PennyGrabber's Path to Pecuniary Positiveness!!

Suffolk_lass

One more favourite in this house - I've just made 3 jars of Jumbleberry jam - raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrents and gooseberries (anything relly) all in together with the same weight in granulated sugar and boiled for 15 minutes. Yummy!

PennyGrabber

I read about that the other day when I was researching flavours! I'm looking forward to making it, just have to make sure I have a variety of those types of fruit in at the same time!

PennyGrabber

Used cash today for my shopping. Made the mistake of not adding up as I went though, which was naughty. Up to around £60 for this month now, or just under I think. This is enough to do until at least 23rd July, so pretty good. Bills all paid this month, account at zero still, but not needed to put any money over.

Must put the supply claim in this week, and NEED to ring tax credits as not been able to get through yet. Grr! Extra pay for July, and quite a lot of extra pay in Aug. I've decided that I won't struggle to save the spending money for the hol from the next pay, unless i can do it easily, as I can take it from the Aug pay packet.

Want to get myself a new diary, as the filofax I've been using for the last two years is a bit too small for teaching, and I want one I can make notes in and stuff. That's coming out of the July pay, so not looking until after next weekend.

Feeling quite good about myself and money, as I feel more in control of my spending. Yes, I'm still spending more than I should be, but I'm accounting for things, and allocating things, eg the diary.

I will continue to overpay the £100 on the mortgage whenever I can, as that will save 8 further years, making it finish in 2034. I will try to do more when I can, but I'm not exactly sure how money is going to work from Sept yet, until I get my first pay slip. Wow, I'll be 57 when it ends. Still, better than 67 which it was originally. Pleased I've already shaved 2 years off. Def trying for more!!

Tomorrow's plan is church with a friend, then lots of tidying and cleaning. Shouldn't set foot in a shop, as I have everything I need, and I don't have time! The house is a tip, have dd's friends over tomorrow, AND there are loads of flies in the kitchen/dining room/conservatory. I think a fly must've laid on the bird that the cat brought in a few days ago. Thought she'd eaten it all up, but found the head yest... I really need to clean out the dining room, and make it so there is only one table in there instead of three, so I can clean it properly. Will empty the table off tomorrow, and then ask my friend to help me disassemble one table, and assemble the new one. That will get rid of loads of tut, and I'll be able to focus more in that room then.

Yeah, loads of jobs to keep me not spending tomorrow. I'll fill you in on how I do!

Suffolk_lass

I've just made some more jumbleberry jam - this time it was damsons (strained after cooking to ensure no stones) from the freezer, with some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries (all YS from sm) - picked the mould off the blueberries and they're fine (!) - all good.

The sugar was some DH had stashed in the garage to top up feed his bees but they swarmed and left so it had been out there a year! Very OS!!

PennyGrabber

Just handed in my claim form for supply teaching for the last three weeks - 91 hours!!! That's going to be some payday! Woop woop!!!

Not a nsd, but a lsd (low spend day), and only bought a few useful things, rather than a mega trolley of carp to store!

It was the year six leavers' assembly today, which was lovely. I haven't taught any of this cohort, but have built a rapport with them over the years. Will miss them.

Positives for today:
- claim form done
- was very brave at the dentist (I cried and shook and needed stroking, but I got through it!) today for my first ever filling.
- finished buying all the teacher and ta presents.
- over 10,000 views on this thread now! Thanks guys!
- had loads of time left after dinner for the children to play - having the dining room back in operation is really having an impact. Needs a major clean now though...
- Got through loads of jobs today at work.
- had the second of my random-pasties for lunch. One more left for tomorrow. They were made with lo pastry, and have mozzarella, ham and pineapple in them, as that was what was left from making the pizzas on Monday!! They're ok.
- Forgot about child benefit going into the account, so back into the positive (was on £00.00 for about a week). Of course, most of that will go on the dentist, but hey ho!
- two more days and counting until the summer holidays start - I can't wait! Have planned loads to do, and lots of the things don't involve money, or only petrol, so hoping to be able to do everything on the list. Really must start allocating things to days! That'll be the first job in the hols.

Off to bed now - my mouth feels really weird. It took ages for the feeling to come back into my mouth - I felt like I was dribbling for hours!

PG x

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, my sympathies re the dentist. I sadly cannot say the same. I was filling-free through the sugar years of childhood and early teens but then my dentist retired and the practice was bought by some Antipodean group that ran a scam - doing lots of unnecessary work on NHS - it was quite infamous in West London. I had 18 (really) fillings the first time I went and 11 the next time. This involved three fillings in one tooth. Ever since, the fillings have fallen out regularly and when I was a student, my new dentist wrote me up as a test case and the LHA agreed to 9 crowns! Sadly they don't last forever either. Anyway, I was the first patient to fall off the exam chair while that lovely dentist was trying to examine my mouth (so nervous) :rotfl:Fortunately we both saw the funny side and ever after (until we moved) he referred to me as "this is the young lady I was telling you about..." to all his colleagues and dental nurses. Infamous or what!?

Only two more get ups (as DH keeps telling me) :T:T

All the best
SL

PennyGrabber

Ooh, you poor thing! Sounds terrible!

Well, I haven't written recently as I suffered a horrible post anaesthetic headache. Poor dd had to put me to bed on Thursday!! She locked the front door, put the cat out, and tucked me in with a kiss! I'm so lucky! I was asleep before 8.

Anyway, today marked the first day of the hols, really looking forward to hanging out with the children. They chose that they wanted to go to a soft play place, so we went after lunch. I happened to see a friend there, and we hung out while our children played. Then, her son had a terrible crash with another child, and there was blood everywhere, coming from his mouth! I spent ages with them, doing first aid, or looking after her other son (a 13 week old baby!), and in the end she had to take him to hospital, so I took her baby home, to wait for her friend to take over baby duty as her husband is away camping this weekend. ARGGHHHH!!!!! It was a crazy time, and now the poor boy has to go to an emergency dentist tomorrow, and may lose his front adult tooth. Poor thing. The mum was almost in hysterics, with her boy, and also with still being new-mum-hormonal. It was horrible. I'm so glad I was there, though, to help.

My two were very patient. We were supposed to be leaving just before it happened, and we ended up staying there for an extra hour!

Anyway, that's £12 spent so far this holiday.

Going to keep a track of the holiday spending, as this is where it usually goes wrong during the year.

Had a mega cheap meal tonight; sweet and sour chicken. ys chicken breast, rice, lo tinned pineapple, frozen peas, jar of cheapo sauce. I reckon that lot was less than £1, and I still have some mix left, and some sauce! That'll do me for tomorrow.

Children are away from tom at 4pm, until Friday dinnertime. I am planning on using the car as little as possible, and spending as little as possible. I shall have random meals that use stuff up, and cycle wherever possible.

My petrol budget is looking good for this month. I have spent £53 of my £60 budget so far, but have 3/4 of my tank left!

Right, off to bed, to read some more, and wish I had an ipad and iphone!!

PennyGrabber

Oops, another week has gone by...

I've had a bit of a rough week this week, as the children have been away all week (since Sunday). It's the longest they've ever been away, and I can't stand it. It's life, but I don't like it!

Normally, at these times, I go overboard with money-spending and the like, and I must say, I'm quite impressed with myself this time around. I did go out for a meal with a friend (£16), and I bought a bbq and tools, and food, and stuff along with the weekly shop (£57), but that's about it. Oh, and another £30 in tesco and asda because it was Sunday night, and I could!! Hmm, doesn't look so good now.

I have used some of the time, though, to sort out bits in the house, and relax, A LOT. I haven't been sleeping well, but I've been waking up early in the day!! So, I've been reading any old rubbish on the kindle, until well into the afternoon some days! Yesterday, for example, I didn't get up until 4pm!! Shocking!

I'm just off out to cycle to the shop to get a lottery ticket for tonight's euromillions draw, I wouldn't mind winning £1m or £105m! Then, I shall do a bit more tidying and cleaning, and meal planning before the children come home. I shall prepare something nice for them, as they've been away from home for so long, and they've been on hols, so probably not eating so healthily. Maybe hm pizza, as I have lots of salad stuff to use up.

I've paid all of the bills for this month now, although I did it three days late (part of feeling bad). VERY worried now about how much money I shall have from Sept onwards, as although I get a rise, the childcare is much more. Let's hope tax credits will help, and that I get enough courage to ask ex to give me more (he should have upped his money last May!)

Still haven't done an inventory, as there's too much stuff. I have, however, updated fairly recently the £/day I have left. I will use this as a guide, and try to spend as little as humanly possible, while using everything up.

I'm in a bit of a clearout mood, as I did two journeys to the tip on Weds, and I've sorted out the hallway today, so I shall try and keep this going, and clear out loads of stuff from my bedroom!! Ebay, car boots, whatever, as long as I can make a bit of money from it!

My overtime has been signed off now, that will be paid on Aug 23rd, and £350 of it will go straight towards the September childcare. Any left over will be spending money for France, as I don't want to keep saying no to the children. It's only a four day holiday, and I want to be able to say yes to whatever, to make it a really memorable holiday for them. Icecreams every day, whatever they want to eat in restaurants, souvenirs, going up the Eiffel Tower, that kind of thing. I'm not extravagant at all, but I don't want to be stingy then, as then I won't enjoy the hol myself. They're great children, and they'll understand that it won't carry on when we get home!!

I'll try and get on to do some positives later, as that might make me feel better...

PG x

ps - thanks SL for keeping an eye on me! x

Suffolk_lass

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Still haven't done an inventory, as there's too much stuff. I have, however, updated fairly recently the £/day I have left. I will use this as a guide, and try to spend as little as humanly possible, while using everything up.

I'll try and get on to do some positives later, as that might make me feel better...

PG x

ps - thanks SL for keeping an eye on me! x

Thanks PG. We all like your lovely pink positives - they make us all feel better.

I was thinking of upping some of my stores, ahead of the winter as I think that potato blight, late wheat, short maise and rotting grass for hay this year means lots of carbs will go up this winter. I'm sure milk will and that means butter, cheese and cream and meat if the feed is all bought in. Hmm, might have to get my larder built this autumn (been saving for ages).

I'll think before I leap in
Good to see you back

All the best
SL

PennyGrabber

Upping stores feels like a sensible thing to do, as long as you can store it. That is my problem; I can't!!

Can't stop watching the Olympic opening ceremony - proud to be British!

Positives for today:
- GOT MY BABIES BACK!!
- had an incredible experince with my account. I went to get some cash out, as I need to give the children £9 each - £5 for their reports, £1 from my mum for their reports, and £3 owed pocket money. Anyway, I was at the cash point, and thought I'd check my balance before I got the cash out; I never normally do that, as I'm so regularly checking on the internet. I was surprised that the balance was a lot more than it should have been. I rushed home, and it turns out that tax credits have paid me a one off payment of what they 'owe' me from last tax year!! (It's over £1000!!!)
- Did a favour for my neighbour. Well, did it yest, but he thanked me today. I was going to the tip, and needed to do two journeys. Saw that I had enough space in the car to take his two bags of grass cuttings, so went into his front garden and took them (he was out at the time), and he was really happy.
- Bought myself a few bits of clothing today, as I'm feeling positive about my diet, and I'm enjoying wearing skirts in this nicer weather.
- Did a ton of tidying today. Still got loads to do, but I'm feeling much more positive about the house now.
- Someone came and bought my bike store from me, for what I paid for it! It was in my front garden, waiting for me to decide what to do with it, as it didn't fit where I wanted it to go, so that was a stroke of luck!
- Looking forward to spending a lovely weekend with my children. We may go to the cinema tomorrow - one of the children in my class gave me a £5 cinema voucher as a thank you present, which is more than enough for the empire juniors film, and I have loads of popcorn left over from when we had a dvd afternoon at school, so a free trip, bar the petrol to get there and back (£1 ish!)

Ex tried to keep the children overnight again tonight, I said NO!! Very politely, obviously!! Having put up with 5 nights without them, did he really think I'd want to have another without them?!?!

Think I'll use some of the money to buy an ipad. I've wanted one for ages, and couldn't afford one, but with this extra money, I could get one. I don't want the money to be swallowed up, I'd rather be able to say "I used it to ...", rather than, "Well, I don't really know where it went!!"

Had enough of watching all of the flags now. Feel bad about that, but it's bedtime!

Night night, and thank you for keeping me going.

PG x