OrangeFairy~balancing a new full time job~mummy hood ~ and debtbusting!

OrangeFairy

Morning my lovelies.....

On my way to work. I work 8-3 on Thursday and Friday so I am able to pick the kids up which is lovely. Tonight dd2 has swimming so I will wash her hair there to save my water.!

Lunch is a can of soup from the cupboard with hm bread and dinner is Quorn chilli to use up some bits. We seem to have a load of joints of meat in the freezer!!

For Xmas I am making quite a few photo books using the photobook creator on Mr T. Last night I saw they are doing buy one get one free. The free one has to be exactly the same which is a shame but it still helps.!

I am making my 3 best friends a book of our days and nights out. These all all be the same so I can get 4 and have one myself :-)!

I am making one for my step mum and Dad as they don't take many pictures so will be doing birth to now of the kids. With a BOGOF I am thinking of giving my Nan one (dads mum)!

Just need to get them sorted!!!!

This will save quite a bit of money I think!

Nearly at the end of my bus ride. My bus pass was one of the best purchases I have made!!

Have a wonderful day beautiful people!
xx OF xx

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi orange, great idea regarding photo books even better when it's bogof! Xmas is nearly here I need to get a few more bits, vista has some good photo deals I've got some photo calanders for 99p special offer so I think it's great lol x

OrangeFairy

Morning diaryland

I hope everyone is well.!Happy- that's a great deal on the calendars!

On my way to work....I have left over chilli with a potato for lunch. Batch cooked chilli last night which made 2 meals for dinner another for the freezer and lunch for hubby and I today. It used up spare veg which was great.!

Got our veg box yesterday. Hubby had messages me to say- the onions are the size of coconuts!! And they pretty much are!!! Nice 10kg bag of potatoes and a load of leeks. I can see a cheesy leek bake and potato and leek soup coming on.

I am planning to cook a special meal night for hubby tomorrow. I have kinda planned what I will do just need to decide on the bits to go with it!!

Both DDs have a friend over after school today. One until 7pm and the other is sleeping over. I'll be glad when tomorrow morning arrives! :-/

Would have felt like an MSE day today....until I realised both girls needed dinner money as they wanted fish and chips and both needed £1 to dress in pjs for children in need at school and DD1 needed £3 to pay for her 6 week Xmas craft club...£9 later I left the house!!!!

Keep forgetting- photograph girls bikes to sell!!!!!

Right nearly at my stop

Have a great day everyone

OF x

Happytogetdebtfree

Hello range, hope you had a good day at work. I love the sound of batch cooking your very savvy with the using up of all food products if i wasnt doing such a strict diet i could mess around with our food budget. on the plus side the bank balance looks great we are on target with fuel spend and we are been more sensible with trips etc, not crazy spending which tends to happen when your just whipping your card out. We have been drawing money out as we need it x

OrangeFairy

Sounds like you are doing well Happy.

Food wise hasn't been so good today but it is 'date' night in our house.

I am making hubby a 3 course meal.

The ingredients have cost a lot but there will be some left over and cheaper than going out for a meal

Better get cracking as I want to make the pudding in advance

I hope everyone is well

Happytogetdebtfree

OOhh sounds intresting post your menu later im a pudding lover lol x

OrangeFairy

Dinner went really well

My Menu...

Starter- chicken ballotine filled with ricotta cheese, spinach, finely grated peppers and a pinch of nutmeg. This was served on creamy mash with griddled asparagus.

Main- A chicken, chorizo, pepper and chopped tomato pie with a short crust pastry lid. (I made a heart on top with the pastry ) Then a pea and mint pur!e with diced pan fried potatoes

Pudding - a carrot cake with walnuts and a cream cheese frosting :T

Hubby said it was good.

MSE points- made an extra pie so have one for hubby on a night he eats alone. Left over chicken breast in the freezer. The meal used up the peppers, chorizo and short crust pastry we had in the fridge that needed using.

Now going to have a cup of tea and watch the Mentalist with my little family.....I'm exhausted!!! x

Happytogetdebtfree

Ah wow that sounds like a lush menu yummy yummy,enjoy your evening xx

OrangeFairy

Hi all.

I have had a lovely day. We took the kids to The Big Sheep adventure park on our Mr T vouchers. It is on winter time so not fully open but the kids still have fun in the indoor play area. All we paid for was cups of tea.

So an MSE day as we then went to MILs for dinner.

Sitting on the sofa now watching the Grand Prix with a cup of tea and about to eat some carrot cake.

Points to sort out this week

1.look through surveys accounts to see what I need to do for pay out.
2. Get bikes on fb selling page.
3. Have lots of NSDs as I don't have much choice - no money left and 2 weeks from payday. (Luckily hubby's payday should be on Friday)
4. Check with hubby that we do have enough to get us to pay day (if not my mum has offered to lend me money to tide us over....might only need £50)

I am gutted I am skint but I have to remember.....

I have overpaid by £200. I have spent nearly £400 on Xmas presents (no CCs or using next account :j) and we have been out for 3 Sundays with the kids. I have bought some bargain presents and we have quite a bit of food in the house.

Here's to a really frugal couple of weeks!

Happytogetdebtfree

Wow orange you have had a productive month, all things to be proud of. Its great that you have got the majority of xmas presents; we are going to do some shopping tomorrow and hopefully get them wrapped. Its felt like a long month to me i dont know why. Im sure you will manage a frugal few weeks and make it to payday unscaved xx