MF at last! Now for the £300,000 'Mansion' Fund.

SJ1

Earthgirl

I am just amazed by how little you seem to live on shop wise. Can you please let us know your meal plan and how you manage to live on as little as you do. I want to be mortgage free very much but am struggling to save as much as I would like to. I need some inspiration as I spend a packet on food every week. I do cook from scratch but I find that I still spend quite a bit - any help welcome!

SJ

earthgirl

Courgette wrote: »

Okay, a bit nervous now. I'll tell you the bit I can about how I knew it was you. I'll do it here rather than a PM to be open and honest and if you all think I'm a scary stalker I'm truly sorry and I'll slope off...

Last year before we had our babies we did the RL swimming costume and CD swap so I knew your name. Because we're both teachers and you mention a lot on here that you're updating your website I thought I'd have a little look as tutoring is really something I should do too. I can't remember the next bit but either there's an advert for your husband's business or a link so I knew what field he was in but nothing more. I haven't thought about it since. So, in Ikea car park I suddenly spotted what your husband does for a living and remembered it. I kept peering at it as we'd only parked a couple of bays away (this was weird in itself as I'd already parked elsewhere then decided to move for no particular reason much to DS1's annoyance). I kept thinking over and over 'I wonder if that's Earthboy, there can't be that any people in that particular line of work' and was trying to see if there was anyway I could tell but there wasn't. I then started sorting out the baby and getting ready to go in then looked up and there you were. And as you said, even though I don't know what you look like I just knew it was you.

I'm surprised you didn't notice me cos I probably did stare a bit but I just couldn't quite dare myself to say hello!

It just shows what a small world it is really, we probably all cross paths all the time but have no idea who we are. I really hope I haven't freaked you out. I am still a little bit weirded out by it to be honest that I could spot you based on your husband's van when I didn't even know I'd remembered what his business was and in such a remote place and given the fact I'd already parked up before deciding I didn't want to be there and moving to just next to you

That is great!! You are not wierd, just able to join the dots and very clever!!

We were in a bit of a rush to drop a car off at the garage, so I wasn't really looking around much. But it would have been great to meet you - maybe next time, now you know what I look like!!:rotfl:

Edit: It would have been great to meet you when oh was there, I am always saying, "you know XXXXX, my friend from mse, well ....." so it would have been good to show him that you are actually a real person

You are right we probably all cross paths all the time!

earthgirl

twinklie wrote: »

F R E A K Y....but very cool.

Earthy, I'm looking at tutoring this year so if you have any advice you can offer me I would appreciate it. If you can find the time between everything else you are always doing (CRAZY LADY)! x

Yes I would say don'y use an agency, get your own clients - I have just a small website that brings me in more than enough clients. Print business cards with your contact details on, and a 24hr cancellation policy - something I haven't implemented, but it means people think twice about cancelling which can be annoying.

Make little booklets of resources up, took me about 4 hours, and then I just use these and adapt for each client, set homework from them etc. so I haven;t planned for a lesson for about 2 years!

earthgirl

SJ1 wrote: »

Earthgirl

I am just amazed by how little you seem to live on shop wise. Can you please let us know your meal plan and how you manage to live on as little as you do. I want to be mortgage free very much but am struggling to save as much as I would like to. I need some inspiration as I spend a packet on food every week. I do cook from scratch but I find that I still spend quite a bit - any help welcome!

SJ

Hi SJ I don't really have a meal plan. I just work with what I have. Of late I have been saving money by looking trhough the cupboards and making a list of the meals I have in, and what ingredients I need to buy, this is then the basis of the shopping list, plus milk, eggs, and fruit (erm and quite a lot of wine of late too).

Then during the week I just go to the list of meals pinned up in the kitchen and pick one off, cook it and cross it off. Eventually I suppose I will have to go back to buying more stuff!

earthgirl

Right, how am I getting on with my to do list??

Health
3 x 1 hour of exercise per week for me AND oh - 1 done
Stop snacking!! Still snacking Will cut down today!

Marriage
Keep house tidy (this is our flash point!)Mostly tidy, last few areas to declutter
Try to do something nice once per week Went out for a ms meal

DS
[STRIKE]Contact new childminders for visits[/STRIKE]
Reduce bf gradually - down to 2 per day
Gradually reduce bed time to an earlier time

House and Home
Patch shed roof
Paint outside table and chairs
Get baby bike seat on
Make cushions for bedroom
Make plum jum, crab apple jelly, bramble jelly and store bramley apples and brambles in the freezer for crumbles.

Other
Finish banking tasks and filing (opened new account for £125 cash back)
Check that I didn't get charged for switching electricity providers

Not much done, but I did do 2 private tuition clients yesterday so £50 for the pot, and I am finding the baby quite clingy at the moment with the reduced bf.

Today I will try to get more crossed off the list!

Courgette

SO glad I haven't freaked you out!

With the snacking, I have that problem too and my real weak times are when I'm preparing food. I've started cutting up loads of fruit or veg a d snacking on that, seems to work. I just seem to chuck stuff in my mouth without even tasting it so at least if it's v low calorie it doesn't matter too much

earthgirl

No not freaked out - just glad that you didn't manage to pick me out of the crowds at a major retailer over a hundred miles away from my home, without seeing so much as a picture of me, because my hair cut is uneven (my mum cuts it) and I am carrying a free duvet and look like I need to spend some money on clothes or something! That would be worrying!

Thanks for the tips re snacking. Will give it a try...

Brodiebobs

Courgette wrote: »

Okay, a bit nervous now. I'll tell you the bit I can about how I knew it was you. I'll do it here rather than a PM to be open and honest and if you all think I'm a scary stalker I'm truly sorry and I'll slope off...

Last year before we had our babies we did the RL swimming costume and CD swap so I knew your name. Because we're both teachers and you mention a lot on here that you're updating your website I thought I'd have a little look as tutoring is really something I should do too. I can't remember the next bit but either there's an advert for your husband's business or a link so I knew what field he was in but nothing more. I haven't thought about it since. So, in Ikea car park I suddenly spotted what your husband does for a living and remembered it. I kept peering at it as we'd only parked a couple of bays away (this was weird in itself as I'd already parked elsewhere then decided to move for no particular reason much to DS1's annoyance). I kept thinking over and over 'I wonder if that's Earthboy, there can't be that any people in that particular line of work' and was trying to see if there was anyway I could tell but there wasn't. I then started sorting out the baby and getting ready to go in then looked up and there you were. And as you said, even though I don't know what you look like I just knew it was you.

I'm surprised you didn't notice me cos I probably did stare a bit but I just couldn't quite dare myself to say hello!

It just shows what a small world it is really, we probably all cross paths all the time but have no idea who we are. I really hope I haven't freaked you out. I am still a little bit weirded out by it to be honest that I could spot you based on your husband's van when I didn't even know I'd remembered what his business was and in such a remote place and given the fact I'd already parked up before deciding I didn't want to be there and moving to just next to you

Aw, bit disappointed just good detective work rather than a psychic MSE link we all share!! :rotfl:

I'm in leeds quite a bit so could have seen any of you over that way, its bizzare that we all 'know' each other, especially the ones with diaries, but would walk past without a second glance in RL.

juicygirl

Hi earth girl!

I've just read through this diary and am about to go and start on your last one. Hope your wee boy is doing much better now.

Just wanted to say good luck with the mansion fund and that I love your 'to do' list categories, think I'm going to factor my marriage into my everyday list too! Xxx

CathT

What a shame you and Courgette didn't get to say hello, what a huge coincidence though!

Good luck with reducing the breastfeeding, I was prepared to go up to a year and maybe beyond with DD but at 10.5months she lost interest and tbh I was a bit disappointed but now realise perhaps I was lucky as I didn't need to wean her off. Can't get her to stop sitting on my knee so much though and she's almost 3! People say to me when they know I'm expecting a boy 'boys are more loving than girls' if so I will be completely smothered!