Diary of a Secret Saver

jazzyjustlaw

Please to meet you too. My OH is good at DIY but hates it. We have been out 8 months due to a leak which devastated our home. It's being redecorated now so that is the silver lining! We are having to contribute I.e they are retiling the bathroom but I cannot complain about that

Harri-bear

Ok, so the weekend looms and already worrying that I've transferred too much money across and won't make it through the month (paid from the 15th to the 15th). No frivolous shopping so far, but have bought a couple of things I didn't really need - I'm a sucker for yellow-stickers!

Need to get some sunflower seeds tomorrow as DD1's didn't survive the journey from school to home, so prompting a lot of weeping and wailing until I agreed to get some more. Most of the decking is now painted, but have run out of paint. Might wait till I get paid next month to get some more, or at least see how the money situation is a bit further into the month.

Thought I might need to get a new microwave as ours gave up the ghost yesterday. Bit annoyed really as we actually spent a bit more on this than we normally would. Hubby tried to fix it and pulled the front panel off, only to discover there wasn't actually anything behind it, but managing to cause all the buttons to fall off in the process. Luckily, our friend is staying tonight and is emigrating to Canada tomorrow and he just so has a microwave we can have. Bonus.

Plans for tonight include marking and tackling the mountain of ironing that has built up in the wash basket. I am a bit worried that our washer may also be on its way out, as it has stopped automatically spinning at the end of a cycle and some of the clothes are coming out with white marks on them. Think I'm going to have to prepare for its demise, hopefully later rather than sooner.

Harri-bear

Woke up today and my first thought was 'What can I stick on e-bay?' So today am going to have a good hunt through the children's old clothes.

Have rechecked my figures and this month is going to be tight. I really don't want to be transferring money back out of my savings so I am going to have to be really careful.

After nursery fees, loan, insurance and water rates I reckon I have about £300 left. Out of this I need to use about £100 for food, £50 petrol, £109 for DD1's theatre group (going to be stopping this is July). I also have to find a birthday present for MIL and go to a wedding for which neither myself or hubby have anything to wear!

This quite clearly is going to take us over the £300. Therefore I need to sell, sell, sell! Unfortunately the things I can sell very rarely go for much, so that means I'm going to have to go for quantity rather than quality!

On a more positive note, have guided Hubby to Ebay to find a suit and have told him he needs to have decided by tomorrow at the latest. As he is a ditherer, I may have to poke him with a sharp stick.:)

Harri-bear

So today I have been to Al*is and spent the princely sum of £17. This was just essentials really as did a bigger shop last Saturday. Took DD1 to her theatre group and then just pottered around with DD2 till it was time to pick her up.

I am becoming increasingly aware of the petrol gauge in the car, so tootled along at 50mph when I normally do 70. Why am I always in such a rush to get everywhere? It's Saturday, the sun's shining - things can wait! Having said this, need to get some more marking done tonight otherwise it's really going to spoil tomorrow.

Tomorrow should be a nice day. We have a bit of a routine on a Sunday. We get up reasonably early and go to the car boots. The girls have most of their clothes from car booties and last week I got a fab pair of Next jeans for £1.00. My mum and dad are at a wedding about 40 mins drive away today, and tomorrow are coming down to buy us lunch. Not only will it be nice to see them but I'll be able to save my pork joint till next week - very MSE!

I also managed to find an old national savings passbook today. It was last used in 1994 and has still got £70 in in. Have e-mailed them to find out how to get the money as I have since married and changed my name. Think I might need this money this month.

Harri-bear

The dream

Hubby comes in with letter from the loan company.
'We still own £11000' he says, shaking his head sadly.

Me, whipping out an envelope stuffed with cash.
'Ta-da! Oh no we don't!'





A girls got to dream :rotfl:

Harri-bear

Unexpectedly off work today as DD2 has conjunctivitis. She came down today with what looked like 'cheesestrings' joining the top and bottom of her eyes. Dislike being off work as it throws me for the whole week and things I have planned for work aren't always done in the way that I would like. Ho hum.

Took DD2 to the Pharmacist and got some drops which I need to administer every 2 hours. She's being very brave though and not making a fuss. Bless ...

Seem to remember that last time she had this I didn't have to pay for her treatment - it was the Minor Ailment Scheme, I think. This time, however, no mention of this, so I guess it must have been cut. £5.95 spend on eye drops today then.

Also the last lot of eye drops she had, she only needed 2 drops every 12 hours. That was much better. I did go to to a pharmacist in a supermarket last time - I wonder if that makes a difference?

Hiddenidenity

Hope DD's better soon xx

amyc92

subscribed xx

Harri-bear

DD2 much better, thanks. Takes a lot to keep her down!

Just bought Hubby a suit on e-bay for this wedding. The one he really liked went for too much so this was the second choice. Got it for £20, but had to settle for a 44" chest rather than a 46". Guess he'll just have to breathe in if he wants to do it up!

On the money front I keep being a bit frivolous, with the odd pound here and there. It's like I realise that I'm not going to make it to next pay day so I self-sabotage - does that make sense? It is now 22 days and counting till payday

Had a reply from National Savings re: my newly found old passbook. It seems it should be quite straightforward to change my name and close the account at the same time. Will tackle this at the weekend.

I should say at this point that I am terrible for putting things off and need a good kick up the b*m to get things done. It's like with the housework - I put it off and off and off, even though no-one else will do it and I will have to do it in the end. I guess I'm still hoping the housework fairies will one day come in and magically tackle the ironing pile - which, at present, is the size of the Himalayas!

Hiddenidenity

Glad she's feeling better

And bargain on the suit