Budget Wars - A New Hope (with apologies to George Lucas)

Bobarella

Hi All

Well it's grey and rainy here. Final countdown to back to school has started. Sons school appears to have two insets this week so we aren't back till the 11th.

OH has gone into the office today, so just me and the kids. One currently napping.

It's 2.5 weeks till the next proper money comes in, but I have dribs and drabs arriving. Point in case, a confirmation email landed at 8.30 this morning. It then becomes a matter of how long till payment arrives. At present I am waiting on £200 in total. Which will cover mid month bills.
Have another one who spun me a sob story a while back about needing to wait for some money. But has since rudely ignored emails. The hilarious thing is I know the person is spending money as we are now joined on social media....On this one I am not bothered. If I don't get the money very soon the deals off. It is annoying when people tell you one thing and do another. But I think unavoidable.

I'm waiting on my energy bill for the house to appear. Sent readings in last week and have been checking their website but no bill generated yet. Not looking forward to it as it will be the first one this winter where we have a full month's heating to pay for. We only have it on for 1 hour twice a day so it's just to keep the house warm and washing drying. And even for that I'm going to guess around £80. What can you do? Not stress for one.

I should be having a NSD. My son would be happy to stay in his pyjamas all day if I let him. He has his beloved frozen raspberries so probably won't pester for a trip out. So it's just down to whether I can stick a whole day indoors.

Lunch will be the rest of the home made soup for me with some toast. Tomato cuppa soup and toast for DS. Tonight I will do spaghetti and garlic bread for all. Nothing fancy. We are low on nappies though so might need DH to get some on the way home.

Exciting update from me hey!

Keep warm all.

Bob

hugglemonster

Hi Bob, Can you tell I've been back at work hence no updates! I can't believe your ds isn't back until 11th, mine went back last Wednesday good to get back in the routine.

Poor bird at Sainsbobs, I hate seeing litter where it shouldn't be especially outside, I was shocked that I had to clear up loads of rubbish at the competition I worked at on Saturday. There were 4 bins nearby!

My ds is also 8 and if he could he would eat all day, he is very active and totally healthy but we do have to monitor what he eats. Luckily he loves his fruit and veg.

Bah to non payers again, so frustrating. Social Media is great for catching people out, my colleagues have caught out workers who say they're sick and then post that they are out for a meal.

Hope you enjoy your day, H x

f0xh0les

Grey and rainy in Leics too. Got totally saturated standing on the playground waiting for the kids to come out. yuck.

Bobarella

f0xh0les wrote: »

Grey and rainy in Leics too. Got totally saturated standing on the playground waiting for the kids to come out. yuck.

Nothing like that feeling that summer is just too damn far away:eek:

Bobarella

Huggle Awwww hope work won't keep you away too much. Yes they did a storyline on Dead Enders recently about a character calling in sick to get married and then posting it on his fb.....

sashybo

Hi Bob, have been reading through your diary & am exhausted by how much you do! :rotfl:

Very well done with your business & hope it continues to grow. :T

Bobarella

sashybo wrote: »

Hi Bob, have been reading through your diary & am exhausted by how much you do! :rotfl:

Very well done with your business & hope it continues to grow. :T

Thanks so much for reading my rambles Sashybo, very kind

crazy_cat_lady

Bob - how lovely of you and dh to save the bird. I have a thing about always cutting up plastic rings that hold beer cans in packs. I heard years ago about wildlife getting trapped in it. I don't know how people don't have more respect for the world around them to be honest...

Bobarella

Thank you Cat. Yes if we ever buy beer I always cut up the tags for the same reason. Another thing I learned long ago was to completely remove the lids on tin cans rather than just leaving them attached. I then place them carefully in the bottom of the tin before recycling. Apparently foxes often cut their tongues on cans left attached. Horrible thought.

Bobarella

Hello All

Firstly I should explain why I am calling this a mid Jan review when it is clearly only the 10th. For us our finances work from the 25th to the 24th each month, if you assume 25th as next large incoming sum. So today is the 16th day since the 25th December, and we have 15 days to go. So far we have reduced the debt from £760 to £595 (£165) which is a good go and represents 21% of our total debt since starting 2017.

I have also forecast that by using the council tax breaks and money to come from First Direct switching we have a virtual debt of just £224. So of course I am determined to find that £25 asap that would chip us under the £200 mark:j I think if all goes well we could be debt free by March. More jumping :j

I have decided to get organised in me dairy and start using headings each day so I can use it as a useful tool for looking back at as well and seeing any patterns that emerge. So today:

Wealth

* Today is the last day of the school holidays (TFG) we had a friend over for my son for the day pretty much. We walked to the small supermarket starting with T first thing to get supplies. It was way cheaper to offer the boys pizza and dough balls for lunch at home than taking them to a pizza Express where the same meal would have been £10 a head.

* Whilst at the shops I found a voucher at the tills for 150 points just needs to be scanned next shop.

* On our walk back I had a quick word with a roofer who is doing a roof on our street and explained that my OH has his eye on a large piece of wood in the skip, OH thinks it is perfect for fixing the roof on our shed. The roofer said they are using it as a splashback device for throwing bits off the roof so we can't have it yet. But he thanked me for asking not just taking and said we can have it in two weeks when the are done. The wood would be £40 in B&Q.

* I found 2p roadkill.

* DH gets a free copy of Lego magazine and that was through the door on our return. Its the sort of thing you'd pay about £4 in the shops and we get one per month.

* Due to the strikes OH worked from home and will be for a few days. Saving us a weekly travel card of £35.

* Checked our banking and the business banking.

* Last night I took a very speedy repeat booking for the business. The person must be on their 3rd or 4th annual booking now. The money was paid then and there and in my account this morning.

* I had a message from a new client who had been put in touch via a third party, this all sounds very positive and I will be doing a viewing tomorrow. This would also be a repeat business situation if it comes off.

* Today's enquiry was my 13th since Jan 3rd. So far 4 have converted to business, which represents around £450 in solid business.

* Last night I also had confirmation that the shall we term them 'foolish social media client was also a cancellation. Despite my kindness in extending a very long period to pay just the deposit. This month so far I have lost (well not gained in any case) business totalling £590 due to cancellations. I intend to get a lot tougher don't worry.

* No transport used all day other than shanks pony.

* Cleared the receipts from my purse and checked how much I have taken from the business for my own purposes so far this month. ( I.e shopping and debt repayment)


Health

* Toast & marmalade for breakfast from the 10p YS loaf using basics marmalade and bl00dy expensive butter (love me Lurpack) pot of coffee in bed courtesy of Mr Bob. He brings me breakfast in bed everyday * Lunch was a wrap filled with salami, cheese and salad cut in half and shared between Mr and I, plus a bag of crisps each. * Dinner - Home made lasagne, home made wedges and salad.

* Have walked everywhere as usual. Took the boys and DD to the park as well

Organisation

* DD did an actual nap so I got quite a lot done. Tidied up some packaging that has been out in the garden since Christmas and just caught the recycling lorry

* Cooked home made lasagne. I used 250g of mince, which was half the pack. I added home made stock and then threw in a generous handful of oats to add bulk. Also used up some spaghetti sauce in the meal. Made home made bechamel sauce using up more of the free milk I took home from the last tenants before Christmas. Whizzed up a leftover crust from the YS 10p loaf, scattered a mix of that & leftover Parmesan over the top of the lasagne combined with some sour cream to bind it.

* I also cooked 8 sultana & lemon scones while the oven was on, using up more of the milk, and frozen lemon zest. I never throw out lemon rinds until they are zest free and juice free.

* Cleaned up using washable rags, I was surprised that my sons playdate today commented on our use of material napkins at lunch. Ours have been used daily since around 2008. I don't believe in putting more paper in landfill and estimate we save at least £3 a week by not buying kitchen roll.

* Cleaned out the veg drawer and froze two portions of leftover gravy, they can go in a pie.

* Made home made wedges using two jacket potatoes and added kidney beans, cumin and cayenne pepper to the remaining 250g cooked mince then put it into an Tupperware for tomorrow's chilli and rice.

* Saved the bread bag from the 'bread crumb' bread, it will do for a day I take a sandwich out with me and don't want to recycle a sandwich bag, and if the children call me 'bogey' I will tell them all about my plans for a Yacht

Think that's it.


Bob