PennyGrabber's Path to Pecuniary Positiveness!!

Suffolk_lass

:j:j:jI agree, very proud to be British! :j:j:j

Loved the Queen and Bond sequence and Rowan Atkinson with the RSO was inspired. My Mum (82) DH, DS and I were all laughing so hard we cried.
So pleased for you re the Tax Credits. How lovely!

Enjoy the weekend with the children.
We have the cycling "channel" on BBC HD on for the day with DH flicking to the rowing in another room. I love sport and the Olympics so much. (I did Sports Science for my degree and was a solid all-rounder in team sports until injury forced retirement) and I just love watching it.

Someone has to shop later and it might have to be me..:(
Not so bad if that is all I have to be sad about though

Best wishes
SL

PennyGrabber

Just had a lovely time at Bourton on the Water. Its like a little English seaside, in the middle of the country! No sand, but the river/stream has a lovely current, and there's a green to sit on right by it. It was lovely! We had a picnic, then had ice creams and sweets, along with joining in with a duck race! The children treated themselves with their own money, and then we came home via the cinema to get our tickets for tomorrow morning. Super stuff! Took a few good pics, and asked a lady to take a pic of the three of us, so it looked like I was there too!!

NSD for gc.

Kitchenbunny

Wow, just had a look at Bourton on the Water's site and it looks lovely - absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed the opening ceremony too - welled up at one point with the emotion of it all.

K xx

PennyGrabber

It was a lovely day out, and could have been free (bar the fuel), but I wanted to treat us to icecreams and sweeties - you only live once!! Liek you said, it's so beautiful there, and we had a great time.

Just come back from the cinema via a$da - needed to get dd some clothes... She's outgrown most of her tshirts (ok, so she has had the about three years!!!), so bought her two of them, of course she only like the higher priced ones! Also got them both pants and socks, as I've decided to bin what they have now, and start again. I do that occasionally, as I buy a few, then some things fit and some don't', and not one of us is clever enough to bin them at the time!

Also bought ice cream, as dd has started an icecream shop in her room. She has spent ages making signs, thinking of prices, setting up her till (that I gave her when she was two!), etc., and now she is nearly ready for the shop to open! Some of the ice cream will be imaginary, and some real. So cute!! I remember running a shop being my fave thing to do as a girl.

We're almost about to go out now, swimming at a local pool for fun and floats! Costs £9, but it's for 75 mins and the children love it!

Busy day...

PennyGrabber

So, I've made a decision today. I'm NOT going to get an ipad (even though I really want one!), as a friend who has one says she prefers her iphone, and says she doesn't really use her pad, she just uses her phone. So, I'm going to get an iphone... Question now is, do I wait until the new 5 comes out, or go I go for a 4s?!!

Positives for today:
- got dd some new, much needed clothes. She seems to have outgrown stuff, and we don't get hand me downs for her, so I bought two tops and two bottoms. I also bought pants for both, and socks for ds, with the aim that they can get rid of what they already have, that's prob too small/holey/old!
- did two things from our summer holidays list today: cinema and swimming. Woop woop! The cinema was free, as it was a present from the end of term, and the swimming wasn't too dear.
- had cheap meals today. Dinner was corned beef hash, using half a tin, and there's enough c beef left to make toasties and a sandwich for me the next day too.
- Lots of friends posted on facebook about my anniversary, which cheered me up.
- had a lush lie in, children woke me up at half nine, having just woken up themselves!!

Tomorrow could prove expensive - MOT due on car... I have a car account, so that should have enough in it. Also means we'll have to stay home, unless we go exploring in the woods, or go cycling somewhere. may mean it's a nsd though!

PennyGrabber

Well, the car just cost me £191.20!! :eek: Still, at least it's ok.

I have organised a mtg with a mate for Thurs, when the ch are at their dad's again... We're going out for lunch somewhere, and to mooch for the day.

Our family thing to do today, is to make our own placemats, and laminate them. Cheap and cheerful! Then, later on, we will go to my friend's house for movie night. I looked in the freezer for a nice pud, but nothing, so I shall take some milk and an angel delight mix, with some choc sprinkles. I have milk bb today, so that ticks two boxes!

PennyGrabber

Positives for the day:
- the children's place mats look great! Will last for a few weeks, at least, and a lovely way of personalising dinner.
- had a fab evening with best friend. We all went over, and had dinner with her and watched the wizard of oz. dd scared for a bit of it; I hadn't remembered some of it!
- Leading on from that, the children went to bed really late as a one off, so I should get a lie in tomorrow!
- Emptied a bit more out of the freezer, and used up some stuff from the pantry. Also planned tom's dinner now, carbonara, as have some bacon to use up.
- Ex popped over today. That in itself isn't the positive, the +ve is that he brought me some fudge from when he took the ch on hol last week (I asked him, but I expect he would've anyway, as he did last year). Even more +ve, I was dressed at the time!! (I wouldn't have been if the car man hadn't been coming!!) Who visits someone without warning at twenty to nine in the morning?!
- Had a lush afternoon. When we got home from making the mats, the children went up and played in their rooms, and I sat on the sofa reading. They each came down every now and then for a drink or whatever, but it was really nice to hear them playing. I have to let them do this more, now they don't need my help to play...
- nsd. Totally unintentional - didn't need anything, so didn't go to the shops! I think my mantra may be starting to take effect! (Although totm is coming around soon, so watch this space!)

All in all, a great day. Not too sure of the plans tomorrow; depends on sis in law. I shall text in the morning, to see if we can visit them to meet the baby. They live an hour away. If not, we may go to the local 'park' for a picnic. It's not really a park as much as a massive place with fields, trees to climb, a lake, woods to explore in, two or three play bits and a place to bbq. Oh, and a shop for ice creams!

pixiechick99

PG, I so love your pink positives list:D you made me laugh with the 'Ex came round (and that wasn't the positive!)...' The fact he had fudge was definitely positive though!

You seem to be filling the summer holidays with lots of fab activities and not spending much money either:beer: I'm off too as I'm a TA, but my girls are a bit older (15 and 13) so don't need amusing...nor do they want to do activities with me unless if involves shopping;) Still, I'm getting a nice rest (and lots of peace every morning as they don't surface until lunchtime!).

I'm still in awe at your grocery spends...I seem to be easily spending £130 a fortnight:o Must try harder....!
Enjoy the park tomorrow:)

PennyGrabber

Thanks pixiechick! (And no, him coming over isn't the +ve!!!)

Had a fun day today. We went to visit my new 'niece'. I'm not really sure if I am her auntie, given that I'm divorced from her dad's brother now... But, they call me auntie, so that's good enough for me! Anyway, she's six days old, and very cute, although she pooed while I was holding her, three times! I passed on the rule 'Whoever's holding the baby, changes the baby!'

Positives for today:
- had a lovely lazy morning
- followed my meal plan, even though we didn't get home til 6pm! (Drove past McDs, and was really tempted, but that means we'd miss out on a treat later in the month, so resisted.) Also means that I used up the bacon that needed using, and I have my lunch sorted from los!
- had lots of baby cuddles
- SIL loved the cute dress we bought the baby, and she loved the card that dd made for them. She did it independently while I was in the shower, and it looked lovely! It was the only hm card they had had, and sil said she always prefers them to bought ones. DD made a heart stencil on one piece of paper, then used it to paint two red hearts onto a folded piece of a4 paper, one top and one bottom. Then, she stuck a butterfly (from my stash) that she had painted green in the middle. It looked really sweet - wish I had taken a photo! She's obviously taken in things I've said when she's watched me making cards. She even used a glue dot, to make the butterfly more 3d, and then folded its wings out to look like its flying! Bless!!
- children were really well behaved today, the whole day (except for one thing), so I told them how proud of them I am. To be fair, I tell them every day how much I love them and how proud I am - I expect they're sick of it!!
- helped my SIL with understanding her dd's report from school.
- a friend gave me some money to treat the children with over the hols, so that will really help towards the hols.
- sorted a playdate for Friday when I get the children back from their dad's. We're having lunch at my friend's, and then making up the rest as we go!! We'll do the lunch between us - I may bake some cakes/take fruit/whatever, as long as it's already in the house!
- I worked out it's only three weeks and five days until France!! Not that I'm excited or anything! Hmm, need to make a list for packing purposes!
- The house isn't ridiculously untidy for once, so when the children go, I'll actually be able to clean, as opposed to spending the whole time tidying! Don't get me wrong, I don't like cleaning, but it'll be nice when it's done!
- Still have the same £20 note in my purse that I got out on Friday... Go me!
- nsd for the last day of July. Worked out my budget for Aug, and thought about how I spend my money. Generally, I'm really good at the actual food shopping for the week, it's the stocking up that gets me, so I have allowed £40 for the gc and £40 for stocking up, that won't be counted towards my Aug, but will be included within the year's budget. This means that I won't feel like I've failed [STRIKE]if[/STRIKE] when I stock up.

Wow, a lot of pink today! I feel really good actually, and it's definitely the pink that does it!

Must make a meal plan for while the children aren't here, and for the 8 days in a row I have them once they get back. Hopefully, I won't have to do a shop at all during that time if I'm clever. We'll see!

PennyGrabber

Well, I've had a lovely day today, despite not having the children...

Positives:
- nsd for the first day of Aug gc!
- had a lovely mooch around the charity shops, and have found a dress for the christening, provided I lose some weight! There's an incentive!
- used up something from the freezer, which turned out to be bolognese. UFO!
- found a new cd shop in town, and got some cds on three for £5. Old ones, but they have a massive range, may need to go back!
- bought my new phone But I've wanted one for ages!!! And I have done loads of research, so I got the best deal going.
- was very proud of myself, because I cycled into town, thereby having exercise AND saving money on fuel and parking! I have a computer thing on my bike and it was 5 miles! Felt really good after the exercise. And, even more mse, I took a water bottle with me, so I wouldn't need to buy a drink!
- got my bargain of the day, which I was prepared to spend a lot of money on, but I found it in the charity shop for £1! For a while I've wanted a bible I can scribble in, but I didn't want to scribble in the ones I already had!
- transfered some money into savings, and took out the money for holiday pot, xmas pot, gc and ents. Tom I will take out the money for gifts, fuel and misc, then I'm sorted for the month - just need to keep to it now! I doubled the fuel budget, although that means I'll have to be good in other budgets...
- As i type this, I am singing at the top of my lungs with my earphones in! I love getting new tunes!! (It's the music teacher in me...)
- did well with eating - didn't snack in between meals, and only ate what was planned.
- haven't used the car at all today, as ex texted saying he'd pick the children up as he was in the area. It meant he had them 10 mins early, but you can't have everything!

A great day! I'm going out with a friend tomorrow, for lunch and a chat. She's driving, so I won't use the car during the day, but will use it in the evening to go shopping, as that's the only time I have to do it. Need to save some money for Sat though, as leedl have frying steak for £1.24 a pack.