The 'I'm less money-idiot more money-savvy' Diary

Keeping_Motivated

Hi judi

I have a 25% discount voucher for the Sandcastle in Blackpool if that is any use to you?

stoplurking

Hi Judi

your plans for holiday and days out sound perfect. If you go to Ironbridge your tickets might enable you to visit Blist (sp?) Hill which is a Victorian town with shops, pub, school etc. it's great fun and if you have some spending money the 'bank' will change it into old money and you can buy things like penny buns in the baker's.
The annual passes are great value for money and Ironbridge itself is fascinating. Enjoy your holidays. X

judi24

Thanks Stoplurking - I was planning to go there it looks great fun!

judi24

Sorry didn't see your post about the Sandcastle Keeping motivated!
But thanks for the offer!
Well back from sunny (NOT) Blackpool - in general the weather was pretty awful but we still had fun! We ventured into Blackpool one day and did manage to have some fun at the fair on the pier and a paddle in the sea! But most of the time was spent at the caravan site - although we went to Stanley Park twice as the first time was cut short with a rain storm - its a fantastic park with so much to do!


Spending wise it wasn't too bad - at the last minute my friends asked to borrow money as they had a slight temporary cash flow problem (week before pay day and they are waiting for her pension to be paid as she has had to retire on ill health grounds and the pension people are not speedy!!!) week before pay day for me too and I had bought the train tickets and hotel for Scotland next month thinking I would get it back when I got the caravan refund - this was not a bad thing as we had to be even more frugal than I had planned as I lent them half of my spends - I did feel a little anxious as I you know what they say about being a borrower or a lender and I wouldn't want there to be an atmosphere between us about money! But it was fine and got the money back on the Saturday anyway but didn't spend it!


Today was shoe shopping day - and all I can say is OMG!!! The prices!!! I nearly fell over at the till as I had thought the shoes that DD3 picked were £70 - still:eek: but when I got to the till they were £95! :eek::eek::eek: The shop assistant must have seen the shock on my face and quickly offered me 10% discount as it was for school!!! Still £85 for school shoes!!!! the only consolation is they are strong so should not fall apart, sensible, a brand I have always wanted but never could justify, and my size! So if she grows out of them - they will be mine!!!!


We has a lovely lunch with my Tesco vouchers too !! all I had to pay for were the drinks.


Its pay day so going to do my budgets, pay my debts etc for September tonight. My aim is to have a very frugal month and get back to menu planning - been mooching on the OS board and spotted 'Feed your Family on £20' again - great ideas and really got me thinking I can feed us on a lot less with a bit of planning!


Also I am going to do a summary of the last 12 months (since I started this chapter of my DFW journey) and remind myself how far I have come! I need to keep motivated through the next few months to keep on track and pay for Christmas and my friends visit in November without slowing my progress!!! Lots to do!

TheMagician

That's not cheap for shoes but worth it if they will last all year. I always prefer to invest into quality products, buy cheap - buy twice.
With an added bonus of you being able to wear them too

I've been to Stanley park a few times, there's lots for kids to do.

Sounds like a fun filled break and now comes the best part - counting all the money you're paying off debt this month! It's a wonderful feeling to see the balance reducing (or increasing for me )

beanielou

What make are shoes then?

judi24

DM's and they are utterly gorgeous!!! I wanted some when I was 18 and my then boyfriend (who became 1st ex OH and DD1 and 2's Dad) told me that if I bought them he wouldn't go out with me any more!!! I was young and easily influenced - but never been able to justify the cost for myself since!!! The girl has taste - expensive taste!!! I am secretly hoping they last a year and she grows out of them- and I can inherit them! (although my eye was drawn to lovely flowery boots! - in my dreams!)

judi24

Just watched 12 years old and living on benefits - it was very humbling and I feel totally over indulgent buying DD3 such expensive school shoes now! watched a 15 year old choosing £5 shoes! There was comment about 25% of children are bullied because they are poor! Unbelievable! How is it the child's fault that their parents are poor?


My DD3 is a perfect bully target - she is tall and big built with a coordination disorder that makes her clumsy and not great at most sports and she more than likely has a form of dyslexia which means she needs some additional support in school. She also has a quirky personality which is lovely but could be considered as being 'different' from other kids - all of which mean she will struggle in the shark infested water of a secondary school! I hope she is strong enough to deal with all of these challenges but the last thing I want is her to go to school looking different so I gave in and got her the trendy (but very sensible) and expensive shoes! I would like to think that this sort of stuff doesn't matter - but I know it's not true!! In her world these things will matter! I get very sad about this - and would gladly take them away to a desert island so they don't have to deal with all this peer pressure and just be who they are but that isn't realistic either!!!! Ah well I will have to make savings elsewhere - at the end of the day - I do what I do to provide for my kids - so expensive shoes is part of that at this moment in time!!! Rightly or wrongly!

judi24

well budgets planned and bills paid for September (a bit early I know!) and the signature is looking good- paid off more than £12.5 k in a year. Just need to keep motivated but its a hard slog some days! September is another busy month -I have a 4 week budget planned to take me to my next pay day and it will be tight as I have a family wedding in Scotland and another wedding more locally to pay for, plus the added school expenses for DD3 (bus fares are£15 a week for a start!) so my aim is to get motivated with meal planning and keeping grocery shopping down as much as I can. I would like to try to get this right down this month as I know its an area that I loose control of very easily. My freezer is part full as are the stores and I shopped yesterday so I am aiming for a total budget of £200 for the 4 weeks, plus £40 for fuel (the tank is over half full at the moment!) and £160 for bus fares and dinners for the 4 weeks. That leaves me £350 for the 2 weddings and any other spends for the month- the local wedding will be reasonably cheap if I can share a lift or taxi and I have my outfit that will do for both (£10 in the sale) but will need something for DS and DD3 to wear to the Scottish wedding. Plus spending money - it all looks achievable on paper!!! I just need to make it happen!

ampersand

judi - I'm flying out, or trying to, but had wondered during prev. post if you'd be under that £10k yoke of debt this month....AND YOU ARE!!!
although it's in red, because it is still 'in the red.'

BUTBUTBUTBUTBUT :money: THIS IS FANTASTIC!

My self-indulgence is a ccp of those brilliant figures, that phenomenal achievement

Sept 2015 Total = 9315 (paid 12699)

Do involve the children in this month's plotting of sums, running totals, 'we can do this meal twice', etc.

Can dd3 and ds be given their bay of E heads to £x max for their wedding outfits? - no mind-changing allowed.


dd2's voluntary year?

judi, you really are in the home strait now. That knowledge alone actually helps more Good Stuff happen.