2018 New year, new focus and new mission

Choccygirl123

Thanks tea, you are a voice of reason. I am going to do it so everything done and finished this summer. My dad said I'll kick myself if I trip over the path and he's right.

Holy moly Ocado! Not the shopping experience I'd hoped for and won't risk using them again. So total order including loo rolls and shampoo was a respectable £55 (after 30% off and loads of offers)

Delivery arrives last night and one of the boxes has a strange fluid swishing around in it. Driver not able to identify it, so says will have take the items bank. £27 worth of things delivered but no bread, bacon, black pudding or milk....bang goes my lovely brekkie and I'm stuck with toast.

Spoke to customer services who where fab. They reordered missing bits but can't deliver it until 9-10 tonight. They have me a £10 voucher for the inconvenience. All going great, apart from my apples, oranges and cereal bars aren't in stock. No problem I'll just edit my order to add them. Can't get through the week's lunches without them. Add the missing bits, but because my order not at the £40 min delivery it won't let me update it. Knowing I'd already spent £27 yesterday I'm not impressed I'd have to add another £21 to get the fruit! Even with voucher it's more specs that I'd budgeted.

Have emailed Ocado saying disappointed and hubby is having to take me down to Aldi to get the rest of the bits.

I know these things happen, but it was supposed to reduce stress not cause it! I'm cooking Sunday lunch and currently have onions and swede, so keep your fingers crossed the rest of veg and chicken arrive!

teafor2

Oh heck CG I get they can't re-deliver straight away but you'd have though you'd have been a priority today - not a 9-10pm slot :eek:

Mum had a similar thing with missing items and then not having enough in her trolley to get free delivery so she rang Mr T and they put the order through minus the delivery charge. Hopefully, you'll get a similar response from the e-mail you sent.

Totally agree, home delivery is supposed to stop you having to go out, not an add on to also having to go shopping Frustrating to say the least. xx

Choccygirl123

They've given me another £5 voucher but with the £40 min I'm not sure I'll bother. The driver was amazing and was apologetic, but customer services not great. I know only missing apples, but Tesco would have just sent replacement no removed them completely. It was worth a try and with first time discount code a cheap shop for branded items. Certainly won't be rushing again to order.

Had a lovely day walk around the local village and s drink in the pub. The children enjoyed it as they took their bikes. It felt like a normal family day. First time in a long time.

Nothing planned tomorrow about from Sunday lunch with the family. Looking forward to cooking for 6 for a change.

Choccygirl123

Finally had my 2 NSD of June yesterday. ESA paid so joint account is looking a little healthier. Balance today £163.49. I need at move cash across to the kid's lunch accounts for this term and cars both need filling. I'm guessing that'll leave £80 after sorting them.

Hubby taking the youngest and I to a local summer festival over the weekend, so have budgeted £30 for drinks, food and misc. Rest of the weekend will be very quiet spend wise. Freezer and cupboards looking ok but will need breakfast cereals, fruit, veg the usual things to keep family fed will come out of remaining balance. The other car will need filling too so need to make sure don't over spend.

Money in for rest of month
Tuesday 18th child benefit £137
ESA 25th £147

Choccygirl123

Aims for rest of month :-
squirrel away as much as possible bank in EF
keep food spend in control
Bump up numbers of NSDs
Keep out the OD

Homegrown0

Those are good aims for the month. I love that you budget for days out - it's something i find really difficult. We mostly try to take a picnic to days out but it's all the other spends that add up. Parking, rides, ice creams, having a go on whatever other activity is on, face painting...etc. When you don't know what's on, it can all add up pretty quickly!

Choccygirl123

Morning homegrown, days out are always a challenge. I think it does get easier as the children get older but I try and keep it under control. The girls are pretty good and no longer use pester power which is huge help.

I don't want to spend £30 but know hubby is a lover of roast pork sandwiches! No doubt that'll be £15 at least gone on 3. I'm planning on taking drinks and few snacks with us so will try keep cash in wallet. Fingers crossed.

teafor2

Morning CG Hope you're all well. I think a day out with a budget is a good way to go and once it's spent it's spent. Better to have a cap than think you're not going to spend anything and then it just runs away with you.

Fingers crossed the weather will perk up by the weekend. We had Parklife near us this weekend and it poured down. Didn't seem to stop them wearing their bikinis with their wellies though :eek::rotfl:

Have a lovely day. xx

Homegrown0

Choccygirl123 wrote: »

Morning homegrown, days out are always a challenge. I think it does get easier as the children get older but I try and keep it under control. The girls are pretty good and no longer use pester power which is huge help.

I don't want to spend £30 but know hubby is a lover of roast pork sandwiches! No doubt that'll be £15 at least gone on 3. I'm planning on taking drinks and few snacks with us so will try keep cash in wallet. Fingers crossed.

It's nice to have a treat, though isn't it. And what better way to treat yourselves than with a roast pork sandwich!

My kids aren't too bad with pestering as such, but they will still ask for a go on everything they see, or ask to buy something at every stall. It's not even greed, i think it's just sheer excitement and a bit of fear of missing out. I don't like to say no repeatedly either, because i don't think it's fair taking them somewhere and then just saying no to everything. My oldest is old enough to understand the concept of 'you have £10 to spend at the fayre, so spend it wisely' but the youngest is just 3 and doesn't get it. Both will accept 'no' as the answer generally with the occasional 'awww' thrown in for dramatic measure, but it's not pressure from them. It's me wanting to give them a good time and good experiences but then feeling guilty about the mounting costs.

Wow - that turned into a proper rant! Apologies! I'm sure we're all the same with this - trying to strike a cost/treat balance.

Choccygirl123

That's not a rant, that's a responsible parent balancing life vs cost. Mine the same when younger, it's just excitement and sensory overload. I didn't mean anything negative, just understand how much little people love to spend our cash. Mine are 13&14 so understand finally there's no money tree. I agree with spending cap and once it's gone it's gone. When younger little once would 'need' face paint, sweets, candy floss and ice-cream in 5minutes. Money still burns a hole in her pocket, but she's getting better.

Something odd is going on with my first direct account. When I checked this morning my available balance was £57 now £127 with money pending on card for school lunches. Hubby still needs fuel so very odd abd can't think why it was £60 less earlier. I hate it when I can't explain why something doesn't stack up.