'I can't think of an interesting title for my debt diary!' Diary

~b~_4

OK, so its day 2 of my debt diary and I did some thinking last night.

I used to be one for buying every magazine that looked like it might make even a remotely interesting read (which, by the way, most of them didnt!). This means I have considerable back log of them left, even after recycling a load. My bright spark to put some use to some of these is to go through them, cut out all the yummy recipes that I saw but never even dreamt of trying to cook, and file them all in a ringbinder. This way, when I've used up all my food, I will have lots of recipes to try my hand at, without having to buy a cookbook!!
Now I am still partial to the odd magazine, but I think I am just going to decide on one, and just by that one, each issue. When I've read it, and I want something to read, I will read a book. Got quite a few of these lying around too - So no buying more till I've read them all!!

Thought just struck me too. When I decide on the magazine - think I will subscribe to save some pennies there too!
:money:

So, meal planning tonight after work. Will be interesting to see how much food we actually have in the house (is it interesting? Or am I just sad? :rotfl:) and how long I can go without buying ''dinners''. Hopefully we will have all healthy stuff too, help the diet! :A

Other things I want to do today;

Start a spending diary
Start a food diary.

Think these will help to keep me on the straight and narrow! Just got to dig out some old notebooks and resist the urge to go buy shiny new ones.

Right, anyway I had better be off.. Lots to do before work today!

Have a wonderful day all you DFW's!


~b~

ruby1968_2

good luck on you journey :=)

~b~_4

Thank you Ruby! See...this site is addictive...I said I was going but I'm still here.

*scurries off before she gets nothing done* :rotfl:

Probably be back later.


~b~

~b~_4

Hi again, I'm back!

So, aswell as tomorrow, I'm having this afternoon off too. I'm having a very extended weekend. Can make a start on the house and garden early. It will also give me a kick start on getting organised, as I'm determined not to waste it, as I did this morning, when I got nothing done!

To give myself a little inspiration, here's a to do list for this afternoon;

- Clear up the front garden. The local yobs seem to think its a dumping ground, so I'm going to clean it all up today, and make sure it stays that way!

- Clear up the patio area of the back garden. This is a relatively small area but has a lot of rubble and other small bits of rubbish in it that I will clear up. This should leave us with a habitable part of the garden! The grass/soil parts can be dealt with tomorrow.

- Make a start cleaning the house. and just see how far I get!

- Meal Planning!

Thats all for now.


~b~

Stephy13

Hi ~b~ have subscribed to your diary thanks for your posts on mine. We are the same age :j.

Reading your first post we have so much in common its scary. Good luck with your gardening and meal planning. Catch up with you later

Steph x

~b~_4

Hi Stephy! My pleasure.

Its always nice to know other people my age are here and in the same boat!

Thanks for the luck, I'll probably need it! Think I'll indulge in a spot of lunch before I start.

Leaving in 15 mins but will probably be back on later.

Off for now.

~b~

~b~_4

~b~ wrote: »

to do list for this afternoon;


[STRIKE]- Clear up the front garden. The local yobs seem to think its a dumping ground, so I'm going to clean it all up today, and make sure it stays that way![/STRIKE] All done! I know have a spick and span front garden! Much nicer to look out of the window now, and it was way past due.

[STRIKE]- Clear up the patio area of the back garden. This is a relatively small area but has a lot of rubble and other small bits of rubbish in it that I will clear up. This should leave us with a habitable part of the garden! The grass/soil parts can be dealt with tomorrow.[/STRIKE] Done all of the patio, df is going to do the grass/soil tomorrow (he better not get mud on my nice clean patio though!) I will also be doing some grass seeds tomorrow in an attempt to have a lawn again. We had some work done on the garden and the idiot builder killed the lawn with all his rubbish!


[STRIKE]- Make a start cleaning the house. and just see how far I get![/STRIKE] Now this one I'm really proud of... I've managed to clean the whole house.

[STRIKE]- Meal Planning![/STRIKE] I m just off to do this now, so its practically done already!

Yay! Go me. :T


~b~

Intergalactic_Floozie

I love magazines too! I used to buy about 7-8 a week and that wasn't including the monthly ones. Now, I just limit myself to 2 per week that I subscribed to online (via Quidco for cashback) although I do still have lapses now and again, but £1 here or there, is loads better than a tenner per week! And my friend (who I made at a bus stop, of all places) swaps her one magazine that she buys each week with me, for my two, so I actually get to read three each week

kezia_jay

Hi, ~b~
Congratulations on beginning your debt free journey.

Is your fiance commited to help you on this journey?

Good luck with cooking and growing food. Great idea.

One word of caution re growing herbs, it is usually better to grow herbs in pots which I think was your intention anyway as quite a few are very rampant and can rapidly take over a garden.

Also it isn't usually a good idea to use garden soil in pots as it contains weed seeds and can become very compacted.

If you want to keep compost costs low you could use half and half and pull out any weeds that grow.

Good luck

~b~_4

Hi IF! That's a brilliant idea about swapping magazines with a friend! If I wasn't going to be tearing recipes out of mine I think I would try that too! I think there are quite a few good online magazine sites that might be worth a look too. :cool:

Hi Kezia! Yeah df is committed to helping me. He's always saying 'do you really need that' or 'should you be spending that?' or quizzing me on the grocery budget. It can be annoying but it is really good for keeping me on the straight and narrow I find!
Thanks for the top tips on gardening. I was going to use pots for the herbs but I'm glad now I know to not use garden soil! I'm due a trip down to the garden centre after payday anyway - the bark in the front garden needs replacing - so I will buy some compost then! I will keep updating how I am getting on once I know what I want to grow!

So, in other debt free areas;

We never did go to the cinema on friday.. but df did take me to blockbuster to choose some films - his treat!! (He got a nice little money gift off a relative he visited!) We still may end up at the cinema tomorrow morning, but we'll see.. I'll try to be strong!

As for df going out tonight..well he's actually out this afternoon and back this evening, which is better for me really! I have a friend round for lunch later and we're having a good old catch up, then I will just relax till he comes home. Lovely to have free rein on the house sometimes.

This morning we went for a lovely walk down to the local nature reserve, and I only spent 50p on some duck corn, (That was 2 bags full aswell!) but it was well worth it as the ducks loved it and we were the first ones there which great. :j

Right anyway... I better be off now... want to work on next months budget and have a nice relaxing soak in the tub before friend gets here. Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.


~b~