Banishing the black cloud

NoOneAround

That looks like brilliant progress:T


Missed seeing the deal at Homebase - having been trying not to go shopping - might check if deal still on as need to do a lot of painting (was meant to be a summer holiday task.....didn't happen!)

maggiecon

NoOneAround wrote: »

That looks like brilliant progress:T


Missed seeing the deal at Homebase - having been trying not to go shopping - might check if deal still on as need to do a lot of painting (was meant to be a summer holiday task.....didn't happen!)

I just checked their website and it looks like the deal is still on.

My debt progress will slow dramatically now, The rental money I used for the council tax bill will now stop as it has to be set aside for other living expenses and the HMRC bill only came down as I had submitted my return wrongly and the correct figures saved me £605.

Progress will seem a lot slower from this month onwards, but as long as the figure is going down I don't care.

NoOneAround

Thanks For checking website ...beat me to it! will pass by HB later this week.


Funny that you talked about swimming -have just been looking at cost of private lessons.... I am a hopeless swimmer too -and have always meant to take proper lessons- but am too embarrassed to go to any of the pools around here in case "someone I know sees" that I can't swim :doh:so silly, isn't it and if it was one of my children saying that I would come down on them like a ton of bricks! I have made sure they are both brilliant swimmers and not frightened of water. I could really do with being able to swim as have back problems so can longer do high impact exercise

Nintud

I struggle with front crawl. I've bought new goggles and a nose piece to encourage me to do the breathing properly but so far not remembered to take both into the pool with me! I generally plod on with breast or back stroke, whatever gets me to the other side fastest!

I love swimming because, after a few warm up lengths, my mind calms and I just drift along in an almost meditation state. It's the most relaxed I get, even when I'm upping the speed. I definitely recommend it.

Of course, it's much more pleasant to do in a quiet outdoor pool in a hot country!!

maggiecon

I spent an hour last night going through recipes and worked out all the ingredients I would need to cook 5 dinners next week and then to double or triple the recipes for freezing as well as a big batch of soup for lunches.

I have just done my online shop on Asda click and collect and I am really shocked to find that my grocery bill is only £10 to £15 more expensive than usual and I will have two weeks worth of dinners from it!!! I can now see why people batch cook.

I don't want to make too much of each meal in case I don't like the recipe or I don't like the taste of it when it is defrosted. Once I have experimented with this batch of recipes I will try and hunt down some more. I am particularly keen to find more with vegetables in them, as I really need to up my fruit and veg intake.

Plan is as follows
Tonight- Use up whatever is in the Fridge for a pasta dish
Thursday - Chinese style Chicken Curry x 2
Friday - Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken x 3
Saturday - Lasagne x 3
Sunday - Heading out for the day
Monday - Chicken Enchiladas x 3
Tuesday - Indian Curry x3
Wednesday - Meatballs and tomato Sauce (from freezer)
Lunches - Carrot and Coriander Soup

Also following the success of my freezer rolls, C has requested that I make a batch with bacon /chicken and cheese as she doesn't like beef.

maggiecon

Nintud wrote: »

I love swimming because, after a few warm up lengths, my mind calms and I just drift along in an almost meditation state. It's the most relaxed I get, even when I'm upping the speed. I definitely recommend it.

You should try yoga it is so relaxing, I just float out of the class. there are no classes near me at the minute so I was thinking of signing up to one of those online yoga websites. I hope to start Pilates this Friday - £6 a class is a bit steep though! But if gets back running then it will be worth it.

maggiecon

End of another budget week and I have £0 left!! I actually went over budget but took the money out of this week’s pot to compensate. So I have already spent £86.73 of this weeks budget!!! At least all the groceries are sorted. Savings so far...

• Rental pot £310 (car tax due at the end of month and house and car insurance to be paid in November so I cant touch this)
• Emergency Fund £495
• My ‘Having a Life’ Pot £205
• Oil Heating £195

Bills coming up - I ordered blinds for the house on Tuesday which will be ready at the start of next week and will cost roughly £265. The electrician is coming on Saturday to do some work around the house I am guessing around a £300 bill by the time he is finished.
I haven’t ordered the carpet for my bedroom yet as hubby wanted to get work by electrician sorted first and we could only afford one or the other.

Started my batch cooking last night, I made an enormous pot of tomato sauce in the slow cooker, which I will use for the lasagne, meatball and chicken enchilada dishes. I will try to make a curry tonight from scratch for the first time. Wish me luck

maggiecon

I had to go to a quiz last night and was looking through my wardrobe for something to wear and the only thing I could find was a pair of jeans hubby bought me when we first started dating... 12 years ago!!!

So I sat and looked at my clothes and realised all I own is some work trousers and shirts and a couple of pairs of tracksuit bottoms and a few hoodies my SIL gave me. So I am taking my having a life pot, all £205 of it and going shopping this weekend. Hubby said if I get new clothes he wants new clothes, so I doubt I will get any wages from him this weekend but to be honest I don't care. I have just paid of £3k of debt in 2 months and its about time I started looking at how far we have come, rather than how far we still have to go.

monz

Yeah spoil yourself x

maggiecon

Well my shopping expedition yesterday wasn't very fruitful. I bought 3 tops in H&M for £40 and hubby spent £80 on clothes. I tried on lots but nothing fitted well. I have a small frame and all I could find was those baggy tops which don't suit me or bloody crop tops. All the jeans are either acid wash or have a pile of holes in them.

I have £13 left to get me to Wednesday but batch cooking has went well and I think I have very little cooking to do next week.

Savings to date
Rental pot £450
Emergency Pot £535
My savings pot £163
Oil Heating £195

I have to tax car which is £180 and renew car insurance this month from rental money. I got a great quote for £330 for car insurance last week, then a letter in the post the next day for hubby caught on a speed camera. So now need to get a requote and hope it doesn't go up too much.