Mooloo's "Making my future, one stitch at a time"?

Savvy_sewing

Morning has come too soon in some ways and not soon enough in others.
For some reason I just couldn't sleep much, and tossed and turned a lot. So I feel really jaded this morning.
Time for a shower as soon as I finish my cup of tea.
Last day of school for DGD. So her countdown to Christmas really begins in earnest now.
Somehow I still need to get some presents for my other granddaughters. Especially as I will be with them for Christmas Day. Looks like Sunday will be another hectic day then.

Tonight DGD and I are going to have our dinner at the pub with the other little family that we go with occasionally. So no cooking for me today, just packed lunches to do for the pair of us.
My Approved Food delivery arrived yesterday so the cupboards are jammed full and I was given a bag of fruit, and the promise of some eggs, so it looks like I won't need to shop for much, except loo roll! For a while anyway.
I better finish this tea and get my shower.
Here's to a good day ahead for everyone.

dktreesea

Mooloo wrote: »

Morning.
I came up to bed, listened to my hypnosis tape "attract more money", and then went to sleep.
I woke about two times in the night, and had a really weird dream in between. I dreamt that for some reason I had left others in charge of the shop and when I was able to return it had been closed down and I was hounded out of the town. Except the shop in my dreams was not anything like my shop, in a complex of little shops in a big town. It was scary being chased etc and not knowing why. But like all dreams they morph into something else and the next dream was about finding a baby in a carrycot and trying to get him home, and somehow that became trying to get two babies in the car and only one set of restraints. Luckily for me the alarm went off and I didn't have to work out the dilemma!!!
Weird, weird dreams.
Cup of teatime now, I transferred £20 to my personal accounts and this morning I shuffled some Guardian Ship money around. So the emergency savings are back up to £500 in the ISA and some £467 in the next account.
The business has around £460 left after the staff wages etc went out and some £440 in the savings accounts ready for the tax man etc.
I do the business accounts on the computer first thing on a Monday.
Then I am upstairs to finish the jobs I cut out Saturday.
It's the last full week at school for DGD so I am hoping she is not off at all for anything and that I can plod along at work with a steady stream of work flowing in and out so we have the wages and the rent all tied up in advance of the break.
Have a good day x

Wow, your accounts are all in credit?! I dream of the day.....

Savvy_sewing

Well the bank accounts are all in credit but I owe about £3.500 odd over two credit cards! So I am hoping to start bringing them down after Christmas. They have slowly crept up over the year with larger purchases and unexpected ones.
By the end of the month it will be touch and go as too what is where as the shop will be closed for a bit and the staff will still have to be paid holiday money. ( that's one of the things about staff that is crippling, paying out when there is no income over that time.).
Once we get through the end of the month and most of January and February then I will start to put more away as and when I can, the aim is to put 25% aside when it comes in, ready for the taxman and the buffer zones.

On the personal side I will be shovelling any spare money and my 10% of income at the credit card until that is gone. It may take some time but I think I am on top of it. Just.
I would be happier if I had 3 months worth of expenses in the savings and the longer term goals are to have 6 months worth.

My target is probably going to take me some time, and some serious looking at where I waste money, but the food cupboards are full, the freezer is full, so I am aiming to spend very little on food for the next three months while I expect money to be tight. I have lots of cheap meal books, links to them on here in the old style section, and with a bit of creativity I hope we will eat well and save.
But I have to get out of the habit of "can't be bothered to cook and stopping at Tesco for meal deals and whoopsie sticker food.

I brought my things up to make tea this morning and I forgot the milk, brought an empty jug up!! Knew I was tired last night.

Savvy_sewing

Evening. It was a strange day today. A new babysitter for DGD. She arrived early which was a good start. DGD gave her a hug when she left so that's a bonus.
At work it was very very quiet with only two new jobs in. I only had one child turn up for the sewing lesson this afternoon and sent staff home early as it was so quiet.
I just sat sewing odd jobs etc and planned for Monday's work.
I have a Roman blind to make, a dramatic red dress to rebuild, a coat zip to replace and two Jackets to alter, and that's all.
I should be able to do them before we close for Christmas on Wednesday.

I have been given some carrots and some milk today, so I shall freeze some of it, and tomorrow I think I will try and make some soups and fruit pies etc with all the surplus that I have. Especially if I want to save money for a while.

dktreesea

Tesco meal deals and ready meals are like the rest of the big 4 - kind of expensive for what they are.


Do you have a Lidl nearby? I quite like some of Lidl's stuff. You do have to cook it, but tonight we are having paella from their freezer section and buying a tub of their prawns to add into the mix. It's just a matter of stir frying the paella to heat it through, tossing in the prawns and ready in less than ten minutes with just the one frying pan/wok to wash.

Savvy_sewing

No the nearest Aldi is 12 miles away and I am not sure about a Lidl. It's Waitrose, Tesco or Co-op here.

But I have slipped into a lazy mode that I can get out of if I focus.
I have now got a freezer full of meat, and store cupboard fit to bursting due to Approved Food delivery so there really is no excuse for me to go and pick up meals except shear tiredness.
Hopefully with the slow down for Christmas and a few days off I will be back on track.
I want to try and live off of the stock now and see what I can save towards clearing the credit card debts.
It's all about determination and stopping being lazy.
Also I have been throwing away far too much wasted food from the fridge! It's been 2 of the food caddies full lately each week. For two of us that's rather shocking I am embarrassed to say.
As we approach 2016, I have to review and revisit the last years targets, goals and see if I can do better next year.

Savvy_sewing

Time to brave the shops. We need presents for the other DGD's. ( I say 's, as my daughters partner has a little girl who they share custody of and she will be with us this Christmas.- and I just sort of add her to the family).

Savvy_sewing

It was a quick trip to town, I got everything I wanted in the first shop I went into. I also treated myself to a new top for Christmas Day.
DGD wanted to buy her baby brother something so we bought him an outfit as well.
We came home and I made soup out of veg and a stock cube. We watched a bit of tv then about 4.30 we went to see my Mum. I changed the bed for her, we had a cuppa, and I left my brothers present with her as he is due up again in the next day or so.
This evening I made dinner with some chicken breast diced, DGD had hers with noodles and I had leftover rice, and some packet tomatoes with chilli, and courgettes all chopped up and cooked in the wok.
Then I watched Christmas films while I did the wages etc.
DGD is getting excited for Christmas and seeing her Mum. I hope it goes well with them.
I am back in work tomorrow so time I went to sleep if I can.
Night night

Savvy_sewing

It was very quiet at work today. But I still had enough work for me to do.
More work came in that is urgent for tomorrow so I will still be working hard.
I popped in to Tesco to buy potatoes and came away with two carriers full of whoopsie deals!
I spent £5.41 and got crisps and eggs st normal prices, then had raspberry at 20p, stew pack veg, 15p, lettuce 30p, salad dinner 28p, turkey slices 20, two ready meals at 20p each.
Silly prices.
So the meal plan changes but all good.
Tomorrow is my last day at the shop. Yeah time off . So ready for it.

Savvy_sewing

Last day at work for me today. Curtains, trousers, and seat covers are the order of the day.
On the home front I am still trying to get the washing dry, so I can iron it and get it packed for DGD for tomorrow.
Then I still have the presents to wrap.
The sitting room looks like the nuclear bomb dropped on it! DGD has been making dens with the clothes horse and the picnic blankets, and the dry clothes are strewn across the big sofa, and my pile of papers are comandering the table. ..... Need I say anything more?
I still have to get my mother a present at some stage too!
Don't panic Moo!, just do one job at a time and keep on going!