Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Thanks wantabetterlife, glad there are others out there buying basics, when I'm shopping I seem to be the only one!

[Deleted User]

Most of the stuff I buy is basics or on offer! we are still using up tinned tomatos from when asda were doing 6 for a pound but with the cost of food I am loathe to pay ridiculous prices!
I hear you though sometimes I feel guilty that I am maybe not feeding us as well as I should- but there is cereals for breakfasts, fruit and veg, milk, proteins for sandwiches and a cooked dinner (with meat or fish but maybe not as much as there used to be) every nite! plus the odd treat .... it is so easy to overfill a trolley to end up wasting/chucking stuff away cos you never get round to using it!... much better to shop smartly! but hard to always stick to. I find I start the month from payday with great intentions and then its so easy to just pop in for "milk" and end up with a lot of un-needed stuff!!

On another note the halloween party sounds fab and well worth any money spent!! shame you didnt get much help with the clearing up though! wine and pringles sound much deserved! :rotfl:

cha97michelle

What you can change, is the way you look at it.

We are good parents as we don't fill our kids up with expensive junk food. We eat less meat than ever, more pulses, and have a lot of cheap labels too. I make sure I don't send any obvious cheap lables in DS1's pack up but apart from that, basics all the way here.

My trolley can look horrendous sometimes, as most of my meat and cleaning stuff comes from costco, so the shop assistant must think we only eat certain things. :rotfl:

newgirly

Thanks TYO and michelle, you have made me feel better! I think I have been feeling a bit run down lately and not on top of things as much, there is always food for the kids (even if they say there's nothing nice to eat!) I also like you michelle send the kids with "normal" stuff to school not value.

It would be interesting to know how many of us on here go to extemes cutting back budgets to overpay, I don't know anyone in real life who shops on a tiny budget or gets freebies/does surveys etc.
Its the time of year thats not helping me I think, lovely xmas stuff everywhere, I have bought nearly all the presents which is a big relief, but half price ba*leys is just torture on display when I'm trying to be good.:D

Today I am going to wash and iron everything if I can, tonight I have a "jamie at home" party at a friends house which I can't miss as I aways can't make her parties. I've had a look online and they do a few smaller xmas bits like make your own decorations etc. so hopefully there will be something I can afford!

Bonfire night I am looking forward to on sat. at my parents, but I would love to take the kids to the cinema sunday, now they are getting older though they never like whats on at the kids club, which means around £25 to get in so it will probably be a no go.
I did however get dh another pair of free cinema tickets from skytv, this time for a preview of justice, there were a couple of other films as well but they had all gone at our local cinema so I must remember to check all the time.

wantabetterlife

Hi newgirly..have you ever tried the irish cream liquer that they sell in lidl...only about £5 and is lovely!

cha97michelle

It is hard, but we can do it, and it is not a selfish thing we are doing. For me, it is so I can be around more and help out when they are older.

I guess it must be a bit easier for me as I have always been like this with the kids, whereas yours might remember you being less frugal in the past and have different expectations. Mine don't ask for much at all with being little.

I am finding it hard not going mad for Christmas too, but I need to be strong. Trouble is everyone bombards you with emails and brochures and on facebook. I had a lovely email from Betty's. When I worked I always got a nice fruit cake from there for us and both sets of parents. I would then also buy a themed chocolate bar for each nephew, and i would spend about £80 at least. Even though it is years since I shopped there, they still tempt me with emails.

never_too_old

newgirly wrote: »

Thanks TYO and michelle, you have made me feel better! I think I have been feeling a bit run down lately and not on top of things as much, there is always food for the kids (even if they say there's nothing nice to eat!) I also like you michelle send the kids with "normal" stuff to school not value.

It would be interesting to know how many of us on here go to extemes cutting back budgets to overpay, I don't know anyone in real life who shops on a tiny budget or gets freebies/does surveys etc.
Its the time of year thats not helping me I think, lovely xmas stuff everywhere, I have bought nearly all the presents which is a big relief, but half price ba*leys is just torture on display when I'm trying to be good.:D

Today I am going to wash and iron everything if I can, tonight I have a "jamie at home" party at a friends house which I can't miss as I aways can't make her parties. I've had a look online and they do a few smaller xmas bits like make your own decorations etc. so hopefully there will be something I can afford!

Bonfire night I am looking forward to on sat. at my parents, but I would love to take the kids to the cinema sunday, now they are getting older though they never like whats on at the kids club, which means around £25 to get in so it will probably be a no go.
I did however get dh another pair of free cinema tickets from skytv, this time for a preview of justice, there were a couple of other films as well but they had all gone at our local cinema so I must remember to check all the time.

Hi
have you thought of subscribing to the free cinema ticket thread on here, you then get an email every time a free film is listed, and not just the sky ones, i have seen 17 free films this year , could of had more,
went to see machine gum preacher on tuesday:D

newgirly

My kids were spoilt when they were toddlers then we ran out of money, so they are used to it really! I am lucky as they often don't ask and assume we can't afford stuff, for example ds1 is football mad and loves fifa 12 which came out a few weeks ago. He did'nt ask for it though even though he had waited for it to be released, he took me in the shop and showed me it and said he wanted it for xmas. His uncle and best friend got it the day it was released, he has played theirs but still did'nt ask for us to buy it bless him.:o

Its me who feels a bit guilty sometimes, but then on the other hand I'm glad they are not spoilt adn look forward to stuff, some of their friends are given what they want and sometimes it shows in their personality IYKWIM.

Thanks Iam hart I will look for the freebie cinema tickets although I can't believe there is a corner of mse I don't know about seen as I spend most of my life on here.:rotfl:
DH went with my little bro to see machine gun preacher last week via sky and loved it.

newgirly

I have just had a very nice surprise today, my parents have booked us a 2 night break in the same hotel we stayed at last year to visit the xmas market, they are also having the kids for the weekend.:j

I can't believe it, what a nice thing to do, its to give us both a break on our own.

Today I am washing and cleaning, however I have been naughty and put the heating on, and will use the td as the washing I put on the airers 2 days ago is still wet, I think its because the house is cold. I am getting behind with it so would rather just pay the extra cost to get it done.

Best go and do some work, however I am too excited about the good news :rotfl:

967stuart

Good luck with your overpayments OP
Me and my wife worked our butts off last year and managed to overpay £3000, it knocked a whole year off our term, feels great to be making a (small) dent in it.

All the best.