June 2010, 80 payments to go............

gallygirl

tootallulah wrote: »

Coffee £2. I have good news that my house is ahead of schedule, not much overtime for tradesmen in the north so all kinds of out of hours and week-end work is being done by various relatives with Christmas looming. The major hold up will be the plumber who can't start until 17th November which is a shame. However the kitchen etc can be fitted without the heating being done.

So dear readers-worktops, any recommendations? I am having a not expensive IKEA plain white kitchen so what will make it look more classy etc, etc. I would of course like polished granite but funds do not allow................What else will work?

If you're not too posh for laminate , this is what I got in the spring http://www.savoykitchenworktops.co.uk/Kitchen-Worktops/Savoy-Specials-40mm-Kitchen-Worktops/Black-Sparkle-Gloss-40mm-Kitchen-Worktop/prod_1199.html and I still love it . I have pale beech units with white tiles & a black sink - I adore my worktop, especially when the hob light or the downlighters are on, it's all sparkly

tootallulah

I like that very much, never turn down the opportunity for a bit of sparkle.

tootallulah

Yesterday, coffee £2. I cut out two blinds last night and luckily had enough lining in my stash without spending any more money.

!st October today £1800 paid off the capital of my mortgage but the next £5k is going to the building work on Monday, so not progress, but it will be worth it in the end. Busy sewing week-end and hopefully only a bit of food shopping to do. It has been a heavy week at work and it will be nice to have a peaceful week-end. I have a major project delivering on 3 December which went onto site yesterday. It looks like the contractors are good and they are funny so it should be enjoyable.

Food and spends for October are budgeted at £300 including two trips to Yorkshire, fingers crossed.

tootallulah

Coffee £2, food shopping £19.63. Quiet night in ready for a peaceful week-end. I have taken out this weeks money to use as cash (£70) to buy my food and to be my spending money. I hope this works, it's a new approach. I am away the next two week-ends and I have got my tickets so it should be do-able. I am really pleased that September is over.

tootallulah

How very annoying to be wide awake at 5.30 on a Saturday. However I have ordered samples for my work tops (thanks for the recommend GG) and I am waiting for the sun to get up before I do. It's bucketing it down so the fact that I am in all day is good. I am sewing today and must not leave the house as I cannot spend any money.

I am trawling the net for appliances and I will have a full kitchen design by next week so that will mean I know what will fit where. My current plan is a good cooker with cheap fridge and dishwasher. I will see what I can do. I have moved to really wanting to see the works on the house now, I have missed going north and seeing my family and friends. It's only 3 weeks but it feels much more......................

Queen-Bee_2

The kitchen sounds fab - lovely worktops! And good luck with the new approach to weekend budgeting!!
QB

tootallulah

I have made two blinds for my new kitchen, it was one of those times when things just worked and everything came together well. I am really pleased. Feeling like I should make the most of my sewing mojo but I can't finish my last blind as I don't have lining fabric. I do have the fabric to make a winter coat so that will be tomorrow's task- I will certainly be able to get it cut out.

Now I am cooking for friends coming round for dinner. it will be an "interesting" mix of things but it is built round a shoulder of lamb from the freezer.

tootallulah

I bought three Christmas presents I saw yesterday on the John Lewis web-site clearance bit. Cath Kidston mouse pin cushion half price £3, a knitting kit for a new born baby: cardigan, hat and bootees with a pattern, needles, yarn etc, was £20 down to £5, and a sewing kit for a soft toy hippo for a child over 8 years, £5 down from £15. I am going to knit the baby stuff for my god-daughter's baby Annabelle doll it should fit pretty well if I make it in the preemie size.

I just have two presents to buy, though quite a few still to make including "a lot of clothes for my Barbie with glitter" and a couple of embroidered cushions. I am going to cut out the Barbie stuff tonight and hit the cushions on the flight to San Francisco later in the month. So my spends today have been £13. Still I am sticking to my £70 per week taken out on Saturday and have £57 left.

tootallulah

Coffee £2, coffee £2 the tube strike yesterday meant a longish walk and a 2 hour journey which morphed into two coffees. Still a normal day ahead and I am about to leave for the bus. My kitchen has become a Barbie clothes central with tiny bits of half finished clothes all over the place. The big plus is you can't eat and sew at the same time so snacking is off the menu.

Another £5k leaves for the builders tonight, half way on the spending. I am going to see how things are progressing and to buy my bathroom and kitchen at the week-end there seems to be some possibility it will be finished early which surprises me but which would be lovely. However I probably shouldn't get my hopes up as we are just at the demolition phase with everything to build.

tootallulah

Coffee £2. Doing OK on the £70 a week when it's gone it's gone challenge.