We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Alice_in_Poorland

:mad: Just lost a long post, just about finishes off my day to be honest.

DS3 has just been sick up the stairs, landing, bathroom floor and walls. Bless him, he was on his way to the bathroom, spag bol and chocolate milkshake, not a good combination on a beige carpet (not our choice was here when we moved in!). DFW have you got a recipe for carpet cleaner??? He's had a few spots, they came up yesterday, say about 10, and he said they were itching. There has been a case of chickenpox at his school and I did wonder if he was getting it as he hasn't had it yet....sounds horrible but I would like him to get it and get it out of they way. Need plan B for tomorrow if he can't go to school.

DS2 called me at lunchtime to say he's got cooking tomorrow. So I called in sburys and got cooking stuff, milk and a few other things for tea for the next few days (just about stuck to the list). Card transaction went through OK, (checked account today balance £60.41) went to the petrol station and my card was declined. :eek: I could deal with that (just about) but did the young fella have to shout at the top of his voice that my card was declined??? I did say that this was not the first time this had happened....spend in store then declined at the petrol station...he suggested I get cashback when I pay in the store....that really helped...then he took about 20minutes to fill out the form by which time the queue was out the door....and him say 'never mind these things happen' did not help.

Although OH saying 'why was your card declined?' when I got home was not the best thing he could of said to me. I could of took him off at the knees but I didn't. I said we will have to deal with cash only, I am not going through that again.

We've also had a letter from the Tax Credit people saying there is query with the information they hold on us and DS1.......and of course they may have overpaid us and if thats the case they'll want it back!! Now I know I advised them that DS1 was not at college full time so he wasn't eligible and our last statement from them didn't have him on it. I'm going to find that piece of paper out before I call them tomorrow.

And to cap it all there is football on 2 of the TVs in this house.:mad:
Nobody has washed up whilst I sorted DS3 out (we've run out of dishwasher powder and it wasn't on my list so I forgot to get some tonight).

I'm going to checking my spending diary/budget and work out home much cash we need weekly. xx

brizzledfw

:mad::mad: feel for you sister!!

Sending you hugs! :grouphug:

pennywisepoundstupid

Hope today is a better day for you, sending hugs.

mummytogirls

Oh what a day Alice!
Hope DS is ok xx

Muser1

How is DS today Alice? x

debtfreewannabe321

oh Gawd, what a day hope today has started out better? My day was pretty much like yours yesterday only it was me being sick! So much going around. I've got my ds2 off today with tummy upset. Cleaned the loo 4x already today (sorry tmi!)

Bicarb of soda sprinkled over carpet will deodorise it and neutralise smells ....dependant on what carpet you have you can use neat bleach if you have any for tough stains. I don't have bleach anymore though and had a stain i was cleaning earlier. I tried my kitchen spray concoction and it came up fine (vinegar/water/lemon oil) no marks left from it and stain gone.

Luckily no one here likes football, it's rugby that ds1 enjoys but I don't pay for sports channels so he can watch it on his on tv if it's on freeview

As for the petrol thing that also happened to me a while back (remember when hsbc computers went down...) well I happened to be filling up my car with petrol as it went down. I'd just come out of te$co and also chekced my bank so knew there was money in there. The person that was on the counter also shouted out that it had been declined we tried it 3 more times before tuts behind me got me to fill out a form and promise to go back and pay. So embarrassing. I feel for you!

xxx

Alice_in_Poorland

Hi brizzle, PWPS, Mummy, Muser and DFW, thank for your kind words.

Last night was very fraught, DS3 had a raging temperature and was sick a few more times. By the time DS3 finally settled and I got into bed OHs alarm went off, think I had about 45mins sleep.:(

Anyway this morning DS is covered in spots and looks very sorry for himself. Luckily FIL offered to look after him today and he has managed to keep water and toast down, hopefully we are over the sickness bit just got to deal with the spots.

I called the Tax Credit people this morning as it was really bothering me, got visions of us being charged with fraud and all sorts. I'd checked the last statement and DS1 was still on it and I hadn't noticed, how stupid can I be. So I called and was completely honest said it was an oversight on my behalf, we worked out that DS had been at college until July 2012 and then he went back to college Jan 2013. We only got £30 a month so any overpayment would only of been from July - Jan. Providing his current course is 12 or more (which it is) and depending on the course he is doing (going to get the exact course details) we may not have been overpaid from Jan to now, also DS3s afterschool/breakfast club has gone up so that may effect the figures. Anyway they've sent us a letter to complete and return and take if from there.

OH has gone to pay my debt at sburys and take FILs lawnmower back that we'd borrowed. He's also going to get some cash.

DFW - hope you are feeling better, thanks for the tip. I used washing up liquid and that seems to have worked. Why does it seem like they shout when your card has been declined, surely it must happen to hundreds of people for various reasons. I felt like I'd got 'I'm on a DMP' tatooed on my forehead.:rotfl:

xx

Alice_in_Poorland

I've been trying to work out home much 'cash' we need to pay for leisure and sports clubs.

OHs football - £2.50 per week

DS3s Beavers - £3.50 per week
DS3s swimming - £4.50 per week (pd for in block sessions)
DS3s football - £1 (will be £5 per week when season starts, pay £25 per month by standing order).

DS2s football - doesn't pay for training out of seaon, will be £5 per week when season starts, pay £25 per month by standing order. He's been asked to play Sat and Sun, if he did it would double.
DS2s cricket - £2 per week during season
DS2s pocket money - £3 per week

Lottery (works) - £4.50 weekly (OH pays £3.50 and I pay £1)

About £30 per week, depending on if its the cricket season or the football season. On our DMP the budget for entertainment is £20 and then £10 for school trips/activities per month:eek:. The above does not even include any school trips or entertainment for the family as a whole, obviously we all try and got to watch the kids play their sports but it doesn't leave any money for 'going out'. Thankfully we don't 'go out' that often.

So I'm going to try and get the cash for these once a week and distribute into 'pots, with the exception of the football money as that will be paid for by standing order.

The extra money is going to come from the food budget as that was set as £450 per month on our DMP.

I must be quite cheap to entertain as I only need a £1 a week.:rotfl:

Just got to get through Friday folks and then its the weekend.:)
xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Just got to get through the afternoon......then it's the weekend.:j

OH is going to a football 'do' with DS1 tonight. He sorted what cash he'd got left after he'd put £20 petrol in the car and the £6 I owed sburys , £10 for football 'do' ticket :eek: (DS3 paid his own), we've paid our lottery, DS2 having a chippy tea after football training £2 and that leaves £9..........so he's going to a posh footie do with £9, I am quite impressed with him.

xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Wow Sunday morning all ready!!!

OH managed his night out with £9, he even came home with change.:)

Yesterday we went to town, spent £12 in butchers, £10 in £shop (got sugar, toothpaste, car cleaning stuff, snacks for lunch), Textile shop for pillows for the kids x 4 (got to the checkout and got 20% off, will get another pack next week), then to sburys spent £50.

Last night we went to a wedding reception at a very nice hotel but mega bucks. I did take drinks for the kids, but still managed to spend £25ish.

I've done the meter readings this morning, we've used £33 worth of gas and elec over the last 2 weeks......mind you I've got 4 loads of washing to do today and the dishwasher is on as well.:eek:

DS2 has got a cricket match this morning, think OH and DS3 are going to watch him whilst I catch up on some jobs here......would like to go but....

There isn't a cloud in the sky here ....hope everybody has a great day.xx