Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

XSpender

Working from home again today then going to visit my friend, who had a cancer op last week, later this afternoon. I will pop and get her some flowers and have seen Asda are doing a mini afternoon tea for £3 so may get that on the way.

DS school are wearing football strips to remember Bradley Lowery today so he got himself dressed at 6.30am when he got up. It's been lovely not to constantly ask him to get dressed this morning;)

I had my head stuck in reports and spreadsheets yesterday so not much 'home' stuff achieved. The clean laundry has been sorted and taken upstairs and will be put away later today. There is not as much ironing left as I thought so will attempt to clear this at the weekend.

Washed DH shirts but sports camp booking and CC BT not done yesterday but will be done today. I need to work out the logistics of what days he can do as he has a party one day and DFIL can pick him up but I will need to drop him off so it needs to be on days I am at home.

I have to fit in a food shop at some point as we have been eating out of the freezer for most of this week. Asked DH and DS (7) for some meal ideas and DH was useless but DS suggested hot dogs one night (_pale_) and chicken curry which we will have tomorrow. I have a tight budget for food this week and need loo roll and parmesan which will bump the total up. I have pinched an idea from treadingonplaymobil and have split my food budget into weekly amounts on YNAB to avoid the blow out at the beginning or end of the month. Food spending is our biggest problem area and there is no reason for it.

I went to show DH the Bear Grylls jacket for DS last night on the website and it is back up to £40:eek: so may have to look at another coat.

XSpender

This week's to do list:

1) Book accommodation for leg0land DONE AND SAVED £272
2) Book tickets for leg0land DONE AND SAVED£117
3) Decide where we are going camping in August SCOTLAND
4) Book camp site for August DONE

5) Contact local scout group (on line contact form wouldn't work last night, may have to email) so DS can go in September EMAILED
6) Book DS into sports camp for 2 days, first week of summer break
7) Put away all clean laundry that does not need ironing DONE
8) Deep clean bedroom, apply mite spray, change sheets DONE
9) Buy birthday gift and deliver to friend's daughter as they will be away for her birthday - BOUGHT, deliver Monday
10) Do some surveys Done 1 on Shop and Scan
11) Meal plan, check in budget via my supermarket DONE
12) Make grain free bread and sugar free treats

Really pleased with food shop across Aldi and Asda yesterday. I spent under £50 for the weeks food and got plenty of snacks to avoid overspending at the weekend. Also picked up some marshmallows, a lamp and some cheap picnic plates and bowls for camping.

I actioned the BT to DH card yesterday and paid £40 off the balance off my card to totally clear the part that will be interest bearing come 25th July.

Birthday present and a party gift to buy along with cards today. I am considering buying the 2 other family cards I will need this year as I will go to card factory when I am in the city today having my hair cut. Otherwise I would have to make a special journey there.

Hair appointment today thank goodness! Missed it last week as dog escaped. It is 9 weeks since I last had it cut (I am growing it) which is the longest I have left it in years.

We received a letter about the sports camp yesterday which is actually running for the 2 weeks before we go on holiday so will book DS in to 1 day the first week and review what days he can go the second week (max 2).

It is chucking it down today so the lawns will have to wait as will putting the tent up to waterproof it.

Jobs for the weekend include the rest of the list up the top and:

[STRIKE]Mow lawns[/STRIKE]
Boxes and cases in loft
[STRIKE]Sort out our bedroom[/STRIKE]
Ironing
Put up DS picture and planets
Clean carpet in [STRIKE]living room, dining room and [/STRIKE]DS bedroom
[STRIKE]Make up guest room to sleep in while mite spray does its thing[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Haircut[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Buy gifts and cards[/STRIKE]
Put up tent
[STRIKE]Buy a trampoline (promised to DS for summer holidays)[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Take dog out for a log walk in woods (training him for walks in Scotland) [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Defrost whole chicken for Sunday[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Defrost chicken breasts for curry tonight[/STRIKE]

Just a nice quiet weekend then....;)

Treadingonplaymobil

Looks like a busy weekend for you!

Camping in Scotland sounds brave - I am always nervous about venturing north of about the M4 for camping in case of terrible weather!

XSpender

The last time we visited this campsite in Scotland, about 9 years ago, it was a heatwave and it was unbearable in the tent. We always tend to be lucky with the weather in the UK, I might have tempted fate saying that!

XSpender

Very spendy and busy weekend. DH has bust the hoover and his attempts at fixing it have failed. DMIL lent us her brand new one which is fab and is a cylinder one rather than an upright so is much easier on my back. We will have to replace ours very soon.

Our bedroom has been scrubbed and de dust bugged. We have taken the old chest of drawers the previous owners left to the tip along with some boxes of rubbish from the office bedroom. We found a pair of DH 32" walking trousers in the drawers and cant remember DH ever been less than a 34" but they fit me great

When we went in to the city for my haircut we picked up some half price walking trousers for DH and coat for DS (£40 but much better quality than the ones I had been looking at and warmer too). I also bought a birthday gift and a party gift.

We spent so long faffing about with DMIL on Saturday that I couldn't be bothered to make the curry and we had sains pizzas instead. I will make the chicken curry tomorrow. The whole chicken I defrosted late last night for today was grey and stinky this morning so had to buy another one from Aldi for tea.

Other spends included 2 pairs of work pants for DH. We usually buy suits with a spare pair of trousers but his job is half in and out of doors so the jackets rarely get worn and he is really hard on the trousers. We have gone for machine washable wool ones this time instead. Most of his current ones have split on the bum seam and cant be repaired as the fabric has gone.

The last purchases of the weekend were extendable ladders and a trampoline for DS who has been bouncing non stop all afternoon. The ladders were less than half the price I had budgeted for which covered the cost of the trampoline we had promised DS for the summer holidays DFIL has offered to come and paint the front of the house and take the rest of the wallpaper off the stairs while I am out at work this week :T

DH cut DS fringe tonight as it is too long so have saved a tenner but is a drop in the ocean after this weeks spends. DS sandals still fit him so have saved £15 there too

Since we gave up our PT and DH and I stopped going to the gym on an evening in May, we have been really missing it as well as putting on weight. DH contacted the owner today who has offered us a years membership at £135 each for the gym and all the classes. I was doing 2 classes a week at £4 a class so even if I did the same again and nothing else I would save over £70. It works out at £11.25/month :eek:

Hiddenidenity

Sounds like a lovely weekend even if rather spendy least its been budgeted for

I need some extendable ladders! I keep meaning to look then forget until I'm hanging out the windows upstairs trying not to fall out while cleaning them :rotfl:

apple_muncher

I think those spends are all great. You had previously mentioned most of them, if not all, so they were all thought through and considered. You bought quality - trousers, coat for ds - and didn't buy unnecessaries. Well done!

Good to hear that your room is now dust bug free. Makes me itchy just thinking about it.

And the gym membership is fab.

XSpender

Thanks apple. I felt very guilty listing our spends in what is supposed to be a debt free diary. but the point of having this diary is to be honest about what I am spending and tying to be mindful about what I choose to buy and why I am buying it. I am never going be hard core.

We made great progress with our to do lists for the week and the weekend and have a couple more to tick off when DS is at his grandparents tonight.

DH and I have agreed that he needs to start doing a bit more on an evening instead of coming in and collapsing in front of the TV/PS4. He does have a long commute but often there is no reason for him to stay at work as late as he does and this impacts on me as I have to make dinner, get DS to bed and see to the dog after working and driving all day and don't get time to do much else i.e. go for a run/gym/surveys. It also means that we cram loads into our weekends and don't have as much family time as we should have.


It is DS sports day today and I cant go because I have a work appointment. I do wish they would account for working parents and give us more notice so we can schedule our work so we can attend. Hopefully DFIL we be able to go. I forgot DS PE kit today and turned up to school with every other kid wearing theirs (sports day is this afternoon) so have had to run home, iron it and dash back to school with it. Bad Mammy

DS has had a good bounce on his trampoline this morning and asked if he could go on it before he had even opened his eyes this morning :rotfl:

We haven't heard back from the potential cleaner so if we have heard nothing by the end of the week DH is going to ask around for another recommendation.

Well it looks like the reason I wake up with dry eyes and nasal congestion/headache is not dust mite allergy as we thought as after treating and deep cleaning the bedroom at the weekend I am just the same this morning

Fiscal plans for this week include:

not spending any money that is not budgeted for
using up all the fresh stuff in the fridge
not buying any groceries until Friday
making grain free bread and some treats as I have run out which leads to spending
doing some surveys for money towards Christmas

apple_muncher

Do you drink enough? I get dry eyes when I've not drunk enough - I need at least 2 litres a day.

Also, do you consume a lot of dairy, esp milk? I used to get grotty sinus infections with regularity and stopping milk each time + drinking copiously (4 litres) worked better than any tablets.

Jus' musing aloud...

XSpender

Milk/dairy isn't something I have considered apple but is definitely worth looking into. I do get phleghmy when I have had too much cheese like on a cheesy pizza. I do not drink enough water and drink too much tea with milk.

I did wonder if the dry eyes was related to having my eyes lazered 10 years ago.