From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

It's been quite a quiet day today. I took 2 DDs to an activity day. It was a county wide event so a 2 hr round trip to take them and collect them. It was easier to go back home while they were attending their day, so I went to the allotment and got another hour or 2 of chopping and clearing done. I raked up the weeds and it looks much better. I had time to walk the dogs with DD2 before she went to work, then cooked tea. I only had 4 children to cook for! It was so weird and the meal table was so quiet, it was uncanny!! I had time to sit in the garden, this afternoon, and drink a cup of tea and think about various things. I didn't come to any major decisions but good to have chance to stop, think and be still.

Only spending today was on diesel to transport the DDs to their event.

Honeysucklelou2

I don't quite know where today has gone...it seems to have vanished quickly. I met up with 2 friends for coffee, which was more expensive than usual as I had 5 of the children with me.

My mum and grandmother came over to see me which was lovely. We ended up chatting rather than doing anything which was nice to enjoy their company. After they left I got to Mr T's. Not sure if it's just me, but lots of prices seem to have jumped up by 5p, which doesn't seem much but on lots of items will quickly mount up. I tried to be frugal and stick to a list but still spent over £90. DD2 helped me to menu plan this week and has offered to do a dish that she has learned at college :j. I'm looking forward to sampling the dish ( and not having to cook) one day next week! Tonight was kale hash which went down well with the older teenagers. I need to have a decent baking session tomorrow to fill up the tins in readiness for next week.

I am very thankful for the fire, especially as the temperature has dropped today.

Honeysucklelou2

It certainly has dropped colder today, so I lit the fire by mid afternoon and all of us have enjoyed the warmth from it this evening.

I did a couple of hours at work, getting bits and pieces ready, then came home and started cooking. I made a batch of vanilla muffins, a ginger loaf cake, a raspberry custard tart, then had to do a second batch of vanilla muffins as one, or both of the puppies jumped up, as the cakes were cooling and pinched half of them. I can't seem to fill the DSs at the moment. We ate fish portions and oven chips this evening, followed by the raspberry tart but they were hungry again within an hour :eek:. I ended up making a pint of custard which they are with a slice of ginger cake.

Some spends today, mainly diesel and nursery fees.

Kitten868

You're not going mad. Every thing is going up in price. Irritatingly the wonky veg seems to be as expensive or dearer than the normal veg at the mo. Any cheeky savings I had been making gone.

I think it's great how your children are showing more and more independence in seeking out activities they enjoy. And the boys are just normal.

I don't want you to ever think I am nagging you or blaming you for your ex's behaviour - i absolutely do not. But i do want to reinforce that that's not normal behaviour and does sound controlling. I think you are free of his spell but it does sound like he's trying hard to get you back under his thumb so I want to say it to help you feel strong. They do such odd things we think we've made it up or over exaggerating.

Keep going. You create such a lovely life for yourself and your children xxx

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Kitten868. It is reassuring to know that it's not normal behaviour. Some aspects of his behaviour do make me question and others I don't always notice or question as I've got used to it such not being allowed a key to the garden shed, even when I was a business partner.

Today was a NSD. After lunch, DD3 decided our walk for us. She decided on a nearby wood, that is right on our doorstep but I often forget about it. We went for a long circular walk which was lovely, the younger children enjoyed kicking the fallen leaves. The sun through the remaining leaves was stunning and we all commented that we must come back regularly.

Home-made chicken pie for tea, with the roast potatoes and vegetables followed by apple amber. The boys had eaten all of yesterday's muffins so another batch went in while the oven was on.

foxgloves

Food prices are definitely rising, Honeysucklelou. It's very noticeable on dairy, especially butter. Only a couple of Christmasses ago, own-brand butter in Sainso's was 99p & now it's at least £1.60. You're right that 4 or 5p on an item is neither here nor there in itself, but across a weekly shop, it is noticeable & multiply that by 4 for the month......plus add in people like yourself with a big family to feed.....& I am not surprised that budgets are being affected. I'm thinking of putting a tiny bit of leeway in our grocery budget for when I see genuinely good bargains - for instance, the 4 for £1 offer in Mozzer's last week on tinned pulses & tomatoes, which I flagged up in my diary......if our car hadn't developed a terrible fault & been stuck at the garage, I really should have called back & picked up a tenner's worth of tins for the store cupboard.
But you are right about prices continuing to rise.
F

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Foxgloves and Kitten, it's reassuring to know that others have noticed the food prices rising.

Today (Friday) has been lovely. I got back from the school run to discover that DD2 was still at home. It turned out that her college has an INSET day today, so we had an unexpected day together . DS1 has Fridays off so we headed off for a walk for a couple of hours. It's amazing what is on the doorstep...we have 3 or 4 small Forestry Commission woods near us. They have trails that you can walk on and space to park at the entrance but that is it. No cafes, toilets etc. We took the puppies who thankfully ran off all their energy. The best part was no cleaning up at home as they hadn't had chance to chew anything as they were running around with us. Having older children at the same time as a toddler, I do treasure the times that I can spend with them, especially as, naturally, they are discovering their own independence. Having just 3 with me today, gave me chance to appreciate the dynamics between them and gave the toddler chance to enjoy time with his big brother!

After the calm of the woods, the rest of the day has been quite spendy . £340 has gone on nursery fees. DS1 has an event at his college that he has to attend as part of his course. He has to be dressed smartly, so £41 was spent today, finding the particular type of shirt and tie needed. Payday was Wednesday and most direct debits left my bank account yesterday. It is scaring me how little wriggle room there is in the budget. The standing order to the solicitor takes £200 and this month I ended up spending £307 on heating oil, a necessity for warmth. We haven't put the heating on yet, but have enjoyed cosy evenings by the fire. When it's lit, the fire makes the living room really warm :T.

Spendless

That sounds like a lovely day too HSL (The expense for the latter part not so much though:()

I'm really pleased to hear your DS1 is embracing his new college course. It didn't seem so long ago you were wondering about his GCSEs and what he was going to do next. Will the shirt and tie do for other events?

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Spendless. Thankfully the shirt and tie can be used again, for this type of event. He did ask for a smart warm zipped jacket a couple of weeks ago, so I am grateful that the cost has been spread out a little.

Today needs to be a busy day to get all the housework done and jobs for work and of course the tins will definitely need replenishing!!

Honeysucklelou2

DD3 and I sat and did a meal plan together for the week. I'm hoping that I can prep ahead and use the slow cooker this week as our mealtimes are getting later and later by the time I cook a meal after getting in at 6.15. We did a Mr T shop which came in at around £70. I'm hoping the only spending for the rest of the week will be a top up for milk.

The ex popped in yesterday and wanted to know how much oil I'd bought and the cost. He said he had intended to get some and criticised the amount I'd bought and the supplier I'd used, even though the amount and supplier is the same as we did in the past when we were together. I have my parents' dog with me for a week or two, while they are on holiday, so got criticised for that too. The way he worded it seemed to show he was annoyed that I hadn't discussed/told him. He doesn't live here, so why the presence of an aged dog who has always stayed with us if my parents go away, should bother him is beyond me, especially in light of the puppies that appeared here without discussion. I felt totally churned up after that while he went and took a bath again. No " Is there enough hot water for me to..." or " Do you mind if..." and he used a towel I'd put drying by the fire for a child to use later :mad::mad::mad:

I got a couple of lemon drizzle cakes made and a batch of vanilla muffins. Not as productive a day as I'd hoped . Off to try and get as much done as I can today.