The 'I can't think of a good name at the moment' Diary

Betty_Crumble

oooh and there are some good price reductions on Thornton's stuff in the express stores, they were on a cardboard stand



the moments were £2
toffee £1.50
boxed choc £1.50
one of the bags 75p and the other £1
They have plenty of date to see past Christmas and I've got these to make a hamper up.

Hope this helps someone to bag a bargain

Betty_Crumble

Today I got 3 packs of beef mince reduced and 3 for 2, made them £1.50 a pack. I have cooked all 3 and made spag bol for tea with 2 portions over, 2 lots of chilli for the freezer (each tub will make 3 dinners) and a large shepherds pie also for the freezer.
There was also an egg sandwich filler for 35p and that's gone on tomorrows cobs for lunches. Bargainacious!

Betty_Crumble

Just downloaded a Christmas gift app, love it. Have budgeted for gifts and the app will really help to keep track.
Been to JTF today, not overly impressed tbh but got some bits for pressies.
I have a confession and it's quite controversial; having no debt seems to have left me a bit flat and dare I say bored. This month I haven't had to organise any of my finances and I feel a bit lost. Crazy I know. Oh well.

Betty_Crumble

Week 40 of 2013

Petrol £20/£20 < nearly fainted, haven't got dead on for ages
Food £1.04/£30 cobs, got loads in so using that up
[STRIKE]Holiday £0.00/£0.00 no holiday planned so not needed
House move £0.00 this will be removed too as its not going to happen realistically [/STRIKE]
Car maintenance £60.51 this normally just covers tax but will be upping this soon
Electricity bill £0.00 just paid this, £123.45 < no kidding
Christmas £80.05 spent £9.98 today
Emergency Fund £100 have a feeling i will need a new oven soon

tidying up sig now so just wanted to pop old one here
Barclays £750
Littlewoods £70 Very BNPL £574.22 £345.51 £273.22
My total debt is £7242.32£343.22
Extra payment a week: This week: £
Total to date: £1279.29 not incl this week

Betty_Crumble

Spent this afternoon doing a full inventory (well nearly, forgot under the sink) of toiletries and food. I am going to menu plan all my food tomorrow and only buy fresh and reduced stuff for the next 4 weeks. I will post my menu's tomorrow.

Want to find a good system for my inventories as I find it hard to keep track on paper. Might post it on here lol.

Week 44 of 2013

Petrol £20.30/£20
Food £25.98/£56.70
Car maintenance £80.51
Electricity bill £40.00
Christmas £102.05
Emergency Fund £150

I have £18.20 in total left from this and previous weeks food budget. I also have £8.50 in my purse. I am going to try and justify every penny I spend til next payday and have just started a spending diary as I have been leaking a bit of money just lately. Little one is off this week and I'm sure that will cost me something, she is having a friend over tomorrow for movie night and I already have the goodies in for that so that's a start .

Just realised I need to put 56.70 as my food budget as I have added whats accumulated to my £30, amended above. I will not carry over but put the money separately and that way I can have a 'dipping pot' for any big offers or bulk purchases. This will be done on a Friday. this isn't anything new and how I sort of do it already.

Betty_Crumble

Had to get bread today but waited til the co-op did their reductions so one loaf of Warbys 36p also got 2 batons for 23p for the freezer as they are on my menu plan to get (for steakwiches). Paid cash from my purse leaving £7.91

I also had to get a new bulb for the oven (that I cleaned today, go me) that was £2.39 and paid by card leaving £15.81

Came home and wrote purchases in my book, updated amounts left and filed the receipts in one of those little accordion files. We'll see how long it last lol.

Food £28.96/£56.70

I am up to week 5 of my menu planning and doing a shopping list of whats is needed for each week, its not much but struggling at week 5. That is further than I projected anyway so it's not a problem.

I'll pop my menu plans up in a bit.

Betty_Crumble

Just joined the NOvember thread, oh lordy now I'm scared.

Betty_Crumble

Here goes, the bits in red are my shopping list items;

W/C Monday 28th October

[STRIKE]Mon - sausage & onion pie, potatoes & veg[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Tue - jacket pot with tuna, mayo & sweetcorn
Wed - quiche & pasta bake[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Thur - out for dinner at friends, providing the pud[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Fri - chilli-con-carne, rice & salad (lettuce)[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Sat - fishcake, chips & peas
Sun - Pork casserole (mix), mash, stuffing & yorkies[/STRIKE]


W/C Monday 4th November

[STRIKE]Mon - bacon, (egg), beans & hash browns
Tue - faggots, mash, veg & yorkies
Wed - sweet chilli chicken wings, rice & corn on the cob
Thur - spag bol & garlic bread (mince)
Fri - chicken, leek & bacon pasta & sweetcorn[/STRIKE]
Sat - satay skewers, ribs, spring rolls & rice
Sun - (sausage) casserole, mash & veg

W/C Monday 11th November

Mon - steakwiches
Tue - southern fried chicken, onion rings, chips & beans
Wed - (spaghetti) & meatballs, cheese & tomato flatbread
Thur - chicken pie, roasties & veg
Fri - away
Sat - away
Sun - away

W/C Monday 18th November

Mon - steak & onions in gravy, mash & veg
Tue - garlic kievs, tinned new potatoes and peas
Wed - bbq drumsticks, rice & sweetcorn
Thur - cheese & bacon paninis
Fri - jkt pots & sweet chilli chicken wings
Sat - Lasagne (mince, peppers)
Sun - crispy beef & noodles

Betty_Crumble

This is what I have signed up for;

Just Say NOvember 2013!!!

• This Challenge will commence on the 1st November 2013 @ 00:00 and end on the 30th November 2013 @ 23:59.

• You will aim for a minimum of 25 Spend Free Days. (SFD). Excluded from this is the purchase of petrol if budgeted for, medication for obvious reasons or anything bought with vouchers because it’s not hard cash. AND if your entire shopping basket is “yellow sticker” purchases! If you are away for a booked holiday, money spent within your budget (I hope you have one?) can be classed as an SFD. If you go over this you have to forfeit that SFD. Childrens activities that have to be paid “on the day” if planned and budgeted for can be classed as an SFD. My aim with this is to rule out emotional spending, boredom spending, spending because you think you can etc, this is not to hamper basic everyday life.

• All monetary outgoings are to be accounted for PRIOR to the beginning of the month. This means having a stipulate agreement with your household for petrol, food, miscellaneous spends, Christmas shopping, car maintenance, children’s activities etc. This also means no surprise spending throughout the month which adds to your CC debt.

• Set your food budget now. You will not be able to go over this. Mine is £100. We spend too much money on food. Simple as that. Basic batch cooking is encouraged, meals that require specific specialized ingredients unless dietary required are not encouraged. MEAL PLAN. Know what you need when you go to the SM - use a list. Use as many supermarket own brands as possible. Down-shift and retrain your taste buds. And for goodness sake empty your cupboards first- see what you have lurking in the back.

• £3 of your food budget must be spent on items for your local food bank. There are people out there who genuinely NEED and deserve the food banks dotted around the country. You can donate online if the petrol expenditure outweighs the benefit of going to the food bank in person. Otherwise bringing yourself and your children to actually buy products and donate themt. http://www.trusselltrust.org/ Please check what they need before buying.
• You will decline all but one offer to go out for the entire month. Find something to do at home for free. And choose your one outing carefully. I was not joking when I said this would be hard. My outing is to see fireworks. Choose carefully - and no before you say it you don’t HAVE to go out. Save your pennies, stay indoors.

• You MUST bring your lunch with you every day to work with no exceptions unless lunch is provided. If you plan properly you will have something yummy from home to eat. Not soggy sandwiches, over priced muck from the canteen or 300ml of orange juice for £3. Bring your own. Embrace the austerity of old.. make do and mend. Home made food tastes better anyway. And you will save a LOT!

• £5 must be set aside in a small envelope and kept in your wallet or purse for the day you forget the lunch you so lovingly prepared. I am feeling nice - you will still be awarded an SFD if you have to spend this £5. You only have this one chance - so be careful. Because no-ones perfect!

• De-clutter 20 items in your home. Give them to charity. Do not sell them. Again it’s not all about us. However I don’t want you spending your time trying to sell something on eBay for 99p or losing money when someone else might need that old jumper you hate.
• Attempt to make £80 anyway you know how. Time to start bringing the pennies in. Start finding the more valuable items in your home that you have “just because” and get rid of it. It’s healthy to de-clutter, time for a new frame of mind and out with the old items and old bad spending habits. And Christmas is just around the corner….eek! Or do overtime at work. It’s what has got me near my DFD. I hate it but it works.

• Coffee shops are off limits. No Costa, No Starbucks, No Nero, No No No! Get a travel mug. (And no work canteens, cafes, and restaurants either). Please read this - http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/07/3...of-a-3-coffee/ . Nothing more I need to add. But it’s a waste of money.

• Use up all your beauty items and limit yourself to £10 for everything you need. Soap is cheap. You don’t need 5 different types of shower gel. And I mean you boys too. If I had to go through my toiletries before I started all these challenges it would have been embarrassing. See what you have, swap with girlfriends / man-friends and starting using what you have. No doubt you will get loads for Christmas anyway! ;-)

This is not too dissimilar to what I was planning, so in advance of this I am going to declare;


£20 pw petrol
£30 pw food (-£3.00 donation to Trussell)
£102.05 budget for Christmas prezzies
Lunch to work every day with £5 emergency hid in purse
20 items to charity
Make £80
No coffee shops
£10 toiletries I need to get a hair dye and replacement rubber for eyelash curlers
I am away 15th, 16th & 17th Nov, petrol paid for.
I have a night out on Sat Nov 2nd and already have the money to one side for that.

these items may have to come out of my food budget as they will send me over what I had planned to spend before seeing the challenge

I think that's all I need to do/know


Roll on Friday lol

Betty_Crumble

pinched this off the NOvember thread

DAY 1.

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]1/25 - SFD[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0.48/120 - Grocery[/FONT] (includes £5 emergency and £10 toiletries)
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0/80 - Petrol [/FONT]
0/78.12 - Presents
0/3 - Food bank
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0/40 - Night Out[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0/20 - Lunch[/FONT] to work
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0/20 - Items to charity shop[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]0/80 - make £80 (£28.50 confirmed with Quidco so fingers crossed)

ready to go :eek:
[/FONT]