*** This is Sparta ***

thriftylass

Gooooood morning!! Lovely sunny day here again.

Had a really productive day yesterday after work. Washing done, dinner, mowed the lawn, tidied two sheds, sorted the rubbish, watered plants......to come back in at 9 pm to do the dishes :mad:. "poor" OH was tired. Ggrrr...men (sorry present excluded ).

nannygladys

Morning everyone
Lovely and sunny here and its my day off:) washing already done on and outside on line, just going to give upstairs a quick clean through and then its out into the garden for a tidy up and seed planting, so another SFD for me

Found a part of a veg pie in the freezer, so that was last nights dinner and tonight Im having a lasagea that I will make later, the other 3 portions will be going back in the freezer for later on this month. Liking the idea ref the watering down the milk KAT may give this a try on a pint bottle just to see if it works for me, but will have to wait until next week as Ive about 6 pints in my fridge

Anyway upstairs cleaning calling ....
nannyg

Doris65_2

Hi All

Harley great name, we had a kitty that purred loudly we called it diesel-(really loud purr like a diesel engine-well like they used to sound!!)

Should be a SFD, I am going shopping but its my birthday vouchers i am spending, not real cash, and the parking's free, and I will try not to give in to the temptation of stopping for a cup of something.

Ill check in later

Dx

rosiecheeksblossom

Morning all,
Little spend yesterday on icecream and drinks while at friends, but should be a SFD today. will catch up later xxx

Siouxsie32

Morning everyone What a lovely sunny day. I also have the washing hanging out - don't you just love the smell of fresh laundry when it's been outside?

Managed to break yesterday's SFD at 1 minute to midnight. I drove past a petrol station where petrol was 5p a litre cheaper than my usual garage so I filled up. Added bonus - there was a Pay at Pump option so I added £39.99 after my £10.01 fiasco the other day so my spreadsheet's nice and even again! The tank's full so I'm hoping it'll last til the end of the month.

Harley's a cool name. My friend has a son called Harley

Work later for me and I have my dinner defrosting as we speak so today will definitely be a SFD.

So far ...
SFD: 2/21
Food: £14.43/£50
Misc: £2.54/£100
Petrol: £50/£50

Moneymash

Hello Peeps,

NSK Apples better than chocolate, come on now, although I do love apples, and have a weakness for apple crumble, apple pie and apple strudle. I must confess that for years the only Ben and Jerry's ice-cream I would eat was Oh My Apple Pie. I wouldn't contemplate trying any of the other flavours. For some reason B&J Apple pie ice-cream is often sold cheaper than the other flavours. Just recently I couldn't get any so tried Phish food, which was fantastic and then I tried the chocolate brownie flavour, which is truly out of this world, but again yet more chocolate.

As for my food budget chocolate watch. I got lucky at work on Sunday night and a colleague bought me the new Cadbury celebration bar, the cookie one, lush. I still have one Bounty bar from a multipack, 4 Snickers bars from a multipack, a bag and a half of Chocolate Eclairs ( the sweets) and 7 Aero mousses, my chocolate stash is not going to last I just know it.

So yesterday was SFD number 3 as predicted as I have only been working, sleeping and eating.

Things you think about when you are tired after a night-shift but not altogether sleepy.

Man cannot live by bread alone and this woman cannot pay off her debts by overtime alone. I spent some time on Sunday thinking/scheming about how I can get two companies to give me some money albeit reluctantly. These companies need to have lots of money and I need to have a relationship with them for this to work. Not that difficult because I thought of my workplace and my bank, which is where it becomes difficult.

I am actually due a pay rise at work. There are three ways to get a pay rise, an annual company-wide one, which is announced. One based on qualifications obtained (that's what I am due), and a length-in-service one. My company is notorious for not giving the latter two pay rises automatically. You have to find out about them on your own reconnaissance. Several colleagues have realised months, even years later they are on the wrong rate of pay, then had to wrestle to get it corrected and backdated. A regular practice of my company is not to give the pay rise in the first pay period due, but to start it in the next pay period. If they are doing this company-wide that is a lot of money they save.

I have crafted a carefully worded letter to my company asking for my pay rise to be backdated to May, based on a minor technicality with my certificate date. I am fully expecting them to refuse this and start me on my new rate of pay in June, (which is what I was expecting anyway) which means I won't miss out on the correct pay rise at the correct time, but they will think they have got out of paying me from May. If I had written a so-so letter asking for my pay rise they word have faffed about and changed my rate from July instead. I do hope I have been clever and this tactic works as it will mean an extra £174 in my June pay.

As for my bank, I have a long-standing complaint about some financial advice I received back in 2008, not long after some legislation had changed in favour of the customer. I am obviously hoping for some goodwill/compensation or part refund, or result of all results, to be restored to my original position. My bank as yet are not aware of my dissatisfaction, but they will be and soon. However, I have thought of an idea to sweeten the pot to get some money back. I can't put my plans in to action for another couple of months yet or reveal what they are. So if Kat has a challenge running in October (8 weeks for them to respond to a complaint made in August), hopefully I will be able to drastically reduce the debt figures in my signature.

Right I am off to meal plan to avoid making chocolate the main part of my meals, or since people have been talking about watering down things (milk) maybe water down some chocolate...

NinjaSavingKat

Ok Harley is better! Although I think we need a picture!

I am at work again ( funny that ) and am enjoying the crazyness and reading all the posts. Gotta get some work done, especially as my boss sits behind me now. Siouxsie am loving the petrol balancing act you got there... Mr Cobes.. a back wax eh? Seems like it's not just the girlies preening ..NannyG - I am not a watering-milk convert yet but it helps spread the cost... KrustyLouise - call them. Ask them to refund it. You can only try!

Right more from me later. Lunch is with me, but I feel hunger attackng already - I will make it the stretch and score an SFD but I will bring more food tomorrow...

Onwards and Upwards...

Living_a_good_life

Afternoon all - sfd here to report - parents off out kids at school - should be working hard but that shiney yellow thing in the sky is soooo inviting! Procrastination is my problem....

Anyway I forgot to mention (I may be trying to blank it out) - yesterday I joined a gym (actually technically I start next wednesday)!!! So I usually swim once a week - 6 weeks = about £24 our local leisure centre offered 6 weeks membership for £30 and it includes induction and fitness plan, swimming, fitness classes, etc etc - for £1 per week I thought it was worth a shot and it finishes the day before the kids break up for summer - so for the next 6 weeks I will be a member of a gym :eek::eek:

The opportunity to get there over the summer hols will be limited so the plan is to rejoin in September if I like it - watch this space!! This on top of the bike and the keep fit class - its all a bit of a worry!! Debt gone its time to start on the chocolate baby

Right work to do - love to all LAGL xx

his_missus

Tiny pic of Harley as my avatar, only photo I have of him to hand. Can't work out how to make it bigger, it's the pic my dad took and sent me on my phone. He knew I'd fall in love instantly. If Harley ever sits stills again I will try to get a better photo.

Grocery budget: £65/£240
Fun budget: £15/£80
Holiday fund: £0/£350
ISA fund: £0£400
Debt repayment: £0/£80
SFDs: 2/20

LoveaDove

Hullo Lovely Spartans!

4th SFD- Just been at work all day and all food from stores.

NSK Thanks for clarifying voucher usuage!
his missus Harley looks gorgeous! *Squeeeee*
short_bird Your comment made me gracefully spit out my tea with laughter!

Dove x