only 2 cupboards empty!!! Bad back, achy feet and all i got was a few plastic plates and beakers - i assumed i was getting a little `something` for helping!!
We have no milk or bread and low on butter and i was hoping to have got something to at least buy the essential things we need right now. I havent even got my 1p`s and 2p`s to fall back on as we used them last month

DH is off all week and i really can`t be doing with it. We can`t go out, we can`t do any DIY, there is nothing for us to do at all!!! What a waste of a week off!!
Its a low time now and i`m not enjoying it at all.............