Sorting through my rubbish

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Had a quiet weekend, mainly due to the awful weather!

Used up 2 more toilettery items and more food from the freezers. Had sausages, mash and onion gravy yesterday, croissants this morning and enchilladas tonight also made a fish pie for tomorrow's dinner (as I am working double shifts) all made with whoopsied food from the freezer. Made a cake tonight for the kids lunch boxes.

Been in the loft today sorting out stuff for car boot sales and ebaying. Absolute mess up there, things have just been dumped around the hatch despite the whole loft being boarded out. Have started to organise things, ie Xmas stuff in far corner.

Night All

321

bluejeans53

wow, you are amazing, just been reading through your Posts........only me and DH and i,m winging I cant seem to get back on the wagon

x

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Blue Jeans:wave:, good to see you back.

Been working all day and doing evening shift as well so grabbed kids from school and organised DS1 to cook the fish pie I made yesterday.

Had to get some bits and pieces for work so just popped to Mr M's and am now dining royally on 4 tiger rolls, scottish pate and slow roasted tomatoes with mozzerella, all for the princely sum of 77p!!!!:T In fact I got 2 large bags full, with 3 packs of (nice) sausages, 2 chicken pesto ready meals, fresh flowers and fresh cream cakes amongst other things for £3.16!!!! Just struck lucky.

Been paid by 2nd job today but by the time I have paid for the kids haircuts and swimming lessons there won't be much left :mad:. Every time I think I will have a bit to 'salt away' something crops up, I forgot that the breakdown cover was due this month - whoops. Have definately decided that we won't be able to afford to go camping this year but we do have a couple of weddings to look forward to .

Right off to catch-up with other posts and do some real work!!

Have a great evening

321

bluejeans53

Hiya, on the subject of camping, we are thinking of doing some. could I ask......how much would a weeks camping cost you ?. We do like to be outdoors, so think camping would be a good holiday.

We are bidding on Ebay for a six man text, two sleeping bags and a gas stove, bids start a £30. If we like it we will build up bit by bit.

We have booked a holiday abroad this year but have decided its the last for a couple of years and we want to travel around England and do some camping (looking for cheaper holiday too), its just the weather :eek: that may be a problem.

Wow well done on the cheap food. I love cooking and baking, I am going to bake tomorrow. I would like to try bread "again" my bread id fab on the day of making it but not so good the following day. Think I might look on the old style thread for some tips>

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Blue Jeans

We usually spend around £350 on the site for a week but that is for 2 Adults, 2 teenagers (DS1 and g/f) and 2 kids. Usually pay more for 2 cars and the gazebo but it depends on the site. The one we go to is great, has and indoor and outdoor pool, loads of really clean shower blocks, kids play areas a club and takeaway and launderettes. You would pay less for one with fewer facilities but we like a few home comforts:rotfl:.

The first time we went with the 3 kids we bought one of the £100, 4 man tent starter kits from Halfords, tent, 2 double airbeds, 4 sleeping bags and 2 lamps in a large wheeled bag. The idea being if we didn't like it it hadn't cost us too much. It poured with rain most of the week, we were cramped BUT we LOVED it. We had disposible bbqs and 1 gas ring to cook with. We have gradually built up our equiptment and now have a trailer tent that can sleep 6 in comfort and more at a push. We have an electric hook-up, halogen heaters for the cold nights, George Foreman grill, kettle, toaster and small camping oven as well as the gas grill and 2 rings in the trailer tent!! We have also got our good friends into camping and go 'en mass' with them and have a fantastic time. The kids love the site and are free to go and do their own thing, swimming, footy etc and love the kids disco in the evening. We cook breakfast most days, snack for lunch and bbq etc in the evening but always go out for a slap up meal on the last night.

I definately recommend you give it a try. Good luck on the bidding.

G'night

321

trixiepix

Hey all,

321, i'm really gonna have to try the late shopping thing, i really wanna be getting into the food bargains!!! I love it when i get a really good bargain, whenever i shop at morry's i look at the 'reduced' but it always seems to have just a few pence taken off.
I need to time it better i think!!

As for camping.............

We've got a lovely tent and heaps of stuff, electric hook up, air beds, sleeping bags, lights, cooker - pots and pans BUT i think i'm just not a natural camper!!!! - we've been on 2 occasions, first time with the first tent we bought and it leaked as there was virtually a monsoon going on!!! (returned that one and bought a different bigger one), so ended up in a caravan for the rest of the break - second time the wind was so fierce we couldn't even get the tent up and again ended up in a caravan!!

May give it another try or may just cut out the middle bit, ebay the lot and just book into a caravan:rotfl:

Have a fun dayxx

bluejeans53

Hiya 321, Thanks for the info, we hoping to at least get a long weekend in this year. So that we know if we want to go ahead and plan for next year.

Trixiepix...........your not near me by any chance are you ? if your thinking of selling up your camping equipment.......you be selling on ebay and il be buying :rotfl:

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Can't believe it's been a week since I posted.

Had a good week, stuck to my menu plan and managed to keep expenditure down. Did buy DS1 and DS2 some trainers but got them from M & M with a 25% discount code they sent my hubby so only cost me £15 each for 'designer' brands and their old ones were falling off their feet!!!

My friend gave me a large tub of Double cream that was going out of date today so have just whipped up a 'free' batch of choc-o-nut icecream, the recipe stated Nutella - didn't have it so used value chocolate spread, didn't have icing sugar either so used caster sugar and the hazlenuts were slightly out of date ones that my hubby brought home from work. Tastes delish and will be a nice treat for the weekend:j..

Been fighting a cold since Thursday and felt awful yesterday so the kids cooked tea - spicy sausage pasta bake - bless them. Hubby has brought me tea in bed the last 2 mornings and got the kids sorted for school - must be ill more often:rotfl:. Had family favourite of gammon, veg and parsley sauce tonight and leftovers in risotto tomorrow night which will be nice and quick as I am doing a double shift again tomorrow.

Right off for a long awaited soak in the bath!!

Night all

321 x

pennywisepoundstupid

Ice cream sounds yummy, sorry you've not been well but bless hubby looking after you and sorting kids out.

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

So.....I haven't posted for a month and have a bit to catch-up on.

Been a very hectic time and I have been feeling very run down, loads of mouth ulcers and cold sores and just feeling exhausted all of the time. Broke down a few times and had a real rant at the family re the state of the house in general and particularly the little ones' bedroom. Told OH that I feel all the day-to-day pressure is on me, making sure the kids have everything they need, making sure there is food in the cupboards and their bellies (even on the days I am doing a double shift I make sure dinner is organised), doing all the shopping and keeping to a tight budget. Just basically been having a good ole moan!!! But I was really getting that I had had enough.

Anyway..... my main job have offered me more hours:T, I get paid half as much again as for my 2nd job, plus sick pay, pension etc. Thought I would be able to juggle all the hours (I know - what was I thinking?) and use the extra income to pay off my cc within a year. Anyway my 2nd job have said I can't alter my hours so I took a very deep breath and resigned (I have been there 8 years so quite sad to leave), I will be on the same money overall but working less hours and so have more time to organise the house and spend time with the kids over the holidays. Will also be able to pick up overtime with 1st job and pop in to help out at 2nd job if they are ever stuck. The downside is that 1st job is subject to public spending and may be on the government hit list next year but I feel I have made the right decision to go for it as I may end up full-time with or without a promotion as well.

In the meantime I will have to really tighten the belt as I am used to being paid weekly in cash by 2nd job and used this as food/housekeeping money. I am paid monthly by 1st job and will have to wait until end of August to see the money for the additional hours. And we have 2 weddings, numerous birthdays (including DD), a weeks holiday (not going away but still bound to spend some money) and a car to tax in the meantime.

OH has said he can lend me some money to help soften the blow, but I don't really want to take this as I will need to repay it in August. We do have a fair amount of food in and still have loads of toiletteries to use up so that will help and if I empty the small freezer it could really do with being de-frosted!!:rotfl:

Wish me luck:rotfl::rotfl:

321