Drip feeding...

wildesavings

Today's MFW activity. Batch cooking for DH.

He eats at work as he's there for 12 hours and it's a 90min commute each way. So once home he washes, sleeps and repeats. Most days the office orders in takeaways and if he partakes too often he feels awful and it costs a fortune. There's only time to microwave something quick as the nature of the job means he can't guarantee a meal break and microwave meals are horrid!

So I've made my own microwave meals from scratch for him to defrost and heat.

Beef stew, dumplings, pots, swede & peas x4
Lamb Stew & Potatoes x4
Sausage, chorizo and butterbean casserole with rice x8

House smells amazing. Roughly worked out that each meal has cost £2.80 so not dirt cheap but good wholesome food and will last at least 5 weeks of shifts.

Edit : Budget for this month £650 - Massive shop of £145 spent - included a new kettle, last bit of school uniform, reusable freezer tubs x 20 and lots of bulk cooking supplies. Should be the most spent in a shop this month!

wildesavings

Seanymph - I didn't feel judged by you at all (promise!) but I did want to justify why I'm not working. I can imagine it looks a little harsh on DH on paper. But its working for now

Thistlewhistle

Hi Wildesavings

The only true way to know where your money is going each month is to do a spending diary. Prepare yourself though - it can be shocking!

I've done mine in August religiously and I spent......wait for it.....£36.00 on C0ke Zero:eek:
Not going mad......just a bottle on my way to meetings but it's always 2 for £2 so I buy 2. Frightening or what? And to think what 18 litres of c0ke zero is doing to my insides!!!!!!

So now I'll buy one of those little R0bins0ns cordial squirty bottles and take corporation pop in a c0ke zero bottle!!! £2.79 for the month!!!

Tx

Muser1

I also have lots of different so's going into different 'pots' really works for us.

Great start. Hubby sounds like he needs you at home with those killer shifts and commute.

Lots of luck.

Muser.

ourcornercottage

Thistlewhistle wrote: »

Hi Wildesavings

The only true way to know where your money is going each month is to do a spending diary. Prepare yourself though - it can be shocking!

I've done mine in August religiously and I spent......wait for it.....£36.00 on C0ke Zero:eek:
Not going mad......just a bottle on my way to meetings but it's always 2 for £2 so I buy 2. Frightening or what? And to think what 18 litres of c0ke zero is doing to my insides!!!!!!

So now I'll buy one of those little R0bins0ns cordial squirty bottles and take corporation pop in a c0ke zero bottle!!! £2.79 for the month!!!

Tx

I gave up diet coke January and I feel so much better. Used to drink litres of it. God knows how much I spent.

I feel your pain re gluten free. We are 2 veggie 1 gluten free household but I still spend £200pm max. for bread try wheat free direct, the bread is lovely and not as expensive as others.

wildesavings

Thistlewhistle wrote: »

Hi Wildesavings

The only true way to know where your money is going each month is to do a spending diary. Prepare yourself though - it can be shocking!

I've done mine in August religiously and I spent......wait for it.....£36.00 on C0ke Zero:eek:
Not going mad......just a bottle on my way to meetings but it's always 2 for £2 so I buy 2. Frightening or what? And to think what 18 litres of c0ke zero is doing to my insides!!!!!!

So now I'll buy one of those little R0bins0ns cordial squirty bottles and take corporation pop in a c0ke zero bottle!!! £2.79 for the month!!!

Tx

I did one last month and it was a real eye opener and I was already being very very careful what I spent. Last year I was eating lunch out in Costa 2-3 times a week :eek::eek::eek: I'm on a learning curve but certainly not a MFW pro.... yet

Muser1 wrote: »

I also have lots of different so's going into different 'pots' really works for us.

Great start. Hubby sounds like he needs you at home with those killer shifts and commute.

Lots of luck.

Muser.

Thanks Muser. We find if we 'hope' to have money left over we never do but if we remove it on pay day we rarely have to move it back into the current account. Out of sight out of mind.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

I gave up diet coke January and I feel so much better. Used to drink litres of it. God knows how much I spent.

I feel your pain re gluten free. We are 2 veggie 1 gluten free household but I still spend £200pm max. for bread try wheat free direct, the bread is lovely and not as expensive as others.

Thanks for the top tip! I envy your shopping amount !!!!!!! I really must try harder. Also thanks for the tip - i'll check out Wheat free direct :T

wildesavings

Today's MFW activities.

[STRIKE]Take back some uniform that doesn't fit DD2[/STRIKE] - Thankfully found that cheapest trousers were the best fit. - Done £18 back in AC and £8 on a gift card
[STRIKE]Get 3rd quote for CH replacement.[/STRIKE] All coming out at exactly £3800
[STRIKE]Washing[/STRIKE], Ironing and [STRIKE]cleaning[/STRIKE] - Oh how I miss having a cleaner.
[STRIKE]Eb*y [/STRIKE]- List at least 3 more items
DH taking DD's to Science Museum today, Minimal Oyster charge, picnic & Free entry. Very MSE :money:

Seeing as I spent the money on uniform from Aug budget and finished up under budget for the month that £18 can go in the OP pot for September And we're off!

Lexi-lu

Hello Wildesavings

It sounds as though you have had a difficult time with the boiler and OH surgery. Well done on being motivated to tackle the mortgage and I hope all goes well.


Good Luck

wildesavings

Cashed out £6 from Pinecone, £18 next refund and coin tin from August had £16 in it.

Drip drip - £40 we'll never pay interest on again According to the MSE Overpayment Calculator that little £40 will save us £70 in interest. Better than a kick in the teeth :rotfl:

Lexi-lu wrote: »

Hello Wildesavings

It sounds as though you have had a difficult time with the boiler and OH surgery. Well done on being motivated to tackle the mortgage and I hope all goes well.

Good Luck

Hi Lexi-lu - Thanks for reading. It's been an interesting year to say the least. Feel a little bruised but certainly not beaten Quicker we get this Mortgage gone the quicker DH & I can plan for retirement. :beer:

wildesavings

Well 2 weeks have gone by and not much OPing gone on. We now have a shiny new boiler, tank, 2x radiators, repaired taps, shower, 6 rads, a light fitting and 3 powerpoints!! Oh and a CC bill of £2,600! But there was so much that needed repairing that it was getting silly - like camping in our own home LOL!

Just when we were breathing deep, organising our plan of attack on the CC and saying 'at least that's the last of it for a while' the car has a coolant leak and needs new brake discs and pads! Goodbye another £800.

Oh and new cat came home covered in blood after what must've been a huge fight = Vet visit antibiotics and lump/tumour detected requiring 'investigation' bye bye £220.... so far.

I'm feeling a tad fed up

Normal OPment SO of £100 gone in plus £20 from £co :rotfl:

*edited to add - In more upbeat news I worked out that we are £15,000 ahead of where we would be if we hadn't overpaid anything at all since we took the mortgage out. :T That cheered me up!:D