Fliss27 - In this for the long haul

Fliss27

Thank you so much Pennywise! How does this look?

Fliss27

Well, it works... Looks awful though, doesn't it? Nearly thirty thousand pounds. Ouch.

EssexHebridean

Signature looks great Fliss - because it shows that you know what you need to do, and you're fully prepared to roll up your sleeves and get on with it. Well done to you. :beer:

pennywisepoundstupid

Looks good fliss, it also means your ready to take control and have had your lightbulb moment, goodluck sweetheart you will do it.

Fliss27

Thank you EssexHebridean and Pennywise for your support - it means a lot. Makes it less lonely to be here grappling with this enormous debt, to know that there are people out there rooting for me. So thank you both, very much.

Today is going to be an NSD I think. We have enough food for lunches and dinners and all I'm a bit short of is laundry stuff, but I'll leave that for tomorrow when the CB comes in. Maintenance is due this week too, and I should start getting paid soon so I can pay the water bills and top up hubby's account and hopefully pay off some of the BT creddie.

DS came home with his school photo at the end of last week, he's not happy with it cos he thinks he's making a daft face in - well, he is, but that was his choice at the time. He doesn't want me to buy a set, and I can't really afford to, but it's a record of how he's growing up and I get one every year for my parents for Christmas, so I'm still debating whether or not to buy it. It's money we can't really afford at the moment (and it should have been in today, but going by experience there's always a couple of days grace). Going to have to decide soon though. Why does he always look such a mess in school photos? And I still need to pay for that book...

Wanting to do my cashback clicking now, but the site's down. Maybe time to look at joining another one!

EssexHebridean

You'll be waiting on TCB to wake up too then? I've sailed through Quidco, no problem, but can't do the others! Grr!

Can you downshift at all on your laundry powder? Or buy in greater bulk for a cheaper overall spend? I see to recall noticing that either Lidl or Aldi do a powder that looks suspiciously as though it may be made by whoever makes Bold....

Another trick that works well with laundry I've found - half the recommended amount of powder, plus a scoop of soda crystals. White vinegar can be substituted for fabric softener, and no, it doesn't make the clothes smell like a chippy! I buy a "posh" powder or washing liquid occasionally, but save this for use on bedding where that "just washed" smell really makes a difference. The rest of the time it's Tesco own brand!

podperson

Hi Fliss,
Just wanted to say hi and sounds like you are doing great! Regarding DS's school photo do you know anyone who is into photography? I really enjoy it and used to practice on all my friend's kids and I know some of them used to use them instead of the school photos since I would take them of the kids in their school uniform if they wanted and usually came out much better since would spend a bit of time on them and take lots of different shots rather then the school ones where they usually just take one and rush them through it.

Fliss27

Essex Hebridean - Thank you for that! I use Morrison's own value brand washing liquid at £1.45 or something like that, and I use less than recommended. My machine doesn't like powder, it leaves little bits of undissolved powder on the clothes that eventually rot through natural fibres, especially cotton. Looks awful on black clothes too! It doesn't help that the element is gone on our machine and we can't afford to replace it, so I'm filling the wash cycle with hot water from the tap (combi-boiler vs. electric machine heating probably works out cheaper that way anyway!). Fabric softener is again a value brand, either Morrisons or Asda, at about 45p a bottle that lasts ages. I must check out Aldi though and see if their washing liquid is cheaper! I used to use white vinegar in the rinse for DD's nappies, but she's grown out of those now and is in 'sposies, which I get on special offer and only change when droopy or dirty (God, that sounds awful doesn't it! But she doesn't seem to mind, and she's not got a rash or anything so it must be ok!). 3 or 4 a day at £5 for 48 or something isn't too bad, and hopefully she'll be out of them by the end of next summer (she's 13 months nearly).

Podperson - thanks for the tip! Unfortunately the only person I know who is really into photography is 200 miles away. I do wish we had a couple of poses to choose from, even if DS has to choose at the time, but I suppose they have so many to get through there just isn't time. I still haven't made a decision, will have to talk to DH about it tonight.

I'll be off to see if TCB is running again, thank you all for your kind comments and advice!

pennywisepoundstupid

Fliss i would be tempted to put DS in school uniform and take some photos of him using your own camera, sit him in a chair against a plain background and get him to do different poses/position i'm sure you would get a decent photo and there is always offers about from Tesco photos, snapfish etc for printing them, I have a lovely picture of my 2 sat together in uniform took it on first morning back at school and had it made into a mouse mat. i bet you could even buy the card mounting that goes around them off ebay, at least with a digital camera it doesn't cost you anything if they don't look good.

Fliss27

Pennywise, you are brilliant! I can get cashback for joining snapfish through TCB, and there's the 40 free prints offer to boot, so I'll have a delve there and see what I can get. Also, I've just remembered - we have a photoshop in town and they have an offer of a 10" x 7" plus other, smaller photos, for £5.99 - if snapfish doesn't work out / is too expensive I think I'll take The Boy there in his uniform and get his photo taken with them instead. We've been meaning to have Baby done too, but that will have to wait. We have a ton of digi pics of her anyway.

It's quite fun this, isn't it? It's us against the people who want to bleed us dry, and the money saved is our way of keeping score!