My diary - A little bit of everything!

trixiepix

Did i hear someone say puppy???,

I love animals too (oh btw Dansmum, so sorry to hear Dan's leg still isn't as good as it could be, i'm sure you are looking after him beautifully xx and i am still sooooooo jealous of your sleeping bag, animal pile arrangement!!)
One of my friends works in an animal sanctuary and she mentioned they had some jack russell pups that were sooooo cute, i did wobble for a second or two but then came firmly back down to reality - i'm out soooo much it would be really unfair to have a puppy as the house is generally empty, she is lining me up for a kitten around April/May as i want to wait until we've been away before our new addition arrives. (the kitten that is, don't anyone be getting any ideas i'm adding to my brood ((((hot sweats just talking about it)))).
I've already waffled on loads and i haven't even mentioned what i've been up to, i'll try to make it brief!!!
Sidneysmum, well done with the car ( my car desperately needs a good hoover, maybe tomorrow.........) and decorating and jacket potatoes, blimey you have been busy.
I've started compiling my lists, kids have a 'i have to do if i want my comic chart' detailing the regular stuff (make bed, brush teeth, put laundry actually in the laundry bin as opposed to on the floor or on the lid of said laundry basket - arrrrgggghhh) plus i have a me time chart (we'll have to see how that works out) - NSD today as haven't set foot outside but have a beautifully clean and tidy bedroom with crisp clean bedding and shiny surfaces.

Have fun all

xx

patentgirl

Morning all
Well done on the card payment Trixiepix and the mortgage payments SidneysMum you are doing so well
Dansmum hope Dan is improving poor love
Trixiepix how did you restrain yourself we would love a dog DH would especially love a Jack Russell I dont mind any dog but we are waiting for a few years as both work full time at moment.
You are all putting me to shame with all this cleaning need to make lists to start spring cleaning I hang my head in shame over my cooker it is my worst job and i put off and put off.....
Sidnesymum my lot do love a roast of sunday as most of them dont cook a roast themselves, so nomrally chicken or beef depending whats on offer, if I see any chicken breasts reduced I make up some stuffing layer each breast with stuffing cover with foil and cook for 30 mins taking off foil last 5 mins or so to make crispy they all like this and has the added bonus of no carving trying to keep everything warm apart from that last week I make a lasagne and shepherds pie both added with oats and lentils to make then go further did extra veg that went down well got them prepared early in morning my other favourite is stew and dumplings which apart from sons GF all like that, will definatly use your pudding of jelly and icecream for afters nomrally make a crumble with custard but going to try jelly and icecream next sunday
Cant believe its February today going to try and have plenty of NSD days this month using up storecupbaord and freezer bits
Have agood day everyone x

DansMum_2

Hello everyone!

Am so broody for more furry things after seeing this puppy at the weekend...... DansDad would also love a Jack Russel (I would want two) but that would have to be after we've lost the Long Suffering Dawg - which I dont want

Hardly domestic goddess I manage to do a bit in the slow cooker once a week to keep the freezer topped up and the bits I did yesterday only took an hour .... With all these pets my house is pretty hairy

I did manage to wash completely the wrong bit of Dans leg the other morning (my excuse it was 530 and I was still asleep!!!) But yes healing OK. Wont be able to ride until the weekend at the earliest as he's still lame....

DansDad and Me will be getting our fencing tomorrow night He's got 3 days off to fit it next week - hopefully get it all done and the rest of the garden by end of April..... (wishful thinking)

Sidneysmum - my kitchen could do with a lick of paint if you're free.....;)

sidneysmum

trixiepix - Well done with your lovely bedroom. Its great having lovely, clean bedding. I am a great list maker - one for jobs that need doing, a shopping list and a menu plan. I`m snookered if I cant find them.:D What is on your me time chart?

patentgirl - Hi again and thanks for posting. I love your chicken and stuffing recipe idea. I will be giving it a try - Probably the weekend after next as requests have already been placed for this weekend.

Dansmum - I will be round with the paintbrush pretty soon. You are next on my list :rotfl:. I think I have got myself on a bit of a roll at the moment. Sorry Dans leg is taking so long to right itself. Sidney says "Get well soon Dan". God I must be mad :eek:

Well its been a work day for me today. I paid my £2 mortgage again today. I now have my salary in the bank and my direct debits have been taken out today. I am considering taking £400 out of my salary and paying it off the mortgage tomorrow. If I leave this amount in the bank, its a temptation to spend it. I have plenty of cash in the house so I have food and petrol money for the month. I think my decision is made up, but I`ll just sleep on it.

Talking about food, I did some adding up and found I spent £98.93 on food in January. :T This included about £15 of baby items for my grandson (nappies etc) and 4 parcels to my son in Afghanistan (about £16). I am going to keep another list for February spends as I still have quite a lot left in the freezer. I have made a rough menu for the next 2/3 weeks. The main things I will have to buy are foods for our Sunday meal. I am hoping I can keep our food spends down to under £100 and get the blimmin freezer emptied. Some of the meals I have got lined up for the next few days are - leftover roast dinner pie, toad in the hole with mash, carrots and cabbage, Quorn chilli and rice, Big pasta and pizza feast for Sunday - by request, ham with cheese and pineapple.

Today I took some porridge oats to work and made some in the microwave. I also took fruit, yoghurt and cous cous. So NSD for me at work. Tea was baked potatoes with cheese and beans. I am a football widow as Sidneysdad loves going to the match. I only have baked potatoes when he is out.
Anyway enough of my rambling for today.
Keep saving.:)
SidneysmumX

patentgirl

Hi everyone
Sidneysmum glad I given you an idea definatly yummy and filling
Got some bad news yesterday still totally shellshocked completely out of blue company I work for closing and being made redundant not sure of any details yet and when I will go at least I will get some redundancy money but will be a struggle and worry that at 50 were will i find a job xx

welsh_mummy

Hi Sidneysmum and everyone else

I stumbled across your diary last night and you are doing exactly what we are doing. My OH has banned any purchases of any toiletries until we have used the stock that we have, and when I say stock, we have boxes of toiletries everywhere including 2 huge boxes in the attic! Don't think I will be buying anything this year. My family is made up of me (a SAHM), my OH and ny 4 year old son (4 going on 21), and we are also trying to use up all the food stocks that we have before buying anything else again we have food stashed in all over the place including under our bed. We are also trying to be more frugal when it comes to days out, so far this year managed to save an extra £150 overall.

Would love to pay off extra on our mortgage but when checking can only pay at the local branch, so wish we can do what you are doing sidneysmum, £2 now and again would make a difference.

Will check back later to hear your latest news
x

trixiepix

Hello lovelies,

Patentgirl - i'm so sorry to hear of your news, my OH has been made redundant several times (the business he is in is a bit volitile) and i know what a shock it can be, especially when you haven't any idea it's likely to happen. At 50 you have the experience that those years younger haven't and companies are looking for that these days. I truly hope things work out ok.

Welsh mummy, welcome to our world - lol!!!

Dansmum, how is Dan doing today?

Sidneysmum, its absolutely amazing you having only spent £98 on shopping for the whole month, i'm definately aspiring to shed more from my food budget (and pay more off elsewhere with the savings) - you truly are an inspiration.

DD2 is home from school today as she is a poorly girl, so at the mo she is chillaxing (sorry slang absorbed from DD1) on the sofa playing on the computer - her idea of heaven!!, had to pop to the shops to pick up a few essentials so £11 spent already from fridays shopping budget, but i can't do without toilet rolls :rotfl:. Had to pick up a few baking bits too as making a cake for a friends son for friday (and being paid for it - yippee), missed breakfast but having eggs for lunch (using up near dated ones), last night rummaged around in the back of the fridge to see what needed using and out jumped a courgette and some carrots nearing the end of their lives, so chopped up both with an onion and a tin of baby sweetcorn added a carton of chopped tomatoes with chilli and some quorn chunks (that had been lurking in the freezer) simmered for a while added a dash of sweet chilli sauce and it was absolutely delish.
I've managed yet again to ramble on, so best get off and do the ironing (joy!!)
Catch you all later
xx

DansMum_2

Hi everyone xxx

SidneysMum Dan says neigh back! (hope Sidney can understand ) Your grocery shop for Jan is amazing!! I spent £198 for me, him, 4 cats and dog :eek: Am hoping to get it down to £175 this month

Trixiepix - how do you do for the baking? Well I hope! I love baking, but my waistline doesnt I made some flapjacks on Monday as the oven was on. Just chucked in some oats, raisins, chocolate :cool:, coconut, seeds etc. We finished it off last night :eek: Its too tempting after I finish for the day with a cuppa - so no more!!!

Welsh Mummy Hi :wave: You have an awful lot of toiletries!!! I have 1 shampoo to use up and some bubble bath (we only have showers though) and thats it :rotfl:

Patentgirl - Sorry to hear about redundancy I hope you can find something else soon :grouphug:

Dan is doing well and I can now stop bathing the leg twice a day now to just a wipe over and sudocreme once a day - which should make mornings a little quicker. Spent £49 on food for them two and one of cats who needs wet food. Have a dentist appt tomorrow which will mean a spend day also so will get a few essentials on the way home then shouldnt need to spend again until after the weekend....:A DansDad getting all excited about his new bike, which he should be able to pick up tomorrow :cool:

Am considering another tattoo next week - one of our local studios are doing a tattoo for cancer event - £20 for a gorgeous heart (purple please) all proceeds to cancer research.... hmmm :think:

sidneysmum

I was so annoyed last night as our broadband wasnt working so I couldnt post.:mad: Anyway, better late than never.

patentgirl - So sorry to hear the redundancy news. Sending you a massive hug. X

welsh mummy - Hello and welcome. Thanks for posting. Good luck with getting through your mountain of food and toiletries. I think the penny is finally dropping with me that there are only 2 of us who live here now ( me and sidneysdad ) and not 6 as was two years ago. :rotfl:

trixiepix - Hope DD2 is on the mend after all her chillaxing.;) I was really pleased at only spending £98, but I did have a ton of food in the freezer. I still think I have enough main meals in the freezer to last till the end of the month so I am hoping for another cheap one :T. I have never made as many lists and menu plans as I am doing now!

Dansmum - Glad Dan is on the mend. Also good luck in reducing your shopping spend this month. You will have to let us know what happens with the tattoo :cool:

Had a work day yesterday but managed to do some sneaky internet banking. I paid £400 off the mortgage :j.
I also found out at work that we are getting a lump sum of £3000 (less tax) awarded at the end of March. This is a bit of a sweetner to us loosing pay in another two years ( long story). Anyway I know where mine is being spent. Hopefully I will be able to get rid of this mortgage by sometime in June.

I also decided to book my car into another garage to have the air con refilled on Friday. The machine at the local garage is continually broken so I have gone elswhere. I feel like I have got a bargain as they are charging me £30 and the usual price is £70 :T

Had a nice suprise when I got home from work last night. I have been using my Tesco clubcard points to buy magazine subscriptions. Anyway my first one arrived - Prima - I am looking forward to a good browse through it later.
Anyway I hope you all ahd a great day. Keep on posting. I will hopefully check in again later.
SidneysmumX

sidneysmum

Hello all

Today I have been off work. Unfortunately had to go to a funeral for an old colleague this afternoon. I did however put my morning to good use. Sidney and I had our free exercise. :j I paid my £2 off the mortgage. I am soo pleased that the amount outstanding is now under £5k. Mind you I havent spent a penny on anything else this year!

Toiletries wise I used up a body spray this morning so another one bites the dust. I am beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel now. I no longer have any half used bottles of anything left now. All my bottles of shampoo, body lotion etc are full so at least all the odds and ends are used up.

I called at our local Netto this morning and bought a few bits of food - bread, potatoes, cat food. I spent £5.68. Tomorrow I am going to Morrisons to get the rest of my shopping which I am hoping will be fairly cheap.:)

For breakfast I had porridge. I have a huge bag of it in the cupboard - I think it will be June at the earliest before its done.:rotfl:I had lunch at the funeral. Tea was toad in the hole with sausages from the freezer, mash, carrots and onion gravy. Please note I only had a small portion! :A

Hope all you good people have had a great today.
SidsmumX