We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

PinotGrigio41

Oh Alice, I hope you feel better today. Dont blame you for the rant though !

My SIL still regularly sponges off of her parents at the grand old age of 48, and I have friends who plead poverty and whose elderly parents constantly fill their cupboards with food for them, buy the childrens clothes pay for hols and meals out. It drives me insane. As we have said before things arent always as they seem, but both are on very good, well paid jobs so they constantly tell me , and are able to give their children in the region of £100 a month pocket money each minimum, yet feel its ok to allow elderly parents to then stock their food cupboards, that doesnt sit easy with me.

You on the other hand are being responsible, making in roads into this debt and trying to do something about it without the help of others. For that a big pat on the back is well deserved today xxx

Alice_in_Poorland

I've calmed down today after my rant last night. Thank you for your support.

Down to my last hour at work then a full week off.....can't wait. :j
I've done the meal plan so going to A1di and Sburys on way home.
I took a chance and pegged the washing out today and the sun has been shining so should be just about dry.........that means more ironing.:eek: Not sure if the in-laws are coming round tonight, so thinking another quick tea so I can get shopping away and DS3 bathed and ready for bed. Catch you all later.xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Well shopping all done, £38 in A1di (used £5 voucher), and £27 in Sburys, so cupboards, fridge and freezer full of food. I somehow lost my receipt for Sburys which is not like me at all and I think I've brought the wrong shampoo and conditioner combination. The offer was for 'posh' shampoo and conditioner 2 for £4 instead of £3.23 each, which I thought was a bargain but I've picked up a 250ml and 400ml and I'm sure the deal was for 2 x 400ml, but as I can't find the receipt I'll take them back next time I am passing and check. Justice on me for trying to buck the budget!!!

But did pick a chinese takeaway up (OHs idea!!) on way home £17 for the 5 of us so will take out of the food budget. I had a major meltdown when we had chippy tea a few weeks ago and just feeling a bit guilty about the chinese

In-laws have been round, we get along great and I hate to see them been taken advantage off by BIL and SIL. Just wish they'd stand up to them.

Need to update budget/spending diaries tomorrow, too tired to do tonight. We are going to decorate the bathroom over weekend, walls need some major preperation then just a couple of coats of paint (which we've got), will also re-grout the tiles, then look for a rectangular mirror on ebay/car boot to go on wall. So going to be hard graft rather than major expense.

Will also fit in a couple of walks, trip to the park with the kids (well youngest one anyway) and feed the ducks over the Easter break. xx

mummytogirls

Hi Alice,

Oh no to the shampoo and conditioner, hope you did get the offer.

Dont feel guilty about the chinese, we had chinese last night too! You do need treats otherwise you would lose the plot!! How about setting aside say £30 specially for treats and then you dont feel guilty because its coming from the treats pot?

The bathroom sounds good, enjoy your long weekend xx

Alice_in_Poorland

I keep thinking it is Saturday!!!

Mummy, good idea, I think I will put some money aside for treats instead of taking it out of the food budget. Maybe increase out entertainment budget a bit.

Have taken shampoo back and got the money back (on a payment card but thats not a problem), but did end up spending nearly £10. We need some coke (for JD and coke tonight), and then I saw the cleaning stuff on offer, then I had a voucher for some oven chips so got them.........and after all that forgot to hand over the payment card and the coupon for the chips at the checkout, what am I like!!!

We also had to get petrol £25) and and spent £28 in DIY shop. The paint we had wasn't any good (think the frost had got to it last winter), also need some more filler and sandpaper, these bathroom walls are a nightmare and as we are going to paint them they have got to be spot on. Also went to the butchers spent £9.10, and a discount store to get waste paper bins for the kids bedrooms ended up getting soap, WW soup, tissues, and a few other things, spent £7.75

Have updated spending diary . Looking forward to chilling out this evening, going to tackle DS3s bedroom tomorrow. xx

brizzledfw

Hi Alice

I agree you need treats. We have a special pot for 'fun' stuff like fish and chips, cinema etc and it seems to be working OK. It allows everyone a treat but generally the idea is that when it's gone its gone..

Do I sound convincing??!!:rotfl: well generally it's a good idea!! Just don't blow it all in the first week!

Alice_in_Poorland

Thanks brizzle, i think we'll give it a go.......but will have to start next month

I have sorted out DS3s bedroom and have managed to clear about half of the stuff out of there. There were so many toys, at least now he has room to play with the toys that are left and believe me there are still plenty of toys left!!!

I have now got loads of stuff for a carboot sale. I could ebay some of it but for some unknown reason I really struggle with ebay. It just seems to take so much time, then I worry the buyer will give me negative feed back and it just stresses me out. We could do with the money so I see how tomorrow goes and maybe put a few items on to start with.

I'm feeling a bit emotional now, having cleared all the baby toys out, not that we want any more children but it takes me back to a time when things weren't as stressful. I remember when we only had DS1 and we lived in our first house a 2up2down, I think the mortgage was about £145 per month, we only ran 1 car and we lived a very comfortable lifestyle.........a simpler life style, certainly no CCs, no overdrafts and I think we then took loan for £2K to buy a 'new' car, everything was managable, the house, the kids, work. Not that I'd swap the kids for anything now but the house I would, I loved that little house and we had such goods times there. Anyway can't dwell on the past.

Think I'll go and dry my eyes and sort tea OK and maybe....just maybe take some photos of some things for ebay. Catch you later when I've pulled myself together. xx

debtfreewannabe321

ahh hun i was thinking just the same yesterday i remember when i had just one child not three. and i could afford my mortgage, trips out, private school, had a car outright paid for and was happy. And then i think of now, 3 kids, a house that isn't mine and no chance of buying one to fit my brood in lol, a car that was scrapped last year and i'm still paying for :rolls eyes: and can't afford beans on toast never mind trips and private school for them all :rotfl: you are so not alone on these down days, i hope you're feeling a bit brighter soon :)xx

Alice_in_Poorland

I have snapped out of my 'down' mood....again!!!

I am going to put somethings on ebay today but first we are having an Easter egg hunt (indoors due to the weather).

Hope everybody has a good day. xx

mummytogirls

Enjoy your day Alice xx