Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

Kerfuffle

Hi Folks

News from Kerfuffle Kabin: I managed the Fiscal Fast for 8 days :T I think I could have gone at least another day but I really wanted to get some carrots to make some soup as I had some HM stock in the fridge which had been languishing for a while. So I figured that as I'd achieved my goal it was okay to go shopping. As I mentioned in my previous post I'd done a menu plan and a shopping list and I did really well and stuck to it and came under budget, so from the $71.00 (approx 44.38pounds) I have $7.26 (approx 4.34pounds) left in my purse. Fingers crossed it stays there till my next shopping which is planned for Weds 13th.

So starting tomorrow morning Wednesday (as I've spent money today) I am aiming for another 7-Day Fiscal Fast.

Good luck everybody with your own challenges.

JackieO - a lovely long newsy post from you again. You certainly sound to spend a lot of time with your family, you're a lucky girl

[Deleted User]

Kerfuffle I am very lucky as my DD and tribe live about a five minute walk away and DD loves to have me around her, as I keep the boys amused and help out.This month is always a bit hard on her as she mis-carried one of her babies.Although she has five children, she still mourns for her little lost boy even though it was 9 years ago.June is an especially sad time for her bless her.
Yesterday we finished of doing some more 'tip' runs and managed to get the tiny bit outside her front door cleared of junk ond old toys that she had chucked out to be taken to the tip,most of them were past repair .DGS Ben and I did three runs to clear it all. I drive and he humps all the junk.Now we only have the junk from the back garden to clear but that will be easier once the little lads are back at school next week. Ben's on Study leave from school so a couple of runs to the tip will be o.k. and give him some fresh air
I treated the family to a nice Italian meal last night in Rochester from my Happy Cash Stash, we all needed something to cheer us up as the rain has been quite horrible over the past few days.The boys trampoline is erected and they have only been able to go on it in between rain showers.
Today I am taking my waffle iron round as I have the boys to look after today and I thought we could have a go at making cheesy waffles.I bought the iron when I was on holiday last month in a CS and I don't think it had ever been used so fingers crossed.No food shopping to get just yet I still have lots of stuff in the fridge and I am hoping to last out until Saturday.I also will take my kenwood mini chopper round and mince up the last of the roast lamb and make DD a shep's pie for her and the tribe for their dinner tonight as she doesn't get home until around 6.30.I have the boys before and after school, and during the holidays whilst DD and her OH work full time so we are quite a close knit family.We all help each other out as that's what families do (well in our family anyway), tomorrow DD has off as she has to work alternate Saturdays, so I have a day off and my eldest DD is coming to see me for the day and we are going to do lots of bits and pieces in my house that I can't reach or do.She will refit some light bulbs as my ceilings are 9ft 3" high and I don't do climbing on chairs or step ladders not with my dodgy joints:) and we are also going to line an ottoman with some quilted material as she will bring her staple gun with her (my friend brought her's down last week to do it but the blooming thing jammed) Plus it will be nice to have some time with the eldest as I don't get to see as much of her as she would like as she has quite a stressful job with long hours
When I get back from youngest DDs tonight I am going to make a veggie quiche for lunch tomorrow and a coffee cake for DD as its her favourite.If I do all the prep. for lunch tonight it will give me more time to be with DD and just catch up on all that's happening in her life.I have to split myself in two sometimes, so one doesn't feel a bit left out. But when eldest DDs children were small I did childcare for them as well its just they are now grown up and working or at Uni so I don't seem to see as much of her as perhaps I should, but we do make a point of having a day together if we can when she is off from school.Well, enough chuntering on its time I had a shower ,breakfast and got on my way to the tribes house I am normally there by 8.15 at the latest, and today will not get home until gone 6,30 so it will be a busy day as I think the boys want to go and look at a 'game shop'as two of them have birthday money to spend
have a good and frugal day everyone
Cheers JackieO xxx

AlwaysHappy

JackieO, its always a delight reading your post, what a wonderful family unit you sound to have. It makes me feel very insular, I'm an only child and now live at the other end of the country from my Mum (oh relocation not by choice!! - we do travel to see her every 3 weeks) but i have never been involved in the humdrum of family life as such - we only have 1 child too (i always wanted a large brood but our son has learning difficulties and we had a few tough years when he was little, and then before you know it opportunity has gone by) oh well, life can't be planned can it. Sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself which I'm not meaning to, just sounds lovely being part of a large family. Hope everyone is having a good day and sorry for the waffle.

catznine

Just back from visiting my lovely little Grandaughter and her Mummy and Daddy! It was her first birthday party (where has that year gone?) It was great fun, so many little ones around and lots of lovely party food. My friend had made her a hungry caterpillar cake covered with fondant fruits and the caterpillar! with some little cupcakes with little ladybirds,butterflies, strawberries and caterpillars on! The little one loved it! It's her fav book at the moment!

Back home and recovering from a heavy headcold (my grandaughter loves to share! lol) at the moment, ah well not much being done but then again no spending either! so not too bad! I have picked up a cross stitch kit that I was halfway through and am attempting to get it finished - so free entertainment while watching programmes on catch up tv. It's a sampler so once finished I have to find a shabby chic type frame for it. Might have a look around the charity shops for that. I am still off my feet while recovering from the boating injury to my foot, but have got into good habits and am now doing weekly menu plans, this is def saving money as even if tired and ill, I have a plan and there is no need for a takeaway!

Tonight we have some chicken (cooked in the remoska) with some jersey royals and steamed carrots and broccoli, (veg box) with some naughty butter on! yum! Tinned peaches and some raspberries and blueberies added (from the fresh fruit dh treated me to!)

Off for a catch up now!

Catz x

kerri_dfw

Ooh I could really do with trying this out...although I wasn't very good at the weekly spends challenge as I would spurge eep, but hoping this will keep me on the straight and narrow.
I will have a catch up when I finish knitting the ruffle scarf I'm making.

Kerfuffle

Hi JackieO - Another long lovely post from you again. It's a pleasure to read all your news, I had to delay replying though cos your post upset me a little, not in a bad way, just in a 'Gosh you're so lucky' kind of way. I live so far away from my parents and my kids live a half hour drive from me that I don't have the daily comings and goings that you have. In a way I'm quite insular as AlwaysHappy says. I think it's great that you're so hands on with your DDs and GKs.

Kerri_dfw - Welcome to the challenge, it's good to see you here. Doing the Fiscal Fast seems to be working for me, I've been able to pay a little extra to my debt already this month, and I wasn't able to make any extra payments last month

Catznine - Your Grandaughter's birthday cake and cupcakes sound awesome, I wish I could have seen them, (and maybe sampled one ). Your supper tonight sounds delish as well.
Menu planning is definately the way forward, especially for those times when you're tired and can't be bothered thinking about what to make, sometimes that's the hardest part. My fall back meal is lentil soup, I never tire of eating it, and it's sooooo easy, you don't even have to chew :rotfl:

News from Kerfuffle Kabin: Today was Day 2 and I'm happy to report no spends :T
Lunch was lentil soup (surprise surprise)
Supper was left over boiled potatoes cooked with some onion so it resembled a cross between hash potatoes and bubble and squeak, and then served with a fried egg on top. Hubby took a last minute overtime shift so there's only been me to feed today

[Deleted User]

Today I'm going to get some food shopping ,not a lot as I'm working my way through the freezer so its just a few bits and bobs thats needed bread,milk,fresh veg and a bit of salad stuff I am hoping I can get it all for around £20.00 as so far I haven't spent any of my food purse money this month.I am being very frugal My DD treated me to some spices and jam yesterday and she also gave me half a dozen fresh eggs straight from the chickens rear end.(She has a friend who keeps chickens and she always has a surplus so she gives half a dozen a week to my DD as my DD does a lot of admin work for her in her limited spare time)Weather is awful at the moment I was going to go to the shops tomorrow but I thought I'd get it out of the way today.So a nice early start for me and with luck I'll be back home before it gets too busy .have a good day everyone whatever you are doing
and 'fink frugal':):)
Cheers JackieO xxx

modern_millie_2

Hi all,
struggling to keep up, busy at work, but this is good, not compliaining!

Calico, I don't have a slow cooker but remoska uses less than a third of power of a normal oven, I think, standard size one probably even less. I am a bit of a technophobe, takes me ages to adopt a new gadget!

Kerfuffle, well done, 8 days is impressive.

Lovely to read all the news, will post more when I have

more time.

Have a good day everyone.

catznine

Good Morning all! Terrible weather out there so I am kind of glad that I can't get out at the moment.

Still catching up with everyone but wanted to say that I love my remoska, it's a standard sized one and uses 470W against my convector oven which uses 2500W and the conventional oven uses 1450W - so quite a saving in electricity. Even the grand remoska only uses 650W and that is a lovely size for family cooking. The standard is just right for the two of us though. If I had the money and the storage (app foods have taken care of that:rotfl:) I would buy the grand remoska for family visits. No more over cooked rock hard sausages either. It cooks meat beautifully, also bread (if you don't mind the round shape) and crumbles, flapjacks and pies.

Just recovering from ds's whirlwind visit! We live fairly near to the airport and he is off on a stag weekend away, he is the best man so he has had to organise it all! It was so nice to have breakfast with him though, he is so far away normally that this is a rare treat! Dd and dsil are away too this weekend so very quiet for dh and myself. Plenty of housework and gardening to catch up with so that will keep us away from the shops!

Ds left us a small bottle of wine so that will go down nicely with the chicken stir fry I have planned. Need to use up some chillis we got for free with the last veg box order, also lots of veg needs using. We will follow it with some of the fresh fruit and the leftover tinned.

By the way with muesli being so expensive now I make my own, oats and whatever dried fruit I have in, love dried cranberries! Each time I make it brings a different result, cheap and lovely! Makes great fruity porridge too!

Off to start off a pan of hm soup now, have a lovely day all!

Catz x

kerri_dfw

Still catching up, but today was day 1 I resisted the temptation of the SMs by holding the baby in the car whilst my sister went in. Although I am going to have to buy some more yarn tomorrow or I won't have enough scarves for the craft fair I'm doing on Saturday but I'll put that down as a work expense

I'm just up to the part where justamum is trying to do taplady's avatar pose, I think I've almost cracked it (after wobbling around in front of the mirror for 10 minutes and holding onto the cupboard!)