Here I am in debt again. 2nd time lucky

rising_from_the_ashes

StressedSteph wrote: »

Aaaaw rising, that sounds lovely. Can I come round if I bring my own bag of cheesy puffs?

Of course you can!:D

Re the ham - not too good on these things. We tend to just have it cold with something like new pots & veg ..... or pea & ham soup?

Ammeretto

Im with you in that i rarely go out to the pub. luckily neither does OH so its all good. I think that because both of us used to work in a pub when we were younger (me aged 16 to 19) (that's also where we met and got together 13 years ago now) - and we worked 3 nights a week almost every week its kinda like been there seen that and its not worth it

for using up leftover ham (we have tons of it) You could use the ham in a carbonara. (that's what we had for dinner last night. Yum)

This is the recipe we use (just used ham not Pancetta and normal cheddar not any fancy cheese) Its one meal that always get gobbled up by the family

It really easy and quick to cook also - always a plus when they are moaning they are starving

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1052/ultimate-spaghetti-carbonara

Apart from that maybe chopping and adding to a pasta bake?

sorry no other ideas.

StressedSteph

Hi guys

Well finally got my act together and made up my weeks food menu set up:-

Monday :- Cheese & Ham Pasta bake with HM bread
Tuesday:- Ham & Potato Pasties with baked beans
Wednesday:- Chilli Con Carne
Thursday:- Lasagne and jacket pots
Friday:- HM Turkey Curry
Saturday:- Frozen leftover Burgers With HM baps & wedges
Sunday:- Lamb Roast

I am so much better at getting dinner prepared in time if I have a plan, but its shocking how often I keep forgetting to get organised. Guess its much like my finances. So much easier if I make the effort to be organised.

Maybe its only dis-organised people that are in Debt??

rising_from_the_ashes

StressedSteph wrote: »

Maybe its only dis-organised people that are in Debt??

Nope .... not "blowing my own trumpet" but I am one of the most organised people you will ever meet - and not my own analysis of myself, that comes from work colleagues & friends :T

StressedSteph

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Nope .... not "blowing my own trumpet" but I am one of the most organised people you will ever meet - and not my own analysis of myself, that comes from work colleagues & friends :T

I can't have found the link then :).

Not up to much today, just balanced the Spreadsheet against online banking. Onto 2013's spreadsheet now yay :T.

Still have a £151 shortfall, but have high hopes for an expensive bracelet I have put on Ebay. Before the auction ends I am going to take it to a jewellers. CashforGold working on the weight have offered me £328 so it must be worth more as it isn't broken jewellery but a beautiful bracelet. Fingers Crossed.

I heard something hit the window in the early morning and we now have a dove/pidgeon looking bird sat on our bedroom window sill looking confused. Poor thing. Have left the curtains closed so we don't scare it. The wind is so strong here at the moment, maybe he is waiting for it to calm down.

Happy New Years eve everyone. I just have to survive tonight and then I can get back to being my new boring frugal self :T

please-let-me-be-lucky

Fingers crossed for the bracelet & the poor bird!!

Have a great night tonight.

All the best to you and your family for a happy and prosperous 2013 Xx

StressedSteph

Evening,

Well, hubby has just gone to deliver the children to the grandparents. Not going out till 8ish so got a while before I have to start getting ready.

Just enjoying the peace and quiet. Kids have been getting abit of cabin fever today, bickering etc. Have heard its going to be quiet nice weather wise tomorrow, so might have to get the bikes out and blow off some cobwebs.

Have joined the "Pay off 1% at a time" challenge. I have finally worked out that I have paid just over 3% so far and have printed off a little chart with 100 boxes on it.
Every box is 1% of our debt and as each 1% gets paid off, I am going to colour in a box.
Very childish but visual progress really helps with me so looking forward to colouring in the boxes every month.
Think I can kill off at least 5% each month which will feel good.
In the absence of any major disasters next year I should be able to easily knock 60% off our debt.

Going to have a chat with hubby and make sure we set a budget for drinks tonight and only take that amount down the pub. when its gone, we come home.
DH is still a few steps behind me in the money savings fever. I told him that if we have a careful 2013 we will have killed off alot of our debt and all he could say was "ALL OF 2013 BEING CAREFUL!!!!). Still don't think he is totally aware of the amount of debt we have got, but seems happy to leave it to me. I don't want the row trying to explain where all that money has gone as I am not sure myself. Just a steady trickle of over spending.

Anyway, will stop rambling. Have a fantastic New Years Eve eveyone. Roll on tomorrow and the beginning of 2013.

xxxxxx

rising_from_the_ashes

Hope you have a lovely night out tonight Steph we all deserve a little blow out now & then

System

Hi Steph. Your hubby sounds like mine, I tell him every month we need to be poor, but it rarely works that way without an argument! I've shown him the spreadsheet for next year & told him I've worked out the first few months on a very tight budget, yet he is still talking about getting massages etc next month! Honestly, they have no idea do they?

Anyway, loved following your progress, hope you have a great night tonight & best of luck with your plans for next year!

armchairexpert

Happy New Year, Steph. Hope your night was lovely and not too spendy.

You've already got the week's menu, but we got stuck with an unplanned-for 6kg ham over Christmas (long story) so I am something of an expert here:

Ham and asparagus frittata
Ham, cheese and pickle sandwiches
Definitely ham and pea soup! That's one of my favourite frugal meals, and it freezes really well.
Chopped ham and cold boiled eggs in a salad. Except it's probably not exactly salad weather over there.
Baked ham and roast vegetables
Finely chopped ham and cooked vegetables as bubble and squeak patties

Hope that helps.

How much do Kindle books cost over there, then? I average $AU10 per book, and that's me staying away from the really expensive ones but they've definitely gone up in cost over the last year. I do use the library as much as possible but for night time reading I turn to the Kindle, so I buy probably two books a week? At $AU20 per week that's $AU1000 per year. When I'm being careful it's only one book per week, $AU500 per year, that's roughly 350 quid. So you seem quite frugal to me!