January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

beckyboo1980_2

Morning everyone.
Hope you are all well. Thank you so much for all the ind words and fab advice after my husbands redundancy news. Had a few days to absorb the news now. Hubby and I reacted completely differently to how I thought we would. Because I always deal with all the finances (which most of the time he is completely unaware of!) I was determined that if he was made redundant I would go into efficient planning mode and just get constructive - I didn't - I just fell to pieces. Think it was just the panic setting in. I just couldn't stop crying for 3 days. This was completely the opposite to my husband who suffers with OCD and anxiety issues. Usually when something like this happens he sinks very rapidly into a deep depression and can't see the wood for the trees. All credit to him - he is a man on a mission! He has almost been hyperactive with a determination to get his CV up and running and networking with every contact he has EVER come accross to let the know he is available> He has been a star. It really has shown me that although we might have been crap with money in the past, boy do we make a good team and support each other in a crisis.
Things have been complicated on the finances front by the fact that although he left his offices on Thursday for the last time, he is being paid his months notice until the 18th Feb, so officially is not unemployed until then. This therefore means he can't do things like signing on until then (4 weeks away) which is a little frustrating as we are obviously thinking 'OK we are fine for Feb but how are we going to pay the mortgage/bills for March?!?!?!?!'. The job hunting situation is complicated by the fact that we have twins who are 14 months who will need fulltime childcare as soon as he goes back to work. Fulltime childcare for them and my daughter after school comes to £1000 per month :mad:. We don't have any family who can help and thats the cheapest childcare we can get in our area. We are £700 short a month just to cover our direct debits and very basic living costs (before any debt payments), so he either needs to be earning at least £700 a month in a job where we can work shifts ourselves with looking ater the kids and not pay any childcare, or he needs another job where he can bring in at least £1700 a month! therefore makes what he can apply for tricky as otherwise we are in danger of paying more for childcare than he is earning. In the process of looking at tax credits as well but again its complicated by the fact he's not officially unemployed until 18th Feb, and the fact that they take your previous years income as the basis for their assessment. All in all, we are discovering that if we were both to give up work, hand our house which is in negative equity over to the bank, declare ourselves homeless, get a council house/housing benefit/council tax benefit/income support/free school meals, etc.... we would be better off than being a hardworking family who want to support ourselves and will whatever it takes to do so! How motivating - NOT!!!!
Anyway, on the challenge front, have so far clocked up 14 NSDs with another planned for today. Food budget is blown:( but I had never had a budget for food before so didn't really know where to aim for. Still, its still looking at being under £300 for the month and that also include nappies for the two twins, all toiletries and cleaning materials as well as food for 1 dog, 1 cat and 2 guinea pigs. Not too bad for a month, and definately well under the £500+ I used to spend every month!!!! Also can see lots of areas where I can pull it back further next month. Fuel is well under although do have a big family event 3 hours away next weekend but SHOULD still come in under budget. Making £5 a day is going pretty rubbish - still £100 short but will hit ebay again later this weekend if can squeeze it in!
Thank you again for everyones such kind words and advice - probably kept me sane this week! :grouphug:
Off to rescue hubby from the grusome twosome (our twin boys) who sound like they are making a pretty good job of flooding the bathroom whilst sitting in the bath - honestly twins are mad - they gang up against a lone parent!!!!!! LOL
Have a good weekend everyone!!!
Beckyboo
XXX

Siouxsie32

Good morning everyone, it's brrrrr outside today again! Yesterday turned into a NSD after all as I didn't venture outside. I will at some point today as I have a spot of work in London later this afternoon so I'll pick up a few groceries while I'm out. It'll be all public transport though, I need a shovel to move my car right now!!

I found a thread on the Grabbit boards which gave details of a free bag of ground coffee but I can't remember who posted so I can't give them credit (thanks anonymous MSE'r!) but the link for the freebie is http://www.greyskycoffee.com/int/uk/sumatratobasample/

I love my coffee so getting a free bag is fab!!

wannabee_in_credit

Good morning all.
Again, another stupidly manic week at work so no chance to report in. However, another 3.5lb at SW earlier in the week and 5 nsd's up until today to report.
I've done a really, really massive food shop to try and last the rest of the month.
£30.43 on approved food
£16 on a fruit and veggie box which has about twice as much stuff as I was expecting
£71.02 on a Sainsbury's delivery, which I booked to avoid having to go out in the snow. It sounds like loads after af and veggie box but I needed stuff like cat food and light bulbs which have pushed the price up a bit. Just need to cross fingers that Sainsburys can get here tonight as we're a bit snowed in. We were lucky enough not to get any major snow until after I got home from work yesterday, but it hasn't stopped at all since about 5pm and we're looking quite deep and white out there. Poor cat hasn't seen much snow and is rather confused by the whole thing I think. He can't decide if he wants in or out at the moment.
It's been quiet on the home front - work is just busy all of the time now. And I've woken up this morning with a cold so feeling sorry for myself. Staying indoors and doing nothing apart from cooking and prepping for the week ahead. Can't even be bothered with my flylady stuff today.
Beckyboo - so sorry to hear about your hubby's redundancy but pleased that he's thrown himself into looking for something else. I feel your pain with childcare costs - I got a letter from nursery this week saying prices are going up again in March. So pleased my youngest starts school in September - after school club should be less than half what I pay now.
Have a good weekend all - and stay safe in that awful weather.

Ninno820

Siouxsie32 wrote: »

I found a thread on the Grabbit boards which gave details of a free bag of ground coffee but I can't remember who posted so I can't give them credit (thanks anonymous MSE'r!) but the link for the freebie is http://www.greyskycoffee.com/int/uk/sumatratobasample/

I love my coffee so getting a free bag is fab!!

Thanks for the heads up - I've ordered myself a bag.

Have just niped out for essentials plus dog food. £17.18 spent all together but still within the grocery budget.


This morning, whilst deciding whether to brave getting out of bed, I was thinking about how this challenge is going for me. Pay day is the 23rd and I started on 2nd january with just over £47 in my purse to last me until payday. I can easily spend £100 plus on a supermarket shop - on what I now have no idea! Since joining this challenge I have:-

• Created a spreadsheet to track my opening which hs given me a huge insight into my wastage,
• Raise over £140 through ebay
• Still have cash in my purse without drawing out anymore!!

Not only that I am valuing the cost of everything. For someone who spent cash without thinking who would have thought that I would spend time watching adverts to raise £1.25 per week? I am now appreciating that this gives me two longlife litres of skimmed milk - free milk every week!

I feel so in control at the moment that an unforeseen bill which arrived yesterday didnt faze me - I just looked at the spreadsheet, tweaked one or two things and found a way to pay it.

This is all down to NSK, her challenges and the wonderful support that I receive here - thankyou.

So - wrap up warm and have a great weekend. Keep safe everyone xx

fairy3

Morning all from a snowy place with hills! Not enough snow yesterday to stay off work which was disappointing, would have liked a day ebay listing and pottering. Work has been mad as usual but kept to my packed lunch target, found 38p randomly dropped on the street so spent a couple of minutes picking the loose change up (I have NO shame!)
Clocked up another 5 NSD's this week but needed petrol and top ups for the monthly planned menu (so proud of this).
Mancman - sorry for not reading properly bout the gym, I would join a 6 week weight loss challenge too, have around another 8 pounds to lose.
Ninno - I store my vouchers in a clear plastic pencil case and look at them on a saturday before a SD.
I am planning a home based weekend sorting cleaning and batch cooking , have one planned visit but think I may walk it - 3 miles and fairly flat - will save petrol money and boost weight loss hopefully!
Life in the fast lane or what?

Have a good day y'all xx

CandyCupcake

Hey everyone long time no type!

I am back from my trip to Scotland and I loved it! Poodlegal I am jealous of you living up there! Up in the mountains with the snow and fresh air, felt like I was visiting Narnia :rotfl:also managed to tot up a couple of NSDs whilst I was there. I was naughty and bought myself a Costa on the way up there, it was so cold I needed a hot drink but I was good as I did take butties so didn't have to buy any food.

Anyway, back to normality now and back to work. I topped up my petrol & my shop yesterday meaning today will be a NSD. I managed to pay off my B**clays OD yesterday and cancel it woohoo :j so I am now less than 15k in debt and by the end of Jan/beginning of Feb plan to be less than 14k! It feels so great clearing a debt, even if they aren't the biggest ones I am getting rid off having less debts to manage just feels better.

Quite a bit of snow down here, it was the first time my kitten had experienced snow and he seemed very confused and started digging in it and sliding in it. Silly kitten, I think he thinks it is white soil haha!

Hope everyone stays safe & warm, even when we have our low points it's times like this when the weather is so cold we need to be greatful we have a warm & cosey place to call home. So many are not so lucky.

Love Candy

x

his_missus

Siouxsie32 wrote: »

I found a thread on the Grabbit boards which gave details of a free bag of ground coffee but I can't remember who posted so I can't give them credit (thanks anonymous MSE'r!) but the link for the freebie is http://www.greyskycoffee.com/int/uk/sumatratobasample/

I love my coffee so getting a free bag is fab!!

Thanks, ordered one too. Proper coffee on a weekend morning is one of our few indulgent pleasures.

Spend day AGAIN today - £3 to have my hair cut (a very :money: no-frills dry cut) and have asked Hubby to pick up some cat litter from Mr T's on way home from footy as I don't like the stuff from Mr A's. Both budgetted for.

Going to spend the afternoon card-making and then cooking a pot of chilli for tea and to freeze.

HM cheese & onion pie and chips for lunch, enough for tomorrow too - Hubby wanted to go to the chippy for lunch and spend money - tut tut!

Marylea

Signature updated due to transfering balance of my interest charging c/c to a 0% offer on a different card....now need to ensure all balances are paid off before each deal ends.........should be able to do this and losing the interest means an extra £50 can be paid off!
This is all very exciting!......can't wait until the end of the month to see how much I can reduce my overdraft by.......hoping for about £400.

Mancman86

abundant1972 wrote: »

Hello!!! :snow_grin :snow_grin :snow_grin

Mancman - you could start a lose x lbs in 12 weeks thread!!! I'll sign up! I could stand to lose at least 1/2 stone... I actually started back at the gym (using a free one at work) although just doing cardio work at the mo. Not sure the shortbread I'm scoffing after is really helping mind...
:cool:

Not a bad idea, but I wouldnt know where to start.

mayfair1985

Evening all!

Hope everyone is safe and warm! Only a piddly diddly bit of snow here, not enough to cause any major issues, as thankfully our council seem to have been on the ball and been out gritting!

Managed to sell a rather large item through eBay so the earn target and the find target are done. I think I need to take it easy for the rest of the month now, conserve a bit of energy for febs challenge!

Went to Mr A's today for a bit of a shop. Still within budget for the month on groceries and it's take away night! Wahoo! Confident that we're going to manage the food and fuel budgets. The planned spends depends on when Hubs want to go an get a shirt he needs. Money is ready in a pot but if he does it in Jan it'll take us over. Hopefully he'll wait till feb. Who knows!

So sigs updated accordingly. Spread sheets updated accordingly. So happy with the way this is turning out so far :j