Keeping up appearances.......

brizzledfw

Hi Hopeful1.. Saw a phrase I liked on another thread..around MSE 'becoming a habit rather than a hardship' ..I think it is a process, a path if you like which is sometimes a pain ( as you say) but gradually gets easier and more well a way of life that you cherish rather than ' put up with'.

All this talk of M&S cakes is making me hungry!!! X

Hopeful1

brizzledfw wrote: »

Hi Hopeful1.. Saw a phrase I liked on another thread..around MSE 'becoming a habit rather than a hardship' ..I think it is a process, a path if you like which is sometimes a pain ( as you say) but gradually gets easier and more well a way of life that you cherish rather than ' put up with'.

All this talk of M&S cakes is making me hungry!!! X

You're quite right there. I think my problem at the moment is i've had to take on more debt due to my marriage ending, so i'm really frustrated at that. The knock on is that i've had to tighten my belt even further to stay above water but also to keep making strides to clear my debt sooner rather than later. I am a believer in staying positive though, I just have the odd day of moaning

And yes, some cake, M & S or otherwise, would go down very well now with a cup of coffee

Thanks, brizzle

HappyNow

Update time.

I ended up working elsewhere yesterday and I was miles away from Marks and Spencer. SO NO CAKE . Very sad, but also very MSE I suppose. Still, I got to enjoy the anticipation and that bit is free!

Then I blew my budget even further out of the water last night by buying a £14 box of red wine. Argh, hardly an essential, but it's been such a hard week at work that I just wanted/needed a drink and a box was a more economical way to do it. So I came home and drank three glasses and the stress lifted and I felt fine again! Sorry liver. And sorry credit card too, 'cos that's how I paid for it. . I will pay an additional £14 off my credit card on payday to compensate, and I try to make it last three weeks.

Master Happy came home from uni last night and Little Miss will be home about lunchtime. Lovely to have them, but they are so messy and untidy and take up such a lot of room and eat so much .

Hopeful1

Well, with the destruction the little Miss & Mr may cause, you just might need that box of wine Enjoy it

poohbear59

HappyNow wrote: »

Both kids know that we're not rolling in money, but they think of us as being 'comfortable'. They have no idea about our debts, and I would feel totally humiliated if they were to find out. They come to me for help with student finance etc, and I would be genuinely embarrassed if they knew what a mess I have made of this aspect of my own life .

My family, all four of them know quite a lot about our finances and two even lent us money to help with cash flow when they were at uni!

Don't worry about the ocassional lapse. You have to have a little treat now and then. You have made the right decision to pay it back on payday. DH's 'allowance' will hopefully cover things like wine or the odd packet of Maltesers.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. Make the most of the time with your family. Then have a drink to help deal with the mess

Shelski_2

Hello

I've enjoyed subscribing to your diary and have just finished reading through it. This is my first post after a long time lurking. I know exactly what you mean about 'keeping up appearances'. I can't believe sometimes how much comes into this house and then how much goes straight back out again!!! At least I'm aware of it now and I've got the food budget more under control. DH is pretty much on board. He did the shopping today at Aldi and Home bargains and was very proud that he'd only bought 2 things that weren't on the list!! I've been dropping quite a few brands especially cereal and the aldi premium diet lemonade is lovely at 36p a bottle.
Hope you enjoy your weekend. I remember how much I loved going home from uni for a break and they'll love visiting friends and family. That, and chill out, was the only thing I wanted to do when I came home.

Hopeful1

Shelski wrote: »

Hello

I've enjoyed subscribing to your diary and have just finished reading through it. This is my first post after a long time lurking. I know exactly what you mean about 'keeping up appearances'. I can't believe sometimes how much comes into this house and then how much goes straight back out again!!! At least I'm aware of it now and I've got the food budget more under control. DH is pretty much on board. He did the shopping today at Aldi and Home bargains and was very proud that he'd only bought 2 things that weren't on the list!! I've been dropping quite a few brands especially cereal and the aldi premium diet lemonade is lovely at 36p a bottle.
Hope you enjoy your weekend. I remember how much I loved going home from uni for a break and they'll love visiting friends and family. That, and chill out, was the only thing I wanted to do when I came home.

I too did my 1st proper Aldi shop this morning & stuck to my list. I've a few bits to buy but should come in under my budget for the week for 1st time ever

[Deleted User]

Hi happy now,

Just read your diary- I started it the other day, and just got to the end now. It seems that you are doing really well, and have made some big changes.

Just wanted to make a cheap, healthy, and filling lunch suggestion - homemade soup! I know you said that you're not a big cook, but it's really easy to make, is a great winter warmer, costs very little, and freezes well, so you can freeze it in portions and just take it out the night before. If you have a micro in work just heat it there, otherwise use a flask.

A favorite in my house is carrot and corriander - just double or triple the quantities to batch cook and freeze (if you have a big enough pot!), but really it can be made from any veg you have/is on offer!

HTH

D9


http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7003/carrot-and-coriander-soup

And would go great with the cheap bread you keep finding!

HappyNow

Hopeful1 wrote: »

Well, with the destruction the little Miss & Mr may cause, you just might need that box of wine Enjoy it

poohbear59 wrote: »

I hope you have a lovely weekend. Make the most of the time with your family. Then have a drink to help deal with the mess

Blimey, they're messy. Master Happy brought me a binliner of his finest filthy washing which is now drying all over the house. And they eat such a lot. And sleep such a lot. They're good company though, and absence does make the heart grow fonder - they seem NICER than before they left !

I will definitely be making a dent in the wine box when they've gone back!

HappyNow

Shelski wrote: »

Hello

I've enjoyed subscribing to your diary and have just finished reading through it. This is my first post after a long time lurking. I know exactly what you mean about 'keeping up appearances'. I can't believe sometimes how much comes into this house and then how much goes straight back out again!!! At least I'm aware of it now and I've got the food budget more under control. DH is pretty much on board. He did the shopping today at Aldi and Home bargains and was very proud that he'd only bought 2 things that weren't on the list!! I've been dropping quite a few brands especially cereal and the aldi premium diet lemonade is lovely at 36p a bottle.
Hope you enjoy your weekend. I remember how much I loved going home from uni for a break and they'll love visiting friends and family. That, and chill out, was the only thing I wanted to do when I came home.

Hi Shelski, thanks for reading and welcome to MSE .

Taking control of the grocery shopping is having a massive impact on our finances, and if you're now shopping at Aldi and Home Bargains (I love that shop - wish I'd found it years ago) you're onto a winner. I haven't tried Aldi's diet lemonade but I will do - it's good to get recommendations. I'm a Tizer girl, and I got a 2 ltr bottle in Home Bargains for 79p! I know that's not super-cheap, but TIZER!!! They didn't have any last week though ....

Another massive change for me is that I never throw any food away now (just when I'd discovered Aldi's super-cheap bin liners too ). When I've gone to all the trouble of shopping for the cheapest stuff, I can't bear to waste anything. Mr Happy sometimes looks a bit surprised when meals hit the table, but so far he's eaten everything.

If you really can't believe how much comes in and goes out of your house, have you tried doing a soa? I got such a wake-up call from that!! This one is good
http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html
and is easy to post on here if you decide to start a diary (which I wholeheartedly recommend btw - I would have fallen off the wagon before now without the support and encouragement on mine).

Thanks for posting and I hope you will be back! x