Sorting through my rubbish

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Trixie and Chev,

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, had the week off with the kids and not sure where the time has gone.

Not done and awful lot, had a couple of days out to fit in with appointments in larger towns (both about 1 hour away, we are in a small town with limited resources!). Have been quite frugal though and found cheaper car parks than I would normally use, put dinner in slow cooker before we left home so that we only had to have a snack out and weren't tempted to have dinner on the way home! DD wanted The BFG which was £7.99 in WHSmith but we did a tour of all the charity shops and found it for a couple of quid!

CHEV - I have done a SOA before but not posted it on here, we have parred down our gas and elec from £140 to £90pm and are still in credit, we are on water rates NOT a meter which with 5 in the house is bound to be cheaper (especially with the showers my boys take) and we always shop around for Insurance etc; the only one I am having trouble getting cheaper is the Pet Insurance but I'm scared of cancelling it all together! Food wise I budget £200 in a normal month and am pretty good at sticking to that as I buy whoopsies and stock up on bargains. One blessing is that when DH finishes his job we will save about £30pw in fuel costs and if he is working in town will be able to get rid of a car. Also was told today that work want to give me a promotion and additional hours but need to 'free up the hours' first!!:rotfl::rotfl:That would be a Godsend as it would take the pressure off of DH, I would just make sure he took on some more home duties as he seems a bit lax with those at the moment.

TRIXIE - Hope half term went ok for you and wasn't too manic, back to work now for a rest. Well done with the Ebaying, I must get back into that. Did sell something for £40 the other day so that was good and have another £10.85 coming into Paypal for Surveys so Paypal account is looking quite healthy and there for when we need something. I love that fact that so many websites take Paypal now so you can buy almost anything with it and are not restricted to Ebay.

Food budget going well. Done a fair bit of baking over the hols, lots of loaf type cakes, 6 xDate, Prune and Walnut and 3 x Chocolate and Banana variety too, sound like a lot but I did freeze one of each gave one Date and Prune one to a friend who can't bake and another was put in a hamper for a friends birthday along with some of my homemade jam and chutney and a bottle of DH's Bootleg Gin!!

Chicken in the Slow cooker for tonight and will use the leftovers to make a pie for tomorrow's dinner, was going to have the chicken yesterday but when I took it out of the fridge it was still frozen so knocked together some homemade pizzas topped with billy bear sausage (!) mushrooms and pineapple - yum and the kids have taken the leftovers for lunch today.

Meal plan done for this week and Asd@ order booked in for next Thursday, will try and get to then just buying bread and milk.

Got the boys big birthday treat this weekend so hopefully that will go well, I'm so excited but they still don't know about it!

Anyway better go and do some work, back later

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trixiepix

Hey lovely

How was the birthday weekend????????????? - i bet it was a fabulously huge surprise!!!!!

The last few weeks have zoomed by, half term was as manic as usual!!! plus there were a few 'spanners in the works' over the last week or so (car in the garage, bills bills and more bills, DD1 massively kicking off and some ++++++)

I've had at least a week where it's been hard to see the woods for the trees financially and 'there's got to be more to life than this' has passed through my mind on more than one or twenty five occasions recently.

The new house has so much stuff needed to be done to it but we just don't have the money and unless DH has lots of overtime (which is becoming very, very scarce) then i can't see how anything is ever going to get done - but hey we all have times when we feel like this!!! Hopefully things will change - excuse the moaning, very inconciderate in light of your OH's working situation xx

Ebaying has been ok, i've had a few non payers of late plus this weekend someone who has 'problems' with their paypal account (yeah right!!!) which has been frustrating but on the upside i did use a little of my debt repayment money (:eek:) earned from ebay to buy a preloved wardrobe (from ebay) for DH as he's been on a rail since moving, due to be delivered on Wed and fortunately the seller has been an absolute delight.

Food shopping budget just about lasted through the month (i was down to around £20 by the last shop though!!) so gonna have to try harder to even out the budgeting a bit - but i still have lots of 'stockpiled' stuff from the last few weeks, i just have to focus and get organised again (rather than moping and feeling sorry for myself:( - what a woose!!!!)

Have a lovely day xx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Trixie.

OMG, how long is it since I posted. The last couple of weeks have been a real roller coaster:eek:.

Well done you with the ebaying and budgeting (boo to the non-payers, they are such a nuisance!).

I know how you feel with the house and having so much to do. We moved into our place 8.5 years ago, and parts of it are starting to look tired now. The laminate we put throughout the ground floor needs replacing (puppy and baby house training, 2 footie/rugby playing kids etc taken it's toll). The kitchen that was put in to sell the house is cheap and poor quality and the kitchen ceiling needs re-plastering and the floor leveling. Our bedroom hasn't seen fresh paint since we moved in! I do still have some of my bargain £2 paint in several colours (check out the clearance section of Homebase - we also got chrome ceiling lights for £2.50 there once!) Have decided that as long as it's clean and fairly tidy people don't notice the tiredness so much and we will have to live with it all a bit longer. The real frustration is that with DH being made redundant he will have more time for DIY but no spare cash!

The birthday weekend was fabulous, the boys couldn't believe their luck and even DD enjoyed it, we were all exhausted though, left home at 7.45am and got back just before midnight!! Had a lovely lunch at Marco Pierre Whites' then Stamford Bridge Tour, museum and megastore (even DS1 who's turning 18 said it was surreal being there), then back to Westminster and a spin on the Eye!! Was very MSE as I prebooked the train as soon as possible to get cheapest fares (with my family railcard too), prebooked day tube passes, prebooked tour with lunch as extra so all in all was too much of a drain on the pocket. Oh and DH did put his hand in his pocket, even paid for the Eye tickets!!

Its DS1's birthday next week, going out for a family meal and then clubbing!! Probably cost far more than the trip to London!

Been having a bit of a stressful time though, DH has several medical problems that give him pain and make him very frustrated that his body can't do what he wants it to do. Add to that the worry about loosing his job and he has been quite hard to live with the last few weeks. We are working through it and trying to make more time for each other and talk things trough rather than bottle it up but not easy.

On a brighter note, I have been doing surveys like mad hence the totals in my sig. Budgeting very tightly for food etc. Meal planned for next few days. Worked out repayment programme for Next (need to clear that by summer). Had quotes for DS1's car ins and gone down a lot on last year (Almost halved!). Got DD a free book with her World Book Day voucher. Have spent a bit on clothes but got a skirt, dress and bag for the grand total of £15 in Primarni and a Skandinavian down filled packable jacket from TKMaxxxxxx for £20, RRP £120, and as I HATE being cold it will be well used. Got loads of parsnips reduced to 9p a bag the other day, there were piles there so didn't feel bad taking 6 bags. Have roasted and open froze loads and made spicy pasrnip soup with the skinny ones plus the peelings from the others (very MSE), it was yummy.

DS1 has another intervew for the Army on Monday, it's a long process but he is getting there step by step. It's what he wants so I have to be brave:(.

Right off to bed now,

Night all

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3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All

Trixie - Hope you are ok, have missed your banter!

Had a good weekend, DD had friends round on Saturday, played in graden all day, then they went to a local performing arts group for the first time, DD loved it and it was FREE! Made HM pizzas for tea and had a NSD!

Sunday was rugby, so £2 subs and £1 hot choc for me but apart from that no other spends! Roast Gammon and veggies etc for dinner and DS2 made a trifle for pudding, all from stocks!

DH took me to Wetherspoons on Thursday for Curry Night, was nice to have some time to our selves and we had a good chat, hope things are moving forward now. He has had a pre-op appointment come through for his leg so hopefully the op will be in a few weeks, fingers crossed that makes life easier.

Working double shift today so left a veggie curry in the slow cooker. Was tempted to buy fish and chips on way to work but resisted and raided the fridge/cupboards at home first. Have hardly spent anything on food so far this month, trying to keep to a bare minimum as need spare cash for the weekend.

Used up another toilettry item last night, can't believe how many I have got rid of so far this year, mostly small or half used bottles but they were all cluttering up the bathroom, it's much easier now I have them prioritised and know what to use up first, also I am using all my products as I tend to ignore body lotions and butters but now I am enjoying them.

Right must do some work.

Back soon

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trixiepix

Hey lovely - please accept my apologies for going awol over recent weeks!!! - no excuse's i've just been a tad rubbish i think!!:D

Sorry to hear things have been tough with your DH lately - my dad had MS and found life very frustrating at times as 'the mind was willing but the body weak' - hope he feels a little more upbeat soon - when is his redundancy take effect - has he been given a date?

Your celebration weekends sound amazing, so glad you all had a fab time - certainly one to remember with what you managed to squeeze in and budget for -:D

Well, with me i've been on hols from work during the school easter hols, so i've been trying to keep the kids entertained whilst trying to keep a lid on the spending as there wasn't really a holiday budget just what was left from the 'through the week' money - it did feel as though the week was never going to end last week and thought my purse would be empty by Wednesday but then a friend and i spent the day at the park on Thursday and then local country park (which we're members of ) on Friday - resulting in only having to spend on a few ice-creams and drinks - yay!!

Before the hols i've been getting stuck in with the rather depressing gardens at the new house - starting with wrangling with a small conifer in the front garden to get it removed ( i would have been sure to get £250 from you've been framed had i been filmed!!!) and heaps of stuff in the back garden ( bbq had deck planks for £2.49 instead of a fiver & deck step stones for £2 over easter) - so have been a very busy bee (DH injured himself around 8 wks ago and has been unable to do any lifting or heavy work for weeks)

Well done on using the toiletries up - i still seem to have bottles of creams/potions poking out of every drawer - mental note to self - DO NOT BUY ANY MORE - i'm such a sucker when my friend brings her Avoon book into work:cool:.

Anyway hun - hope your having a good day and hope to 'speak' soon xxx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Trix, great to hear from you again. Sounds like you have been busy with the children and gardening.

You did the right thing buying the boards etc when on offer, makes such a difference. We hit Homebose and Q&B last weekend, got loads of reduced plants, floating shelf for £2, bits and bobs for the graden (all on offer or reduced) and best of all an electric woodburner type stove for the lounge, just what I wanted and half price in the clearance section!! Best of all if we ever do get a gas fire fitted in the lounge it can go in the dining room on that hearth.

I've been really terrible at posting lately but will try and do better.

Finances are totally screwed at the mo, Aiming to repay Nexxt (About £1000:eek:) by end of June (when DS1 leaves college), have a plan and need to stick to it. Will then move on to tackle CC2 which has somehow got up to £1500 after being repaid. Not even sure how that's happened but I will sort it out, have managed to put it onto a 0% deal for now so may be better concentrating on repaying CC1 whilst it is interest free and even after that runs off it is a lot lower APR.

Surveying like mad, saving £2 coins for Xmas and £20 per month in an Xmas fund at work.

Been helping DH in the garden so that we can get everything sorted and manageable before he has to have his ops. The kids have all been helping and will cut grass etc when he is incapacitated!

Work going well, picking up extra shifts as and when.

Food budget is good, about £200 per month. Loads of fruit and veg and homecooked goodies. Generally put in an order from ASDA on payday to stock up the fridge/freezer/cupboards (making sure I use the deals/smart price) and then buy bits and pieces in Mossies through the month when needed, picking up reductions where at all possible. I can justify the £3 ASda delivery charge as our nearest store is 25 miles away!! Meal plan is then done around what we have available. Still working our way through frozen produce from the garden last year!

Latest food successes have been cooking a chicken in the slow cooker, none of the meat dries out, it falls off the bone and there is no waste. We have the breast meat with a roast and the rest of the meat and left over veg make a yummy pie. There is even stock left in the slowcooker for stews, gravies etc. so a medium chicken can feed all five of us for 2/3 meals. Also been making a lovely fish curry with smoked mackeral fillets (bought when reduced), smart price peanut butter, onion, tinned tomatoes and curry paste, delicious!

Made my first slow cooker rice pudding yesterday, it was lovely despite me putting paprika on the top instead of nutmeg!! Luckily I noticed and added nutmeg and no-one commented so got away with that. It amazes me how little rice you need to make a huge pudding and I used dried milk so it was cheaper.

DH has been made redundant now, as from end of March, so I am making sure he has plenty to do round the house!! He got paid the end of March and will get his redundancy the end of April so the reality hasn't hit yet. I have worked out my budgets and we should be ok. DS1 has been promised full-time work once college ends so he will be paying keep so it will make up the loss of Child Benefit and CTC.

Must go and do some work now, will be back soon.

Take care hun,

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3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Well another week has rolled by without me posting:eek:, really must do better!

It was payday on Monday, started my assault on the Next account but unfortunately my tax code was wrong so haven't been paid quite as much as expected and my expenses didn't go through this month either! Have rejigged the payments and should still have it cleared by the time DS1 leaves college (end of June). Then plan on attacking the credit cards one by one.

Had a delivery from Asd@ yesterday £90 so the freezer, cupboards etc are fully stocked, should just need fresh bits and bobs this month. Got 2 bags chicken breasts, 8 Fray Bentos pies(on offer and the kids love them), cheese, bacon, pepperoni (for hm pizzas), dog food, lunch box bits, 8 boxes of cereal (all on offer) as well as all the usual fruit n veg, cleaning stuff, tins etc. Have been buying the Smart Price crisps for lunch boxes instead of Walkers and as well as being a fraction of the cost they last longer cos the kids don't think it's cool to be seen eating them!! Win Win for Mum's budget!

Made one of my mediterranian veg and cheese roules for the kids lunch boxes this week, made a nice change from sandwiches.

Spent £77 in the garden centre this week, started off well enough bought 2 very large planters on BOGOF £6 for my 2 twisted willows from Mossies, they were only £2 each as opposed to the horrendous price in the garden centre, then needed some more compost to fill the planters, then remembered I still have to treat the lower levels of our Humungous decking so got 2 tins of decking oil at £24 each and some garden paint to finish painting some of the wooden furniture, scarey stuff when I got the bill, that's my contingencies fund gone this month!!

Have several birthdays this pay month but probably have pressies for most of them in my box and certainly have cards for them. DS2 told me yesterday that his French exchange student will be with us on 19th May for a week, first I've heard of it, nothing from the school in writing and the last I heard they had broken all ties with the French school because of the huge !!!!-up that was the exchange last year!! He better not be a fussy eater cos there's no scope in the budget for that!!

Right off to put a chicken in the oven.

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3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Had a good week, been really careful about spending, only buying what I really need in the shops (not a lot).

Had visitors on Monday and managed to provide a spread for us all without buying anything apart from salad! This included mushroom and stilton quiche, tuna and sweetcorn quiche, cheese and tomato pasta, apple and white raspberry crumble and 3 banana and chocolate cakes. Most of the ingredients were in the freezer ie homegrown produce and stilton leftover from Christmas!! Only used one of the cakes so the other two are being sliced up for lunch boxes.

Making a big stew tomorrow, should last 2 days, have loads of veg to use. Bought heaps of reduced parsnips (4 x 9p a bag) and mushrooms (6 x 25p a punnet), so have sliced and open froze the mushrooms and will roast the parsnips and open freeze as this was really successful last time.

I am sticking to my payment plans so far and keeping up the Xmas savings. Being very frugal and not buying 'wants' just 'needs'.

DD and I blitzed her room at the weekend, got rid of 4 plastic storage crates of toys/rubbish, so much better as she can see and get to everything now. Will sort and bag the toys ready for carbooting when the weather improves.

When we went to [EMAIL="Homeb@se"]Homeb@se[/EMAIL] a couple of weeks ago I picked up some Vymura wallpaper reduced from £20 to £1! There were 2 different designs but only a couple of rolls of each BUT enough for our headboard wall (our bedroom hasn't been decorated for 9 years) and the chimney breast wall in the lounge. Just need to motivate hubby and also find some bargain paint to go with it, I think Magnolia would be ok with both and I can probably pick up an industrial size pot fairly cheaply, at least everything would be clean and fresh.

Right off to work, back soon

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trixiepix

Hey lovely lady,

I've been off the radar again for a spell as things have gone a little off kilter of late!!

Spending has been rubbish and had to lump a few hundred back on the CC which has made me a tad blue:( - really is a vicious circle!!!

Car passed MOT which was fab but had an advisory on the brakes and as we're going away shortly (few hundred miles in the car!) it was something that needed to be done, but with no money in the pot then the credit card took a hit, then the realisation that the kids needed swimming costumes/underwear and a few bits and bobs, both pairs of my favourite jeans (aka those that currently fit!!!) zips broke within the same week, DD1 school shoes have started to let in water as a hole is forming and her school trousers are rapidly becoming ankle biters!! - then it's my mums birthday this week which means presents and tea party at the weekend ( with no money eek!!), friend over on wednesday eve for soft drinks and nibbles (still no money - eekier!!), away on Sunday (fortunately holiday spends have been put away - phewwwwww) but then when we get back it's DD2 communion celebrations ( more party food!!!) followed by DD1 birthday - hardly surprising cc has taken a hit (ooh and the next catalogue - tra la la)!!

Completely my fault as instead of putting money aside from ebay sales i've paid it off of the cc which is turn now means i have to put stuff back on the cc - the lottery win would be good now - lol !!

You are truly an inspiration with your party food creations - i'm inspired to make some quiches myself now - not sure my freezer is as well stocked as yours with lovely stuff at the mo - but i'm sure i can still create a selection of nibbles on a budget - any advice would be gratefully received!!!

Anyway - must hop off and do some work - take good care and well done on your bargain hunting!!
xx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Trix, glad you're back, I've missed you, just been whittering on to myself:rotfl:

Boy you have had an expensive time, why does it happen like that one thing after another! No real pearls of wisdom to help I'm afraid, battling my own credit card disaster here!!

Party food I can possibly help with, potato wedges are always good (and cheap) and you can use any old spuds or sweet potatoes, garlic and herb or chilli seasonings or just good ole salt and pepper. My suet pastry roulle always goes down well, filled with either mixed meditteranean veg, chilli or bacon and cheese (or just about any other filling you can think of/have ingredients to use up) with loads of cheese on top and served hot or cold. Also if you get a cheap french stick, slice it and spread with a reduced mixture of onions (red, white or shallots), port and crumbled stilton (still using up Xmas leftovers!), more stilton on top and bake in the oven, yum. Pasta dishes are good and cheap, use up whatever you have spare and serve hot or cold as a salad. Hope that helps!

Things are going ok here, sticking to my payment plans. Not spending much on food etc. Bit of a hick-up as we have a french exchange student arriving tonight which we only found about on 4th!! But should all be good.

Hubby had the first of his leg ops last Friday (got a call on Thursday that they had a cancellation) so walking a bit like John Wayne at the mo and lots of self pity! It has worked out quite well though cos I have had three 12/13 hour days this week so have had very little time at home to prepare for our visitor so have left hubby to it (plus I haven't had to listen to his moans and groans - I KNOW, I'm mean!!).

Had a bit of luck this week. We have desperately wanted to extend the house for years now to have a utility and just a bit more living space, even had planning permission at one time but not the £20k+ to do the work. Won an almost new conservatory on [EMAIL="Eb@y"]Eb@y[/EMAIL], local to us, perfect size and shape for the side of the house :j:j and our dear friends went and picked it up for us:A. Just waiting for hubby to be well enough to build a base and put it together (looks a bit like a giant meccano set at the moment!). So excited, couldn't afford it but also couldn't afford to not go for it as it was a bargain! Have checked and we don't need planning permission or building regs so that's even better!

'Speak' soon

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