Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Hello, I'm still here! DS went back to uni yesterday so that's some of the secrecy pressure off - DD still has a week and a half here. The grocery bill has been HUGE while they've been home, but I allowed an extra £50 to cover them so I should keep to target provided I cut back for the last couple of weeks of the month. It's been lovely having everyone home, but they are SO messy!

Well my first Ebay foray seems to have been a success. I had five bids on my cardigan and it eventually sold for £16. I guestimated the postage just right, so a clear £16 profit!! That has spurred me on and I am now eyeing up everything in the house. The family have started carrying their precious things around with them . Next free listing weekend I intend listing some horsey things which seem to sell well on there.

The vet bill arrived yesterday - £116. That's around what I expected, so it's budgetted for and I will pay it today. Disappointingly the weather is still cold, so I've had to order another £100 of coal which I hadn't expected, but needs must and hopefully the weather will improve soon and we will still have some of it left in October when we will need the fire again

NewLeaf_2

hi Happy! well done on flea bay. i am off to post some things as soon as they open.
£16 is brill.

xx

poohbear59

Well done on your ebay sales. You have done better than me. I made a loss as I underestimated the postage costs. I have put more things are on there this week with higher postage costs.
Good news on the vets bill too. This budgeting is fun isn't it:D

Mr Pooh made a comment about me writing about him on here: when questioned he hasn't read anything but he had me worried.

PinotGrigio41

poohbear59 wrote: »

Well done on your ebay sales. You have done better than me. I made a loss as I underestimated the postage costs. I have put more things are on there this week with higher postage costs.
Good news on the vets bill too. This budgeting is fun isn't it:D

Mr Pooh made a comment about me writing about him on here: when questioned he hasn't read anything but he had me worried.

Pooh, I dont think Mr Pooh has any need to be worried !! I have written some real corkers bout Mr Pinot, I have told him though and he doesnt seem to care ! :rotfl:

Well done Mrs Happy on your ebay sales. Hope you are ok, you have been a little quiet of late.

HappyNow

Hmmm. I think I might be having a mini-wobble. I haven't done anything madly spendy, but I just seem to be taking my eye off the ball.

As an example, Little Miss Happy needed lots of text books for uni. I just told her to go ahead and order them from Amazon. Luckily for me she's a sensible thing and she did buy second-hand ones (still £50 though!), but I should have researched it and I just didn't bother.

Then on Friday, Mr Happy suggested we go out for a meal. There was no money in the entertainment pot (there never has been yet) so I should have said no, but I didn't. We went to a local Turkish restaurant and it was lovely, but it cost £42 that we couldn't afford. Whilst it was nice to get out for the first time in ages, I wouldn't have missed it if we hadn't gone and I feel the money was wasted. That's a week's food budget.

And generally I don't feel to have been controlling the money as well as I was doing. I think it's because the kids have been home. I've been wanting to treat them (fancy food in the cupboards etc) and I can feel myself slipping backwards.

Anyway, IT STOPS NOW! If anyone reads this, I would be very grateful if you could put on your heaviest boots or sharpest pointy-toed stillettos and give me a firm kick up the bum. To lift my motivation I am pledging to write in this diary every single day between now and 15th May (payday), and at the end of my usual drivel I am going to list my money successes and failures for that day. So, to begin:

Yesterday's money magic: I was home all day so didn't spend anything. I ran the dishwasher during Econony 7 hours and continued to turn off everything I wasn't using.

Yesterday's financial failings: I ate £2 worth of chocolate that I didn't need or really want, just because it was there. I threw away a portion of home-made chilli that I should have frozen three days ago because I put it in the microwave and forgot about it. I ran the washing machine in peak electric hours because I'd forgotten to load it the previous night and needed the stuff. I drank half a bottle of wine, when a quarter bottle would have been fine.

Actually, yesterday doesn't really sound that bad - other days have been worse. Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to try and have all Magics and no Failings to report .

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi HappyNow, I think we all go through periods when we have a few splurges, but the difference seems to be that we recognise we are doing it. Far better than going back to the days of spending with no thought.

On a brighter note, you have had the kids home, they've had super food and you and DH had a fab meal out. Back to the no spending again now

Best wishes Tilly x

Ninno820

Hi Happy - after your support for me in my diary I thought that I would pop over and support you.

I kniw what its like having family over - the secrecy and not wanting to let them down in some way. Howver the fact is that you've got right back on that horse and taken charge again. As for going out and enjoying yourself - well thats just an ebay item or two! Sometimes we have to have a treat to look forward to - its going to be a long journey for both of us and we'll go stir crazy otherwise!

Take care - I've subscribed to your diary so will keep in touch. xx

PinotGrigio41

Ok Mrs, I'm here with a stilletto on one foot and a boot on the other, but do you know what, I havent the heart to tell you off, as there really is no reason to !

You need a treat at times, it makes us all feel better, so the meal out with Mr Happy was your treat. Mine was a takeway with the girls last night.You have to allow yourself some time off from thinking about the money, easier said than done I know.

As for the extra spends when the children were back from Uni. You knew it would happen and you have had a lovely time with them . I got chatting to a lady in the queue at A£di just before the Easter hols who was stacked up to the eyeballs with bottles of fizzy drink, treats etc etc . She said she was stocking up in preperation for her children coming back from Uni. She said they always raid the cupboards for sweets and treats but she worries about the cost. Hence, good old A£di again. She said she hasnt had one complaint that its not the usual pricey things in the cupboard, they were just greatful to be home and have a few tasty things to eat !

Now you can get back to your super organised self, keep smiling and stop feeling guilty !

NewLeaf_2

dont stop now mrs happy. we are all behind you

Piquant_2

Actually Mrs H you haven't done anything awful at all. Unlike Mrs PG who is going to be had up by the fashion police for wearing a stilletto on one foot and a boot on the other :eek: she will also be walking like a crippled duck....

It is perfectly natural to want to treat the kids, have a meal out now and again and lose sight of the ball every now and again. So??

Only £2 worth of chocolate, you're not trying girl....I can eat a lot more than that! and if you can stop at a quarter of a bottle of wine, it must be off, is all I can say!

I'm glad you're going to post everyday as I enjoy reading your diary!!

It's still under control, stop worrying!

Love to you

Piq