Hugglemonster's homemade happiness diary

hugglemonster

Hi MOFK, the car is a 61 plate so it's 7 years old which we have on finance as I needed a reliable car too, I don't know whether it's just bad luck but it is certainly annoying! Hubby was OK by the time he got home. We have 3 years left on the finance but like you want to pay it off quicker when possible. BTW I've read your thread and think you're amazing but never commented so now I will x

I've updated banking and done a few surveys and still a few to do, I've had to cancel some work tomorrow as I can't get there (an hours drive when lots of kit) but I have a meeting in the evening so hopefully I'll have the car back by then.

Just sold an item on fb to be collected Thursday, £4 to go to credit card all being well.

Had a really cheap tea of 3 bean goulash and homemade chapatis, two portions left have gone in the freezer. We still have lots of food as we just haven't eaten as much as on the plan, just need some fresh fruit and bread.

H x

hugglemonster

Good afternoon, car is home and fingers crossed nothing will go wrong in the next few months. There are a few advisories from the MOT, all four tyres will need replacing within the next year and the rear brake pads and discs will need changing so i need to set aside money for that.

A little spendy day yesterday as I brought my nieces birthday presents and posted today, plus we need some bits and pieces from Home Bargains. The item hasn't been collected today and I can't be bothered chasing individuals any more so we bump up the selling page again.

Current progress on credit card 16th July - 15th August £141.51/£267 but will get a boost when child benefit comes in on Tuesday. I'm 60 tokens away from a £5 payout from receipts app.

I've started pushing the new business and have some leaflets to drop off at the leisure centre when it opens later, I've also had an enquiry from a lady in the other town that I want to launch in so that's positive.

Lots to do for my 2 events, we went down the prom this morning to take photos which will show where the marshals will be positioned and the turn around point, we need to do the same tomorrow at the other venue.

The sun is shining and despite the car problems everything is fine!, H x

[Deleted User]

Boo to the car problems.

Fingers crossed and good luck with the venture in the other town x

hugglemonster

Well hello everyone, some more progress made today and some decisions too.

Currently paying off credit card, my expenses have gone in early so I paid off £85.25 which took me to £1400 but then my £5 reward has come in so I've sent that over and now stands at £1395. So progress towards monthly target is £231.76/£267, I'm going to leave child benefit in the account on Tuesday as I need to pay for ds birthday presents and meal next week. Only £35.24 to find by next Friday which is doable.

The decision made is that we are not going to go abroad in February, with everything that needs to be paid for between then and now plus wanting to progress further with the house we decided that it was just too much for a few days away. Therefore we are going to get ds room finished, have a lovely Xmas and go to Scotland for a couple of days in February instead.

Feel better about that decision so will cancel hotel, we haven't paid anything so will just be a straight cancel.

We're still aiming to remortgage in the new year, so everything we can do to aide that the better.

Looking forward to a relaxing weekend and last week at work before 2 weeks off but my weekends will now be spent at my new events so whilst it's fab for the community I won't get a lie in!!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend, H x

hugglemonster

Well everything seems to have gone pear-shaped over the last week, spent lots and had to use credit card again so really annoyed with myself. A couple of things that I completely forgot were coming out of the account and also forgot that ds wanted to go to the zoo on his birthday - I did pay the cheapest entry online though.

Therefore target for credit card has not been reached and need to get our act together otherwise this will drag on and on.

Pay day is on Friday, I also need to get hold of an invoice that I've paid for a course tonight so I can claim back from work. I did however put some money towards the business that I need to get back at some stage - I've had interest in the sessions but no formal booking or payment. I will promote more when the kids are back at school beginning of September.

To pay August/September:
* Plasterer £200
* Paint and varnish for ds room
* Dd school trousers

So should be a fairly cheap month as long as we stick to just those things, I will do a meal plan from Friday as I'm currently trying to use as much from stock as possible but do need a few things before then.

H x

hugglemonster

Well it's amazing what can be achieved when you have to, yesterday I used most food from stores - I made a macaroni pasta lasagna for the kids and just needed to buy mince and as my ds ended up staying at his friend's house overnight there is enough left for all of us tonight with some veg. DH and I had fish which I had got out of the freezer with the remains of the salad, a pasta salad using some of the macaroni and the left over coleslaw. It was delicious! Today I'm making some bread, and rolls for lunch. I have no idea about tomorrow though, seriously lacking in any further leftovers although I have some pork sausagemeat defrosting.

Caught up on surveys this morning, I have got a £5 Amazon voucher and £3 winging it's way over which will go on the credit card. I nearly have enough for another Amazon voucher which I will use for a blanket that I'm planning on making a xmas for dh with using his t-shirts from runs he has done over the years and are just sitting in the cupboard. He can use the blanket for camping trips then.

Need to get the kids out for some fresh air after lunch, they are hibernating watching t.v.!

Nothing else to report, H x

hugglemonster

Little evening update as I'm so pleased with myself (little wins ��), rolls made for lunch were fab and DH arrived home from a course just as they were coming out of the oven so a lovely family meal. We then went on a little walk around the local wilderness and checked on the blackberries that aren't quite ready but did get some apples to cook with.

I re-hemed a pair of my shorts this evening and also fixed one of ds' soft toys.

I think it will be rolls again for lunch tomorrow but need to get a filling for them , also need a couple of potatoes to make sausage and potato pie for tea.

I need to make sure I check in here regularly to keep myself on the straight and narrow!

H x

hugglemonster

Good afternoon, the morning has flown by with pottering around I was going to take the kids down the beach but I have an infection so not feeling 100% We did pop down the shops to get a couple of bits for lunch and tea - it was cheaper to buy a concentrated soup rather than a full size one and also brought potatoes to make the sausage meat pie plus some milk and butter. Made my own pastry for the pie, need to research getting cheaper blocks of butter as I currently get from Iceland at £1.50 a pack plus get milk 4 pints for £1 which is cheaper than Tesco.

£3 received from survey so have sent over with the last of the pennies in the account to make a payment of £5.92! A few surveys done this morning, only need £1 then I can cash out and order the blanket for hubby's xmas present. All surveys are building up nicely.

Need to do a menu plan this evening ready to go shopping tomorrow and we will go and get dd school trousers. Apparently both the kids want new school bags even though we have hundreds of the blooming things, some frugal ways need to be instilled here. I will use the apples tomorrow to make a pudding plus some more rolls for lunch and for Saturday when we're at our weekly volunteering duties.

When my dd gets off the main computer I can plan ynab for the next week until dh gets paid. I've decided to stop trying to pay too much on too many things at once and then left myself short but need to build up an emergency fund and general saving s fund - £50 each per month seems reasonable at present until I pay off the debt.

H x

PurpleFairy26

I find butter has particularly risen in price in the last couple of years and anytime I can see it for under £1.50 I will buy it. Nothing else quite matches up to the real thing either.

As for EF I was quite surprised how quickly mine built up, I started at £35 then raised it to £50, then £75 and each incremental meant I didn't seem to miss it so much. Considering raising it to £100 which would have seemed huge at the start but now I only need to find £25 extra.

hugglemonster

Thanks for your post PurpleFairy, I remember is wasn't so long ago that I paid 89p for the same block of butter really annoying but yes nothing better than real butter!

Pay hit the account today so sent £50 to general savings then will transfer £50 to emergency fund when dh gets paid next week.

Busy today, we went to get dd school trousers and there was only one pair in stock so we have ordered a second pair. I budgeted £40 and it came to £39.98 so 2p change yay. We then went food shopping and even though it was an expensive shop when I took off the cat bits and pieces and dh drinks it wasn't actually too bad and we have enough for the whole week. Oh and I got a gammon ham to cook which should be cheaper than buying sliced ham and tastier too.

Today I have made rolls for lunch and for tomorrow, curry and chapatis for tea, half done the ham (in fridge with a glaze on it until tomorrow then finish cooking), 1 load of washing - it's been pouring down so on the airer. Moved 6 large water bottles than were lined up on the path in front of our house - very odd!

I've managed to get another survey to get an Amazon voucher to order the blanket for dh xmas present plus some cotton. I need to get some new needles though as I seem to have lost most of mine and the eye is too small. I've also been doing a new site on my mobile and am nearly up to £5 since yesterday which I can cash out via paypal.

I need to prepare a sign ready for my volunteering in the morning, then when I'm home tomorrow I need to prepare Sunday's tea as I'm on a course all day but it will taste better if it's left to marinade overnight.

Nothing available to pay to credit card at the moment, will do a few more surveys in a bit.

H x