Finally I have woken up

MERFE

Sounds like a great day, good luck with the allotment, hopefully the wait isn't too long.

sillyinthepast

Good afternoon. I haven't posted for a few days as I didn't really have anything to write.

It's been the same old thing here. I have to say I have really been enjoying spending more time at home and not rushing everywhere. I started a crochet blanket for a Christmas present last night. I should have it finished in the next few weeks. My Christmas basket is looking healthy already which is one less worry.

I popped some craft items on a Facebook group yesterday and I have sold a few already. I need to add up the total but I think it's about £30 which is great. What doesn't sell will go on eBay this week.

The in laws came down and took us for a lovely meal which was such a treat. MIL also gave us £10 each as she didn't get us Easter eggs. I refused mine but she left it with a note on the table as she left. I am very grateful. When she came down she also bought us a huge food hamper. She had one it in a raffle and she had no use for it. She kept the meat vouchers but gave us the jars of coffee, huge blocks of cheese, crackers, chutneys, biscuits and shortbread and lots more. It was all named brands and a huge blessing to us. I asked what I could give her in return and she asked for some of my jam :-)

It's going to be another quiet week here. The boys have different things planned but I should be able to work that around everything. It's my sons birthday Friday but he's having a few mates around on Tuesday night. I'm going to make them a huge pasta dish with homemade garlic bread.

Right black clouds are coming over so I had better take the washing off the line.

Tjh1412

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Survey wise another good one is Populus, I'm making £50 every 6-8 weeks from them. With regards to fence, new its about £35.00 a panel but if you have a salvage yard etcnear you try there, we got 7 panels that just needed a fresh coat of paint/stain stuff for £22 then the paint was £7.99 so makes it a lot cheaper, hope that helps

sillyinthepast

Thank you Tjh1412

Good morning it's a grey day here today. I have hung the washing on the aired in the bathroom this morning.

Last night Dh and I had a really good talk. Our debts have never been a problem. He worked in a very good job and we could afford them no problem. Now he has been on sick for 6 months and talking to his consultant I don't think he will be back at work for another 6-8 months. I am a carer for our disabled son. I explained to him that our lifestyle can't carry on the way it has been. He finally got it. I'm also going to apply for some jobs I'm nervous about it as it worries me leaving ds with Dh as when Dh is having a bad day he can't look after ds, but needs must and I need to keep the roof above our heads. He has relished that a frugal/simpler lifestyle takes more time and has promised to help and get on board with it.

I sold £30 of stuff on Facebook yesterday. I may have sold more in a job lot but I don't want to jinx it and I won't find out until Friday. I was going to use the £30 for debt but we have no emergency fund so I am putting it towards that to start with.

I have some bread rising this morning and have made a double batch of thinks hobnobs. I will put some in the freezer. I forgot to get near out of the freezer but I have some bacon in the fridge so I'm going to make a bacon and onion suet roll for dinner. I have some broccoli and carrots and some left over roasties and stuffing in the fridge so I will use those too.

I need to ring the mortgage company this morning wish me luck!

Calling14

Just having my lunch reading your diary. Thought I better not just run off but leave a comment. Wow you have your hands full, hope you can find a solution
and good luck with your mortgage company.

sillyinthepast

Thank you calling14.

Good afternoon. I'm feeling a lot brighter today. I spoke to the mortgage company who has us under their care team now because of our circumstances. They couldn't have been more helpful. The direct debit for our mortgage has been cancelled and I will ring up each month and make a payment. Next month we might not be able to pay the full amount due to Dh going from ssp to ESA. They have told us we need to pay a minimum of £110 each month. We can easily pay that and it will mean we are not at risk of loosing our home. We have decided not to remortgage. We spoke to them yesterday and for the interest we would be paying its just not worth it. Now the mortgage is sorted it's a huge relief. I am hopeful we will be able to pay the full amount each month and that's what I'm going to concentrate on.

I also cancelled sky this morning. That is a saving of £58 a month. Everyone had a whinge about it but they watch Netflix more so it's tough luck. I told Dh there is no point only doing this half hearted I want the debts gone. At the moment with him having such a drop in income we are just about paying for everything with hardly anything left over to pay debts so we are having to cut down on everything. £60 a month extra for debts is a huge amount to us and will help so much in getting them down quicker.

Today has been the usual busy morning. I managed to clean the Windows on the back of the house inside and out and it's now raining so tomorrow if it's dry I will do the other side. I have made ds his birthday cake as he has a few friends for a sleep over tonight. I picked up some reduced sausages this morning so I am doing hot dogs and wedges for their dinner. Tomorrow I am taking them to Pizza Hut all you can eat buffet. I have budgeted it for it and have the cash downstairs.

I spent £57 food shopping this morning and I now have enough for the next week. I also made the gloop laundry liquid and it has washed the clothes really well. I managed to get 2 celebrations tub full.

Huskyrunner

big big saving on the sky bill

we did that not long ago with virgin binned the tv package and got our bill from 55 too 22. We bought a now tv box so we are up each month

Whats the gloop laundry liquid?

sillyinthepast

Huskyrunner if you go on the old style board there is a thread for gloop. I have done all my washing with it this week and it's worked really well. This is a huge saving for us.

This week has been okay for us. I haven't spent any extra money. I have fuelled the car and bought groceries but that's it. I took my sons friends to Pizza Hut which I had budgeted for. In fact I was £23 over budget so that was a bonus. I haven't had extra money to pay off debts but we are living within our means which considering the huge drop in income that's a massive bonus.

It's my sons birthday today. I had a bit of a wobble last night as compared to other years he hasn't got as much. He has enough but I still felt guilty. Last night I made him like a chocolate pizza thing. I melted chocolate and put it in a quiche dish to set. On top I added m&ms, snickers and kit kats (all lidl versions). He was over the moon with it this morning and out of everything he got he was more pleased with that. A few months ago we were in a shop and noticed them but they were £18+!!

I need to start realising that all of the little bits I do are saving us money too. I am a bit shocked that I am quite enjoying this. All the 'make do and mend'. It's the lifestyle that I want and I'm slowly slowly getting there. When I go to bed I am feeling a huge sense of satisfaction. I know other people's diaries are about paying everything off asap but we just aren't in that situation to do that. This diary is about how we are slowly getting out of debt and how we are not getting in to anymore. It would be so easy for us to put everything on to a credit card or get another loan to see us through but we don't want to.

We are having a few 'treats' this weekend. My eldest is going on his duke of Edinburgh this afternoon until Sunday this has only cost us £15 which we paid for ages ago. The other 2 boys are going with Dh tomorrow to the cinema to see batman vs superman and I have a book that I pre ordered downloading on my kindle tomorrow. Six months ago we wouldn't have though twice about any of this but now they really are treats and we are really looking forward to them.

Today is a quiet day. My son has asked for a fry up lunch so that's easy. For dinner tonight we are having shepherds pie. My eldest hates it so we are making the most of him going away to have it. I have bread to make and I need a cake of some sort for the tin. I'm also going to make some popcorn for the boys to take with them tomorrow. My crochet blanket is coming along lovely and I can't wait to finish it and put it away for Christmas. I made a card set this week which has gone in the Christmas box too. When my mil visited last week she bought back the basket, biscuit tin and jam jars. I asked her why and she said because she would like them refilled for Christmas this year lol. I am hoping to have everyone (not including my boys) finished for Christmas by the end of August. I will have to make the biscuits and peppermint bark Christmas week but I think I can do it. It may seem ambitious but if I try my hardest and don't succeed at least some of them will be done.

MoneyMission2015

Good luck OP. I am subscribed.

MoneyMission2015

sillyinthepast wrote: »

Thank you calling14.

Good afternoon. I'm feeling a lot brighter today. I spoke to the mortgage company who has us under their care team now because of our circumstances. They couldn't have been more helpful. The direct debit for our mortgage has been cancelled and I will ring up each month and make a payment. Next month we might not be able to pay the full amount due to Dh going from ssp to ESA. They have told us we need to pay a minimum of £110 each month. We can easily pay that and it will mean we are not at risk of loosing our home. We have decided not to remortgage. We spoke to them yesterday and for the interest we would be paying its just not worth it. Now the mortgage is sorted it's a huge relief. I am hopeful we will be able to pay the full amount each month and that's what I'm going to concentrate on.

I also cancelled sky this morning. That is a saving of £58 a month. Everyone had a whinge about it but they watch Netflix more so it's tough luck. I told Dh there is no point only doing this half hearted I want the debts gone. At the moment with him having such a drop in income we are just about paying for everything with hardly anything left over to pay debts so we are having to cut down on everything. £60 a month extra for debts is a huge amount to us and will help so much in getting them down quicker.

Today has been the usual busy morning. I managed to clean the Windows on the back of the house inside and out and it's now raining so tomorrow if it's dry I will do the other side. I have made ds his birthday cake as he has a few friends for a sleep over tonight. I picked up some reduced sausages this morning so I am doing hot dogs and wedges for their dinner. Tomorrow I am taking them to Pizza Hut all you can eat buffet. I have budgeted it for it and have the cash downstairs.

I spent £57 food shopping this morning and I now have enough for the next week. I also made the gloop laundry liquid and it has washed the clothes really well. I managed to get 2 celebrations tub full.

Hi again OP


Just wondering as I read this one, have you checked to see if you would be eligible for the mortgage interest payments benefit? I don't know what it's called sorry or what the eligibility criteria is, but if your mortgage company are saying you need to pay a minimum of £110 and you can afford that, then if you do get any help with the mortgage interest benefit, this will help you to keep your arrears to a minimum.