Enjoying the journey to becoming debt free - paying back the credit cards

Scuff

hey fedupandskint, I'm tackling the mammoth task of catching up on diaries as I've been a bit AWOL for a week (maybe more?!) and man has everyone been busy! Anyway just wanted to say, when I stopped spending I pretty much stopped drinking and now when I have what in my head is a small amount to drink (as you say, a couple) I feel like Ive had a proper go at in once the morning rolls around. Must just be your body not being used to it like you say!! Hope everything goes well with the hampers!!

fedupandskint

I've just parceled up my HM bath products ready to go into hampers.

Costs
HM Soap = 14 bars = 10P PER BAR
Costs
pack of 4 £1.20
honey £1.20 used 1tbsp = 1/10th 12p
dried milk £1.00 used 1/8th of the pack = 12p.
I already had rest of ingredients of oatmeal and lavender oil in stock from ages ago

Bath melts
oils £3.95 x 3 - used half a bottle of each = £5.92
Sweet almond oil = £2.50
Cocoa butter £8.09 for 500g
Made 44 = 38p PER MELT

Bath Salts
Dead Sea Salt - £10 for 2kg
Epsom Salt - £5
Dried Milk - 1/3rd pack used 33p
Oils - one bottle equivalent £3.95
Cost per 500ml jar x 10 jars = 1.93 per jar

cost per hamper - £10.55 per hamper - very pleased with the total cost and looks very good for a tenner using up jars and bottles already had in, presentation bags had for 3yrs and oils also had for 3yrs

Now I know its not all about money making but in this case some money saving for gifts instead of spending £20 per person in a well known high street for bath products and getting 3 one off bath things as oppposed to a full hamper with plenty of bath products

fedupandskint

While I'm on about costs

HM Baileys
whisky - free a gift 6yrs ago 1L bottle 375ml used
condensed milk light £1.44
double cream - £1
coffee powder and honey and cocoa powder already had in so hard to work out costs. Estimate honey 10p and 20p for the other 2
TOTAL - £2.94 - 2 BOTTLES 300ML AND 500ML 1£1.47 EACH

Clearly made much cheaper as I didn't need to buy the whisky so would factor this into future costs eg £7.50 to use half a 70cl bottle on offer atm

Looking forward now to baking next weekend a selection of HM treats to go into the hampers of cheese biscuits, oatmeal cookies and sweet treats instead of buying them. Now these costs shouldn't be too much either

fedupandskint

well time for a little update I think.

At last have managed to get a bit of the exercise mojo back again after work and have manage to a few days of Shred L1 which is going ok. Also made the decision to register again for the half marathon next year and hope I get to do it this time instead of being struck down with an ear infection and antibiotics like this year. I won't make a big song and dance about it and will train away quietly and see how I get on to get to 15 miles as a buffer distance along with the strength and resistance training I've been doing this year.

Well its the work night out on Friday for our 3 course Christmas meal. Just deciding on an outfit and whether to go for the bright red outfit or the turquiose outfit. Will see on the night which I like best.

So what else to report then? Friend's birthday pressie was received well thankfully!

Just a little bit of food left to get on Friday for Crimbo and maybe treat myself to a little pressie - have seen coat reduced which I quite like, will see if its still there and then decide.It's half price at £20.

fedupandskint

I did get the coat today as I couldn't stop thinking about it and took my friend in while we were at work for a second opinion who told me it looked great and why didn't I buy it yesterday as it was only £20! Thought it had gone as only one left in the bigger size then my friend found it tucked away on the end of a another sale rail - she is an expert bargain shopper more than I am! Also collected the sale order of my bargain tights and nighties meaning for £32 I have a lovely winter coat in neutral colour of pale ivory and taupe, 2 pairs of tights and 2 nighties. Now that's not bad going at all considering the coat was £40 full price. Its my Christmas present to myself - much less extravagent than I used to be.

So tomorrow I really will make an early payment on the gas and electric bill which stands at £137 - goodness knows what it will be when its due in 8 weeks time - looks a good idea to make a monthly payment and avoid the massive winter bill. I will also complete the food shop, draw out the car fund money and get a bit to take out with me on the work night out. Then take a deep breath as the next payday will be almost 6 weeks away. Gulp!

Had a nice chat with another work friend about making bath products who thought she would give a go wIth her children over the holidays, on the journey home from work I decided to take in a couple for her to try out and give her my easy recipe to try out.

Well its time for some pre Work Christmas Night Out fabbiness and also shopping list writing. Last day at work tomorrow before the much needed Christmas break!

fedupandskint

Well, what a night out that was - one of the worst meals I've ever eaten out. Never thought you could go so wrong with a boiled sprout but I discovered you can! Good job we were laughing hysterically about it all the way through to make some amends. The place was souless, we complained to no avail really and it was very cold too. Anyhow, only had 2 drinks all night, plus they were very expensive and had fun watching lots of others getting hammered. My lovely work collegue picked me up and dropped me off and we had a good chat about things on the way there and back.

Oh well, no wonder they wanted to money up front! Glad I only spent £1.50 on some new tights and £3 on a glitzy belt and no more. We never seem to get it right for our Christmas do, even taking into account the lowering of standards at this time. I don't think I've ever eaten as little on meal out - can't say the diet got too busted! Also glad I stuck to the plan of 2 drinks maximum and I started off with a diet coke with my manager poking fun at me for starting steadily, she really doesn't know me at all these days. So it was 2 single spiced rum about diet cokes with a lot of coke and ice, and 1 plain diet coke over 3 and a half hours - not too bad - what's that then a whole 2 units and of course I feel ever so slightly groggy today as a result. One day it will sink in to me that my body doesn't really tolerate alcohol these days due to how infrequently I drink it.

Onto today - might have a walk up to the shop to get the last few bits for baking and so on and its lots of cleaning and making things today - will start with some marmalade first of all then maybe some crackers for cheese

fedupandskint

Right then, walked up to the shop in the light rain this morning at 9am and then back in just over half an hour later - was very busy in there. Anyway
that's all done now and no more shopping now this week. What I have I have in to make presents and eat before and after Christmas so its a freezer tea as usual tonight of salmon and veg and jacket potato with banana and custard for afters.

Have made 5 jars of lemon marmalade which was a surprisingly frugal present to make.

Costs
Lemons 70p
Sugar 90p
Total £1.60
Cost per jar 32p

Also made some cheese accompaniment thing from figs, nuts and apricots. Not sure how this will turn out but there is enough for me and 2 presents drying out before going into the present hampers. Next thing to make will be some florentines later on which sound lovely and at least one room cleaned - probably the bathroom then will fly around tomorrow finishing it off and also will start some wrapping at some point

fedupandskint

Mmmmmm, yummy florentines - just had a couple of scraggy edged ones to try them out.

Right then costs for loads - can't remember how many maybe around 28 little ones.

Flaked almonds - £1.50
Glace cherries - £1.95
Butter - 75p
Honey - 33p
Sugar - ? not much though
3 bars chocolate - 90p
Total - £5.43
Price per present £1.81 for chocolate coated florentines
Price of ones used to buy mail order £8 for 5 giant florentines
No comparison is there? Sadly I couldn't cut them into pretty shapes as there was no way that cutter was going through to make a star shape but not to worry as squares look quite nice now and will look even nicer once they're in their presentation bags.

Also made some granola from the hairy dieters cook book which came in at nowhere near £3 they cost in the shops - probably closer to 40p per portion.

Tomorrow will be finishing off the cleaning, doing some washing, going for a run and baking some biscuits for cheese for the present hamper of home made goods and I really must start wrapping some presents up!

WelshWoofer

You've done so well with the making gifts thing - well done :beer:
Much more creative than me!

fedupandskint

Why thank you! I make a lot of them to move away from the mass consumerism at this time of year and not buying things for the sake of it and spend some time and love making some presents which although I feel apprehensive about how they will be received and they always go down well and are happily received - its just me feeling apprehensive becuase they're not from a shop - silly thinking from me

I am pleased to announce I have started wrapping the presents up - phew! Determined not to leave it all until Christmas Eve this year! Over half way there, leaving a few more to do tomorrow along with the hamper baskets leaving plenty of time on Monday to please myself