Missy's looming redundancy, fighting the Tesco monster, the chub and toddler tantrums

missymoo81

Hey been doing really well cleaning and sorting! It's given me some amazing energy! I think ive just been getting bogged down with all the mess. I'm trying to bring some colour and brightness into the house. Upstairs looks like a bombsite but downstairs is today, need to do some full on cleaning though. Have even managed to make a play room in the sun lounge, so toys look better organised. I need to get some photos printed too to fill all the frames ive found!

Still no news on OHs job.

missymoo81

Feeling a bit down in the dumps today, too much time on my own and starting to feel lonesome, as OH is into his sixth week away. Don't really see many people day to day

themull1

missymoo81 wrote: »

The thing I struggle with, littlies eat at least 5-6 pieces of fruit a day, which i know is high sugar etc etc, but they don't really eat sweets or chocolate. But obviously fruit is expensive. We've got pear and apple trees, and raspberries growing as well as potatoes, but they're not ready yet, so it's quite expensive to buy everything. I try to buy Value where I can, and I've started to save May's half eaten fruit and make a smoothie out of them, as I hate waste, but love smoothies

You could buy value fruit inn tins, in juice and there would be less waste.

Bobarella

missymoo81 wrote: »

Feeling a bit down in the dumps today, too much time on my own and starting to feel lonesome, as OH is into his sixth week away. Don't really see many people day to day

sorry to hear that Missy. I think you are a total hero managing with 2 little kids on your own as much as you do. Big hugs.

Optimistic_Kate

Hi missy

Hope your feeling better, dh worked away for 11 days and I said to him "never ever again". It's very lonely esp with the children. I'm lucky and have my family around me but like I said to him " I didn't have children with you to bring them up by myself " God I'm a right nagger sometimes

Could he get a job closer to home if his current employment does end? X

missymoo81

Hi,

Sorry again for being MIA, life has been busy with OH home, we spent lots of his time home camping, which was lovely.

Would you believe we still don't know whether he is going to keep his job or not?! which is absolutely crazy, we are in total limbo, as are all the other people in the company! I'm really hoping for news soon but OH doesn't seem to think they'll tell him this month! They're going backwards and forwards with thoughts on contracts etc, but nobody is out of the woods yet. Even if he is lucky enough to keep his job, they are looking at no travel days and paying for own transport which is expensive, and lowering salaries by a third.

Optimistic Kate, OH can't really get a job round here, as nice as that would be, as jobs are few and far between, and what he's qualified/specialised in, isn't easily transferable on land.

So OH went away again this morning, so I have got my thinking cap on for more ways to save money. One of the major things that has made me happy, is that OH has managed to fix my WM. For £20 worth of parts (Not mentioning the copious amount of swearing from OH trying to fix it!). How long it will last I don't know but I'm happy he managed to fix it

House is back to being a tip as coming back for a couple of nights and me working then going camping again, means that there is stuff everywhere, that needs to be put back into its rightful place. Really should think about doing it tonight, but I'm so tired. I don't sleep too well when we're camping, not quite enough room, and OH snores!

This week I am really thinking hard about the shopping bill, with camping etc, having to get easy to cook food etc, the shopping bill shot up again, and having to fuel etc, and buying pull ups for May, as toilets aren't as easily available when a 2 year old needs a wee this second, anti bad gel and lots of wipes.

So I have looked through all the cupboards and fridge and freezers and they are brimming!

Now I need to get more veg in me and the littlies, we really aren't eating enough, diet also went out of the window with camping, as I'm sure you can imagine!

I have had a look at agirlcalledjacks web site and she is amazing, for nutritious, cheap meals. So I have done a meal plan, and I only need to buy fresh stuff, such as fruit and veg and milk. I'm going to try and get by on £15 until next monday. So watch this space!

My meal plan is:

littlies - Milk and cereal bar
me - Coffee

Breakfast: Porridge or cereal with garden raspberries

Lunch: littlies - wraps with mayo, cheese, carrots and cucumber, with whatever fruit
me - lentil, butternut and spinach dhal, yoghurt and berries.

Dinner
Tue - Sausage, pasta tomatoes carrot
Wed - Sausage potatoes, peas, carrots
Thur - carrot carbonara
Fri - risotto with butternut, spinach and feta
Sat - butternut lasagne
Sun - Ragu and pasta

there will be plenty of hidden veg in those dinners too!

Shopping list is:

sparkling water x 3 approx 50p
carrots Value 50p
Milk x2 £2.00
apples x 2 bags £1.80
Pears x 2 bags £1.60
Cucumber 50p
probiotic yoghurt £2.00
butter 90p
satsumas £1.25
14 Banans £1.50
Frozen broccoli 90p

that all comes in at £13.45.

wish me luck. Right best put my little hoodlums to bed.

Little1devil

Fantastic thread wishing you luck I have 2 tiny ones myself so understand how hectic it can all be ))

missymoo81

Hey Little1devil, thanks for posting

Bobarella

Missy - nice to see you posting again. Your meal plan is fantastically detailed. Well done! I can't believe they are keeping your OH dangling so much that's terrible.

Good luck getting everything back to how you want it at home

Bob

missymoo81

Hey Bob, lovely to see you.

I can post recipes for dinners if anyone wants themZ can not believe how much food we have in. So crazy. A bit cross, was going to bike to work, but have realised need to go to tesco after work, as my internet order would be under the £40, so they'd charge me £4!

Really loved camping with OH and the littlies, living the simple life. i would really like to do it more often, it's amazing how little we need to live on, and how happy we can be with so little. Need to look into this more.