Rumbly's LBM

rumblytum

Thanks for your input.

My life ins covers the mortgage - not sure about DH's, so I'll get him to check this. Either way, we should both shop around to see if we can get this for any less.

Cleaning/Toiletries is probably over egged, but I will monitor this for the next 2 months to see exactly what is going on and what this figure should be/what can be cut etc

Will look into 'phone insurance to see what can be done instead - I had a feeling this was too high.

Have forwarded the AV link to DH - he sorts that out for the three of us, but I am very grateful, as he currently renews one annually. The £2 is also to cover copy paper and ink cartridges.

Oooh, OK, I have a compost - d'oh! - so will see stick the garden waste in there.

And thanks for the advice on the emergency fund. Sadly I don't have anything saved that I can transfer as was just about to start this to help with crises, but will ditch trying to save that at the mo.

Thanks very much for your help.

rumbly x

rumblytum

Menu plan is done. Thus:

Sunday: [STRIKE]Toast[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Beans on Toast, using up baked beans[/STRIKE]
Cauli Cheese on baked spuds – using up cauliflower and cheese
Other things to make today: coleslaw (using up red onions and white cabbage), a seed/nut/chocolate/Christmas biscuit mixture using up all the Christmas leftovers, and some popcorn snack bars using up popcorn, dried fruit and nuts

Monday: cereal/porridge
tuna salad with dips, cheese, coleslaw, pickled veg, olives
DD and DH having ready meals from freezer, I’m away on business

Tuesday: breakfast away, other two as normal
lunch away, other two can have salad
roast chicken, using up spuds, swede, parsnips, shallots

Wednesday: cereal/porridge
couscous/olive salad for DD, fasting lunch for us
HM turkey burger with rice salad for us all

Thursday: cereal/porridge
defrosted soup for us, salad for DD
lasagne using up mince, veg, lasagne sheets, red onions/shallots

Friday: cereal/porridge
Fasting lunch for us, salad for DD
Turkey and veg casserole for us all

Saturday: oatmeal raisin pancakes (using up oatmeal, raisins)
Cous cous and harissa
Squash curry and rice – using up one of the squashes

Shopping is done today, breakdown as follows:
Salad (various): 5.00
Dairy (12 pints milk, bio yogurt, butter x 4): 7.92
Meat (whole chicken, 6 turkey breasts): 9.19
Veg (leeks, turnip, red pepper, loads of potatoes): 5.99
Fruit (apples, bananas, lemon): 7.67
Bread/bagels (3 x loaves/2 packs bagels) : 5.00
Cleaning (rubber gloves (2)/soda crystals (1)/cistern blocks(1)): 6.26
Nuts (cashews): 2.25
Crispbreads (Ryvitas and krisprolls): 3.17
Toiletries (1 x face wipes/18 xtoilet rolls/toothpaste x 1): 6.56
Soft Drinks (8 Tesco still Lucozade equivalent): 3.50

How does that look? Not had the Tesco version of the Lucozade before, but DD should be fine with it.

Have been at Aged Ps this morning handing over all the stairlift info, so am having a late start today.

Sunday's Aims:
[STRIKE]Scan shopping for points[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]water plants using water butt water[/STRIKE] And put the excess back in the butt
[STRIKE]brush one of the cats - she's got loads of knots suddenly, try to avoid vet fees[/STRIKE] Combed her until she cried, then took some scissors to the knots. To be continued ....
list 5 things on ebay
check old building/contents insurance hasn't automatically renewed
read new insurance documents
reclaim work expenses
cash rec
transfer some more 'phone contacts

Extras: media view survey for prize draw entries, screened out of other surveys

Have a good afternoon/evening everyone
rumbly x

rumblytum

How proud am I?
Was sucked in by the Approved Food £1.00 Lucky Box offer, but was really strict with myself only putting things in the basket that I regularly buy, and comparing the prices that I pay at Tesco - and couldn't make the minimum, so emptied the basket. :T:T
Feeling proud!

My aim today is to save all work related expenses as I'm away on business.
Have a good couple of days everyone.
rumbly x

rumblytum

Oooh, and I've lost 6lb this week :j

Doing the 5:2 Fasting thingy with DH. Wednesdays and Fridays we have healthy breakfast, skip lunch, and then have a meal - total daily calories of 600 for him and 500 for me. Bonus is I lose weight, and spend less on food. Huzzah!!!

rumbly x

rumblytum

Have been in rotten pain with my back, so have just been existing for the last couple of days. Time to concentrate on finances again, now, though.

So, today I have:

Entered cash spending/finance receipts
Old building/contents insurance had automatically renewed, so 'phoned to cancel - they're supposed to be calling back
reclaimed work expenses
read insurance policy for new buildings/contents insurance

I need to:

Finish transferring 'phone contacts from old to new 'phone, need to sell old 'phone - packaging has arrived.
Chase up cancellation of old building/contents insurance

I'm now off to investigate the swagging thread

rumbly x

rumblytum

Wowser, bit of falling out on the Swagging thread :eek:

Have now subscribed to the new one. Set up a Swagging a/c and have 'earnt' 59 points. It's time consuming, so it's going to have to be a 'when I can' thing like surveys are, rather than a full on, try everything affair.

Have checked the life assurances - mine is completely over egged - about 4 x the mortgage - d'oh. So am going to shop around for a better policy, and will also check DH's at the same time - which seems for a sensible amount.

Will also finish transferring contacts today, and will send 'phone off tomorrow.
As expected, need to chase up the cancellation of insurance, so will do that too.

Have decided to go over to Aged Ps on Mother's Day to make them a meal, and will also make Mum a lemon drizzle cake which she loves. I will also give her a gift - a moisturising hand cream with some cotton gloves as her hands are dreadfully dry and splitting. I will display them in a nice wicker container someone gave me a Christmas gift in, so it will look impressive. How's that for a change in attitude - would normally be spending £40 or something. :T:T

Have a good day all

rumbly x

rumblytum

Hi everyone,
Well after a week suffering with a bad back, I'm starting to be able to move again, and actually sneezed today without too much agony :T
Things slipped somewhat, and I've just existed over the last week, and have made a few depression based purchases - entirely consisting of junk food

Anyhoo, still lost 1 lb last week, so yay Which is half a stone gone, wheee!

Debt reduction news:

• [STRIKE]I have sold a book on Amazon, so need to package and post that
• Remove said book from Greenmetroplis[/STRIKE]
• I have sent off my old 'phone, so look forward to the £50 :T
• I have signed and return medical consent form for new life assurance, which should save me £40 per month :T
• Catch up with failed bakings: [STRIKE]make coleslaw, make christmas leftover biscuits,[/STRIKE] make banana bread, make popcorn snack bars
• [STRIKE]Freeze single portion of last night's dinner[/STRIKE]
• Get DH's car insurance via Quidco (have already done the multiple compare searches, and know where I'm going)
• enter cash/spending receipts
• list 5 things on ebay

Back in the game

rumbly x

rumblytum

I have received the £50 for my old 'phone - Squeeeeee

I have transferred it straight to the store card :T

Coleslaw is all gone, but still have white cabbage, so will make more, and Christmas flapjack biscuit things are lush

Today's plans:
Enter cash/bank spends
reconcile last month's bank statements
make banana bread - bananas are now almost entirely black!
make popcorn snack bars
list 5 things on ebay
renew DH's car insurance
do some Swagbucks stuff

Have received a product to test - don't get paid, but don't have to buy the product, so need to start using that and report back.

Have a good day all

rumbly x

rumblytum

Just taken delivery of a box of dishwasher tabs to trial and report back on :T

Don't get paid, but won't have to buy any while doing the trial, so it all adds to the general debt reduction.

Slowly but surely.

xxx

rumblytum

WOW - today is a good day!!!

Just received £15.00 for switching my gas and electricity supplier at the beginning of the year :j

Have transferred it straight to store card :T

rumbly x