Positive thinking!

Cwtchie

Tesco came bang on time, what the **** was I thinking? I ordered masses of meals and I only had two drawers slightly empty, complete numpty! Don't ask how but I fitted in all in except for one loaf of bread, pies which we had for tea and mince which I will slow cook as spag Bol tomorrow, honestly I was so lucky, phew!!! To make it worse DH was there when the order came so he knows just how tight it was, Aww he didn't say a word lol
So the money spending fast begins: nsd today yay! That's two in a row now.
Rain threatening a bit have risked it and left the horses out, just too much going on today to fit mucking out in as well and they are babied a bit too much probably anyway.
Today I am grateful that my headache disappeared by 11am albeit leaving me with a fuzzy not really with it feeling but at least I was up and out.
Grateful for the fact that amazingly I managed to fit everything into my freezer.
Grateful for my family.
Grateful for my life because even though i moan a lot I do have a lot to be grateful for.
Hoping to go out for dinner this week will keep budget to £5 have £10 in my purse so will use part of that.
School trip to pay for next week another £5.
Had a lovely 9 hours sleep last night, hoping to do the same tonight.
Can't wait for my overdraft to be clear because I'm going to do the round down bank each day, save an emergency fund and put money aside for Christmas etc. Had a big sack of new potatoes end of last week £15!!! Usually the old potatoes are around £8.50 or so, oh well a few more months and the old will be back in the shops.
I am going on a house blitz tomorrow, we'll that's the plan anyway! Need to make spag Bol, cakes and biscuits and the lawn desperately needs cutting but that will be weather depending. Paid £40 off credit card yesterday so actually it was a spend day but not at the shops, next one due around the 12th, can't wait for pay day lol

Cwtchie

Another nsd
Spag Bol for tea and one large portion in fridge for tomorrow and if not eaten then into the freezer.
Sunny here this evening, so washing out like a shot!
I've had a scout round and now including some bedding, I have about 8 loads of washing at least, probably more like 10. Never mind apparently we are in for some sun soon
Today I am grateful for my family
For the few hours of sun this evening
That with a bit of sense I do have the opportunity to clear my debt

Cwtchie

Spends today £7.20 lunch and £11 in the sale for DD lovely top and jeans so not bad
I have a new idea for a budget! Just don't buy a thing, loads of money left over then, well if wishes were horses.......
Following my meal plan quite well, lots of food here, I don't think I will shop at tesco again though, I don't like the loo rolls for one, the equivalent in aldi is much better quality. Aldi chicken was nicer (don't ask how lol). Even the mince from tesco tasted like flipping oats and the aldi sauce is much nicer. It's not even just being used to certain tastes. I think I will just do a huge shop in aldi and carry it home instead of having it delivered. Don't get me wrong having it delivered is a luxury but as the stuffs not up to scratch I won't be doing it again.
Anyway quite a nice day here, gone off cold now though, but at least still dry
So today I am grateful for time with friends
For a lovely husband
For my family
For all my blessings

Cwtchie

Horses in tonight as raining, so that means mucking out tomorrow, after today it is giving a few days of nice weather, much warmer so hopefully that will happen as still have loads of washing.
Nsd today yay!
Actually looking forward to summer holidays, couple of free or cheap activities on the cards and lots of walks and visits to the park etc. Won't have to clock watch so much, and hopefully we can all chill out a bit
Looking forward to pay day, all credit cards are paid for this month other than one which goes out on the 28th.
DH cooked curry tonight and the sauce ruined it! Tesco something or other again, omg Aldi is so much nicer! Definitely going to do a huge aldi shop and carry it rather than tesco home delivery. Farm foods is quite near so I'll go there for the meals which aldi don't do. Quite grumpy about it really!
Never mind it's worth trying out new ideas, it might have been a good one
So today I am grateful for:
Family chats lol
DH cooking tea
Feeling not too bad at the minute

Cwtchie

What a beautiful day . Horses out tonight, lovely!
Top up,spend today of £30 ish, not going well at all
Next month I think I am going to meal plan from what is left in freezer, the take it week by week I can stock enough milk, bread and meals for a week in my freezer but not enough for a month, which has caused a bit of a problem, lots of top up shops not good when lots of other bits get added.
Diet well out the window, what is going on?????
Plus I know I'm not going to be under the £2000 in the overdraft on 4 August grrrr...no one to blame but myself. Next month no unnecessary spends, hard meal planning and one shop a week and that's it!!!! Stress!!!
Roll on August...how many more days?? 13? So just under a fortnight, oh well at least there are pay days in that
Oh the sun makes a difference to wellbeing, probably washed and dried 5 washing loads, albeit two of them bathroom mats . Only got about 10 to go . Never mind with the weather the way it is I will wiz through
Would be very nice to have warmer drier weather more often.
So today I am grateful for:
The lovely weather
Feeling reasonably ok
My family
My surroundings

Cwtchie

A very welcome nsd today
Freezer is full of meals but again very soon I will need to do a top up shop.
Toilet roll at the same price in aldi but from tesco is much cheaper quality, back to aldi all day for that! Toilet roll, milk and bread required and vinegar. Not much but enough to get me back to the shops when I am trying to stay away for the rest of July until my August budget kicks in. Stick to the list!!!
Not a bad day today, mixture of cloud and sun but quite nice temperatures, washing dried in line, more loads waiting to go out in the morning.
I'm probably the only person in the world who gets annoyed with new potatoes, all that scraping, no mash!! and rubbish chips, can't wait for the old potatoes to hurry up. They do make quite nice potato salad though
Today I am grateful for:
Family
A calm mind
The weather

Cwtchie

Another nsd today, feels great! Will probably need to spend tomorrow as items promised to little one have become available and therefore I need to get. Probably still no food shopping.
Quick and cheap meal tonight felt lovely and gave me a lovely break and change, beans and cheese on toast
Walk around village, check horses and in for a cupppa.
One thing which needs a change of mindset is my diet I just cant seem to grasp the hang of it again grrrr. Tomorrow night me and dd are planning a walk/run to kick start some motivation, here's hoping!
Quietly I am ploughing through the washing, one more bed and what has accumulated in the washing baskets and I'm done, ready to start again lol
Had my hair cut, first time since September last year, I wanted blonde ish foils to hide the grey but decided instead to go for a home bargains home dye, much cheaper and more frugal. Maybe I will treat myself when my overdraft is clear and one credit card, in fact that's what I will do!
Have also been thinking about my meal planning, if I shop for a month I already know that my freezer can't take it so plenty of top up shops are needed for milk bread etc which result in more spends, sooooo if I shop weekly to a meal plan the freezer is going to be empty enough for me to bake cakes and double/batch cook and freeze so saving money there as well
I'm not going to do my first weekly shop until week beginning 1st August so that leaves 10 days more of trying not to shop. I'm sure it will work out better again because I have a memory like a drive and always forget something which means I have to go to the shop again, at least if I only have to manage for a week I might be able to hang on.
So today I am grateful for:
The cuddle our Chihuahua is giving me at the moment.
My family who I love beyond measure.
This site

Cwtchie

Didn't buy the few food bits I needed today, ran out of time, but did buy the couple of items I had promised the little one, good bargains and very pleased.
Fed 7 tonight, me DH, DS, DD, little one and DD friend and DS girlfriend, pasta bake, went down a treat.
Money for little ones toys came from my account with £86 odd in it, leaving a balance of around £25 so hopefully that will last till 1 August and a bit beyond if possible, probably only up to 1 August if I am being realistic.
Am starting to organise a few days out over the summer in addition to parks, walks, beach etc. main criteria cheap/free or much wanted so worth it.
DH is feeling much better now, becoming nice to have my old DH back
Today I am grateful for:
Friends
Family
Time for myself

Cwtchie

New goals for 2017
It's about time as well.
£250 shopping and diesel for month, I only leave the house 3 times a week by car the rest of the time we walk so very limited diesel cost. I DO believe the £250 is very much doable.
Have managed to get an account at a cash and carry, the meat is very nice quality and much cheaper than any supermarket I've been to, so that's fantastic news.
This year hay and straw is much better quality and cheaper, also there is no waste so less muck heap to pay to remove and less hay to buy.
Recently added £2000 to the cards, car insurance for everyone for the year, that's life.
I honestly believe with a very hard tightening of the belts the total amount we owe, other than the mortgage will be gone by September 2017.
Next Christmas I don't want to be adding to debt or panicking where the money will come from so I am saving £14 a week which is £2 a day to cover everything, presents, food, etc.
If possible I'm taking it out of my £250, if I don't manage it then so be it the cc's will have to be paid off a month later, but I am definitely doing it.
Sky tv has been cancelled as of 1 January, gym membership going as of 1 Feb.
Have had a pay rise of £6 a week so all adds up.
It will be hard but I don't see another choice. If it all fails then it will at the very least be better than it was.
I think staying focused and posting here will help matters.

Cwtchie

Busy day today, muck out, quick tidy up, then off to pantomime. Tickets are paid for by work so its free, sweets from home same for drinks. Will need to spend, sack of potatoes and bread and milk. Need to think about doing tea for 7 so may buy some mushrooms and do mash, bacon and mushroom pie covered with cheese, that's cheap and spreads out well.
Still have my £250 for month, yesterday was a no spend day so have approximately £16 for yesterday and today, should cover it ��