PennyGrabber's Path to Pecuniary Positiveness!!

PennyGrabber

Yay, feel a bit better. Having slept for some of the afternoon, I'm not ready for bad now though, which may put me out for the rest of the week!!

Positives:
- had a lush rest while watching tv, snoozing, playing the ds and eating carp
- did a few of the things on my massive list - less to do tomorrow
- looking forward to friend coming over tomorrow, she's here for lunch, and I spent a grand total of 50p on top-up ingredients for us to have a nice meal of twice cooked jackets with salad!
- went to a pampered chef meeting and got a free knife
- used less shampoo and conditioner as I had my hair cut yesterday. Sounds daft, but I usually put too much on my hand, and end up over-lathering, so made sure I didn't do that today. I reckon with careful usage, I could almost double the bottle's life, and still have clean hair. Frugaltastic!!
- finished another (free) book on the kindle. It's one of the best gadgets I've bought myself I think. I love it!
- bought the children's eggs in tesc0, and used my other purse, so had to do two transactions. I did it at self service, and the lady watched me carefully, as if I was going to steal them, but I felt good about it, as I know I have used the right budget for the right things from the outset, instead of having to 'pay back' different purses.
-saved money today by not going out to a scrapbooking day. Would have had to donate towards petrol, pay £3 entrance, pay to develop some photos, pack myself a lunch etc, and reckon I've saved over £10 there, which balances out the £7odd I spent in tesc0 (diff budget though!)
- used up some foods

Going to take myself off to bed with my kindle and a lemsip now, hoping to be much better in the morning!

PG x

Box_of_Fluffies

Hi PG, just managed to catch up with your diary. You have been busy. Well done on repairing your vacuum and saving yourself some money. Your list of positives is looking pretty impressive.

Hope you get rid of the lurgy soon.

cleggie

Morning PG, hope you are feeling better today?

PennyGrabber

Grr, just lost a whole long post. Too tired to redo now, will fix tom. Thanks for thinking of me, feeling much better today. You know, well enough to get on!!

PG x

PennyGrabber

Right, trying again! Had quite a few positives for yesterday, although they were all little ones, as it wasn't a great day altogether. Still, I find doing this helps me to feel good when I go to bed, and having debt/feeling ill/feeling alone/etc/etc all get one down, so going to bed happy is a really important thing for me. Can't remember the positives now, so I'll just start some for today!!

- my friend had her baby yesterday evening! A gorgeous boy called Jacob, so I can now make the cottage pie to take round for them.
- said no to going out for the day tomorrow; would've cost £26 entry, plus £10 petrol, plus picnic style lunch, plus icecreams, plus plus plus, so happy about that. Not great that I won't be seeing those friends, but there's always another time. Esp as we're going out to a similar place the next day!! Different friends though.
- Both children had a little spend of their money today. We went to te$co and toys r us, were also going to go to a$da but ran out of time! ds got an ultimatrix and a microphone (he had asked for this for Christmas, so pleased he got himself one) and dd got herself a hello kitty bindeez kit, plus has loads of birthday money left over to have a look around a$da when we do go.
- meal plan changed already - dd asked for poorly dinner, so did that as it's quicker than risotto! Had two spuds left from last bag that needed using, so they had one and a bit, and I shall have the rest of the other as twice baked jacket or something like that later on when I'm hungry.
- I've had much less chocolate and carp today. Feeling good about that, as it's totm due... I always go up a cup size (and sore) and binge on anything and everything I can get my hands on, no matter how much I don't want it! Hormones are so weird!!
- dd and ds got back from their hol yesterday, I missed them sooooo much. Four nights is too long to be away from them. I know they had a good time, but still!!
- did loads of tidying yest as I was finally feeling better enough. dd's room looks good, and ds' room will look amazing after another ten mins in there - I ran out of time before they got home!
- had a semi-lazy day today - we didn't get dressed til gone 3pm! I didn't get out of bed properly until half 1! Children watched dvd in bed with me/played on the wii or ds or computer, or played with me or in their rooms. I think they really missed home, and their stuff, so I had never planned to do anything much today.
- used purses well in the shops we went to, so system is working. Unfortunately, I have spent too much in each budget, but that's a learning curve!!

Planning on watching a dvd and vegging tonight, after putting away the clothes that came off the line yesterday and tucking the children up in bed.

Children are tidying their rooms tomorrow (the stuff I didn't do because it's what they got out - I do clothes and things, and they do toys), so I shall put the duster round while they do that, that was my job for today, but we had a lazy day instead!

Right, I need to go and make pudding now, so I'll 'see' you tomorrow!!

PG x

PennyGrabber

Morning!

Looking forward to spending the day with the children and not spending any money!!

Happy Easter everyone, and enjoy time spent with loved ones.

xx

cleggie

Morning PG!

Think i may gove the kitchen cupboards a good clean out today, as they certainy need it! I dread to think what i'll find lurking at the back of them!
Have a good time at church!

PennyGrabber

Wow, Cleggie, you know how to live!! Sorry, couldn't resist!

I've had a lovely day today, feeling really good about myself.

Positives for today:
- paid off £100 of my credit card. I know I said I'd do £200, but it's a bit too close for comfort, and another 15 days until payday, so did 100 today, and the other 100 later in the month. I promise I'll be careful with it!! I would hate to have to put spends back on there, that could be avoided...
- had a lovely church service, children were very well behaved, and I played my part well.
- really enjoyed my dinner todya. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed dinner properly, and I even had seconds today (lo from the children's plates!) It was roast chicken, except I don't like roasting chickens because they're disgusting, so I poach a chicken breast and have that with the trimmings. Delicious! Did the breast in the water of the steamer, carrots above it, and peas and sweetcorn on the top. While the oven was doing the spuds and stuffing, I threw in some biscuits (Easter ones of course!), so altogether a very ms experience! AND, I have saved the chicken/veg water for our risotto tomorrow.
- dd likes the ipod case I started knitting last night. Certainly cheaper than buying one, as I had the needles and wool up in the loft!
- I've managed to keep on top of things in the kitchen over the last few days, hoping this keeps up!

One downer though...
I went to make eggs with dd (have a silicone mold from te$co that you paint melted choc into), and put the choc into the microwave in my special melting pot from lakeland, only for the microwave to make funny noises and smell bad. That'll be me saving up for a new one then.

Honestly, there's never an end, is there?!

I'm going back to using a list in the kitchen of stuff that's running/run out, so it will help me with my shopping lists. Otherwise, I'll forget something, go back, spend extra money, have nowhere to put the new stuff... ... ... !
So, I noticed while doing sinner that the frozen peas are nearly out. They will be finished after the risotto, so they're the first things on the list. Along with enrituals/similar. Nothing else, but feels a bit more organised again. Every step is a step closer to financial order...

Night all!

PG x

cleggie

Morning PG
You are right, i truely know how to live dont i! Rock and roll all the way!

Well, in the end i didnt even clean out the kitchen, i was far too lazy (oops!!).

Well done on paying off the £100 of your CC!:jthats brilliant!

Sorry to hear about your microwave though. Mine has had to be thrown out as it stopped working and i'm on the hunt for a new (cheap!) one too!

Have a great day!

PennyGrabber

Hey everyone,

Cleggie - I got my new microwave today from a£da, £36 for a digital one. They also had a russell hobbs micro and grill for £40 from £56 or something like that, and a smartprice one for £28.

Very proud of myself today - managed to go to a£da and didn't spend any gc money!! Got the microwave, two dvds and a present for my friend's baby. Unfortunately, the microwave has to come out of the money I was hoping to pay the cc with.

Had a lovely day overall, several duh moments, but never mind!
We went to a farm visitor centre, £19 to get in. Supposed to be meeting friends there, arranged way before easter. They didn't reply to text or call last night, or this morning, so went anyway. Then, while we were there, they texted to say they're going tomorrow!! Trouble is, it's the only time I can see them now, and we have a standing tradition, of having all four of the children in a photo with the easter bunny that we have to chase. I have three years' photos of this, so we're going again tomorrow, to get the fourth and to see my friends. Grr!! Could've saved that money today!! And, I was so proud of myself, packed a flask of hot water, a tea bag, and a large plastic cup with a smidge of milk in, so I could have tea with our picnic lunch (made this morning, all very boring except the hm easter biscuits). Then, my son asked for a drink. Oops! So that was £2 unnecessary spending for two drinks, that I had a supply of in the house... Will remember them tomorrow!

Other than that, we had a good time, ds had a go at archery, which was only there today, and I got a pic of him in medieval helmet and sword. dd didn't want a go. dd held and stroked a guinea pig - she usually has a chick, but last year one pooped on her, so she didn't fancy it this year! They both bottle fed a sheep, and then fed the goats too, as well as chasing the easter bunny which is always a laugh, and ds was the one to catch him this year!

I appreciate this is an essay, just realised, but I had a good time, so wanted to share!

Positives for today:
- good day out, just the three of us which was nice
- replaced microwave, though it was going to be around £50, so 'saved' £14.
- children were really well behaved, and came to me as soon as I said come, most of the time. So often they want to carry on playing, and they were great about it today.
- no gc money spent
- nice dinner, chicken risotto. Used a bit too much rice, so I have now worked out that 125g of rice will do us for our dinner, which means four meals from a 500g pack!
- was going to buy frozen peas today while in a£da, but didn't as I won't need them for a while, and it'll make me use up the veggies in the fridge, rather than rely on the easy and quick pea!

Quite cross with myself about dinner, I saved my stock from poaching the chicken breast yesterday to use in the risotto, and forgot to use it! Typical...

DD had a little spend in next today. She had £10 gift card for her birthday, and we spent a while looking around the girl section before she went back to something she had seen first - she's getting better at that now. Anyway, she had to add another £2 of her own money, and she now has a pink and orange flowery skirt with an orange vest ready for summer!

I still can't stop eating chocolate and carp, so can't wait for my totm. Need to start losing weight again, but actually can't at the moment. I really need there to not be any stuff I can binge on in the house at all, then I won't be able to...

Here endeth the essay!

Night all, PG x