The Adventures of a Debt Defying Diva

Busymumofthreeplusdog

Love that phrase "fur coat and nae knickers!". We also used to talk about 'spam valley' when referring to those that lived in the expensive private housing estate who likely had big mortgages but lived on cheap food. Actually now you come to think about it the were probably being very MSE. Come to think of it I do happen to have a tin of the very stuff in my cupboard at this point in time.....:o

clippy_girl

hello,

very sorry to hear about dear uncle, but i'm sure it meant a lot to him with all the support you have given him and aunt. sending hugs xxxxx

sassychick2014

Good morning hon,

So glad to hear that you're looking for the positives as it's so easy to slip the other way. I'm sure your Uncle would be proud of you - and your family.

Have a good day x

RainbowBridgeReturns

Thanks everyone!

I have never tasted spam Busy, that will be one of those MSE delights that I will save for a future day! There must be a thread, on here, entitled "1001 things that you can do with a tin of spam" Bin it will not be one of the options x.

Well Friday is review day:-

1. AFD's - Drank on 7 days so far, target was 4 for the month, so failed here, but I have not drunk a lot each time, and it has often been somebody else who has paid, so things could be worse.

Action - one more day, and that is my lot!!

2. £7.00 a day challenge - Great guns here, I am up to £385.00 with some more training next week to add to the pot.

Action - keep up the good work!

3. Fitness - Only been to the gym twice, so failed here, but I have been running around like a blue a**ed fly, so I have not got sluggish.

Action - Try for four more times, before the end of the month, so that my two visits have not cost me £26.00 each!

4. Food intake - pretty much on track, which is suprising, well done me, and I have lost another 1 lb, so that is 14 lb since October.

Action - Keep up the good work!

5. De-clutter derby - On the outside my house looks really clean, because I have visitors, but on the inside it is bursting at the seems, from where I have stuffed everything, and I am praying that nobody opens cupboards.

Action - I may have a declutter marathon on Saturday, or then again I may not.

Finally, am I still debt free. Actually, I am, with £79.00 in the bank to last me until next Friday! This is utterly amazing, and shows that I have not been spending money for stress relief, which is real progress. My big overspend was mum, which I have largely taken care of by taking on some extra work. Normally I would not have hesitated to have bought a new outfit for the funeral on my Ne*t card, and another outfit for my training work, but I have made do. My only clothes purchase, this month, was a cute 'Fat Face' top, which I got on a mystery shopping assignment and it was paid for by the fee.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the above, although my standards are not as high as some x.

in_need_of_direction

Maybe I have not too high standards too but I think you're doing brilliantly.

RainbowBridgeReturns

Thanks INOD!

The funeral was lovely, just as uncle had wanted, and his singing was breathtakingly beautiful. There were 180 people there and the vast majority went back for the reception, at an elegant hotel.

90% of the people attending were over 70 and the rest were immediate family. I had met many of the guests over the years, so it was good to share memories. There was a lot of love and laughter and singing.

Mum has been staying with me, and it has been great having her, though sadly, amongst her peers she was looking the most bemused and she is, so obviously, badly crippled with arthritis.

Fortunately, she has agreed to an action plan to enable her to stay in her home and retain some degree of independence, which my sisters and I are now implementing. Before this week, she had been in denial about her difficulties, but she is now admitting them to herself and others.

On an MSE note, I hid my purse in the car, so that I would not be tempted to buy a round and blow the budget. It worked admirably!

RainbowBridgeReturns

I completed the airport drop offs, yesterday, and everyone is back home safe.

I contemplated the de-clutter marathon and decided that I deserved to turn the rest of the day into a duvet day instead, so I snuggled up to watch the rugby. I slept through most of it, waking up to see Scotland win, by the narrowest of margins, in a very exciting final three minutes! Go Scotland!!!

So today, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and I am going to spend an hour planning out the last five days of this month so that I finish strong.

Quote for the day:- "A woman is like a tea-bag, you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water". Eleanor Roosevelt.

RainbowBridgeReturns

I planned my last five days of the month, yesterday, but confess to doing very little else, apart from savouring the delights of being a couch potato.

However, the five days started at 6.00 am this morning, and I am up and reporting for duty.

I have been battling with an internet company, all month, for the return of an unauthorised payment, they took through Paypal, and it is now back in my account, along with another refund, that I had forgotten about and the proceeds of a DVD that I had sold, all of which had not been included in this month's calculations, so the scores on the doors, going into the last week of the month are:-

£50.00 to last me to month end on my grocery shopping, leaving me with a balance of £50.00 in my account at month end. This is not the £250.00 I was hoping for, but I will play double, not quit, next month and go for £500.00 in an emergency fund, which will get me back on track.

I am working all day today, followed by a mystery shop and a trip to a Body Balance class and chill in the spa. I'm off to make sausage casserole for tea and packed lunches all round, put wash on and out, polish my sink and dress to shoes!!

in_need_of_direction

Flylady would be proud. I'm just in awe of you having the energy to get all that done.

RainbowBridgeReturns

Thanks INOD, if only I could be consistent, there would be no stopping me .............. but I tend to perform like a roller coaster!

I shopped yesterday, for food to last me until month end, and we will be having our frugal favourites:-

Tonight - Macoroni cheese, with greens from the garden.
Wednesday - Chicken casserole and dumplings, made with free range thighs.
Thursday - Lentil soup from ham bone with filled baked potatoes
Friday - Vegetable curry.

I will do double portions of everything and we can all have leftovers for next day lunches.

Confession time:- My food only came to £21.00, including some fruit and staples, but I had spotted some very expensive, delicious wine, (usually retails at £16.00 a bottle) in a bin end with no price on it.

I went back and haggled with the wine manager and he let me have the last three bottles for a combined total of £14.00. DH is a wine buff, and is really chuffed. That is our wine sorted for the next three date nights !!

I know I haven't exactly caught on to the complete, frugal mind set, but somehow a little luxury, on the cheap, makes this whole journey so much more palatable.