From debt to freedom...

savingholmes

lucielle wrote: »

I can't make bread, it usually ends up as a weapon of mass destruction! L

Love it

Honeysucklelou2 wrote: »

Thank you Lucielle. I can't make scones, have tried repeatedly but they come out like biscuits ..

Making me feel better about my cooking - thanks ladies. My DS is good at bread making and scones - not my strong point though...

Steerpike88

My scones area okay if I resist the urge to overmix. Well muffin mix I do 10 or 12 big mixes with the spoon then bung it in the tin. There's usually still flour at the bottom but it tends toward work

Drawingaline

Scones, cakes and biscuits I am good at. Bread less so.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Drawing a Line. Isn't it funny how we all have things we can do well and an area of baking that is more of a challenge .

Pay day was on Friday. I have never been so glad to have pay day arrive. We had run out of teabags :eek:, bread and cereal ( not helped by having teenage boys who seem permanently hungry!). I made bread for Thursday and made vats of porridge on Thursday and Friday for breakfast. It was a joy to be able to buy teabags on Friday .

The bank balance has looked fairly healthy over the weekend but that will change tomorrow when all of the direct debits go out. My regular window payments have gone out so that's a little less I owe . Next weekend is set to be spendy as DS1 has his 18th birthday. I've used some of the money freed because it's a no council tax month, to buy a couple of gifts for his birthday. He hasn't said how he wants to spend the day, other than a meal on the day. Usually the ex and I split the cost so I'm allowing £50 to be on the safe side. I'll need to start planning a cake ...!

DS1 passed his driving test in January :T. I'm glad as it will make such a difference to his independence. On a practical level, I'm hoping that as of this month, I won't have his insurance cost to pay anymore . The insurance I was paying was for him as a provisional driver which, as I understand it, is immediately cancelled on passing. The ex spoke to the insurance company and has sorted out an amended cover until next week, so won't cheer too loudly yet, until I know that direct debit has stopped.

This weekend has been mainly taken up with work tasks. It's looking like a hectic week ahead with a late finish one day due to training. Due to work stuff taking so much time, I've only managed a short walk yesterday and today. Today DS1 & 3 and I walked around the local woods. DS3 loves it there. Not sure if it's the mud that we squelch through that is the attraction or the footbridge over a stream where he likes to play pooh sticks. Today we heard a loud splash and looked up from our pooh stick gazing, to find that the elderly lurcher had fallen into the stream. I'm not sure if he was trying to get in or simply lost his balance but he looked fairly surprised to be in the middle of the stream! DS1 managed to persuade him out but we took the rest of the walk slowly to allow for any bruising.

savingholmes

Hope your lurcher is okay.

Congrats to DS - glad it lowers your costs too

Honeysucklelou2

All the direct debits left my account today, so the account balance isn't very healthy anymore. At least the main bills are paid. I have spent £70 on nursery fees and a little extra on food as I needed to replenish the cupboards I had run down.

I had a statement from the solicitor a couple of days ago to say I was in credit by over 1k .I was surprised by how it's continuing to mount up.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH, I've been watching the lurcher like a hawk. He is walking ok but gave me quite a fright!

Honeysucklelou2

A busy couple of days at work. Tonight was a late finish by which time my head was pounding. Tea was a quick macaroni cheese which the younger children all love and quickly finished. DD3 made a fruit coulis at school yesterday, but had to use some of the frozen blackberries we'd picked. She only needed a few, so I ended up with a large bag of defrosted blackberries, which were used for a crumble tonight .

I checked on .Monday and it would seem that the direct debit for DS's insurance has stopped . I wish I could say that will release money for repayments but since the income reduction in September I've really struggled to pay this, so now my outgoings will actually balance .

lucielle

Balancing is good HS. Has DS thought anymore about paying board? MMMM blackberry crumble.....drool!
L

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Lucielle.

Trying to navigate my way round this new look MSE! Unfortunately the forum won't load on my tablet, which is how I usually access MSE so trying to read and type in minature on my phone, which bizarrely is able to access the forum  . I'm not brilliant at technology to start with but when its illogical  I give up!!

Today has been fairly productive. I got work tasks completed for next week which took a few hours but at least I could do them from home.  I got up to the allotment today and had a bit more of a tidy up. The DDs and DS3 came to help. DD3 is formidable with a rake against the brambles  .  One of the greenhouses had become slightly overgrown, so it was pleasing to be able to see through the windows again .  Good to get these tasks done now before seed sowing time starts..
Today has been a NSD which is a relief.  This week is looking uncomfortably tight so glad to have a day whereby nothing goes out.  Tea today has been a very simple egg and homemade  chips.  I have ingredients in to make a birthday cake for DS1 and do a birthday breakfast in the morning.
DD3 is off on an overnight school trip this week so will need to squeeze a bit out of the budget so that she can get food on the way home.   I can do a packed lunch for the journey there and I think some meals are included in the cost of the trip but not all meals.
Made the most of the breezy weather and got 2 loads of washing fried on the line... it always smells so fresh when its been out on the line.