A Thread for After Debt?

Little_bit_dizzy

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

You should all join in and set personal goals

Excellent idea, I'm just tweaking & perfecting them so will hopefully get them listed in the next few days (that's the OCD in me coming out!)

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Dizzy - would be delighted if you can spur me on to finish the tapestry!:D I'm itching to start the other one (my usual trick) but am determind not to until this one is finished!

Deal! I have a tapestry kit to do too, but I really want to finish the cross stitch first. I'm hoping that I can do a few hours a week and finish it the spring / summer, giving me plently of time to get it framed for Christmas.

QueenB. wrote: »

it turned out I was 4 months gone and no sign except major illness. I spent most of the pregnancy in hospital or bed and the birth wasn't great:( Even my midwife was worried if we would both get through ok. I had decided on no more just because I was so put off and he had other complications but then it took one unplanned night and well along came DS2:eek::D

Oh my goodness, you've had a terrible time too QueenB. Having babies is something that never happened for me. I think that it's fate telling that the time / circustances just weren't right and it wasn't meant to be. Occasionally it makes me a little bit sad but, my goodness I don't think I'd be able to cope with what you and JG have been through. I hate being ill, I'm a shockingly bad patient and DH would have thrown in the towel and divorced me I expect :rotfl:I take my hat off to you both (and anyone else reading who's been through the same thing).

Little_bit_dizzy

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I usually put onions / mushrooms and occasionally carrots into my Spal Bol ... but I've loads of swede / leeks as well which I think would "go" better in mince?

I sometimes use mashed swede (and / or turnip) to make potato-less cottage pie... Quite nice as a change occasionally.

And I've used cauliflower before too. I think it's becasuse it's the same colour, but you almost forget it's not potato!

JulieGeorgiana

Rising I am more anal about my CC bill. I check it daily online and move the money into a 'pot' marked for the CC bill, this way you are doing it little but often and not trying to work it out in one go! When the bill shows up online, I have the full amount ready and waiting...

Forgot to add - I add mixed veg, sweetcorn, peas, carrots, peppers, leeks, mushrooms and lentils in my spag bol! I would use the swede for in my mash and have bolognaise and mash! Nomnomnom!

Dizzy I am also a terrible patient... and I have had to learn to sit back and just be 'sick' and it's driven me crazy! But you learn to cope... and since week 34 I can use the laptop again... and you guys are keeping me sane!

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

Excellent idea, I'm just tweaking & perfecting them so will hopefully get them listed in the next few days (that's the OCD in me coming out!)

Yay! :T

rising_from_the_ashes

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

I sometimes use mashed swede (and / or turnip) to make potato-less cottage pie... Quite nice as a change occasionally.

And I've used cauliflower before too. I think it's becasuse it's the same colour, but you almost forget it's not potato!

Ohhhhh - fantastic idea, thanks!:)

Really not in the mood for just mince but had forgotten about a cottage pie (I used to have them all the time too!) - I've also used swede and/or carrot mixed with the potatoes when I've not had enough!

Ohhhhhh yum - looking forward to dinner now .... will do a Cottage Pie (prob 4 portions), have one tonight & tomorrow & freeze the other 2 as well as the remaining mince (prob another 4 portions):D

Right ... really, really must get on :eek: it's 4:30!:eek::eek::eek:

JulieGeorgiana

Rising if you do Cottage Pie I have a great one to make it go even FURTHER! 2 tablespoons of LO pie in a toastie! Tastes like a cornish pastie and is great with extra veg on the side! We always make a 4 portion pie, eat 3 portions and have toasties for 2 days! YES TWO DAYS!!

Your giving a pregnanct woman cravings now...

Little_bit_dizzy

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Rising I am more anal about my CC bill. I check it daily online and move the money into a 'pot' marked for the CC bill, this way you are doing it little but often and not trying to work it out in one go! When the bill shows up online, I have the full amount ready and waiting...

I'm thinking I'm going to set up a totally seperate savings account for the credit card money. That way any temptation to borrow, swap and shuffle will be limited to borrowing, swapping and shuffling money which is saving savings, not re-payment savings.

It makes sense to me and it looks good on the spreadsheets!!!


Right all this talk of food and I'm looking forward to my Roast Beef, must go and do something with it.

JulieGeorgiana

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

I'm thinking I'm going to set up a totally seperate savings account for the credit card money. That way any temptation to borrow, swap and shuffle will be limited to borrowing, swapping and shuffling money which is saving savings, not re-payment savings.

It makes sense to me and it looks good on the spreadsheets!!!

That's kind of what I do. I have RS and ISA for 'savings' and a savings account for all my 'pots' which will all be spent at sometime via my Credit Card! I don't like to mix the two!

Ref. Food and cravings... people keep telling me to eat curry! I had a HUGE lunch of Curry today

Don't ask how we paid for it... that's pennies compared to the iron blowing up this morning!

Little_bit_dizzy

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

I had a HUGE lunch of Curry today

Don't ask how we paid for it... that's pennies compared to the iron blowing up this morning!

Oooh, curry! A) Yum and C'mon Roo! Wonder if it will work???

Oooh, blown up iron! THat's an ouch to the finances.

I was listening to my cooker earlier, which we've had fpr 4 1/2 yrs, bought from Mama Diz, who had it maybe 2 yrs, and had inherited it with the purchase of her house so I've no idea how old it is. We've had the fan replaced previously but it's not sounding healthy. I've made a new pot

JulieGeorgiana

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

Oooh, curry! A) Yum and C'mon Roo! Wonder if it will work???

Oooh, blown up iron! THat's an ouch to the finances.

I was listening to my cooker earlier, which we've had fpr 4 1/2 yrs, bought from Mama Diz, who had it maybe 2 yrs, and had inherited it with the purchase of her house so I've no idea how old it is. We've had the fan replaced previously but it's not sounding healthy. I've made a new pot

Wasn't too bad really £30! But the emergency fund only had £10 left in it... so was gutted! We ended up stealing it out of DH petrol 'pot' because we don't think he'll use it all this month **cross fingers** and then a bit extra for a MrS Curry (no takeaway here!) That's the first time we've done something like this in... A YEAR!

I'm not sure it'll help with Roo though... It was only a Korma :rotfl:

Best to get saving for the cooker now, then after it's blown up! One good thing about renting is... the landlord is responsible for my cooker

rising_from_the_ashes

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Rising I am more anal about my CC bill. I check it daily online and move the money into a 'pot' marked for the CC bill, this way you are doing it little but often and not trying to work it out in one go! When the bill shows up online, I have the full amount ready and waiting...

mmmmmmm - I never check mine during the month - as I keep a spending diary so can see what I've already spent.

I like the idea of transferring it as you spend it but the problem is that I don't have spare money to put away for some of my budgets during the actual month atm eg groceries & fuel bought in Jan (& on Jan's cc bill) are paid for out of Jan's salary at the end of the month:(

I'm slowly getting there as the pets & car budgets are in advance - mainly as I put a set amount aside each month & don't always spend it so they've built a buffer.

Hoping I'll be able to "play catch up" with some of the others during this year (groceries/toiletries etc averages @ £140/month and I will be putting any underspend into a pot once the cc bill is paid from now on) - but it will take me a while to get ahead IYSWIM:o

So .... I either need to crack the "one pot fits all with a spreadsheet" or open lots more pots!

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Rising if you do Cottage Pie I have a great one to make it go even FURTHER! 2 tablespoons of LO pie in a toastie! Tastes like a cornish pastie and is great with extra veg on the side! We always make a 4 portion pie, eat 3 portions and have toasties for 2 days! YES TWO DAYS!!

mmmm sounds good

I will admit to having eaten waaaayyyyyy more than 1 portion - once I started eating I realised how hungry I was (had breakfast at 6am & lunchtime seemed to get lost somewhere!) so may well give that a go - I love Cornish Pasties!


Pants to electrical things going wrong ....... when I moved back to Scotland I rented a place (unfurnished) and had to buy a fridge/freezer, washing machine & cooker.

The cooker was sold when I bought this place as the oven & hob built in but been here since the houses were built!:eek: The oven was replaced probably around 3 years ago now, the washing machine last year and the fridge/freezer just before Christmas .......