£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 42: Day 7

Suffolk lass - good to know about Morries' geese - our local supermarket, so if the mates rates one we're hoping for doesn't happen, that's an option.

Phoned partnership yesterday, turns out I hadn't changed our address since moving two years ago. Whoops.

Hoping for a fairly budget weekend - going to friends' child's school Christmas fair today, but no other outings planned. And I have practically no cash on me, so can't spend any more than about a fiver at the fair even if my children hassle me!

to do today
1. keep spends to a minimum.
2. check whether any invoices were paid yesterday.
3. Christmas knitting.
4. check advent calendar activities for next week and make sure we have any supplies needed.
5. do some Christmas shopping (online).

To do this week
1. put advent calendar together. Done.
2. DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - still have no stockings, no presents from another relative who has asked me to buy for the DC, nothing for DH.... Should probably think about this at some stage
3. fabric for tree skirt - need to check if my mother brought any down with her. Done.
4. keep on top of work admin so it isn't a nightmare on Thursday when I'm home. Yeah, that went really well. Not.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.[/QUOTE]

Honeysucklelou2

If you check on your hyacinths they should have good root growth and will have grown above the compost level, although they will look yellowy due to being in the dark. Depending on when you are planning to give them, bring them out from the darkened room and leave in daylight, in a warmer temperature than the darkened room so that they can green up. Basically the prepared bulbs have already been tricked to think that they have gone through winter and started to grow when planted. Bringing them into a warmer environment, than the darkened room convinces the plants that Spring has arrived and they start to flower. I usually put some moss around on the top of the compost, so that the hyacinths protrude through.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 43: Day 2

Good morning! Another week begins...

Honeysucklelou2 thanks for the hyacinth advice - will pop out and check on them today.

Finally managed to do some Christmas shopping (online) yesterday. Wanted to get some arts and craft supplies for the DC (we go through them at a crazy rate), and had estimated a budget of £30 per child (so £90). Filled my amazon basket with things I thought they'd like and it came to almost £200. Back in the day I would have taken out a couple of things and probably ended up around £150, and been pleased that I had reduced it from the initial £200, but I stuck at it, really trying to pare it down to what they'd love and ended up UNDER budget. I still need to buy a box for each of them, but my total basket came to £80 in the end, and I had £14 of amazon vouchers leftover from last cashback payout, so I only paid £66. I know it will end up being a little over the £90 in real terms (ignoring the cashback voucher) once I buy three boxes to put it in, but not much, and a heck of a lot better than the £200 I started with. Small victories, right?

Going to try to get a bit more shopping done today, but we'll see how it goes!

Today is all about catching up - I've had another provisional booking which I'm hoping will turn into payment in the next day or two, and a few bits of admin to do. I already have my january business expenses covered, and if all these bookings actually happen I'll have half of my January 'salary' covered before I invoice for my contract work at the end of the month too. I would love to be a full month ahead in my business account, but I'm still a fair way off that heady dream!

I'm sure there was something else I was going to write about this morning, but it has drifted out of my head... I'm sure it will come back to me!

I have had a low level sinus infection/cough/blocked ears for a week now. It's more irritating than debilitating, but I'd really like it to clear off now. Hoping that a (moderately) quiet week will help me on my way, after a fortnight of crazy.

to do today
1. meet client for coffee (really regretting arranging this, am too busy for such niceties - must be stricter with my time)
2. plan week's work.
3. Christmas knitting.
4. do some more Christmas shopping.
5. pack orders for smaller business.
6. contract work.
7. purchase and post a birthday present that needs to go today.
8. post yet another thing we had to sign for the remortgage. I'm now at the stage of wondering whether it's going to be done in time for January's payment! Must start the process three months before expiry date next time.

To do this week
1. finish Christmas shopping.
2. finish DH Christmas knitting.
3. get ahead on contract work.
4. buy Christmas cards.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

Treadingonplaymobil

Just doing a menu plan and food shopping list. Last month was such a disaster - I didn't make enough when batch cooking, and then was away several weekends and some weekdays, so DH ended up buying ready made things for packed lunches or buying expensive ham for sandwiches. Plus we entertained one weekend, and spent probably £50 extra on nice food. So we spent an insane £483.25 on food last month!

I definitely feel like batch cooking is the way to go, just difficult to fit it in - I have managed to schedule in one a month for the whole of 2018, but more than that is impossible. Anyway, I have a batch cooking day scheduled in for Saturday, so this week's food shop is set to be a ridiculous £110. Fingers crossed it will be low for the next week or two after that before extra pricey Christmas shopping.

Chrystal

A big pat on the back TOPM for skimming the DCs craft stuff down.... it proves that your 'mindset' has changed and that must make you feel better.

Hope your sinus etc clears up soon, it's the type of thing that is really irritating!

Re batch cooking, if you factor in the money you will save on grocery shopping by doing this - £100 month?- then it definitely needs to be factored into 'money saving time'.... the coffee with the client time could have been put to better use maybe?

I think it's time to look back and see how far you have actually come... and that's a LONG way. X

Treadingonplaymobil

The client coffee time SO could have been put to better use. I am doing some work for her in the new year, but I have decided no more coffees or anything until I have a booking and payment.

Am anticipating my MSE halo arriving any day now, since I have also come in SEVEN WHOLE POUNDS under budget for another gift. I am starting on the stockings now though, which is always, ahem, something of a weak spot.

Chrystal

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

The client coffee time SO could have been put to better use. I am doing some work for her in the new year, but I have decided no more coffees or anything until I have a booking and payment.

Am anticipating my MSE halo arriving any day now, since I have also come in SEVEN WHOLE POUNDS under budget for another gift. I am starting on the stockings now though, which is always, ahem, something of a weak spot.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:X

arsenalbarnie

I would find batch cooking days a bit much and quickly get fed up, it's hard work! Someone I know has managed to get a stocked freezer of staple meals and cakes etc. She then has a list on the wall of how many of each, so when something is taken out of the freezer she changes the quantity so knows when to make say another batch of bolognese. She manages this working full time by only having to usually batch cook or bake one or two items a week. I have never got to this with a big family as every meal is batch cook style!

It may be worth thinking about as something to aim to so you could maybe do one or two things in the week so you can free up your weekend.

EscapingTheAlarm

Hello!
I'm just popping in to say to say that I think you're doing a wonderful job of clearing your debts, still enjoying life and juggling everything else at the same time! Reading your diary makes me envious of all the lovely homemade food that you get to eat with your family while still cutting down your food bill - it's something that I need to work on. I'll be keeping a close idea on your thread for ideas!
ETA x

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 43: Day 3

Christmas shopping is going on in earnest here. Have ordered all stocking stuff. I don't know how others do it, but we have always pretty much divided each child's present budget in half, one half goes on a main present/s, the other half goes on a stocking. So it's more than just random stuff for a fiver, but not hundreds of pounds. Which is a nice preamble to pre-warn you that I went over budget on the stockings. It wasn't awful, and less over budget than I have ever been, but I had a budget of £65 for each stocking and have spent £84 on two and £79 on one. Some of those presents may get 'upgraded' to main present status when I come to wrap, as there's a total mix of big and small things and I am currently around £15 under budget per child for main presents.

Total Christmas spend is currently standing at £848.23. I reckon I have another £350 to spend, not including food. As previously mentioned, Christmas budgeting is not my strong suit. A quick round up:
Good - under budget for main gifts for DC
Good - under budget for advent calendar activities
Good - Christmas eve hamper is currently 50% under budget, although this will go up a little with sweets, dvd etc.
Bad - likely to be over budget for DH's present
Bad - over budget on stockings
Ugly - wasted budget on narcissi and pots which now can't be given as they flowered early
Ugly - spent £31 on wrapping paper, ribbons etc. Should be enough for future wrapping too (I use brown or white paper for all wrapping, with nice ribbon)
Ugly - spent £50 on decorations when I didn't even slightly need to
Ugly - went over budget on handmade presents for other grown ups, although again things like oils for candle making will last into the new year for us too - of the £60 I spent on supplies probably only £20 is actually going to go on gifts. Maybe I should reduce that Christmas total spend by £40. That'll make a huge difference .

In more profitable news, I got another small booking yesterday, so am up to a whopping £130 towards January's salary.

Need to go and do the enormous food shop this morning for batch cooking on the weekend, must resist the lure of extra Christmas stuff in Lidl! Enjoying having a week at home this week, although still resenting the wasted time with client coffee yesterday.

arselnalbarnie I am enormously impressed at that level of freezer organisation. If i tried it, it would last until about 3.75 seconds after DH or my mum opened the freezer.

escapingthealarm thanks for your lovely comment. You've reminded me I haven't wittered on about menu plans and budget meals for a while, must remember to share what I am planning.

to do today
1. food shopping - try to keep under the £110 budget!
2. get contract work done.
3. Christmas knitting.
4. phone and say happy birthday to the person I sent the present to.
5. I know there is more, I have forgotten what it is though...

To do this week
1. finish Christmas shopping.
2. finish DH Christmas knitting.
3. get ahead on contract work.
4. buy Christmas cards.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.