We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Alice_in_Poorland

Didn't have to get £10 cash from bank today as OH had £5 and some change, so got cards and wrapping paper....all sorted for March birthdays, anniversarys and Mothers Day.:)

xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Feel like I'm on a merry-go-round!! Just seem to be really busy at the moment.

Finally got the laptop to work tonight, blinking thing. Petrol is down to 44miles left. Although I managed another NSD yesterday had to call into the supermarket and get DS2s bits for cooking on the way, picked up milk, bread, fruit and other bits for lunch boxes etc spent £26.:eek: and there was me promising I'd keep a tight rein on the food spending.:mad:

We've had the water rates bill come, £70 per month for the next 8 months.......wonder would it be cheaper if we had a water meter fitted???

xx

brizzledfw

Hi Alice..sorry haven't been by..busy and so many many lovely diaries..when I am about I am shattered.

That's amazing re the sport opportunity. Is it football? Is it possible to get scholarships? Even a partial one could make all the difference. I hate to think of talented kids being denied that kind of opportunity when you think of some of the carp we as a country spend our money on..:mad:

Diesel and food..my bugbears. Diesel is scarily high at the moment. I hope it doesn't last at this level that's for sure.

Well done on the NSDs..you're an Inspiration :T ( note the capital there!)

brizzledfw

PS no idea re water meter but do note if you have one you'd cant take it out and the rule of thumb I have heard is that if you have more bedrooms than people living in your house it may be worth getting one

hillside777

You haven't posted today. I hope you haven't run out of petrol in the middle of nowhere. Your petrol was low yesterday.

I know where you are coming from with the grocery spending. It always seems so high. You buy extra and the extra things are eaten. I think it is mainly my 16 year old son who is eating enough for two people.

Take care and thanks for posting on your diary. :T

Alice_in_Poorland

Thank you for your posts brizzle and bonnington.

We are going to look into the scholarship programme for DS1, 2 of his friends are already on a scholarship programmes in the States and they are having a great time, and academically it will be beneficial for him too.......we'll see how it goes.

The petrol lasted...only just, I was down to 15miles when I got home so OH put £25 in when he took DS2 football training. Don't think we've got any major trips planned this weekend so hopefully it should last until next Thursday.:)

I'd heard that before about the bedroom to people ratio with regards to the water meter. Think we'll stay as we are for now.

I have some very good news with regards to our DMP. I spoke to Stepchange today and arranged for the car payment to be added to our monthly DMP amount from April, that should bring our DFD to 5years and 5months,:D may have to add a few months onto that as some of the CCs have added a bit of interest but still a great improvement.:)

But on the flip side our mobile phone bills are going up, about £1.49 I think but times that by the 3 mobiles are over the year it soon mounts up. Also the weekly paper we have delivered is going up 5p per week, we could/should cancel but I like to keep the bits with the kids football teams in, especially if they've scored.:o

Feeling on a bit of a high tonight..........don't want to be pessimistic but something is bound to come along and spoil it. Mind you just got to get through Friday and then its the weekend. Hope everybody is OK, fingers crossed the laptop will behave and I can catch up on diaries soon. xx

mummytogirls

Morning Alice,

Wow such fab news about the DFD being brought forward so much, well done!!

Everything sounds like its working out well for you, keep it up :T xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Thanks mummy.

I'm still trying to keep the momentum going ..........I've updated spending diary/budget this morning, we're be down to £14ish in the account after DDs have gone out on Monday.

I've done a meal plan for the week, we have both sets of parents coming for tea tonight instead of tomorrow......maybe OH and the kids will cook tomorrow and I'll get a day off.....;). Think we'll have cottage pie and lots of veg, need to sort out a pudding, think apple crumble and ice-cream. Can do all these without having to buy anything.:)

Updated pots - £2 coins upto £42 and 20p pot upto £28.80.

Sorted bus money, milk money etc and I've got £2.18 left, just enough to buy 2 glasses of squash at the pub after DS2s football this morning. They get food and normally DS3 muscles in so hopefully that will cover their lunch for today.:D

Weather pants so no pegging out, washing all on the airers, off to watch DS2 play in a minute, only local so saves on petrol then back to do some housework.

Hope everybody has a good day despite of the weather. xx

Eager_Elephant

I know I am a bit late but just catching up from the last few days.

Re the water meter - in my area - Anglian Water allow you to have a water meter fitted and if you do not save money after 12 - 24 mths you are allowed to swap back.

Might be worth having a look at your own water company.

If you ring your water company or check their website they normally have a minin survery which you complete which would tell you whether you would save money.
The bedroom thing used to be the way to work it out but now they ask questions about dishwashers, hot tubs, swimming pools and washing machine loads which gives a more accurate idea.

We are a family of 4 and our water meter bill is about £35 per month, if I was still on rateable it would be about £60 per month.
We don't particularly try to save water either so imagine what you could get it down to if you tried!!

Alice_in_Poorland

Thanks EE I'll give our water supplier a call and see what they can offer.
We do seem to use a lot of water, min 4 showers and 1 bath (sometimes DS3 has a shower) per day, washing machine on every day, dishwasher on 5/7 days per week, plus the odd bits of washing up done in the sink, washing cars, hosing down football/rugby boots and in the summer filling swimming pools and using water slides.....but we do turn the tap off whilst we are brushing our teeth.;)

xx