We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

PinotGrigio41

Hope your DH gets over his mini strop soon Alice and your day goes well xx

Not easy is it , when you need something but cant just go and buy it as we would have done in another life ?!!

PeterJohnson

Hi Alice

I began by searching for cheap school shoes and so you thread came up costing me the last 6 hours :rotfl:

Anyway, you are doing so well and come so far :beer:

Keep going, I have 2 kids and had endless money problems but have got on top of things now and you can too. We were spending 800 quid a month dunno how on shopping now down to 250!

Anyway keep up the good progress, I will continue to follow

Alice_in_Poorland

Thanks mummy, hope it stays warm until November or it will be extra jumpers all round.:)

Oh Pinot, that other life .........I'm sure I have happier moments now then when I spent willy nilly on CCs and certainly appreciate everything more.:)

Hi Peter, you deserve a medal . That's great going on your food bill, we're getting there slowly.

I've checked spending diary/bank this morning and as its the end of the month for us (our month goes from 28th-28th of each month) spends are -

Food - £388 - but that does include pizza delivery and Mcds. But it is below £400, so its going in the right direction.
OH petrol - 70/100. Car will be scrapped this week. Will use the money to add OH to my insurance.
My petrol - 90/100. Within budget.

and so another month starts......we've still got some big bills/spends so looking forward to getting them out of the way.

We've got sunshine this morning so off to peg out.xx

PinotGrigio41

Alice_in_Poorland wrote: »

Thanks mummy, hope it stays warm until November or it will be extra jumpers all round.:)

Oh Pinot, that other life .........I'm sure I have happier moments now then when I spent willy nilly on CCs and certainly appreciate everything more.:)

Hi Peter, you deserve a medal . That's great going on your food bill, we're getting there slowly.

I've checked spending diary/bank this morning and as its the end of the month for us (our month goes from 28th-28th of each month) spends are -

Food - £388 - but that does include pizza delivery and Mcds. But it is below £400, so its going in the right direction.
OH petrol - 70/100. Car will be scrapped this week. Will use the money to add OH to my insurance.
My petrol - 90/100. Within budget.

and so another month starts......we've still got some big bills/spends so looking forward to getting them out of the way.

We've got sunshine this morning so off to peg out.xx

Agree with you there Alice. I always thought I appreciated everything in the other life as it were, but have come to realise how much more satisfying it is now , especially to be paying in cash, no credit cards in sight !

Enjoy your day, we have sunshine too ! X

Alice_in_Poorland

What a lovely day. We managed 3 trips to the tip (only a few miles away and cheaper than a skip), OH has done loads of work in the garden, just need to get hold of some slabs now.

We went shopping this afternoon as the vouchers were burning a hole in my purse!! Savings were £3.20 in money off coupons, £8.16 on 2for1 type offers, 952 extra nectar points which were doubled with another coupon. Total spend still £48.72 tho

DS3 was not in the mood for shopping as he was hungry so didn't get school shoes today. But did manage to get DS2 new school bag, £12.99 less 25% - £9.74 not bad for a branded rucksack

Still to pay -
1/ Car tax £132 (not £112 as I thought)
2/ School shoes £50ish
4/ Swimming lessons £47
5/ DS3 haircut - £5

Paid insulation company today - £189 but at least its paid now.

Another spend day tomorrow, think I'm stuck on 12 for August still. xx

PeterJohnson

Alice_in_Poorland wrote: »

What a lovely day. We managed 3 trips to the tip (only a few miles away and cheaper than a skip), OH has done loads of work in the garden, just need to get hold of some slabs now.

We went shopping this afternoon as the vouchers were burning a hole in my purse!! Savings were £3.20 in money off coupons, £8.16 on 2for1 type offers, 952 extra nectar points which were doubled with another coupon. Total spend still £48.72 tho

DS3 was not in the mood for shopping as he was hungry so didn't get school shoes today. But did manage to get DS2 new school bag, £12.99 less 25% - £9.74 not bad for a branded rucksack

Still to pay -
1/ Car tax £132 (not £112 as I thought)
2/ School shoes £50ish
4/ Swimming lessons £47
5/ DS3 haircut - £5

Paid insulation company today - £189 but at least its paid now.

Another spend day tomorrow, think I'm stuck on 12 for August still. xx

It's endless isn't it? This time of year certainly doesn't help with having to renew school stuff!

Alice_in_Poorland

Peter, I know, there is always something!! I was told yesterday there's less than 120 days to Christmas :eek:

Yesterday I was irritated, don't know if it was was the weather or what. Thankfully DS3 was an angel when we got school shoes and wasn't too bad when he had his haircut. School shoes for DS2 and DS3 came to £78 but I've learn't my lesson with DS2 and I know it pays to get a good make.

DS1 got a car yesterday (he's still on provisional licence) and we sorted insurance out last night. We are waiting for a call from the insurance company he has used to confirm payment he has gone through (my parents have paid in full and he's paying them back) . But I've found a better deal so not sure of the implications of cancelling that insurance and taking out another cost wise.

OHs car is going to the scap man and OH will be insured on DS1s car. Although OHs own insurance will be cancelled he will pay that money towards DS1s insurance.

I think its all this insurance business that stressed me out yesterday .

Still to pay -
1/ car tax
2/ swimming lessons

Hope everybody is OK. Off to do the ironing.xx

Alice_in_Poorland

The iron has stopped working :eek:. I have found the receipt, we only brought it in April so will take it back later today. Only managed about 10 items. xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Iron replaced and all the ironing done

OHs car has gone, only got £120

We are going to the theme park tomorrow. I've got some vouchers and with DS2 season ticket will cost £40ish for all of us. I know we could do with saving that money but I think we all need a good day out and we've exhausted all the free days lately.

To be fair the kids don't ask for much and its not their fault we are in the mess. This will be a treat to finish off the school holidays.

Will take a packed lunch, fingers crossed the weather holds out.

Haven't had any callers about the stuff I put in the local paper

Managed to cancel DS1s insurance we took out yesterday without a fee......although the company haven't had good reviews so we will see!!!

Not hungry tonight, not sure why not, perhaps I'm excited about tomorrow. .xx

PeterJohnson

It sounds like my house! DS1 and 2 had their hair done today and it's DS1's birthday Saturday :eek:

I'm having the shoe argument with the better half and she thinks it's worth the extra money for decent shoes but the prices :mad:

I don't know how he goes through them so fast. This time of the year is certainly testing especially when finances are so tight and as you as with Christmas on the way. Have to say though last year we planned Christmas so well for the first time ever and saved about 300 quid compared to previous years . . Need to get planning . .