SAHM to 2 boys Money Diary

cha97michelle

Sorry you had a big car bill. I also think that seems a little dear. DH picked up some from costco when he needed some and it wasn't as much as £220 for 2. Just looked and checked - £141 and i don't think they are even the cheapest. They were michelin tyres so not cheap ones. Martin had a link you could use to buy cheap tyres. A national link that found you the cheapest local company. No use for this time but might help next time. I too am woefully lacking in my savings for emergencies. I keep saying each month i am going to start paying money to one side to sort out the future a bit better and then something else crops up.

What is it with the Shred? I just got a copy of it too. I've not done it yet but i will. Sounds hard though. DS1 cried when i put it on the other day, so i need to create a bit of time in the day to do it but no idea where.

SAHMto2boys

:DHi Moobear and Smarties - great to 'see' you, please stay!!:D

Thanks for the comments re the tyres. Yes they are stupidly expensive but thats down to the type of car he drives. Mine are much cheaper (about £70 ish I think for the last one). Its something to do with the size of the alloys I think:o he had a puncture recently and it was £130 for one:eek: so he did manage to wrangle a good price. He said a guy brought an Audi in while he was there and they quoted him over £1k for 4....now that is:eek: Plus they will replace for free for one year for any punctures, wear, etc. But in other ways the car is very ecomoncail on fuel, tax, servicing, etc - its one of the reasons we got rid of the massive BMW because a service was something crazy like £600 (fine when work pay but when we had to start and pick up the bill it was bye bye car!).

I really need to put money aside for cars, etc but having just brought my car tax that cleared the savings I had for cars and it just seems I don't have enough money to keep putting money into 'pots' - I can only make it stretch so far.

Have been reading a very interesting thread someone posted on one of the other boards about 'are you secertly poor?'. Yikes some of the replies were shocking - people missing meals, no money for basics like tea and sugar, taking annual leave as no money for petrol. I feel very blessed actually for all the moaning I do:o.

Was hunting through a drawer last night and found some bridal underwear - complete with tags. I can only think I brought it to try under my wedding dress and it wasn't right so I had to buy something else. I've been married nearly six years:o:mad:. They are going on Ebay today!

Nipped to Sainsburys this morning for some parsnips and fish fingers, also picked up some rice on offer (have I mentioned DH can't eat potato? so rice is a bit of a staple for him). Don't want to do any further spending today, lots of cooking planned and with take baby for a walk I think to try and shake off my achey legs from Shredding.

Right cooking!

SAHMto2boys

Okay, after about three hours of cooking while the baby has slept I've managed to do the following:
8x tomato sauce with butternut squash and lentils
5x veg and chicken gratin
6x corn chowder
6x chicken with sweet peppers
12x beef and lentil pot supper
6x thick lentil and carrot soup (with spare breadcrumbs chucked in too)

Just need to make a savoury lentil bake and some root veg medley and thats everything used up and hopefully enough food for the summer holidays. Plus things like cottage pie, spag bol, scrambled eggs, jacket potato I make fresh as we the rest of eat he is now well stocked up.

Just hope the power stays on so I can get it all frozen. We've had a massive thunder storm for most of the day and lost the power for a while so fingers crossed!

cha97michelle

See what you mean about the car then. My dad always moans about the cost of his tyres too for his merc.

I to have been on a spending binge today. Went to the supermarket and spent £45, then needed petrol as DH left my car in the red, so £30 there (didn't dare fill the tank completely - will use that up first as i don't go that far and it would be dead money sat in the car. Then i spent another £20 at the cheap freezer shop near us. I know i am going to need to go to costco very soon and do a meat stock up. It will have to be before our liverpool trip as the in-laws are staying here to watch the kids for us for 2 nights. I can't leave it empty and have them thinking we are completely skint. I have also just signed a contract for cavity wall insulation, after paying the balance on the bathroom yesterday. :eek:

I worked out to put the money to one side i need to cover all the annual expenses like cars and repairs, and christmas, tv license, clothes, etc etc I would need to put away £600 per month. DH earns about £1200 because the tax man is still taking too much. We also have nearly £500 in DDs for bills and the mortgage. DH spends at least £100 on diesel most months. Sometimes more. I don't know how i do what i do to be honest, and i am certainly glad i have no debt other than the mortgage to pay. I do dread rates going up again as i know it will be hard. I am only bringing in odd bits here and there from selling stuff and mystery shopping.

Don't know why i typed all that other than so you know you are definitely not alone. I just hope i am doing enough know to cope in a few months.

I kind of saw that other thread. Was it on the email? I read one a few years ago and saw some horrible stories like mums having no money for a nappy for their baby so having to walk miles to Morrisons to get a free one. I have never been that poor and we have a way to go yet, so i will continue as i am as we are so much better than most.

Chin up. We are surviving some hard times and things can only get easier as the kids get bigger. I actually stuck DS2 in a training pants nappy today and he told me as he wee'd. If i properly went for potty training i could have him done this summer.

smarties84

Oh my, i would be interested to read that thread? Which section is it in please?
Wow i really envy all of you home made cooking, i am no where near as organised as you lol!!!

Today i blew a fairly big amount in the sales, but i got some proper bargains and feel i havent been shopping like that for ages - so why not, just this once!!

SAHMto2boys

kind of saw that other thread. Was it on the email? I read one a few years ago and saw some horrible stories like mums having no money for a nappy for their baby so having to walk miles to Morrisons to get a free one.

*shudders* that really makes me go cold. Some of the things on the thread were uncomfortable reading but then also lovely as people were offering to help. Thats why I need to sort us out, I never, ever want to have to be in a position like that. And lets face it, it wouldn't take long if we had a year of high rates and expenses. So I need to clear the debt and save. Simples - right?

Thinking about what someone else said on a thread, I don't class myself as 'poor' just skint. This will end and things will be okay, its just a case of me stopping being a brat and spending money I don't have/should be for the mortgage.

Smartie - this is the thread that caught my eye and then from there are links to the original threads on Mumsnet (its the Mumsnet one that made for harsh reading):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2596249

Not sure if it was on the email, it just caught my eye when I was messing on here.

Michelle - thanks for all that, it really is good to know that we aren't the only ones - only thing is mine is for overspending and not as sensible as paying off my mortgage:mad:. Oh well I'm here now and things are changing. I'm really noticing the prices of food shooting up, money just doesn't seem to go very far now. DH and I were talking when we were students, DH just to stack shelves and he'd get some rice or pasta and be able to make him and 4 mates a huge meal to soak up the nights beer for about £1 in the shop canteen - now rice and pasta aren't cheap staples anymore. Well done on your DS2 and the wee, my DS1 has been dry day and night for about a 14 months now and that really helped the budget when I didn't buy nappies for a few months but of course thats a back now with the baby. Well done on getting the installation sorted, sounds like things are really coming together for you.:j


First day of the summer holidays - yay no school run! So just having a chilled out morning, DS1 is happily playing and watching TV (thinks its great I'm not nagging him about getting ready for school) and the baby is already back in bed.

Bang goes my NSD - DH didn't tell me he'd opened the last bag of nappies so will have to call for some later. DS1 is at a party at 12 so that will help entertain him for a few hours. Have taken the scraps of some chicken out the freezer and a 20p pasta sauce to have for tea along with the last bit of bacon and use the rest of the ciabatta mix up - will get DS to help make that later.

Well thats a bit of a mammouth post for this time in the morning, laters! Xx

cha97michelle

Alright love? I've been a bit busy and not posting much myself, but you have been away longer. Still shredding?

brizzledfw

Hi there- haven't posted for a while but need to get back on the MSE wagon and was loving your diary..read from start to finish but see that it has stopped...hope alls ok and that you return asap!!

Cheers

brizzle