Diary of a Secret Saver

Harri-bear

Hiya Karen, glad you are having a better time with your son. I've been there with stress myself (many moons ago) but it's totally different when you're on the outside looking in. It's only now I can appreciate how much hubby did for me at the time. Hoping I've got the patience to do it for him!


Sorry to hear your sheds need replacing. I try to do the 'wants' and 'needs' thing, but it's not always black and white, is it? For example,

Inner voice one: 'I want National Trust Membership.'

Inner voice two: 'Ah, but you don't need it.'

Inner voice one: 'Yes, but I'll spend more on days out if I don't have it.'

Inner voice two: 'You don't need to go out!'


Some things just have to be done, I guess .

Have just had my first experience making 'real' porridge for DD2. I really haven't got the hang of this 'quantities' thing as have just given her enough porridge to feed a small horse. Oh well, she is a growing girl .

debtfreewannabe321

Mornign Harri-Bear :wave:

Great news on the money back! And well done for being restrained and not spending it the second it hit your account! I'm also debating a national trust membership, but not sure where the money will come from we had a pretty boring summer last year staying in the whole time (think we may have had a couple of day trips but that was it). I spent my clubcard vouchers on pizza express vouchers (£40 worth) and Odeon tickets. Will save all of those for summer day trips :T and I only had £27.50 so I did ok with it

P.s Your inner voices sound like mine! Except I tend to like agreeing with the naughty one who wants to spend, spend, spend. I must do better

Harri-bear

Hi DFW321

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who struggles to decide what to do! I'm currently thinking that National Trust Membership is the way to go, as we would only need to use it 3 times in a year to have covered its cost, and, although we've got lots of parks around here, it would be nice to have a change of scenery. Also, if I had membership then I would make sure I used it. Hmmm.

Sent hubby to the boot sales this morning while I was working. He's one of those people who tends to get stir crazy if he doesn't get out the house. Anyway, he came back with some really nice clothes for DD2, a couple of bits won't fit so will put them on Ebay next week. He spent £8 in total for 10 items of clothes - I'm pretty impressed with that.:)

Had a really nice afternoon. We took the girls to the local park to let off some steam and then came back and did a bit in the garden. We have managed to almost finish sanding our pub table so we can repaint it. DD2 gave a half-hearted try at helping and then gave up (she's very like me in this respect). This seems to have finished hubby off as he is now fast asleep on the front room floor! Not necessarily a bad thing, except that dinner is in the oven and I have no idea what to do with it. :eek:

Burnt offerings anyone?

debtfreewannabe321

LOL i hope the dinner turned out alright! And perhaps you can make back the spends from the boot fair on ebay with those few bits

lindsaygalaxy

I love your thread- it's a brilliant read. Well done. We are like opposites in our house, I try to save but pretty rubbish, where as OH is much better.

From a sensible hat I would say save the money for your emergency fund. Once you have that up at £500 then you could think about ways to spend the summer.

Harri-bear

Had a nice day at work, but God I did not want to get up this morning!

No burnt offerings last night as Hubby woke up in time to sort out dinner. Unfortunately, he forgot that he hadn't cooked the cauliflower, and served it in it's raw state. The girls dutifully 'crunched' their way through it, whilst I pretended I was full (I only like old-people's vegetables i.e. boiled to within an inch of their life ).

Changed my sig. as I found some details on my N*****wide loan, which showed I'd paid off more than I thought. The bad news is that I had miscalculated my original amount, so actually now seem to owe more than when I started - sigh....

Plan to pay an extra £300 off this loan next week. I would do it sooner, but N*****wide only seem to keep office hours, whereas, unfortunately, I don't .

Spoke with Hubby tonight, he seems a little brighter. With being on holiday next week, I suggested we make some plans to do things with the girls. So far we have decided that we would like to go to Crosby Beach to see the Anthony Gormley sculptures (you know - all those naked iron men in the sea ). Not sure what else we will do, but still need to repaint the pub bench in the garden. Hubby did ask the neighbour for some left over lilac (VIVID!) paint - but I have, very firmly, put my foot down!

I have a feeling this is going to be an exceptionally long week - so roll on Friday.

Harri-bear

Hiya Lindsaygalaxy - loving the name!

I definitely agree with the emergency fund thing - but I am just too darn impatient! I fill pages and pages with workings out, that I just can't physically stick too. Hubby keeps finding them, so I have taken to hiding them down the side of the sofa (I'm the only one who tidies up, so there's no chance of him ever finding them :rotfl:).

Challenge TV, seems to have been relegated in favour of OneDirection parties at the moment. So far this week we have had 3, complete with plastic food and 'entertainment of the wild and bizarre dancing variety) Why, oh why, couldn't I have had quiet, studious children?

Off to watch OnlyConnect, which is impossibly difficult, but rather compulsive viewing. If I get even one answer right, then I'm chuffed!

Harri-bear

Rubbish day at work today. Nothing in particular, just everything in general.:(

Popped to A**A tonight and caught lucky with the yellow stickers!

Bargains requisitioned are :

1 large loaf of bread 20p
1 small loaf of bread 10p
1 tomato focaccia 40p
2 packs of muffins (6pk) 10p each
2 steak slices 50p
2 cheese and onion slices 50p
6 bread rolls 40p
2 x 2pk children's raspberry rice pudding pots 10p each
chicken and bacon Caesar wrap 40p

Total £2.90

Hubby used up loads of leftover veg, a bit of pork and a tin of tomato soup for tea tonight - very proud of him. I did, however, feel some warmth coming from the taps when I touched them, so suspect that the heating has been on at some point today. I will forgive him this time.

Bobarella

Wow a great lot of bargains there Harri-Bear, love the yellow stickers!

Harri-bear

Don't often catch the yellow stickers as I am too [STRIKE]lazy[/STRIKE] busy after work to go, but timed it just right tonight. When I see them stickering I always wonder what the best strategy is - should I lurk around the aisle nonchalantly pretending to read various labels or should I go for the dive-bomb approach? Tonight was definitely the latter!