Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

redofromstart

I have the Pinch of Nom book and have liked most of the things I have made. It does make you want to cook.

Does he eat jacket potatoes? I cook a batch and freeze them, so it's just a ping when you want one. Cheese, coleslaw, sweetcorn, beans, tuna, chilli, campfire stew from pinch of nom spring to mind. Again I batch cook the chilli and stew, then freeze in suitably small portions. If you froze the potato with the cooked topping on then he couldn't add a butter mountain either. Cheese I grate the block and keep in the freezer so again you can dictate the portion size by only getting out what he needs. HTH

brizzlegirl

Jacket potatoes and beans on toast is good. My two increasingly make toasties too - using a frying pan and toasting the bread butter side down if you know what I mean. Fried egg on toast is good.
I agree - you sound really proactive with everything rather than reactive. Its a great sign and glad BF investor is working for you. We also have a denuded EF but we do have a half funded Mojo fund this month so that's a start.

Onwards and upwards for all of us

xx

XSpender

Thanks for the ideas both. I do only need to give him a smaller meal on an evening and he does love a jacket potato but won’t eat beans or tuna so will alternate cheese/cheese & corn with a bit of HM curry and see what other toppings I can think of. He turned his nose up at the Pinch of Nom bolognaise. I bought him some baguette pizza to have with some salad bits. He loves my HM cauliflower cheese and probably would be happy with a sandwich/wrap or a ‘deconstructed sandwich’ which is crackers/bread and butter, cheese, a little ham and grapes. Will bake a batch of JPs and freeze as suggested.

I made the Cowboy Stew last night in the slow cooker which will feed me and DH tomorrow night and there are 2 portions for the freezer also made 5 portions of beef bolognaise and 4 of chilli for DH. I didn’t make chilli for me as I found a tin of Stagg in the cupboard and ran out of time to make lentil bolognaise but will do that this week as it is on the meal plan.

DS were going to make PON blondies but ran out of time so will do those later tonight or tomorrow.

Meal Plan

S - Chicken dinner with apple strudel for desert
M - Cowboy Stew and wedges
T - Bolognaise/lentil bolognaise and garlic bread (PON style)
W - Veggie pasties, HM oven chips and mushy peas
Th - Spicy chicken kebabs, chickpea salad and haloumi fries
F - Chilli tacos with lettuce, avocado and salsa (poss wedges too to fill up DH)

We will not be having any contact with PIL as of yesterday. There behaviour over the summer has been shocking and MIL ‘request’ yesterday was the final straw. This was my face —>>:eek: I would explain more but it would make me recognisable to anyone who knows us and I’m not sure anyone would believe me if I told them :rotfl: I am glad it was me she asked as I am afraid she got it with both barrels.

DS went to training and had a great session with lots of positive comments from the coaches and had to demo a technique to the rest of the squad. Spent £19 on kit and £75 on subs (gets £15 worth of kit with this) and £2 on tea. Great to see all the kids and parents again.

Lovely catch up with 2 lots of friends this afternoon and final walk with doggy boarder. I haven’t been googling puppies for sale, honest

apple_muncher

Yikes to those pesky in-laws! You do sound as though you handled it well, and that it has justified the decisions you've taken over the last few months. Well done you :T.

Suffolk_lass

Whatever has happened with PIL has clearly upset you and I am not digging. Forever is a long time though - please be open to an apology or an overture. It is your DS's grandparents, and your DH's parents. Sometimes wrapping a wound and giving it time to heal is better than chopping it off, IYSWIM. I hope you don't mind me saying.

sweetpea26

I step out of lurkdom XSpender to say go with what is best for your family. We cannot change people or hang around waiting on them to change. I know from bitter experience what you are going through. I have had to cut off all communication and contact from a sibling who is simply toxic. Our parents are dead and we are the only siblings alive. So aunts and uncles think what I have done is awful. They constantly put up with her behaviour but I no longer allow her to affect my life or my children's.

Life is too short to keep giving people who are controlling continuous second chances. Its now 3 years and we as a family feel better for not being in contact. I feel in control of my own life now.

Wishing you all the best .. I read every post

XSpender

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Whatever has happened with PIL has clearly upset you and I am not digging. Forever is a long time though - please be open to an apology or an overture. It is your DS's grandparents, and your DH's parents. Sometimes wrapping a wound and giving it time to heal is better than chopping it off, IYSWIM. I hope you don't mind me saying.

I don't mind you saying at all. I did right a longer reply but thought there was too much identifiable stuff in it so have deleted it.

XSpender

Thank you sweetpea26 for delurking to share your story x

It won't be the first time we have been out of contact with them (always their choice before) but it may well be the last.

It is so sad for DH that his family are like this. Luckily my family adore him and he has a good relationship with them.

XSpender

My plans for September are on the theme of 'keep it simple'. I signed up to the NST challenge again this month which is also on the theme of simplicity so it ties in well.

I definitely have the back to school feeling this week, ready to make plans for the last quarter of the year. Might do a post on that later in the week.

DH wants to have a month where he can focus on work and I want to focus on job hunting and consolidating where we are, nothing to demanding. I have found 2 jobs to apply for more of a test the water exercise than either being the perfect job.

We have agreed that this month we are not making any plans to do anything other than our usual Sunday lunch out which we will tie in with our wedding anniversary, and using our NT membership for some family time. DS will have training every Sunday morning.

DH and I should have been at the theater tonight but we now don't have a baby sitter. I have spoken to the box office and managed to get a credit note by spending £12 on a membership which gives me priority booking, ideal for booking next year's panto in November as it sells out within days. DH has also, off his own back, cancelled the thing he had booked. He has lost the £50 deposit but it has been a bit of a learning experience for him as to continue with it would have meant adding to the CC bill or putting back the achievement of our plan.

DH has not only said he will keep his phone when it is paid for but reduce his massive data allowance. This is to help him cut down on his usage too.

I have set some goals but not pressurizing my self this month, taking it easy

SELF CARE

1) Exercising daily for free - on line yoga, dog walking moving up to a little running and possibly a swim or 2 using my discount card which is low cost 2/30
2) Eating well - home cooked food now my cooking mojo is back:), lots of fruit and veg, limited processed food or treats. Wine will be permitted OK but too many chocs eaten
3) Get my eyebrows waxed but do own mani pedi - haven't had eyebrows done for months as I can keep them in shape for a long time before they need the shape putting back in. They are normal shape not these super dark chunky things the young uns have
4) Dentist - I think I need a filling but will book appointment for end of month/next pay day as we have eye tests/glasses to pay for this month
5) Get plenty of sleep back to normal bedtime after holidays
6) Do plenty of reading for pleasure started a new book yesterday, 1 DH swapped for 1 of his at the holiday campsite

HOME
1) Getting into a routine with cleaning now I am doing it myself again (aiming to do this on a Friday)
2) Fix both the hoovers and replace the knob on the hob (need to order parts for all three) big hoover fixed, battery ordered for stick hoover for the second time, still can't identify hob to order knob
3) Final sort out of pink bedroom back to a bedroom, lots of stuff to go in loft suitcases added to the stuff to go back in the loft
4) Mend DS bed so he can move out of the guest room and back into his own room
5) Varnish bench so it can go back outside

FINANCIAL
1) Start job hunting - [STRIKE]check over CV,[/STRIKE] DONEamend linked in profile, register with agencies DONE 2, job search APPLIED FOR 2
2) Aim to save £500 in EF. Budget planning says £440 so need to find a further £60 - £460
3) Stick to food budget or we won't achieve anything :mad: £205.16/£360 including £40 school meals paid for
4) [STRIKE]BT credit bearing balance ran up recently:(:o[/STRIKE] DONE
5) [STRIKE]Change co. car to reduce tax liability/improve tax code (bit of a cheat adding this on as I have already done it on Monday and it comes later in the week )[/STRIKE] DONE

XSpender

DS went off to school with a spring in his step this morning and looking as smart as a carrot He's in after school club today so will be worn out when I pick him up.

DH has been given the £50 deposit back for the thing he booked, I have to pick it up tomorrow :T He is gutted not to be proceeding with it but he can do it later in the year/early next year when we have the money to pay for it.

The money will be welcome as I am well over where I should be with the food budget for the month. We were out of loo roll, dog food, washing powder, shampoo and a host of other things so hopefully spends will be low for the rest of the week. I have meal planned until the end of the month and probably have most of the stuff in to do most of the meals. Will need more chicken next week.

We still have a £30 tax refund to come in, think DH has missed the deadline to process it on line and we will have to wait for the cheque. I love how you can use your banking app to pay cheques in now.

I have re-jigged my CV and applied for 2 jobs and have an application form for a third. 2 of them are less than my current salary but am applying for a bit pf practice and 1 is a contract but at a good salary.

One of the hoover parts turned up but not the other so I have emailed them to chase it as I paid for express delivery. I have hoovered downstairs and the car as my new (cheaper tax one) comes in the morning. He's coming at 8 and HMRC will be updated by 5 past :rotfl:

Offered free a pile of slabs from our garden to someone on FB, will save us having to get rid although some are still a patio so that will be my job lifting them on Saturday ready for collection :eek:

Had an earlish night last night and slept like a log until the dog woke me up by going into DS room before my alarm. Dog has been out for a 45 minute walk in the woods. Eating has been OK today, but too many of the chocs my friend brought me:o PON Cowboy stew and wedges tonight and will hit my 5/day.

I have updated my September post to keep on track.