Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

FlacosFloozie wrote: »

Glad to hear that the horse is feeling better and hope you and Miss Happy have a lovely weekend.

Box_of_Fluffies wrote: »

Hi Happy, pleased to hear the Happy Horse is doing much better.

Don't be too hard on yourself about 'keeping up appearances' with the family over DD's birthday. The main thing is that you enjoy your time with them.

brizzledfw wrote: »

Very pleased to hear that your horse is on the mend. It's a pity that you can't tell anyone but what's important is that you are not doing this without a great deal of thought and everything that goes on the CC is accounted for and considered.

Thanks very much for your messages .

The HappyHorse is feeling much better and yesterday he went out in the field for the first time since Tuesday. He is still lame but much better, and he has stopped oozing pus which is always a good thing! Now I just sit back to await the vet bill :cool:

We've had a lovely weekend! DD and I went shopping for her birthday pressies on Saturday. There were no 2for1 vouchers for restaurants (I would have loved to take her out for lunch) so we decided on a pasty from Greggs, sat on a bench in the sun, for 91p each! I withdrew £100 in cash (from our current a/c overdraft so no withdrawal fee) to make it easier to keep track and told her firmly that when it was gone, that was that. I did however spend an additional £31 on her because she looked so beautiful in a dress she tried on that I just HAD to buy it her! I don't regret it.

Then on Saturday night the four of us met my parents for the customary birthday meal at a local pub. The food was lovely, and we were so full that only two people could manage a sweet (well I could have EASILY eaten one, but pretended I couldn't!) so the bill came in at £54 which is now sat heavily on my credit card! The six of us sat there over drinks (which my dad bought) until closing time talking and laughing and having a great time.

Yesterday we had a great day messing with the animals and taking the dog for a long walk - finally something free! Today I've taken the morning off work to spend with DD before she catches the train back to uni at midday, and we're planning a couple of hours watching junk TV and eating junk food.

So overall not a very MSE weekend, but I have to remember that Old Me would have spent much more and not been able to account for any of it. Anyway, it was the sort of weekend that memories are made of, so I don't begrudge one single penny.

PinotGrigio41

It sounds like the perfect weekend Mrs Happy, and as you say most definately one to remember !!

poohbear59

Happy, it sounds like you had a lovely weekend and after all the hard work last month you deserve it.

Box_of_Fluffies

What wonderful memories you made with DD, Happy. Memories will still be there long after the debt has gone.

HappyNow

Thanks for the good wishes about last weekend - I'm still smiling so it must have been money well spent!

Payday is Thursday, but as all the figures are in I couldn't resist updating my signature two days early. Spot the saddo!

I had to use credit cards last month to cover emergencies (most of them Mr Happy-related!) so the reduction isn't as breath-taking as I would have liked. BUT...... even including that, and paying just my standard £1000 off the cards (which is only minimum payments plus £28 ), I have still managed to reduce our overall unsecured debt by £387 . With debts like ours that's just a drop in the ocean, but it IS a reduction - making it three consecutive monthly reductions after years of consecutive increases. So I am CHUFFED!

Not only that, but next month's budget looks reasonably manageable (apart from both car insurances, but I will spread that over a few months) provided I carry on being very careful and barring more emergencies. I've increased our grocery budget to £250 because both kids will be home from uni for Easter for the last two weeks and they eat a lot! I hope to have some left over, but I'd rather over-allow than bust the budget.

Midnight - best get my smug little self to bed!

Hopeful1

Very well done oh smug one!!! You have every right to be chuffed with yourself, you're doing a sterling job considering none of your family know what you're doing. Keep up the good work :T

Box_of_Fluffies

Well done on the new signature and on recognizing the need to increase your grocery budget for the month. It must be very hard doing it alone, especially when it seems like your loved ones unwittingly thwart your attempts at every turn.

HappyNow

Thanks Hopeful1 and Fluffies .

Well, this morning I have done my full budget from today (payday) to 14th April. It takes AGES - no wonder I didn't used to bother :D!

The upshot is that we can just about afford to live and meet all our commitments this coming month, but yet again there is nothing leftover to put into our small savings accounts. I have now set up SIX on-line accounts to accomodate various little pots (animal costs, coal, car costs, household emergencies, xmas/birthdays, and holidays). Barclays must think I've lost the plot, especially as each account is sat there with just £1 in it .

Still, I have managed to cover the day to day costs of each of those categories, such as animal food, monthly coal etc. And winter is the most expensive time for us, I hope that over the next few months I can scrimp a bit more together. But if I can't start saving for future events, I will end up borrowing when they happen and I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT!!


So, this month I must:

• Not spend the entire grocery budget - eat from freezer as much as possible, at least until kids come home at Easter
• Meal plan, bulk cook, and shop at discount stores
• Use as little petrol as possible - leftovers towards car insurance
• No treats for any of us (except small amounts of wine and chocolate for me - got to be realistic )
• Start to Ebay and investigate other ways of bringing more money in
• No toiletries to be bought until we've used all our stocks, and then bought via Boots points from products on offer

Another lean month. At least I'm used to it now, it's become normal !

PinotGrigio41

Look at you Mrs Happy, and how organised you have become.:T

You have right to feel so smug, that signature is looking good and heading in the right direction ! I'm the same as you, I pay off a £1 and am so excited I ahve to update the signature !! Amazing how such a little thing can cause so much excitment for me these days !!:rotfl:

Best of luck with the challenges you have set yourself for the month x

Itsadogslife_2

Hi Happy (and Pinot),

These small things are the things that keep us motivated to keep going. (you know what they say, little things, please little.... :rotfl:) I get so excited of putting coins into a money box things I would have never thought anything of before (probably wouldn't have bothered and just spent it to be honest). But now is the first time in my life I have got some (hardly anything) money in savings pots to cover things that are coming up rather than paying for things on cards and worrying about it later

I am sure that being in debt has actually made me a much better person