We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Alice_in_Poorland

Went to @ldi tonight, spent £50.45. Got £30 petrol. Also spent £9.57 at lunchtime (out with work colleagues). Not had the heating on, but did have airier on last night. Not trying to justify the heated airier.....or maybe I am .....but having the airer on stops the condensation on the windows.

Have got works lottery money for tomorrow. Need to pay childcare bill for March....eeek.

Have done 2 loads of washing tonight, should be able to peg out tomorrow.:D

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

The washing has dried a treat today.:D

DS2 hasn't been very well so as a treat the heating came on just before he came home from school. He did get the washing in. Although can't believe having the heating on is a treat, lots of kids have a comic or some sweets not us we have the heating on.:o:rotfl:

We've had the water rates bill for this year. It's gone down to £68 per month from April to November.

Just waiting to see how much the council tax will be.

Still got some 'jobs' to do-
Check if we can reduce mobile costs
Get puncture repaired (hopefully) on other car
Get steering checked on my car. It's making a loud knocking noise now.

Made a stir fry for tea, quick and easy. Had a tidy up everywhere, ran the vac round and made the place look presentable.

Only spends today was our lottery money.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Another great washing drying day.:D.

Last night OH went out with his mates, he spent £14 but I did have to stay up to fetch him from town to save the taxi fair. I did call into sburys on the way home last night, just to get the bits we didn't/don't get from @ldi......£35 later.:eek:

Todays spends, new oven gloves from wilko and sausages from the butchers.

E0n requested a meter reading so have done that today, costs this week were £20 but still minus so think they will probably increase our DD.

Have called up about mobiles, my mobile contract doesn't finish until September, OH's finishes July and DS2 is on a rolling contract. Couldn't change our plan until we renew and couldn't change DS2s either as he is on the cheapest/value for money for the phone he has got. He'd have to have a new phone to be able to get a better deal. (Current phone about 4years old). So no savings here.

Still only had 2NSDs so far, Cupboards/fridge are full, car has got petrol so should have a few more this week.

Still need to book the car in to be looked at.

Xx

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi Alice, all sounding good at your end.


Take care.x.

Alice_in_Poorland

pennywisepoundstupid wrote: »

Hi Alice, all sounding good at your end.


Take care.x.

Thanks pwps, just plodding along, slow but steady.;)

No pegging out today as it's been raining (although we did manage to wash the cars first thing), so have got the airers out. Haven't put the heated airer on yet though.

Took DS2 to a paint balling party, have done the ironing and had a lovely dinner.

So today was NSD3. Have had the heating on for 3hrs today. Bus money sorted for next week.

DS2 start cricket practice this week. OH has said he won't play squash now, so that money can got towards this. Bit of a result me thinks.:D OH still got his 6-a-side football so hasn't had to give everything up.

Hope everybody has a great week.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Last night I had the most bizarre dream. I dreamt we had gone to a hotel at a theme park resort, OH had booked it, we had dinner and we were on our way back to our room when some how I started to read the 'small print' on some paperwork and worked out how much it was going to cost. It was £129 per night and we were there for 2 nights, when I checked with OH if he had the money to pay he said he thought we had it, which we didn't. We decided we would stay until my payday which was in 7 days time and pay the whole bill for 9 nights stay from my wages. That would leave us without any money for bills and the mortgage etc. The dream finished with me walking to the hotel reception.

In the dream I was all very calm but I woke up in a right state. I couldn't get my breath, all hot and bothered and totally convinced we'd run out of money. Not very pleasant, I couldn't get back to sleep then.:o

Needless to say I've checked the account, we have £98 left after we pay £475 to DMP (due tomorrow). Other bills to pay between now and Thursday (OH's payday) are 2 x mobile phone bills and 1st payment on car tax, that should leave £34.

xx

thegreenone

Hi, I've lurked here now and again but I'm back as our cc is now back over £5000 grrrrrr...... You are amazing to have knocked so much off in three years. I must confess I haven't read all 116 pages but something struck me. Apologies if you do this already.


My hubby is weekly paid too and I pay our bills by standing order, weekly. £10 to water co., £35 to electricity, £25 to gas, £100 to cc and £50 to council tax and the mortgage. These do vary and clearly will be different to yours but almost all our household bills are divided by four and paid, up front. Not one company has told me we can't do this. I messed up slightly this past year when the water bill arrived and it said £89 not nil. Maths was never my strong point but still a helluva lot better than £489! I have just let the £10 a week run and it will be paid by end April. I also try and get the council tax paid by 1 December so Dec. Jan. and Feb. are a breather.


You do have to be controlled but, if you work out the payments over 48 weeks not 52 you can have a few breather weeks here and there (August or Christmas?). Also, I'm not sure if your cc debts are on a DMP (could that be paid weekly too??) but with Barclaycard, if you have paid the monthly amount by the due date, the DD doesn't get asked for.


I am sure I am preaching to the converted and I am sorry if I am as you are now several years into your journey. It may help someone else.

thegreenone

Sorry forgot to say,


We were in a similar position, when the boys were younger, so I completely understand.
And
Some people will say it's wrong to pay companies up front as they will get the interest on your cash not you, but as interest rates are so pathetic at the mo. I prefer to have the peace of mind of bills paid.

Alice_in_Poorland

Thank you for your post and advice thegreenone, I must admit I hadn't thought about paying the bills weekly. We have 2 months free from paying the council tax but I haven't been able to save this money with one thing and another.:(

Totally agree with you on knowing the bill has been paid. At least you don't get any nasty surprises.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Today was a NSD 5. .

But the vacuum has broken, the wire has been coming out for ages and when I used it tonight it worked intermittently, now it won't switch on at all. OH currently having a look at it.

Had the council tax bill today, it's staying the same.:)

Also had the gas/elec bill, we are £62 debit but they are leaving the DD the same.....phew.:)

The car is booked in the garage next week. Still need to pay this months childcare bill. Other car still got a screw in the tyre.

Xx