PennyGrabber's Path to Pecuniary Positiveness!!

Box_of_Fluffies

Wow PG, you've had a really good week. Just look at all those positives.

I gave a friend some cambridge diet shakes and soups and stuff earlier this week. I tried it (when I had money!!) and didn't get on with it, and these things were just sitting in my cupboard. I knew she did it, so I gave them to her. Nice friendly thing, I thought. She asked what I wanted for them, I said I wanted a smile. Then, on Friday, she gave me an a$da gift card. I got a bit teary, and told her she hadn't needed to do that, etc, and she said there could only be 2p on it for all I knew!! I took it there Friday evening, and there was £25 on it!!!

I've often thought that a smile is the best thing in the world to give because it doesn't cost a thing and usually comes back to you ten-fold. :D

Well done on avoiding the temptation of going into the shops with your mum.

Mum asked me how come I manage to spend so little on groceries,

Hmm, I find this interesting. My mum was very 'tight' with her money and in fact still is, in fact as she's got older she's got worse. It wasn't just money it was everything and I often think she's the reason I would 'treat' myself to things I couldn't really afford or didn't need. I was rebelling or at least that's my excuse. :rotfl: I'm rambling a little I know, but my point is that perhaps you're so good with money because your mum isn't? I'm finally learning that I'm happier without all the non-essentials cluttering up my life and more importantly my bank balance. Maybe you should sit down with your mum and have a chat about gc shopping and freezing.

Another question, springs to mind too... how old is your brother? Could he not just fend for himself or does your mum feel that she has to feed him?

cleggie

Morning PG
What a fab weekend you are having, and so frugal too! Well done!

I LOVE your positives, and am really going to try and start writing my own on my DFD.

PennyGrabber

Box_of_Fluffies wrote: »

Another question, springs to mind too... how old is your brother? Could he not just fend for himself or does your mum feel that she has to feed him?

Don't even get me started!!!! He's 27!! I was married with my own house and a baby on the way by then! The thing is, he's her baby, and he's also had depression, but because my mum could see his, she thought he was worse than me, as she couldn't see me because I live so far away from her and hid it. One day she said to me how bad he was doing, and my reply was that the baby i'd lost would've been due that day, so how did she think I felt?! I know that's really childish, and obviously, understanding depression, I know how bad it must have been for him, but i have felt for a LONG time that she loves her two sons more than me. Plus, his depression is because of his job and the fact that he doesn't have a house, yet he's doing nothing to fix that...

PennyGrabber

Hmm, nuff said, back to the normal me!

I posted this on the gc, and it sums today up well, so i'm just going to copy it:

NSD today. DD brought me breakfast in bed - rice crispies and apple juice! Bless! Then we watched some telly before spending the day with friends and drawing on the pavement with chalks, going for bike rides, having lunch and going swimming. A great day, with little cost. I took some mini sausages and some crisps, all from stock towards lunch, and they provided toasties and other bits. The swimming was £8.??, so not too bad, and it was a fun and floats session.

I acted suitably surprised when I was given my presents that I bought!!), and the children were really excited about them. Don't actually know where dd hid them for the last two weeks!

NSD tom, and actually, planning to have a fiscal fast until Friday at least. The only problem will be that I may need some fuel, but I have £9.02 on a gift card, that a friend gave me, so if I used that, I still wouldn't be spending any of my money, right? That's it. Doing a fiscal fast until Friday.

It's my ex-father-in-law's birthday on weds, so I'll have to make him a card, and his present is already bought.

Meal plan for the week:

Mon: sausage casserole
Tues: lo saus cass (for ch, don't know about me yet as I'm at college, so prob stuff on toast/similar)
Weds: pasta and sauce with grated cheese (ch at their dad's)
Thurs:tomato soup (for ch), as we're not home until about quarter to six that night. I'll have something when they've gone to bed
Fri: no ch, so whatever falls out of the freezer

This feels quite vague now I've typed it out, but I understand it! And. I'll be using stuff up all over the place this week! I had pasta and sauce for dinner on Friday, so I'll just freeze the rest of the sauce, and remember to defrost it on Tues ready for Weds. It's ood, but doesn't mean I have to waste it!

I'm desperate to go through my cupboard under the stairs - I can't see anything past the first pile of food! Whereas before this would have made me feel better, now it just winds me up. I'm really proud of myself for turning that around in less than a year.

Hope everyone is well,

PG x

PennyGrabber

Feeling much better now! And I'm just about to treat myself to a bath with a cuppa and a book, so that's exciting!!

Positives for today:
- had a great day with the children, at not much cost
- used up some meat from the freezer that's been hanging around waiting for months! Unfortunately (!) there's loads left, so that's my lunch for the next few days!
- don't have to make myself lunch for the next few days! (Always look on the bright si-ide of life, dodoo, dodoo dodoo dodoo)
- signed up (mentally) to a four-day fiscal fast. I will not spend anything until Friday at the earliest.
- got cakes left from making mum's present, so that's the children's lunchbox treats for two days.
- managed to squeeze in a load of washing before it got dark - my washing machine is in the outhouse - and that's currently sitting on the radiators wafting a lovely clean smell through the house!
- friends we saw today gave me a sack full of hand-me-ups for my son. Their boy is eight days younger than mine, but much bigger! Just having a quick look, there's a dressing gown in there and some school daps, as well as t-shirts, trousers and jumpers. Result! Now, I need to go through all his old stuff during the easter hols, to get rid of the small stuff and make space for this lot!
- Still have about £20 to last the month, but that's for everything... I won't need much food, just the basics, so I'll go to a!di or farmf00ds next weekend for those.

DS is going to a friend's party next weekend. I have a stash of presents in the loft for such an occasion, but they may be too young now, as I haven't really replenished this for around two years. I have cards, and card-making stuff, so that's ok, it's just the present. Still, I can't worry about that until I go up and have a look.

On another positive note, my mum noticed yesterday how much happier i seemed. I was going on and on about how much better I feel now I am less hairy!! I treated myself majorly last year to a laser thing from b00ts. OMG - it's amazing! I've used it pretty much everywhere, and I feel so much better! My face, especially. I can touch my chin now without cringing! Sorry if that's TMI, but I don't really find any subject taboo, unless I'm talking to family!

Night, and welcome to my thread, Box of Fluffies!

PG x

Box_of_Fluffies

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Don't even get me started!!!! He's 27!! I was married with my own house and a baby on the way by then! The thing is, he's her baby, and he's also had depression, but because my mum could see his, she thought he was worse than me, as she couldn't see me because I live so far away from her and hid it. One day she said to me how bad he was doing, and my reply was that the baby i'd lost would've been due that day, so how did she think I felt?! I know that's really childish, and obviously, understanding depression, I know how bad it must have been for him, but i have felt for a LONG time that she loves her two sons more than me. Plus, his depression is because of his job and the fact that he doesn't have a house, yet he's doing nothing to fix that...

Hi PG, I totally understand where you're coming from. I won't go into too much detail but suffice to say for various reasons I never seem to be able to do anything right in my mum's eyes but my brother can do no wrong! One of the good things about being so far away is that I no longer feel the need to please her and feel way better about myself as a result.

PennyGrabber

Well, a good money day for me today...

Day one of my fiscal fast. I spent some money. BUT, it was a bill that I was meant to have paid on Friday but forgot, so I'm counting that as last Friday's spend! Otherwise, I'll just give up and spend some more (that I don't have.) Also, it was only £7.40, so not too bad.

I spoke to my friend who gave me the £25 voucher, and called her naughty, and she said that it was less than what I'd given her was worth, and it was her food for a week, which she was really happy about. I don't feel quite so guilty now! She was pleased that it was a week's worth of food and petrol for us too, so I guess it's evened itself out.

I rang my solicitor today. When I was going through my divorce (when I earned more than I do now), I was giving him £200 per month towards the bills. Once everything was finished, he said there was money left in my account, but I never got round to sorting it out. Well, I rang today, and he's going to finalise it in the morning and send out a cheque. I think there will be several hundred pounds, so that will pay for the passports for the summer!

Positives for the day:
- solicitor giving me money for a change, looking forward to finding out how much
- made extra dinner tonight, just by adding an extra tin of beans to it, so there will be easily enough to have tomorrow, instead of just about enough.
- used up the last of some milk that has its date as tomorrow, and an angel delight - an actual one, not just an own brand! - that went out of date last year to make some pudding with. I get those flakes in boxes that go on ice creams, and the children share one of those sprinkled over it, and they think it's a lovely treat! Uses up a bit more stock too.
- took a four-pack of baked beans out of the cupboard under the stairs today, and will go and try to put the other one into the pantry too in a minute, then that will be eight tins out of the cupboard, and a bit more space. I'm really wanting to go through it during the Easter holidays, so I can store actual stuff in there, not things that should have stayed in the sm!
- no sms
- thanks to better planning, and actually sticking to the plans, there will be very little food waste when I do the bins tonight. Off the top of my head, a few grapes, a lemon, a slice of ham and three smartprice yoghurts that I just didn't fancy last week. I haven't got any more for this week! I'm learning, slowly but surely.

Still waiting on this woman to contact me about buying my motorbike. It's been ages now, and she said she would ring me last week. I didn't mind, as I had ofsted, but I really need to get rid, and have the money sitting in my account. That means I can then start thinking about our summer holiday. I'm going to wake the children up early one morning, and ask then where they want to go, then suggest Disneyland! It's going to be so awesome if I can pull it off!!

On that smiley note, I shall leave you all in peace tonight. Thanks again for all your support and comments. It really makes a difference, and helps me towards my goal!

PG x

pixiechick99

Hi PG, I've just read all of your diary and have thoroughly enjoyed your posts:D
I'm a single mum too, though I'm a bit older than you (just turned 40:() and my 2 dds are 14 and 12. I work in a school as well, I'm a primary TA, which is fab - wouldn't want to do anything else:)

I am in awe of your grocery spends - I seriously need to do something about mine:o:o I think I'm doing well if I can stick to £250 a month for the 3 of us. I should bake more I know, but it's just time and energy I need:D My girls do love to cook so should get them on the case. Meals are home cooked but I must be going wrong somewhere!

What a lovely gift from your friend, the A$da voucher - your kindness was rewarded:)

I love all your positives too - I really could do with thinking more like you there. I've neglected my diary due to feeling very low/stressed recently (landlady is selling the house we live in:()...maybe I'll get posting again and try keep smiling!

PennyGrabber

pixiechick99 wrote: »

Hi PG, I've just read all of your diary and have thoroughly enjoyed your posts:D
I'm a single mum too, though I'm a bit older than you (just turned 40:() and my 2 dds are 14 and 12. I work in a school as well, I'm a primary TA, which is fab - wouldn't want to do anything else:)

I am in awe of your grocery spends - I seriously need to do something about mine:o:o I think I'm doing well if I can stick to £250 a month for the 3 of us. I should bake more I know, but it's just time and energy I need:D My girls do love to cook so should get them on the case. Meals are home cooked but I must be going wrong somewhere!

What a lovely gift from your friend, the A$da voucher - your kindness was rewarded:)

I love all your positives too - I really could do with thinking more like you there. I've neglected my diary due to feeling very low/stressed recently (landlady is selling the house we live in:()...maybe I'll get posting again and try keep smiling!

Hello Pixiechick and welcome!! I so feel for you, worrying about the whole house thing. I'm very lucky in that respect, in that I own my house (well, the bank does!), as I bought just before 100% mortgages were taken off the market. Had ex left me 6 months later, I'd not have been able to buy.

I'm a primary TA too, although I teach a bit. There are a couple of teaching jobs going at my school for September, which I'll be applying for. I just took a couple of years off teaching as I couldn't manage all of the stress...

My grocery spend is only this low because it has to be. I do have an awful lot in stock though, which is why it looks like less. My children don't have huge appetites, and are quite happy with simple meals often, so that makes it cheaper. For example, once a week is a stuff on toast/soup day. I usually do a meal that lasts two days as well, so that's three days' worth of dinners. So today, we've just had sausage casserole, left over from yesterday. Eight sausages, two tins of beans, a packet mix and some pasta has done the three of us for two dinners. Tomorrow, the children are with their dad, and I'm having a big bowl of pasta with some defrosted sauce. We haven't had pasta for a while, otherwise I wouldn't have it three days in a row!! Then, Thursday we'll be having our simple day, as we're not home til almost six. Friday and Saturday they're back with their dad, and I'll have whatever is going out of date, or needs using from the freezer. Sunday I get them back, and we'll maybe have fish pie )already have everything for that in).

Would it help if you posted your weekly plan or shopping list? I don't have all the answers, of course, but I may be able to help?

What has saved me most money, is only buying what we'll actually eat, and planning. I used to buy apples, bananas, grapes, and two other fruits every week, without knowing what was left, or what we would use. Now I buy enough for the week, and if we eat more, I'll go back and get more! To be completely honest, waste used to be a huge problem, and I'd easily have been spending £300 a month for the three of us, as I used to use supermarket shopping as a pastime, rather than a chore. Trust me, if I can do this, so can you!!

Thanks for joining me, and I hope you keep reading my posts, as that's what really helps me to keep going.

PG x

pixiechick99

Thank you for a lovely welcoming post:)
Ahhh I wish I owned my own house too - I wouldn't have this worry right now. I did own before, with the ex, but when we split up we sold the house as I couldn't have paid the mortgage on my own. We didn't take much out of the sale each so not enough for a new place - not that I'd get a mortgage on my meagre earnings anyway;) Renting has been good in that when anything goes wrong it isn't my problem though. There just isn't anywhere suitable around here at the moment - I'm checking R1ghtmove all the time, hoping to see the perfect house, at a bargain rent of course:D

Re the groceries - I have meal planned for years now and we don't seem to have much waste. Unfortunately my girls would not be impressed with simple meals like stuff on toast or soup. They just get fed at their dad's once a week - Sunday roast usually courtesy of his mother, not him;) I probably spend too much on crisps/snacks though, I need to be making more stuff at home. You say you have stock of stuff - do you get things when on offer and stash them?

My local shops are a co-0p and T£sco express so not particularly cheap - big T£sco is about 15m away - so I tend to go on a Friday afternoon and stock up - usually spending about £50-60...arggghh. Must try harder:)