I have lost my OS ways, help!

Caterina

Good morning,

Day 1 of Fiscal Fast

Early start as DS went to Spain with a friend for a week this morning, they just left and I am already missing him! But DH and I consoled ourselves with early morning toast and HM marmalade. He is downstairs making more tea as I type!

We will probably have scrambled eggs in a little while as toast will not keep us going until after 1 (probably 2 in my case).

This morning I am doing a bit of housework but cannot do much because the building works are creating such mess and dust, we have both downstairs rooms emptied and everything is piled up upstairs and in the corridors. DS has moved most things out of his room in preparation for our builder. Good excuse for massive declutter but there is still too much stuff.

Last night DH removed the skirting board from our bedroom window bay as there is a big gap (seen from downstairs) where bricks should be, so the builder is going to fill it today, it will make our bedroom much warmer as we won't have howling wind through the wall anymore!

Big pile of bedding laundry coming out of DS's bedroom, I can just about cope with that.

I have an over 55s keep fit class booked at 11, followed by an hour of Pilates, I might as well make use of the gym since I paid the annual fee. Afterwards, more housework, builder permitting, then boys school pickup at 5:15. Today is an easy job as the little one won't come back to school from a rugby match until 5:30, so it is just a pick up and drop off, no cooking.

DH has bootcamp tonight so I might prepare dinner in advance, hm bean burgers, will leave the made ones in the fridge until it is time to cook them and might even make a couple of spare ones to add to a breakfast in the next few days.

I might have a very early night tonight as I woke up at 5 this morning.

Have a very good OS day.

moments_of_sanity

Caterina, thank you for your very kind offer of meeting up with DD. i hope your DS has a lovely holiday and the missing him eases over the next few days, he will be home before you know it and just think of all the washing he will bring you back!

DD has decided to try and commute between our home and London for this week, the fast train only takes about 30 minutes and she has a 10 minute walk from Uni to Euston. She is also going to speak with the Uni people about how she goes about giving up her accommodation if that's what she decides to do, the problem with her commuting is her exams in June as she doesn't think the commute will help with her revising etc so we are also looking into the possibility of her renting a room or something similar for the 3 weeks over exams. If her Boyfriend stays in London passed April she thinks she could manage with coming home at weekends. All still very much up in the air really.

A quiet weekend but had a call from a friend who lives on a narrow boat and wants some curtains making so will have to pop over and measure up, they know I have CFS so aren't in any rush for them

Since I read about you having scrambled eggs Caterina, all I can think about is having a couple of boiled eggs so I am off to cook some. Have a great OS day and catch up soon.

Caterina

MOS no problem at all, happy to help if she ever needs a cuppa and a listening ear, the offer is open. I hope she finds a way to make it work.

Thanks for your good wishes for DS, just texted that he has landed, now I can relax a bit, as I am a flight phobic every time any of my nearest and dearest is flying I cannot rest until I hear they have landed safely.

Ok, off to get laundry out of machine, back later for catch up on first day.

CyclingLondonSaver

Thanks for the welcome Caterina!

A brief introduction I suppose...

I'm 25 years old and live in London. I'm fortunate to have a job that pay me a reasonable salary and no dependants to spend my money on (except a boyfriend, but he pays his own way ). In short, I recently moved into reasonably expensive rented accommodation and reviewing my finances to sort out deposits and bits gave me a real shock about how much money I was spending recklessly - eating out, work lunches, no prep for dinners.

Now I'm keeping track of my finances, recording everything I spend and actively seeking to keep the spending down. I want to be in a position to put down a deposit on a house by the end of this year, so that's my goal. Wishing I had been sensible about it a few years ago when I first started working, but it's never too late I guess!

I'm trying to go OS in my ways - I got a slow cooker for Christmas so have been making stews and bulk cooking which helps. Some spending is still happening but I'm doing my best to keep it down - and turning to OS MSErs for help!

Caterina

Good morning,

CyclingLondonSaver congratulations for being so focused at such young age, don't begrudge yourself the odd spend because you only live once after all. I am sure that you will soon reach your goal by applying a few OS a principles to your life. It seems to me that you already know what you need to do, by reading your posts.

Today's OS plan, day 2 of Fiscal Fast:

Porridge on the breakfast menu so I better be quick and get it ready! DH lunch already packed last night (cheese rolls), only needs fruit added and perhaps a few nuts.

Visit to the doctor for post op check up and then Tai Chi.

Afternoon of housework and boys pick up, then cook dinner and chill, I think DH and I will watch the catch up of Last Tango in Halifax. However it is starting becoming a bit like Eastenders in Yorkshire, I am becoming a bit disappointed with it. Will give it one more chance, but if it gets much more drama-per-minute than this I have better things to do than watch it!

Have a good OS day.

Icey77

We'll, as I suspected Toad has picked up the Chicken Pox he's spotty, very spotty. Much more spotty than Frog was and it's only day 2. We had a bad night last night, he was up every 2 hrs and only Mummy would do so I'm very tired today.

Thankfully Frog is at nursery so I only have spotty Toad, DH and the Irritating Painter to deal with. My temper is short today so the grownup boys had better keep on my good side!

I have to investigate getting my vacuum cleaner serviced today, it's only 18 months old but is well used (and abused) and now makes a dodgy blowing, sucking sound instead of a full sucking hoovering sound. If that makes sense, it also isn't sucking up the dust and dirt and general carp from my carpets very well and with a crawler that puts everything in his mouth I need to keep a reasonable lid on it all

Sadly it's not going to be a NSD here despite being stuck in with the spotty Toad. When DH is back from the opticians I have to take cat #2 to the vet for his jabs, he's over due so I fear we will have to start over again which means double jabs to start with and obviously that will be more expensive. A painful lesson in keeping on top of them!!

amandaatnumber7

Welcome CyclingLondonSaver very nice to have you here

Icey77 hope your little boy get better quickly

Cranky I love getting the kids in the kitchen, my eldest started cooking quite young and is now getting very good, last week he cooked risotto for dinner which was delicious

Caterina good luck with the fiscal fast, very interested in hearing how it goes

Can't sleep tonight, its just gone midnight and my minds racing.

Missing my DS1 who's off on a cadet sailing camp and worrying that the reduced wages are not going to stretch as its a bit less than we were expecting.

I'm going to go and have a look through the OS threads for some menu planning ideas, I usually just plan dinners for the week but I think I need to be more prepared and plan the whole lot.
I know it will all work out in the end but the last time money was this tight we had no mortgage and no children

On a happier note I did get some lovely plant cuttings of my mother in law on the weekend and I'm hoping to find some cheap or free pots on the buy and sell page on FB or might have a look on Gumtree

Starting to feel sleepy going to try and get some sleep before the baby wakes for a feed

CyclingLondonSaver

Thanks for the welcomes everyone.

Today was a NSD for me. Resisted the urge to get chocolate at work - well done me! Dinner was a leftover duck breast from last week with potatoes and veg I had in the house. I do love duck but it can be so expensive so rarely buy it! The pack I got was reduced at Asda last week so couldn't resist. If I see any more reduced, may pick them up and freeze, just one duck breast and a side is really filling.

I am definitely trying not to compromise on food despite being MSE. I love baking and exciting cooking so I'm doing that around saving money. Baking especially makes me popular with housemates and colleagues My slow cooker is getting used two or three times a week which helps.

Got a few work bits to do at home this evening. I got paid today so will move some money into my savings later.

Floss

CyclingLondonSaver wrote: »

... Dinner was a leftover duck breast from last week with potatoes and veg I had in the house. I do love duck but it can be so expensive so rarely buy it! The pack I got was reduced at Asda last week so couldn't resist. If I see any more reduced, may pick them up and freeze, just one duck breast and a side is really filling...

Whenever DH and I have duck, we generally have one breast between us, thinly sliced, as it makes it go further and being quite a rich meat you don't really need a lot when you have veg & a good jus from the juices.

Caterina

Good evening,

Oh Icey poor baby, he must be in such discomfort! I hope he gets well soon and also that you manage to carve a bit of rest time for yourself. Your vacuum cleaner might be rebelling to building works dust, cement etc, it is much finer than the usual stuff and really bu**ers the motor, we have had the same problem, twice now, while cleaning up the works dust.

Amandaatnumber7 good to see you again, I am sure you must be worried about the reduced income but also that there is so much expertise on these boards and support too, that it will help you to stretch your money a long way. (((Hugs))).

CyclingLondonSaver well done you for resisting the chocolate! And good for you for choosing to eat well. It can be done in a frugal way if you are creative about it.

Floss good idea re. sharing the slices of breast, see this is what I mean, we are all here giving each other good ideas and suggestions!

Anyway, day 2 of FF and also NSD no. 10 (my usual monthly target is met). No problems at all, But I drove to pick up the boys because of the weather being so cold. I just pressed the clutch and let the car roll on downhills in neutral as much as I could. Only one more driving day (Thursday) but it means that my morning job is on foot (brrrrrr....At 7pm in the dark!). It will be character forming (LOL)!

Good night.