Reeling from the Reality Check

Historybuff

Hey...suns come out and I've taken a cheeky half day to sit in it! I'm looking forward to a lovely quiet evening listening to Desmond Carrington's show on Radio 2, then Friday Night is Music Night. And there's a half bottle of Chardonnay left from what OH surprised me with yesterday. Life is good...

Historybuff

So...thwarted by the weather! No carboot. No extra cash this week. I had to get some food in yesterday and a few bits so I could get baking. Took a top back that I bought just after payday because it didn't fit, but what I replaced it with cost another tenner because it was the only thing I could see I liked and they would only give me a credit note and not cash back. I now have £25 to last ten days! I am scratting around in the freezer to see what meat I can come up with for today's Sunday dinner...hells bells! Luckily there is fuel in the car for next week to go work. However, we are going to a party next weekend. Well OH is going to have to pay. I officially have no money and am skint.
On another front daughter's stall is now fully stocked up...she got sorted herself with a business development loan...and takings have doubled over the week. Just showed her you have to keep enough stuff to keep the business coming in. Son has found himself a better car and is selling his old one to fund it. He's managing to balance the freelance work with his travelling and seems to be managing his money more effectively.
For myself, not having access to any credit at all, including overdraft, is the only way I can remain on track. It's really hard, especially this next ten days is going to be the worst so far. I'm going to comment daily until next payday, so I can remind myself of the consequences of not managing my money correctly. Hate being hard up!

gallygirl

Funny how the kids are sorting themselves out now the Bank of Mum has ceased trading . Good luck to them both :T.

You could list everything in the freezer/cupboards on here and see what we can suggest (or better still, on the old style board where they know what they're talking about ).

10 days will pass in a jiffy :beer:.

in_need_of_direction

What are the chances of doing a carboot next weekend or would that curtail the partying? If you can manage two or three NSDs, it will make all the difference. Your progress to date has been great. Just hang in there.

Historybuff

Thanks guys. No chance of carboot next week, direction, as the party next Sat is in Cambridge, so not back home till Sun pm.
Rummaged in the freezer and found sausages, so bangers n veg it is for today's dinner.
I know I should have reined in helping out the children way before now, galleygirl, but until I was at the absolute limit and was forced to give up, I couldn't do it. It was the same with the spending. While there was the chance of some credit, the money just kept getting spent. This is how it will be forevermore, though. I will just have to get better at it.

hohum

Well done kids and well done you! And why not have husband treat - from what I remember you shoulder a lot of the responsibility for household bills and I think it's totally ok to reflect the reality if that eg you have debt & don't have money right now for parties! So he can pay just this once.

10 days is good because (and repeat) it will not be like this forever. Do you have any loyalty points you can raid? It's times like this I use my nectar points & clubcard vouchers, and cash in market research money. Some people use it for debt, I use it for emergency food.

Funny what you can create if you've got the challenge. One night I spent 30p on smart price chocolate to mix in a double burner with my remaining creme fraiche. Touch of instant coffee and just like those gu pots. Of course this is only viable if you happen like me to have creme fraiche as a thing that turns up in your fridge regularly . Anyway, I don't like doing it all the time but I do get a kick out if magicking things from apparently bare cupboards.

Historybuff

I'll get through, hohum, but spent all the loyalty vouchers last month when strapped for cash. One good thing from being skint...it has made me get baking again. Cookies and lemon drizzle cake for afters!

Historybuff

Well I'm really pleased with myself today. I've tidied and cleaned two areas of the house and put a load of stuff to be taken to charity shops tomorrow. The pottery is going. I can't face looking at it anymore, nor can I face carting it about to another carboot. I know it's worth a bit of money, but space in the house and sanity are worth more. I've also enjoyed baking, surprisingly enough! The maple syrup and almond cookies and lemon drizzle cake have come out well! Sod the diet! X

hohum

Historybuff wrote: »

I'll get through, hohum, but spent all the loyalty vouchers last month when strapped for cash. One good thing from being skint...it has made me get baking again. Cookies and lemon drizzle cake for afters!

It has been totally fatal for me! Boyfriend has lost weight on budget diet (less impulse snacks). I however, have put on weight (more baking and cooking). It's not fair!

giblet1979

Hi HB. I've really enjoyed reading your diary and think you are doing brilliantly.
Subscribed and looking forward to reading more X