Cheapest way to withdraw coins and tips to staying on the horse?

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning

OK so here is what I have bought for this week:

Family bag of apples
Bunch of bananas
Broccoli
Carrots
Potatoes
Lettuce
Margarine
6 Eggs
8 Pts Milk
Cheese
14 Rashers Bacon
1 Whole Chicken (Roast Dinner)
2 Packs Mince (Lasagne and Chilli)
1 Pack Lamb Mince (HM Burgers)
1 Pack Liver (Liver and Bacon Casserole)
Loaf of wholemeal bread
8 Bread Rolls
Naan
1 Tin Beans
2 Teans Tomatoes
8 Choc Biscuits
Porridge Oats
12 Packets Crisps
Vegetable Oil
Pasta
1 Carton Juice
Lasagne Sheets
Self Raising Flour
Bag of Frozen Chicken Breasts (Chicken and Leek Pie, Curry)
Choc Ices
32 Fish Bites
Bag of Oven Chips
Bag of Frozen Peas
Yorkshire Puddings
Garlic Bread
Bottle of Lemonade
Laundry Liquid
Bleach
4 Toilet Rolls
Bottle of Bubble Bath

That came in at just over £51. I will buy some ham from the butchers or another chicken to cook for sandwiches and probably some more fruit and veg and bread rolls for sandwiches. I also forgot to get some tea bags. I know that I could do it cheaper (dont need choc ices or crisps for example and I could make my own yorkshires) but this is a fairly typical week for us.

I usually shop at L@dl and I dont keep much in the cupboards, I buy exactly what I need and ignore special offers. I do already have some things in (half a bag of rice and a bag of pears for example). We dont buy many breakfast cereals which are expensive, we tend to have porridge or own brand weetabix. My youngest would rather have a home made scone or teacake, some fruit and a yoghurt for breakfast anyway.

We eat a lot of apples, pears, bananas and satsumas. I dont buy grapes very often, hardly ever buy things like blueberries or strawberries unless I pick them up cheap at the local fruit and veg shop. I dont worry about organic or free range, cant afford it!

Hope this helps!

polkadot

Thank you, that is helpful. I do shop Lidl and aldi for some things but mostly I do Asda because the staff at the store are familiar with me and very helpful. When DD went through the usual "carseat planking" phase, I would just stop at the security podium on my way out and someone would come out with me and put her in her chair for me (she would go in for anyone else-just not me.)

Once, my hip dislocated whilst I was loading her up (before they started helping me). A passer by got security for me. They got an extra staff member to help with kids, phoned DH to come home from work and then dialled 999. When the ambulance arrived, they put DS2 and DD's car seats in their security managers car and he and another staff member followed me to the hospital with the children.

They waited with me at A&E to look after the children until my husband made it home from the office on the train, got the car from Asda parking lot and drove to the hospital. The whole process took about 3 hours.

chevalier

wow sounds like your Asda staff are pure gold.
Sorry that your health is such a drag. I wish I could do more than sympathise.

Is cash flow a problem because benefits are 4 weekly and OH is paid monthly or some other reason? Just wondering if there was a way round it somehow...Like I know some people have changed statement (and hence payment) dates on their bills so that they come out after most of the incoming money has hit the bank account? Would that help
chev

polkadot

They are gold Chev. We started using the store when DD was a few months old and she's just started nursery. They've watched her grow up and all of the ladies on checkout treat her like she's a niece or a grand daughter, which is nice since my folks arent around.

And thanks for the sympathy Sometimes just a little bit of that makes it easier when I'm surrounded by people who would rather be judgemental

You're spot on with my cash flow problem. I basically have to deal with keeping the house and kids running on four seperate lots of cash and they are not weekly.

I get £600 from DH at the end of the month which covers the dd's-electric, gas, water, council tax etc. I also keep out £20 for school incidentals and £10 for each of the kids for pocket money-this does save us in the long run because the standard response to "I want..." is "That's what pocket money is for". And £20 for clothes. If its not used one month, I roll it over to the next month.We're also paying back close to £700 child tax credits from about 4 years ago. We were claiming and then DH was Tupe'd. When he was Tupe'd, the company he left from gave him a £7000 bonus which is how we cleared the last of our debt when I was posting before. When we were reviewed in July we were told there was an overpayment of about £200. We paid it and then no longer qualified as the threshold was increased and we were over by a few hundred. I didnt know I had to ask them to close it. This year we got a notice saying there is an overpayment of £700 from a previous year. So now I'm paying that back at £70 a month

Then four weekly I get child benefit and DLA (only lower rate care as I use my mobility component to pay for my car-couldnt live without it) This generally becomes grocery budget.

Then fortnightly I get £150.00 LHA. This also falls into grocery and petrol. I really must find another name for groceries.

The LHA comes into my account as its in my name but DH pays the rent. Im phoning council today to notify of the new house and Im guessing as the rent on the new place is less than half our current-the LHA will go.

That will hopefully be one step to easier cash flow, because instead of getting two split payments, DH will give me the difference between the current rent and the new rent at the end of the month. so Ill be down to 2 payments a month instead.

DawnW

When will you be moving to your new home Polkadot? Hopefully things will be a bit easier for you then? At least if it is a council or HA home it will be more settled for you and the children, and you won't have to worry any more about having to potentially move every few months

polkadot

We have the keys Dawn but there is no flooring (or anything on the walls, though that can wait) and the councils people are visiting on Friday to get the stair lift going. We've arranged for laminate and carpet to be laid next wednesday and then we can move our things in.

It was quite a shock to realise we would have to decorate from a shell-which is what sent me into panic mode. We also have to buy a new cooker, but are putting it down to one of those things.

And it happened so quickly. I was told on Wednesday, saw it on thursday, signed the papers on Friday for a tenancy to start on Monday :eek:

The kids love the place, even though the house is smaller-the garden is bigger. This one is council, much closer to school than we are now-which means the kids are closer to their friends.

I have a good feeling about the place. I dropped a card and a box of Thorntons in both the post boxes next door to apologise for the noise whilst we work and give them my phone number. Both phoned me to thank me, so I know I have nice neighbours too

I really hope it does get easier. MrPolkadot and I could both use a break.

desperate2save

Hi, I'm a newbie and reading through lots of threads, yours jumped out at me and I just want to say your a very strong person and are making the best out of everything. I really hope the whole move goes well and you get settled so you can concentrate on your future.

I have 2 fussy eaters (OH and child) (we are only family of 3 at the moment but with baby on the way) - I understand where you are coming from, stress wise it's easier to just give in and give them what they want but I know myself that this is one of our biggest outgoings with a lot of waste! I did like the idea of meal plan with chance of them having something else couple times a week.

The best of luck

groovy_chick

I have a good feeling about the place. I dropped a card and a box of Thorntons in both the post boxes next door to apologise for the noise whilst we work and give them my phone number. Both phoned me to thank me, so I know I have nice neighbours too

Good for you ... these are the values I was brought up with and you can't put a price on consideration for others. My new neighbour had their house gutted and completely renovated leading up to moving in at Christmas - the builders were there 7 days a week, parked solidly 3 houses up the street, I took my life in my hands every morning blindly pulling out of our parking area, and not a word from the new owner. Suffice to say, she didn't get a 'welcome to your new home' card from me!

I wish you lots of peace and happiness in your new home xx

polkadot

Thank you for the new posts guys. I've had a mad few days. School is closed today for voting though so we're having an impromptu pj day (although I am dressed as my vote was in before the kids got out of bed

Desperate2save you have described my feelings about the fussy eaters to a T.I hope you get on better with bub number 2. For me, my middle one is the good influence. He was a good eater from the start. I was still thinking about how to start solids when one day he picked up some pork off my plate and from then on he just helped himself to what was on our plate-he was about 6 months then. DD went the same way because I prompted her, but then she started noticing DS1.

Groovychick When we moved in to this house, next door was empty. About 2 weeks later scaffolding went up straddling our driveway. That was May 2012. The owner is friends with the owner of this house. We've had work going on the entire time. Last winter we lost a room because he hadnt put the roof on the house and so ensued the onslaught of winter weather. Last week I had the fire dept out as they were burning all the timber they had stripped-door frames, floor boards and ceilings ... in the living room! I didnt think the hoses would be taken in but they were:shocked:

About my £14. Turns out the fee I read on the website related to business accounts and I wasn't charged. I got 9 ring binder pencil bags and bound them with two hinge rings. Labelled them with the days of the week, "yc" and "ballet". I filled each with the relevant amount of money £14 in each week day, £4 in YC and £4 in ballet. Each evening since monday I took the money out of the days bag and in my purse. So I only had £14 in my purse.

I went "window shopping" on Monday, but didnt spend anything. Gave DS1 his £4 on Tuesday, missed Ballet as DD was sick in the morning. DH stayed home as I had a doctors appointment and we needed bread and milk. So I popped in with my £14 yesterday and got that and some houmous and crackers, yoghurt and banana's and some sp crisps. I brought home a few pennies for the pot too. So of a potential £65 that I would normally *allow* myself to spend by this time of the week, I have only spent £18.

Also this morning the PA was round and we were working on the cake room. I found DD's old ballet leotard so I might put that on facebay this evening.

I'm thinking of asking a mod to move this thread to debt free diaries, but I worry that my lack of consistency will get in the way. I really dont like the feeling that I'm talking to myself.

If you are reading this-do you have an opinion?

charmed1318

I'm reading this and I would like to hear your progress :):)