pickle me's diary

NHS_worker_bee

I've done it, I've gone and made a diary

I saw your earlier post about making your own bread, I love making bread. OH's mum gave us a bread maker and I use it all the time. It's not just a debt free thing, it's also so much nicer than shop bread

pickle_me

And I've subscribed (although someone beat me to it).

It is so much nicer, isn't it? I'd never go back to buying bread, even posh 'artisan' bread. Nothing beats homemade. I'm a breadmaker bore, I wax lyrical to anyone who will listen but it's such a fabulous gadget.

NHS_worker_bee

It is fabulous, and the smell of fresh bread is unbeatable. Nowt boring about that. We grind our own coffee too (own brand whole beans are about half the price of pre-ground coffee) in a fab little coffee grinder from a vintage shop (excellent investment). I'm actually living 'better' than I did before I started debt busting: taking more time to do things (make own lunches, bake bread, grind own coffee, *attempting* to grow fresh herbs on the windowsill etc) but spending less money and actually getting a nicer product (and all it took was one huge LMB to realise this is the way to live...!)

pickle_me

Almost two weeks since I last wrote in here?? I've not been thinking too much about money - partly because I don't want to look too closely at my income vs outgoings this month but also because I feel as though the tightness of the budget is easing off just a little. For the next few months I will genuinely have a bit of 'spare' money, even allowing for the savings I need to make to cover September. So I'm not feeling as obsessed and thoroughly skint as I was when I started this diary, and that is a very nice change

I have overspent this month though. There was an unexpected £60 nursery bill. I also bought myself a new swimming costume - first piece of clothing purchased in 2014 and completely worth the wait, I love it And it's half-term which always involves money being spent. So I'm going to start June at least £50 overdrawn, which is annoying. I have a big old heap of things to sell on Ebay however so if I get on with it I could actually make some or all of that back. I was in the Ebay zone at the start of the year and felt bereft when I'd run out of things to sell, now I can't seem to get started. Must get selling!

NHS_worker_bee

How is the eBaying going? I seem to have run out of items to sell!

pickle_me

Hello my buzzy friend Funnily enough I read your post yesterday as I was procrastinating - it prompted me to sit down and take some photos for ebay. I have a few bundles ready to list this evening (10-day listing so they end on Sunday night). If I can make £30 I'll be happy - god knows I need it. Pay day tomorrow and I'm over £100 overdrawn I know how it happened - unexpected nursery bill (£60), fee for entering a half-marathon (£34), new swimming costume (£29.50), new school dress for my eldest (£10) and various other odds and sods I hadn't accounted for. Nothing hugely extravagant and nothing I regret but I hate starting the month overdrawn. That's really all my 'spare' money for June gone already. But I accept it, all I can do now is dig through the cupboards for anything I may have missed on my last trawl for ebayables ...

eco_farmer

sorry but only just noticed you've paid off over £5k since last october!thats £700+ every month for the last 7 months respect is well and truely due.

eco

pickle_me

Thank you, lovely eco farmer You have a knack of popping up and saying something encouraging when I need a boost. It's good to be reminded that we're doing pretty well. I set our debt repayments at £850 a month a few months back (was £500 when we started out) and we've stuck to it, and that is something to be proud of

I've got four things listed on eBay so far, three of which have watchers. The fourth I suspect won't sell but I think that's because it's not very summery so might do better relisted in 4-5 months time. I'll try to get a few more listed tomorrow night. I think I'd be very lucky indeed to make £30 but you never know, there are a few kids' Boden clothes in there and they normally have a good resale value.

(where does your username come from, eco farmer? It made me think of the computer game Jak and Daxter but maybe you actually are an ecologically-minded farmer ...?)

eco_farmer

no problem, the whole point of these boards is to (hopefully) give good advice when its asked for, to be supportive and BIG up success when you see it and you to me have got clearly defined goals which you are achieving :beer:.
I'm just an ordinary farmer trying to farm in a simpatheic and carbon neutral way nothing more nothing less.

eco

aartisuk

eco farmer is right - that's an amazing achievement! I have a question about homemade bread? i've been itching to try it, but whenever I do the maths it works out more expensive than a shop bought loaf! how do you make it moneysaving!! Thankyou!