The Crumpet family's journey to Mortgage Freedom:-)

Crumpets

greent wrote: »

There are almost 6 years between DS1 and DS2 ad then another 3 and a half years between DS2 and DS3. I just store things in cardboard boxes in the loft, sealed with tape and labelled with clothes size/ age. Works fine. I re-wash anything I then pass on at the appropriate time - inevitably I look at some things and wonder why on earth I saved it or decide that the colour/ shape/ style isn't 'right' for the next DS - but I've saved loads using hand me downs!


And congrats to DD2 re no stabilisers! :T:T


x

Well in that case, I'll just do that as I have loads of boxes hanging around :T I just need to find the time to get up in the loft now to sort them out

It ended up being a spendy weekend, I ended up buying comics on Saturday to keep the kids entertained, good grief they're expensive! £5 for a Princess and a cbeebies magazine :eek: other than that it was a lovely frugal event which we will definitely go to next year - I just need to be more organised with taking pens and paper etc yesterday I had to buy some new pillows and a duvet cover as ours were ruined and I ended up in the Next sale :eek: I came out £50 lighter, non of it was really needed either, although I did get stuff for next summer for dd2, I should have just avoided it :cool:

Well it's the first day of the summer holidays here, so far the kids are entertaining themselves but I think we could start having some arguments soon so I think we'll go out. I think we'll go to the library to get the next books for the reading challenge and then down to the river to feed the ducks

Crumpets

Second day of the holidays and it's not been too bad again today, although I do have a glass of wine on the go tonight We made it to the library yesterday so the kids are now on zone 1 of the reading challenge :T we also happened to be at the library when there was a story and rhyme session going on so that entertained dd2 and ds for a few minutes. We also picked up a flyer for a free activity going on there tomorrow called 'make your own cereal' so we might try and pop along. Ds has his pre school jabs first though so we'll have to see how that goes :eek:

Grocery shopping today and I spent quite a lot (£110) I expected it to go up because dd 1 & 2 usually have dinner at school so I'm providing 2 extra lunches per day as well as all the snacks. Hopefully that will be it for the week now. The kids have done a bit of baking today to help us through the day, dd1 has made chocolate brioche and the little ones made banana bites - I'm not sure they like them though Whilst I was in tesco I also picked up a couple of tops for myself in the sale as well as some flip flops for dh - again not strictly needed but will definitely be used

Tomorrow looks to be rather rainy so I think I'll have a mooch on Pinterest to look for indoor activities for the kids. We were supposed to be meeting at the park with friends from pre school but that will probably be postponed I was quite looking forward to getting out for some other adult company.:(

I'm looking on groupon and bargain threads daily now, mainly looking for Christmas presents but yesterday on Groupon there were tickets to a camper van show not too far away so I got some of those for £9 each (kids are free) so that will be another cheapish day out in the holidays :T

Its almost time to get the little ones in bed and then we're going to let dd1 stay up and watch a film. It's quite difficult getting the balance right with allowing dd1 to be a bit more grown up and giving myself and dh time on our own to be a couple.:cool: Dh has just taken her and the doggy to the park for some roller skating (her not dh :rotfl:) so she migt be quite tired when they get back:T

Crumpets

More spends to report today :cool: it's been very rainy day today which unfortunately leads to being a spendy day it started off with Ds having to go to have his pre school jabs so we decided to treat the children to a McD's lunch - dh and I didn't have anything so that cost about £11. After lunch we were supposed to meet friends at the park but it was far too wet so we went to the garden centre instead, there I spent £6 on a train ride, £8 on a craft activity and £1 on ice creams :eek: it was a lovely afternoon and the kids had a great time but it was all unexpected spends so I don't have much for the rest of the week now:o

Tomorrow we are visiting a local NT house and gardens with some friends, we're going to try and visit a different one each week during the holidays. I've got a loaf of bread in the oven for our picnic and I'm hoping for a very low spend day! :T

diamondsonly

Crumpets you have just reminded me DD needs her pre-school jabs too. Will have to book an appointment tomorrow. I am sure the McDs cheered him up. Wet days are the worst for NSD. Wishing lost of sunshine for you over the next 6 weeks.

Diamonds xx

Crumpets

Hi diamonds, did you get dd her appointment? It's horrible seeing them so upset by it but at least it's done now, and that's it for quite a few years now :T

It's raining again today what is going on with the weather!? So far we have had a very lazy day of watching the tv and playing games dd1 has also made some flapjacks to top up the snack jar :T I think dh is planning on taking the kids to his mums this afternoon so I can have a blitz on the house. I'm planning on sorting out the airing cupboard, the utility room and possibly the kitchen cupboards to see what is lurking at the back of them I'm actually quite looking forward to doing it, I live such a glamorous life :rotfl:

Yesterday was a NSD, despite spending all day at a NT property :T I was tempted to get a cup of tea when we started to get a bit tired but managed to hold off until we got home hopefully this is going to be a weekly thing and we will visit a different property each week and take a picnic with us...I think I'll take a flask of tea with me next time too :T

I'm still busily sorting stuff out for a car boot sale, I think dh is on board now too :T we just need to find a day to do one now, I think it's going to rain this Sunday so it probably won't happen this week Hopefully tonight someone is coming to collect something we sold on eBay, it's quite a large item and we put it as collection only and someone brought it that lives a couple of hundred miles away :eek: he thought it was free delivery! :mad: anyway he messaged yesterday to see if he could collect tonight so I hope he turns up! That will be £30 towards the camping trip :T

I keep seeing lots of holiday pics on FB at the moment and it's making me want to go to the seaside! We haven't got any plans to go anywhere apart from our camping trip to Oxford, and can't really afford it either but it doesn't stop me wanting to go I can't wait for our camper to be ready so we can just pack up and head for the coast for a couple of days

Lunch time now, I'm going to have a nice green smoothie! :A Dd is wafting her flapjacks in front of me though which is sooo tempting!

Crumpets

Well that was a busy weekend, it was a very rainy NSD yesterday and just a few spends from the weekly cash on Saturday. We started putting up our new fence on Saturday, we were hoping to get someone in to do it but after they failed to turn up we decided to do it ourselves :money: It's hard work and we had to dig up a lot of concrete :mad: but we have got 1 panel up, only 2 more panels and a gate to go :T

Week 2 of the holidays and this week is looking pretty busy, we're off to visit my parents today and we may visit a little country park that is near their house so I'll expect it to be LSD as I'll probably buy the children an ice cream. I have also finally found the receipt for Ds's pjs I should have returned weeks ago so I should get a £9 refund today :T I'm going to Pilates tonight but I think I've already paid for this session, I'll have to pay from next week though.

Well the eBay man didn't turn up on Friday, apparently he got 24 miles away and the broke down so now we need to get a courier price for him. I've never couriered such a large item before so I'm not sure who to use?

Right I need to get moving now :j

Crumpets x

greent

Crumpets wrote: »

Well the eBay man didn't turn up on Friday, apparently he got 24 miles away and the broke down so now we need to get a courier price for him. I've never couriered such a large item before so I'm not sure who to use?

Right I need to get moving now :j

Crumpets x

Try parcel2go for a quote - you'll need an approximate packed size (dimensions) and weight and they'll come up with lots of options. x

Miss_Moneysaver

I love NT properties. Also, English Heritage. We have a few castles near us so I tend to take the kids to a different one each week. I bought a little flask/travel mug earlier this year. It is great! I get a cup of tea for free now :-) I take bottles of water for the kids and a picnic. Ice creams I usually call in at Iceland/Asda/Aldi and get a box of 3 or 4 for a £1 (some places charge a lot more than that just for 1 ice cream).


Raining here too :-( Typical, school holiday and the skies open. I am still working this week (only 3 days a week though) but then off for 2 weeks. I was hoping to go across to the Lake District a couple of times.

Crumpets

greent wrote: »

Try parcel2go for a quote - you'll need an approximate packed size (dimensions) and weight and they'll come up with lots of options. x

Thank you, I will :beer:

Miss_Moneysaver wrote: »

I love NT properties. Also, English Heritage. We have a few castles near us so I tend to take the kids to a different one each week. I bought a little flask/travel mug earlier this year. It is great! I get a cup of tea for free now :-) I take bottles of water for the kids and a picnic. Ice creams I usually call in at Iceland/Asda/Aldi and get a box of 3 or 4 for a £1 (some places charge a lot more than that just for 1 ice cream).

Raining here too :-( Typical, school holiday and the skies open. I am still working this week (only 3 days a week though) but then off for 2 weeks. I was hoping to go across to the Lake District a couple of times.

Hi Miss Money Saver, good idea with the ice creams, they are so expensive when you're out and about, my kids are quite good and know not to ask for them when we're out. Occasionally I like to treat them to one though, we always have them at home so I quite often make them wait

Well we have had a dry day today but it has felt so autumnal. There was even that autumnal smell in the air this morning as i think one of my neighbours had their fire lit. I do love autumn and its proabaly my favourite season - but not in July! :eek: I got two loads of washing on the line and met my friend at the park where the kids cycled and roller skated and generally enjoyed being out of the house :T dh and I also managed to get another gate post in the ground so we're getting there slowly but surely. :T

I've meal planned and done a shopping list so that will be my main job for tomorrow, I'll need to make sure I have picnic stuff in for Thursday. I'm also meeting a friend at a garden centre (one of my major spend zones :cool:) we're meeting after lunch so at least we won't be spending on food, I might sneak a few snacks for the kids into my bag though

I'm just watching the house that 100k built, I think i've mentioned it before but I'd love for us to build our own house. I can't wait to start cracking on with OP's again so that it might be a possibility one day

Crumpets

Phew! What a day, the children have driven me a bit bonkers today, lots of arguing, shouting, crying :mad: and dd1 said we hadn't done anything exciting yet in the holidays so I've felt a little down in the dumps and stressed at the same time. I've asked if dh can have a day off next week so we can maybe go to the coast for the day, weather permitting, for a bit of excitement :T

Anyway, that's enough of moping, it's rained again today, when is it going to get better? So we went to the garden centre this afternoon to meet my friend and I spent about £6 in the cafe, £6.50 in the craft and hobby shop (we brought clay and felt tips for future rainy days) and another £5 on a few bits and pieces including stocking fillers, so as expected it was a little bit spendy

Dh went shopping today and spent £51 in Ald! and £11 in Mr T, which is much better than my effort last week :cool: I forgot to mention the other day that I got my cheese vouchers from Mr T Orchard and got two Finest camemberts, one of them is baking at the momentand I took the other to a BBQ :T I need a picnic for tomorrow as we're off on our weekly NT visit, I'm not sure what he's brought yet but I must make sure I take a flask of tea! I'm hoping for a NSD day tomorrow as I need to save the rest of my money for a trip to the cinema on Friday! The prices are ridiculous but we're all desperate to see the Minion Movie :rotfl: