Sorting through my rubbish

Doobop

Sounds like things are on the up for you - very glad

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Thanks Doobop,

Saw the nurses again today, possibly one more week with the pump and I'll be done, can hardly believe it after having an open wound for over two years!! Seeing my consultant next week so hopefully he'll be happy with it all.

Not much money saving going on as we are having to decorate and treat various parts of the house and garden, however, I am doing bogofs and deals on paint etc where ever possible. Even the kids are chipping in, painting the playhouse and wooden garden furniture etc, bless them!!

Eating fairly frugally, mainly salads and things from the cupboards/freezer. Not a lot of actual coooking going on though!

DDs birthday next week, pressies etc covered but we are all going to 'Spoons for dinner in the evening.

Payday again next Friday, couple of bills to cover, car mot, carpet fitting etc but still aiming for my £500 debt repayment and hopefully some in the emergency pot.

Must dash, have a great weekend

321 xxx

trixiepix

Hello lovely,


Hope all is well with you & yours & you're still checking in xx


I've yet to catch up on the thread as have been off the radar for many months - Completely hit rock bottom but I'm gradually on the up and seeing the woods for the tree's, first time I've felt able to log in for ages!!


I'll have a read through & bob back shortly xxxx

trixiepix

Well, roller coaster ride doesn't even come close to how your life has been over recent months!!!


You've had an awful lot to deal with hunny


First and foremost I hope your health is on the up, in real terms nothing else really matters but I know trying to juggle health, wealth (or lack of it), family & debt is no easy task and truly frustrating at times, add depression into the mix (have worn that T-shirt) and its really hard.


And as for MS ??, you truly are an inspiration with making the ends meet, how are things going? feeling inspired?

trixiepix

Truly hope all good with you xx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All (Trixie inparticular, hope you are ok?)

I'm back after a long break. Finances still not much better but I'm working on it. Have got a lot of the cc debt on 0% again and aiming to make big inroads into it this year.

Need to get back into my meal planning (which I have re-started this week), home baking and shopping to a budget. I have gone through all of my cupboards so I know we have a huge stash of food there and two freezers bulging so we need to eat some of it!

I am doing the crazy clothes challenge again and have allowed £250 for the year, so far have spent £57, that includes several dresses for work and 3 pairs of Pj's for my next hospital stay (yes I'm going back under the knife!), I have nice newish slippers and dressing gown to take and will earmark some of my smaller sized toilettries to take with me. I'm booked in for mid May and wont be able to do anything strenuous for at least a month afterwards so any decluttering/decorating needs to be done NOW! DDs bedroom is due to be decorated, new carpet/bed/the works but that might be delayed now, we've just finished the dining room.

I'm still saving £2 coins and they are going to pay for DH's 50th next year (I'm looking at taking him to Rekjavik). Any vouchers are going towards Xmas, as is any accumulated cashback. Money from 'my little lady' is saved towards holidays (we did HP StudioTour earlier in the year and hope to go away in October).

Will be back in few days with a budget and repayment plan (Iknow I've been here so many times before but I seriously need to sort this out). I am being very restrained with shopping of all kinds, especially things for myself as I have loads of toilleteries, clothes, bags, shoes etc! Even the kids are pretty well sorted and DDs bedroom will be her main Birthday pressie as she has some lovely school trips planned this year. I know some people will think that holidays/school trips etc are an extravagance but I will not let the kids suffer for my stupidity and I think they should experience as much as they are able.

Once more unto the breach dear friends!!

321 x

trixiepix

Hello my lovely, good to 'see' you back ☺


We all know what a rollercoaster ride this blinking debt malarkey is and it's hard to hop off and get on the easy road when it's a case of one step forward and two back (or fifteen back!!!)


Sorry to hear you've yet to return again to hospital, you've had such a difficult time, is it likely this procedure will 'fix' the problem?


As for me, rumbling along as usual, great plans to de-clutter, clear and ebay continue with much procrastination and little time to actually achieve - I'm trying to shift my all or nothing attitude and I'm slowing realizing that by just sorted one drawer rather than say the whole kitchen means at least I am slowing achieving my goals.
My kitchen is half cleared out - it's always looked very ordered from the 'outside' but inside the cupboards is a different story, too much stuff (and much or it not needed)
I can't even mention the loft, eek!! - lol!!


How you feel brighter hunny & just know we're all in the boat!!


Trixie xx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Trixie, so good too hear from you!

You sound so like me, great plans and all that but too much thinking and not enough doing! I'm sorry to hear that you havent made much progress but happy to hear it's not just me!!!

I've re-read my diary and cant believe how long I have been on here and how little progress I have actually made! I feel quite ashamed and disappointed in myself, everyone thinks I am so organised and money savvy, if only they knew!

I do feel different about things this year, I think the penny may have finally dropped. I am keeping a spending diary, noting all spends apart from groceries. So far this year each month has been less extravagent than the last, seeing the actual figures is making me think more, it's also satisfying see in the increased number of No Spend Days (NSD); 10 in January, 15 in February and 10 out of the 14 days so far this month! Even the grocery spending is well thought out, making the most of discount vouchers (the £5 off a £40 spend type) and not buying much else in between, this weekend (no voucher) I only spent £17 on bread, milk, f&v and lunch box type things. I have a voucher to use by 20th and DS1 is coming home on leave so this week I will stock up well and even get him a birthday cake (YS if possible, of course!).

We had a frugal weekend enjoying the beautiful spring weather, dog walks and gardening, we tackled the overgrown veg plot which hasn't had any tlc for two years due to my illness and Hubby's increased working hours. We cleared all of the overgrown vines and brambles and covered the raised beds with membrane to stop weeds growing through. Even if we don't actually grow anything this year it should stay tidier and maybe we can get back to homegrown veg next year! Hubby suggested a takeaway after all of our efforts yesterday but I said 'No' and found everything for a curry and naan bread from the stocks, he cooked it whilst I had a nice hot bubbly bath (used up some more of my extensive stash!).

I put a YS Gammon joint in the slow cooker this morning so we will have that with peas, mash and parsley sauce for dinner, ham egg and chips tomorrow and make slimming world quiche with the left overs for Wednesday. Not planned any further than that for this week yet. We have a leg of lamb in the freezer so that will be for Easter Sunday, there are some swordfish steaks we can have on Good Friday so apart from about 4 Easter eggs I don't need to worry too much about that.

I really need to get in the loft this week to tackle the crates of books, most cookery books and some novels etc will be coming to work for my clients to use, and the rest going to the charity shop. I need to be ruthless as I will keep books for years otherwise (hence the crates of them in the loft!) Then we can store DS1's belongings in the loft for him whilst he is still in the Army, which will free up space in DDs bedroom which we want to decorate. Never ending isn't it!

I have been following the KonMarie thread on here and it is helping me to let belongings go and ease some of the clutter. I really want an easier to manage life and house and getting rid of stuff that doesnt bring joy seems the way to go. We have so much still in the house and loft it's ridiculous! Another area on the hit list this week is my clothes, cleared them out a while back but with the changing of the seasons I'm going to have another go and donate a lot of my heavy jumpers which weren't worn this winter.

I will get on top of things!

Have a lovely evening

321 xxx

trixiepix

Well it sounds as though you have your head in the right 'place' and completely refocused hun ☺


Well done on managing the food budget & increased NSD's, that is something I struggle with as there always seems to be something!!! (hoped for NSD yesterday and then realized I had to pay for DD2's school trip and we needed bread!! - freezer sooooo full I can't freeze any at the mo)
I'll have a pootle over to the kon marie thread as I need all the help I can get!!


I think the main problem with me is not only do I hold emotional attachment to things but also see everything as having a value, I think it's a 'no money' trait as I can't justify just 'getting rid' of something if there is a likelihood it has a value, hence why I keep stuff to ebay but then struggle with the time to be able to bay and in turn the attic (& understairs cupboard just gets fuller & fuller & my mind gets more and more cluttered!!) - it's a vicious circle!!!!


I think I might bob onto the flylady thread too, I think it's about organizing a cleaning schedule as for me no two weeks are the same so I stuggle to have a definitive routine, it all gets done but I'm sure It could be a little more stress free!!!


Keep up the good work lovely


Trix xx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi all

Ah Trixie, I know exactly what you mean about everything having value. I was of exactly the same mindset and would intend to ebay and carboot items to recoup some of the money spent. I would think 'that cost £XX, I need to get £X back for it' but that has resulted in the loft and shed both being rammed with items which are waiting to get sold and probably going out of date or damanaged in the process.

In it's heyday you could make a fair amount of money on Ebay or by carbooting but these days the fees kill a lot of the profit and there are so many non payers or serial complainers that I cant be bothered with the hassle. Facebook selling pages are as bad, people say they want something and then never collect the item. I'd rather take it to our favourite charity shop, which we have set-up Gift Aid with, and take joy in our annual statement which tells us how much our clutter has raised for them. Some items I am taking to work for use by my clients and other items are passed on to friends who I know need X, Y or Z but I never knowing pass on my clutter to clutter up someone elses space!!

I was please with myself last night, I sorted through my clothes. I have a large bin bag for the charity shop and a smaller bag of select items for a friend who is a bit short of money atm and who I think they will suit. I have managed to fit all of my clothes into my wardrobe and drawers easily and instead of the drawers under the beg being rammed with seasonal clothes they now house only my Xmas jumpers (:eek:), nightwear and swimwear. I think DH was surprised as he claims I have far more clothes than him but I think i have now proved him wrong! I will have another cull after my operation as there are some tops and dresses that I may not feel comfortable wearing but until then its hard to tell. I culled my shoes recently and got rid of about 12 pairs, either donated to the charity shop or sold on facebook (although 3 pairs still haven't been collected - huff:mad:).

No spending again yesterday and today, feels good, maybe I will finally break the habits of a lifetime. I went to Big Town last week (don't go often as its 25 miles away but had a hospital appointment so took day off of work), I took only cash that I was willing to spend, DS2 and I had the £3 lunch in Subway and I bought some pjs in primarni, was going to get some that were £10 a pair and then spotted some reductions and got 3 pairs for £3 each so I wil be smart for hospital. Apart from that and exorbitant parking costs at hospital I didn't buy anything else; even browsed, but didn't succombe to, the B00ts reduced section (the one in Big Town is so much better than our local one where they barely reduce the prices), there were some goodies there but nothing I actually needed, just things I wanted. I think I may finally be realising the difference between needs and wants, will probably give in to some wants sometimes though as life could get quite dull otherwise!

On top of all of this I am also trying to loose weight before my op, I have lost about 1.5 stone since September and would like to loose another 0.5 before May, another couple of lbs and I will have a weight starting with a 12 which hasn't happened in years! I keep looking at the OS Weight Loss thread for ideas and am toying with the idea of the 5:2 diet again. I am currently monitoring my calories and weight via My Fitness Pal and find that a really good way to keep on track of what I am actually eating.

Anyway must fly

Take care

321 xxx