Squeaky spreadsheet diary

Tiglath

I do believe I've managed to duck all office Xmas celebrations this year. Turned down the departmental dinner and Secret Santa tomorrow, and today the team was agitating about a dinner for 6 on the 20th. They were talking about Marco Pierre White and I thought 'Blimey - with all the booze they'll buy, I doubt I'll get change from £100 which I've earmarked to pay off my Next card on payday.'

The big boss didn't say he'd pick up the tab so I told them to count me out, on the grounds that I don't enjoy team outings and as much as I love them all, I don't want to see any of them outside the office in my free time. Cue shocked silence. That might be a career-limiting move, and I got some odd looks, but I'm beyond caring - I refuse to buy into the City deluxe consumer lifestyle. They all had Birley sandwiches today and I had Tesco value seafood sticks, followed by pate on toast. Can't deny that I missed my chorizo, gorgonzola + sweet chilli usual, but saving pennies is too important to me now. They must think I'm really really strange! I said I'm allowed to do it because I'm middle-aged and am only going to do what I want with my social life.

Had a moan to the Tesco girl today - they've put the seafood sticks up from £1 to £1.20, a 20% increase for no real reason. Pointed out that they did great reductions when they first opened the store but whoever did their yellow stickers seemed to have lost the plot so I'd very rarely buy anything there now, and that I take my custom to Lidl and Farmfoods. I said it loudly enough for the manager to hear - good. Man I'm a stroppy mare today!

lurvlyloz

haha evening stroppy pants

good for the tesco manager to get some customer feedback!

Enchanted21

Ha ha..... That gave me a good laugh. I'm guessing the manager hopes you won't be a mystery shopper anytime in the future :-)

Good for you having the will power not to bow to peer pressure!

Enjoying your diary immensely :-)

Tiglath

I'm certainly learning to be frugal with the grocery budget. In October luxuries accounted for 43% (because I was ruthless about including food bought at work), in November 21%, and this month they're running to a whole 8% until 19th December, and most of that is the emergency food after the Hindu temple visit. We don't feel deprived though, and I'll buy the odd bar of choc or value packet of biscuits, and we still have red meat a couple of times a week. I've also lost a few lbs which is a good thing. Keeping a spending diary of absolutely everything is one of my best decisions; if you'd asked me months ago I'd've said we couldn't eat for less than £100/week.

Tiglath

Ooh it's snowing! I'm volunteering on a farm today - we're revamping the soft fruit cage as part of my employer's community service. I'll wear a thick vest, the company T-shirt, a big thick jumper or fleece, a waterproof coat, a pair of leggings, pair of jogging bottoms, 2 pairs of socks, trainers as I don't have boots, woolly gloves, gardening gloves, a woolly hat and the company hat on top. I'll look like the Michelin man! Thank goodness I said No to the Christmas dinner tonight - trekking across London and back for that would've been an annoyance.

lurvlyloz

have fun on the farm.

great that you've got the luxeries down so much must feel great seeing the savings

Tiglath

Back home now and feel like I've been steamrollered but it was good fun. They had cows, sheep, goats, a pig, lots of mad geese and chickens (they have a rare breed breeding programme), and several gorgeous cats. Can't believe they charged my company £30/head for the privilege of volunteering though. I dug up york paving, rotting wood and an endless supply of bindweed and was up to my ankles in mud. The cats think I smell interesting. We were transforming a butterfly house into a soft fruit cage, so with the polythene roof it was actually quite warm. My back has held up remarkably well but ask me again tomorrow morning. Once I sat down on the tube, I seized up and had visions of me going up and down the line until closing time. Made sure I walked home the long way to keep moving for as long as possible, even if I was making 'Oof' noises like my Mum.

Contemplating the Autumn Statement. With the coming rises in basic and higher rate thresholds, I should eventually be better off by a few quid a month - every little helps with the food bill. I'm on a weird tax code because of the taxable benefits that work provides such as private healthcare; HMRC have fiddled with my tax code twice this financial year. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Hoping they don't sting me for some shares I sold in May - the paperwork from the administrator said tax had been paid, but I couldn't make head nor tail on the HMRC website as to the threshold for tax on shares profit. Suspect my total was too little to pay any more tax. At least by the time I'm able to start putting money in ISAs, the contribution threshold will have become quite impressive. So it's all looking reasonably hopeful.

Tiglath

Another plug for Farmfoods, this time petit pois. I've always insisted on Bird's Eye because decent peas and real butter have always been my non-negotiables. I honestly couldn't tell the difference, so very happy to drop a brand. £1.02/kg compared to £2.37/kg for Bird's Eye peas in Asda.

DH has just moaned that the couscous was dry, the lamb was horrible, and there wasn't enough of it. I've just fed him half a 12p tin of Asda creamed rice pudding with a dollop of jam. Any more moaning, and he can have a go at feeding us on £20/week for the next 2 months. When it comes to the grocery budget, I'm taking no prisoners. So there I'm making a big shepherds pie tomorrow with leftovers for Friday lunch for me.

Tiglath

Okay - 2.30am and NOW I'm hurting from the farming. Don't think I'll get any sleep at all tonight and I've got to be in work by 8am. Not happy.

lurvlyloz

oh no poor you Tiglath!

boo hiss to your hubs! does he not know how hard it is to feed a family on a budget...grrrrr

Hope you've felt ok today despite the lack of sleep x