children, cross-stitch and chocolate. Chickywiggles debt-free diary

chickywiggle

Monday 5th September

Ohhh my new mattress arrived today and it's lush... tho 3 times thicker then my old one - I feel like I'm laid on the ceiling. Had to treat myself to some new pillows to go with it (2 for £7.99) as mine had lost all their plumpness.

Hubby needed beer so a trip to ASDA (£10 on beer, pk of choccy for me £1 and some eggs (£1ish)

Walked past poundland - 2 drinks and a packet of sweets (£2)

Went looking for a duvet/ cover in Morrisons.... came out with a Pizza (£3.50ish)

Got toddlerwiggle a cheapy home bargains version of a huggle buddy as thought it'd be comfy to help him sleep on the long train journeys we have coming up (£4.99) and a Toy Story bag to take it home in (50p ish?)

Then went to get tinywiggle's high chair out the celler (where it has lived since toddlerwiggle finished with it just under 2 years ago) but the celler appears to have knackered it ......... new highchair ..... £25.


In good news I have been accepted on the Kantar family food panel = £15 capital bonds per completed diary (4 a year) + £5 for every friend referrel. so that'll come in handy. If anyone wants a referal let me know.

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):

0

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £4.50/£20 £9
Baby shopping = £25/£20
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = 0/£0


Random = £26.48/£30 £29
Days out = 0/£20


meals out/ takeaways = £0/£20 £17.70 -£12.30
Clothes = 0/£0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/£20 (if I see anything)


Personal money = 0/£30


Vouchers or points used:

0


Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

0

chickywiggle

Tuesday 6th September

a nice quiet day at home. not sure if tinywiggle is feeling under the weather or just teething (at 4 months old) - there are defo teeth coming thro - or a mix of both. didn't want to take him on the weekly swim just incase. Looked into bowling but at £24 for 2 games decided to knock that on the head.

Just one purchase of a laptop cooler tray (this gets farr to hot) for £3.

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):

0

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £0/£20 £9 £4.50
Baby shopping = £0 / £20 -£5
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = 0/£0


Random = £0/£30 £29 £2.52
Days out = 0/£20


meals out/ takeaways = £0/£20 £17.70 -£12.30
Clothes = 0/£0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/£20 (if I see anything)


Personal money = £3/£30


Vouchers or points used:

0


Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

0

chickywiggle

Wednesday 7th September

thanks to a thread on here earlier checked tesco direct and picked up a portable DVD player for our train joureys for £30. A great price when you normally pay £50+ and as we didn't pay for any trips out this week wasn't too much out of budget.

Found a voucher code I had got from Living Social for a monthly pass for my local play centre I had forgotten about so went and redemed that today. Even more bargain the girl had never seen it, made no note of my name or the voucher number so it is still on my phone and I will happily re-use it when this one runs out (I know naughty naughty but hey needs must!!) just a £3 spend on juice/ choccy there.

trip to tesco for bread and milk (£2)

picked up 2 board games for when the boys are older off a fellow freegler

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):

0

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £2/£20 £9 £4.50
Baby shopping = £0 / £20 -£5
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = 0/£0


Random = £30/£30 £29 £2.52
Days out = 0/£20


meals out/ takeaways = £3/£20 £17.70 -£12.30
Clothes = 0/£0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/£20 (if I see anything)


Personal money = £0/£30 £27


Vouchers or points used:

Living Social voucher redemption = £7.50


Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

0

chickywiggle

Thursday 8th September

ARGGG so cross with myself - forgot to fill this in and now gotta try and remember what we did, where we went etc....

OK - i took DS's to the playcentre using the free card so a £2 spend on drinks.
Met hubby to pick up the highchair and picked up a few bits in A.
- food: £7.97
- other essential (fabric conditioner): £2
- baby (mik and wipes): £11.55
- random (hubby got DS2 a toy car): £1

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):

0

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £7.97/£20 £9 £4.50 £2.50
Baby shopping = £11.55 / £20 -£5
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = £2/£0


Random = £1/£30 £29 £2.52 -£27.48
Days out = 0/£20


meals out/ takeaways = ££2.20/£20 £17.70 -£12.30 -£15.30
Clothes = 0/£0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/£20 (if I see anything)


Personal money = £0/£30 £27


Vouchers or points used:

0


Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

0

chickywiggle

Friday 9th September

Trip to T to collect the bargain DVD player 0 fab. picked up a bit of shopping at the same time
- baby (nappies): £10 £7 (£3 money off vouchers)
- food: £8.62 £6.62 (£2 clubcard vouchers)

£8 on baby bottles @ Argos

Asda: food - £1.10
essential (deodrant): 88p

chippies for DS1 when collected from childminders: £3

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):

£3 - PineC0ne reward

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £7.72 /£20 £9 £4.50 £2.50 -£5.47
Baby shopping = £15 / £20 -£5 -£16.55
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = 88p/-£2


Random = £0/£30 £29 £2.52 -£27.48
Days out = 0/£20


meals out/ takeaways = £3 /£20 £17.70 -£12.30 -£15.30 - £18.30
Clothes = 0/£0
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/£20 (if I see anything)


Personal money = £0/£30 £27


Vouchers or points used:

£3 money off nappies
£2 clubcard points


Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

Homemade Kids book win from MSE :j

chickywiggle

Week 4 - a summary

Biggest overspends this week were baby. I didn't think we needed much but the celler had ruined our high chair so had to buy a new one (£25).

Pub lunch was a killer as it cost twice as much as i would like to have spent.

random was a big overspend but for the use of the portable DVD player at the price was too good to pass up.


Still not spent any money on credit cards or overdraft tho :j:j and is hubbys pay day on Thursday.


Earnt this week:

£3 paypal payment from "pinec0ne"
£10 leisure voucher from "c0nsumer pulse"

Cash Expenditure:


Food shopping = £33.19(target £20)

Baby shopping = £51.55 (target £20)

Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = £2.88 (target £0)

Random = £58.48 (£30 target)

0 days out = £0 (£20 target)

meals out/ takeaways = £40.50 (£20 target)

Clothes = £0 (Target £0)

Presents (birthday) = £0 ( £20 target)

TOTAL: £186.60 (£130 Target)
Overspend: £56.60

Vouchers or points used:

£3 nappy vouchers
£2 clubcard vouchers
£7.50 monthly play centre pass.


Didn't really stick to the meal plan. really wanted bacon so we bought that with some nice bread but apart from that didn't actually buy anything else to compensate (just found other stuff in the freezer).

Seem to go thro bread, cheese and milk like it is going out of fashion. This is a HUGE portion of the food budget weekly so we tend to stock up when it is cheap (i.e. this week got 4 packs of Cathedral city as it is BOGOF at T for £3.99) We will eat store own brand but not value.

[/QUOTE]

chickywiggle

Week 5

surly there can't be ANYTHING huge we need to spend on this week????
Given myself a £20 clothing budget as I want to get some trouser that fit in preperation for going back to work (2 for £14 in Peacocks) and DS2 needs new slippers.

Reallly need to get my eyes tested/ new glasses (the pads of gone on the bridge of these but i am loath to pay out to get em sorted when i am pretty convinced I need new ones...these are 4 years old and not been back since).

Targets:

Food shopping = £20 (I got the bulk of it last week)
Baby shopping = £20 (a spare milk powder and possibly food)
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = £0 (can't think of anything we need)


Random = £30
Days out = £20


meals out/ takeaways = £20
Clothes = £20
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = £20 (if I see anything)

Total available to spend = £150 (plus my £30 personal money)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Meal Plan (no specific day set)

- Pork Steaks and Mash
- Fish (or scampi) and chips
- beef casserole
- meatballs and cheesy potato bake
- pizza
- pub lunch (another local has a 2 dine for £9.99 - 2 meals + drink, and kids is £3. we will prob get their sharing desert at £5)
- Roast Chicken, potates, veg, pudding

moo2moo

Eye tests are free at Mr Ts. They don't usually bother to pressure you into buying from them either.

chickywiggle

Saturday 10th September

Took DS's to the playcentre but it was closed for a private party :mad: so to make up took him to the park and got ice creams (£3.30).

Earnt today (actually recieved not just ordered):



Cash Expenditure:

Food shopping = £0/ £20
Baby shopping = £0/ £20
Other essential shopping (cleaning products etc) = £0/ £0


Random = £0/ £30
Days out = £0/ £20


meals out/ takeaways = £3.30/ £20
Clothes = 0/ £20
Presents (birthday/ Christmas) = 0/ £20 (if I see anything)

Personal money = £0/ £30


Vouchers or points used:




Wins today (actually recieved not just notified):

chickywiggle

moo2moo wrote: »

Eye tests are free at Mr Ts. They don't usually bother to pressure you into buying from them either.

Thanks but ours doesn't have an instore opticions.

Specsavers are doing £10 eye tests then BOGOF £69 glasses. and is only up the road so hopefully will be able to take them up on that seems best deal I've found so far. For some reason I can't bring myself to order from the online glasses companies (prob cause I like them fitted properly) I am pretty sure that's who i went to last time.

Wish they'd bring eye tests/ glasses onto the maternity exemptions. COULD have qualified for the free test and vouchers tho work cause i use a VDU constantly but cause i wear glasses for everything else they don't accept them which I think is rediculous.