2017 - moving life forwards

coastalchick

another £44.82/2 in supermarket - arghhhh! and barely bought anything. Got 4 fillets of salmon and that was £15. Ridiculous. Esp as B wants to do 3 fillets tonight (so 1.5 each) as he feels 1 isn't enough for tea!

coastalchick

Will post spends tomorrow. Crappy day - went back to work even though signed off until monday. Was fine until just after 5 when someone handed me a card to sign with "It's a girl!" on the front for someone who's partner has just had a baby. You honestly couldn't write it!!!!

coastalchick

So, spends over last few days have been quite a lot. In fact, just under £100. Mainly on food but also included petrol, cat food (he is on special diet for fatty's so it costs a lot) and also some bits from b**ts - gloves for fake tan (which were 3 for 2 so ok), toothpaste (on offer), deodorant (on offer) and some wellman conception vitamins for B (which he hasn't yet taken!!!).

Have £684.83 in spends budget which is to last until Tuesday so done ok this month. Though having full head highlights, cut and blow this pm so that will probs be around £150/160 as also need shampoo.

Tonight B and I are out, just the 2 of us, to properly celebrate our engagement. We have a £60 voucher however which B's mum bought us for christmas so it shouldn't be too expensive.

Then I need some clothes for our holiday which we go on next week. I was 2st overweight anyway and have now put on an extra 6 lbs with all the wallowing over the last couple of weeks after the MC. I had bought maternity clothes for going on hols, only because I thought if I hadn't ordered them when I did (which was obv when I was pregnant!) then there would be none left due to the change in seasons now. I suppose I could still wear them, but do I want to?? Guess it depends if I find anything left in the shops here tomorrow - may have no choice!!!

So then we need food for next few days but hoping I won't spend all of what's left and will be able to put some into savings. Slowly building the savings pot back up after having bought the house in April. And now (sadly) won't have to worry about saving for maternity leave. If we get pregnant again and can hold onto it this time, I will qualify for paid leave, so will only be 2 months of unpaid if I want to take extra time off (which I will) and we can cope for a couple of months on statutory pay and B's wages.

Got a bit of a shock earlier as our electricity bill came saying we owed £238!!!!. We pay £96pcm on DD. Anyway, as it was only an estimated statement I checked the meter and that brought it down to £35 we owe. But we are on a standard tariff so have asked them to send me the form to change tariff. So hopefully that should be ok. Otherwise we will need to increase our DD by around £12 a month I think.

My birthday next week. 39. Don't feel much like celebrating that, though as my mother says, "the alternative's not so good". B has asked what I want for my birthday. Can't really think of anything though have 3 of my grandma's rings which my mum gave me and said do whatever you want with. They are pretty ugly rings which I wouldn't wear but there are lots of lovely diamonds in them. So thinking I"d like B to contribute towards having a necklace made from one of the diamonds in one of the rings (there's a massive diamond in one which would make a lovely drop necklace I think). My parents also gave me £250 for birthday so we can put that towards it (no idea how much these things cost) so think we will go and see jewellers tomorrow to enquire. Already wanting to get one of the rings made into my wedding ring so it will be nice to use one of the others for a necklace

Kittychick

That sounds like a lovely idea.. I'll be interested to know what sort of prices you get

coastalchick

Re weight issue have also decided as follows: If I get pregnant (as we will start trying again presuming we get the all clear at our follow up scan tues) then I will try to lose weight by walking lots (as they say you shouldn't start exercising other than walking or swimming (which I hate) if you haven't exercised for a long time before). If I don't (by the time we are back from hols) then I will start an exercise/running (mainly running) plan again to start trying to shift these pounds, maybe also with WW.

System

Hey love! Sorry I haven’t commented in a little while, been away on me holibobs! Sorry to hear about what happened at work, people can be so insensitive sometimes but probably thought they didn’t want to leave you out of signing your colleague’s card.. Really rough for you, hope you’ve had a better day today!

Hope you’re looking forward to your holiday, it’ll be a nice break and hopefully you and B can relax after the stressful time you’ve had. Sounds like a good idea about the rings, I also have lots of jewellery from family that I’d never wear and BF and I said if we ever get married we’ll get all the diamonds taken from them and have them set in to a wedding band, much rather have them in something that can be worn that sitting in a box unloved when they’re so sentimental!

coastalchick

Hey Sauce - hope you had a good holiday! To be fair to the woman who gave me the card, she didn't know and was mortified when I told her! But more pics of the baby were circulated yesterday which is hard. I think your bf's idea re your family jewellery is a lovely idea too. Love also that he's used the M word too!

Today has not been great. Went to see the consultant and the good news is I got the all clear - everything is gone when normally they find tissue left. So that's good. However, he was really patronising and upset me and I fled the room in tears at one point. Not really wearing my big girl pants today. Must remember for next time.

B and I went mad with the spending over the weekend and were out literally all weekend eating and drinking. Also got some clothes, a mani/pedi, hair done, things needed for hols like sun cream etc and food so now have £196.23 left until tomorrow. Which is good, but it should be more. Anyways, will hoof that over into savings tonight then we are paid tomorrow so get a whole new month's budget.

System

Hope you're all relaxed after a holiday! Thinking of you xx

coastalchick

Gah, so holiday was pretty poo. First week was ok (though not amazing) and second week was pretty dire - tons and tons of rain!!! We were meant to come back yesterday but ended up changing our flights and coming back wednesday instead. We have also spent an absolute fortune. Thought I'd have loads left out of this month's spending budget but don't. Get paid in 2 weeks though. So trying to hang on until then. Got 2 big shops though, lunch out today (which don't want to go to but can't cancel) and dinner out next sat - that will be expensive one as with my very good friends who drink A LOT. Though maybe I'll drive and not drink.

So we are not at all relaxed!!!!

Anyway.

Whilst away we also booked a trip to Padstow for the food festival in Dec so more money! But we love Padstow.

Think we may now try to be frugal until then. Need a new plan!!!

coastalchick

So, friend paid for lunch yesterday which was good as I hadn't really wanted to go (it was with the girl I've had problems with who had left but is now coming back and going to be working for same place as me!!! and will actually be above me in the food chain - gah!) but it was actually quite nice. Maybe I do need to give it a fiftieth chance(!).

B and I were supposed to go and enquire about the necklace (we left the rings with jeweller and said we'd pop in for quote/to see designs when back) but was tipping with rain so B picked me up instead and we came home and lit the log burner! On way we popped into WR and spent £14/2 on wine, pudding, milk, biscuits, kitchen roll. And we drank a fair bit yesterday PM. We drank shed loads on holiday so now I think we need to stop for a while, esp as we will start trying again next week. Had made a lovely beef bourginon from scratch on friday which had left overnight for flavours to take so we had that for tea with baguette dumplings. Was delicious.

Today we are having a lazy morning drinking (decaf) coffee and reading. Then we will go to B's mums for lunch to see the kids. Going to go for a run this pm if it kills me. Am now almost 12 stone (am only 5'4") and have never been this weight in my life (my usual weight is between 9.5 and 10 st) so now need to stop all of this eating and drinking and also hit the exercise again.

Tonight is a ready meal from stores (yes, diet properly starts tomorrow) and we need to do a big shop for the week. Already have some salmon in freezer so just need meals for 3 nights plus lunches so hoping we can keep cost down.

Think we are both a bit depressed at the moment and feel in limbo. Everything is just on hold and in the air because we want a baby and think it is getting us both down. We also feel a bit trapped where we are. Been talking about moving to Cornwall but we just can't at this point in life. We also want to retire early and just cannot see that happening.