PennyGrabber's Path to Pecuniary Positiveness!!

PennyGrabber

I've just realised that I've had 5 nsds in a row! Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Weds!! I'm not getting anything tomorrow, and I can't get anything on Friday unless I do it before swimming, which I hope I don't! That would mean SEVEN nsds in a row! I don't think I've ever done that before!

Just made a loaf of bread for tomorrow's lunches. I'll have to chuck four slices of value bread though, as they're past it. Oh well, hm is so much nicer!

I had a frozen ready meal today, 30p ys, bought a while ago. It was only ok. Created a bit of space though. And, gave the children an ice lolly each when they came home from their dad's. I will diminish the mountain!

Positives for today:
- five nsds in a row
- been asked to do more supply next week, think it's about 6 hours, so quite a lot of money
- just used the rhubarb that I got at aldi the other week. I stewed it, and made a diddy crumble with a bit of it, in a ramekin. Turns out I like rhubarb now! Never liked it before, but I always like to try things now and then, to see if my tastes have changed. There's a fair bit left, prob 3 or 4 more portions of crumble.
- made some cakes for a cake sale on Friday at work, a year six girl is doing it for a cancer charity, good on her. I offered to make some cakes, as otherwise it's just her and her mum, and then I feel like I've supported the charity, even though I haven't given any real money. Just quality controlled them, and they're good. I've got better at making cakes in the last year or so.
- Pay has gone into bank. Got my P45/60 today, whichever it is that means you're still working there! I think I'll have earned less than I told them I would this last year, so I may get some extra credits.

Off to check the gc thread, then to do the prep for tom before sinking into bed. I actually slept last night, but then felt worse all day today, as you do when you've finally slept after not sleeping for a while.

Night all

PG x

Suffolk_lass

What's stopping you sleeping? I've been too hot (as has DH, who flaps about and sighs too). I shouldn't be surprised; I don't remember the range being on this late in the year before but it's off now so we are down to the microwave/grill/combi fan oven, two gas hotplates and the BBQ for the summer. Even got the electric toaster out this evening (it was £5 in Tesco a few years ago and fine for when I can't grill toast on the hot plate!) I toasted some pittas to have with the meat and salad and I was already using the oven to do garlic bread (too much bread!).

I have been horrendously busy this week and now have to do a few extra hours tomorrow. Then to the Doc's to be patronised (probably). Deep joy:(

I'm catching up on GC in between and saw you have pudding event Friday - have you decided what?

All the best
SL

PennyGrabber

I think it's that I have to spend some time with someone I don't usually hang out with, and it often stresses me out... Still, if it is that, it'll be over in ten days or so.

Hope it goes ok for you at the doc, I find they're really patronising, as if we should know what's wrong with us and self-medicate! If I knew what was wrong with me, or could get the drugs myself, I would!!! Except that, when I was going through my depression, they were fab.

Positives for the day:
- checked olb, savings plan that matured is being dumped into my account tomorrow!! £3364.77!!
- Made some cakes for a cake sale a year 6 girl is doing tomorrow to raise money for cancer charity. I can't go to the pudding evening any more, as ex asked me on Weds if I could have the children as he has an appointment that evening... Anyway, it's the same family doing the pudding thing as the cake sale, so I'll have still played my part.
- I got a letter from the boy we sponsor today, the first one! It was so cute! We sent him a letter at Christmas, and told him a bit about ourselves, and the children each wrote something and drew a picture. He said he liked the pics, and that if my son lived near him, they could go running and playing in the woods by him! That really made me feel like I do some good in the world, like I have my place in the bigger picture. Very philosophical!
- ex gave me his maintenance today, so now I have enough to cover the bills account for this month. I'll transfer it tomorrow as I have only just finished icing the cakes, and now I have to finish a superhero costume. Honestly, I only found out about in on Monday (apparently I don't look at the letters in bookbags - I swear it wasn't there, maybe ex took it out), and it has to be a made-up superhero, not a bought costume! DS has gone for Number Man, a superhero that helps people when they're stuck on their maths! He wanted green, so I got some green fabric and ribbon, made it all into a cape, then cut out green felt numbers which I now have to sow on. While in Hobbicraft today, he found a white mask, so we got that and he painted it green this evening. Wow!
- nsd for the gc, but did spend £2.89 from ents budget on 10 icecreams at farmf00ds. I don't count these as gc, because they're treats for hot days, not a usual thing, and getting them there makes it cheaper (and I can afford to have one too!)

Right, must dash and semi finish this sewing. DD has asked if she can sew on some of the numbers, as she has her own sewing kit and loves to have an excuse to use it! It does mean getting her up early though, and she couldn't get to sleep this evening - could be Kevin (from Kevin and Perry) in the morning!!

I too find that I have weeks where my feet don't touch the ground - why is life like buses?!?!

PG x

PennyGrabber

Woohoo! Another nsd! Very proud of myself. I did succumb yest to some icecreams (straight in and out of farmf00ds, dd wanted eclairs and I said no!), but that was out of the ents budget, so that's 7 nsds in a row for the gc! Don't think I've ever achieved that before!

Tomorrow will be a spendy day. I'm going to do the weekly shop, and get a load of bacon. I'm thinking about cycling, so I get exercise and can't buy too much, but we'll see! Don't yet know what's on the super six, so if I'm going to ald! as well, I'll drive as they're not close enough to cycle!

My list so far is fairly long:
milk
deodorant
loo rolls
beans and bacon from lid!
grapes
yogs
dessicated coconut (not essential but want to try the bounty balls)
ham
maybe chips
and a few other things I can't remember right now...

Won't need apples, bananas or carrots as got those from work today - they're chucked at the end of the week if they're left over, so I bring them home - no sense at all in wasting them, really unethical (and saves me pennies!).

Not too sure of the meal plan for next week, so once my friend and I have bottled up our wine tonight (yeah!!!), I'll make up a plan for next week, and start thinking about the food for our family jubilee party. Only the three of us, but we're going to make it an occasion. I've got a nice cake I've seen that I shall make, hm sausage rolls, and that's as far as I've got so far! Oh, cucumber sandwiches, of course!

Prob won't be on later to do my positives, so here's a few to get on with.

Positives:
- got the money from the savings plan, already in my savings account! Now I need to think about setting up another plan, as it's such a good way to save.
- ds' costume was a success, he's still wearing it now!
- headache has finally gone, found some extra strong pain relief tablets in my handbag during swimming lessons, and took them straight away.
- did about 3 and a half hours of supply today, ker-ching!!
- will have fun hanging out with my friend this evening
- my cakes were the first to be sold at the cake sale today! Friend was really grateful that I'd made them. Honestly, it was only 16 cupcakes!!

Off to meal plan before friend gets here. Feeling very positive. Oh, and going to update my £/day, think I'm really close to £3.50 now!

PG x

PennyGrabber

I am feeling good today!

Going to finish off the meal plan, then go shopping once I've dropped the children off with their dad. Getting the bacon and beans in lidl, as they are things that I am allowed to stock up on (I made a list recently of things I will allow myself to stock, and the level to stock to, as I'm rubbish at hoarding!). So, I will get three packs of beans, and 5 packs of bacon, which I will split in half before freezing so I can use a half or whole pack accord to who I'm feeding.

May go for an exercise class later, and def going to sort out my legs so I can wear skirts!!

Not sure what I'm eating today, other than that it will be useup stuff.

Got 15 bananas, 10 apples and 14 small carrots from work yest, so that's a good stock for this week coming. And, I'm making a small amount of headway in the freezer. I'd love to be able to get it organised - I have the plan already, but just need to eat some of the stuff first! The plan is:
top shelf - hm ready meals
shelf 2 - bread and milk
shelf 3 - veg and potato stuff
shelf 4 - puddings, fruit
big drawer - meat
small drawer - ice creams
door 1 - apple sauce/parsley
door 2 - fish finger type stuff
door 3 - fish finger type stuff
door 4, 5 and 6 - empty for whatever I've forgotten to allocate!!

However, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how I look at it, I have so much ys meat, that I couldn't just contain it in the one shelf, and I daren't get everything out to inventory, as I wouldn't be able to get it back in again! So, I'm on a useup until such a day as I can organise it this way... I just need to learn that there will always be ys meat, and I don't need to buy it just because it's there!

Have a good day, my plan is shopping and housework, with a break for exercise!

PG x

Suffolk_lass

Have a good day PG, I got most of the washing done yesterday and the rest is out this morning (I so love clean sheets and we have put the summer duvet away and gone for a sheet and one open weave wool blanket as our upstairs is always warm).

Loads of small veg plants to pot on today and a small amount of sm shopping - we must get toothpaste; something I have never run out of before (got about 20 toothbrushes in case a football team coach breaks down outside I suppose...). I had a bad couple of weeks and have replenished lots of stock I had been wittling away and have blown my target for May with a week to go. I'm hoping my plant produce will give me low spend months from July to September to average it out a bit.

Enjoy the sunshine
SL

PennyGrabber

I've just done my weekly shop. Stuck to the list, then added on a few stock up things, like beans and bacon in lidl, tinned spag, hot dog saus and generic angel delight (down to 22p) in asda. Oh, and 2kg of gran sugar and some nice squash for me to enjoy on these hot days.

I'm having a rest now and lunch, then I'm going to get on with the housework, which includes doing an inventory of ONE of my shelves in the freezer, with the aim of using that up first!

SL - that's a really good idea to have a sheet and blanket thing going on. I have only ever slept under a duvet, unless I was having a sleepover at my nan's as a kid! Really must look into that, esp for ds as he's such a hot sleeper. Do you know where I could get good, well-priced blankets?

Suffolk_lass

PennyGrabber wrote: »

SL - that's a really good idea to have a sheet and blanket thing going on. I have only ever slept under a duvet, unless I was having a sleepover at my nan's as a kid! Really must look into that, esp for ds as he's such a hot sleeper. Do you know where I could get good, well-priced blankets?

Well done on the shopping this week. I think I'll go for minimal and try and use the c00p divi vouchers that arrived yesterday but I have that temptation to go to A$da for Douwe coffee... need to plan first methinks!

Regarding blankets - my cellular blanket was bought from John Lewis and they do them online but just over £50 for a wool one these days. I can certainly vouch for its longevity and quality and might run to one for DH & me but for a child, they run hotter anyway and I'd look at cotton or acrylic. Amazing have a selection for under £20 but make sure you are looking at single bed and not child bed or cot size! Debenhams might be worth a look as they are discounting some stuff by 25% at the moment and might be worth a haggle if you can bring yourself to do it. Scottsofstow also do them but their P&P is always high.

They appear cheaper in USA but beware 20% import VAT on anything shipped from US by a courier rather than the postal operator - Post is a lottery as to whether the supplier levies it or the parcel gets intercepted for charging in UK - if it does royal mail (parcelforce international) also levy a fee of around £8-14 :eek: - not such a bargain!

HTH
SL

cleggie

PennyGrabber wrote: »

top shelf - hm ready meals
shelf 2 - bread and milk
shelf 3 - veg and potato stuff
shelf 4 - puddings, fruit
big drawer - meat
small drawer - ice creams
door 1 - apple sauce/parsley
door 2 - fish finger type stuff
door 3 - fish finger type stuff
door 4, 5 and 6 - empty for whatever I've forgotten to allocate!!

Wow PG, thats a serious stash of food you have there, and i thought that i had a lot!
I really wish i had room for a chest freezer, but i actually think its a good job i dont, as i would end up spending £100's to fill it !

PennyGrabber

cleggie wrote: »

Wow PG, thats a serious stash of food you have there, and i thought that i had a lot!
I really wish i had room for a chest freezer, but i actually think its a good job i dont, as i would end up spending £100's to fill it !

Oh no, Cleggie, that's my plan!! What I really have is so much worse than this...

My freezer is full, my pantry is full, my cupboard under the stairs is full, my dining room table is full and piled high, a cupboard in my conservatory is full, and I have another box (big) full too!

I think I've worked out my problems though.
1)When I get stressed (eg pre-interview), I go out and stock up in case I don't get the job I suppose, and then have nowhere to put it.
2)When I'm planning the shopping at home, I'm fine and reasonable, but as soon as I get to a sm, I see 'bargains' and stock up/overbuy/get it for later on...

:mad: I'm really cross with myself!

Maybe I should just do internet shopping? Or maybe I should try and discipline myself to only look on the shelves I actually need things from.

On the plus side, I've used up two things from the shelf of the freezer I'm working on. Small steps...

SL - thanks for the advice re blankets. I may go into debs next weekend, but I'll have a look on amazing right now!

Having quite a productive day so far. I have:
- put out the last load of washing
- hoovered the upstairs, stairs and downstairs
- swept the downstairs floors

Oh, that's it. It felt like more while I was doing it.

Still, yesterday, I cleaned the front downstairs windows inside and out, mowed the lawn (well, strimmed it as it was my first time this year! ), did some washing did the weekly shop in three shops and bought myself some summer clothes. It was literally the first time this year I have bought myself any clothes, but I woke up yest, and couldn't find anything suitably summery to wear!

Still to do today:
tidy and clean kitchen
bit of dusting
tidying in my room
putting clothes away
go to church at 4pm
sorting out paperwork
clean the bathroom

Better get cracking then.