A little home to call my own

JAMIEDODGER

Thanks newgirly

£1 TT this morning. Sig updated. Travel fund now at 2.89% Just waiting for the Quidco cashback to clear and that will push the percentage over 5%:D

Day off:T Yesterday was a right slog but we were one staff member down. Still managed to do everything but boy was I tired when I got home. Quick chat with the kids and bed for me!

Ex is over this afternoon to see DS1 as it is his birthday on Weds.

I am planning on a day at home, hoping to clean out the fridge today and get up to date on the washing from the weekend. It breeds I tell ya.

JD x

JAMIEDODGER

£75 cash-back and a small TT to travel fund this morning:) This pushes total to £147.79 - which is 5.91%:T

Just one small bill to come out of account plus wages to go in tomorrow and that will be it for March.

Day off today and it is DS1 birthday:) 22 today, where does the time go? Take away tonight, his choice is Indian. Family round for birthday cake this afternoon so bought in a few extra bits from the Coop.

Fridge is looking pretty bare now, as we are using up the last bits to stretch until the end of the month. Will be doing a bumper shop next week to stock up again, but very pleased about how this months food budget has done.

Will be booking van in for service and MOT while I am off over Easter. Will also need new tyres. So with birthdays and a trip away, it will be a costly month.

New rise in minimum wage but also rise in contributions to auto-enrollment pension so will have to be extra careful with budget over the year so I can reach all my targets.

Have a great day x

beanielou

Happy birthday to your DS
Mine is 25 this year.
Not sure where that has gone TBH.

JAMIEDODGER

Thanks Beanie:) Yes time goes so fast. DS1 had a lovely day, lots of visitors and he got a nice wad of money:)

A small TT this morning. Wages have gone in, just waiting for one more payment to clear my account, which won't happen until after the Easter weekend, so I won't be able to do final figures until then, but I am pretty pleased with how it looks so far:T There will be two more TT's to do before the month end. A tiny increase to the retirement fund this morning as I have added in my work pension contribution from this payslip. Every little helps.

Yesterday I spent ages finalising my meal plan for April. I then created a shopping list (making sure I checked what I had in stock already), then I did a big Tesco order which is being delivered on Monday 2nd (not entirely sure where I am going to fit it all - I see a game of freezer tetris in my future :rotfl:). Total came to £203 and pence. This is all meat, store cupboard and freezer items, plus fresh food to last the first week. I will have to order more milk/bread and other fresh items for the remaining weeks of April, but hopefully the cost won't be too massive and I am able to stay within budget again. After the Tesco shop this leaves me with about £145 for the rest of April. My budget is usually £400, but I am going to try and stay under £350. I will post the final figure for March's grocery total on 1st.

Last day at work today then I am on holiday until 16th April:D:T

shangaijimmy

A full months meal planning is a good job! I can't even decide what i want for lunch let alone evening meal on 29th April!! Freezer tetris sounds like a fun challenge.

greent

I am always impressed by those who meal plan for a full week, let alone a whole month! My OH will agree something in the morning for that evening and by the evening have changed his mind (and won't eat it, so it may get wasted or - hopefully - will go for lunch/ dinner for me the next day) so I have no chance of getting him to agree that far (despite knowing the benefits in terms of £ & time costs)

beanielou

WEll done.
I can barely manage a weeks teas!!

JAMIEDODGER

Yay! I'm officially on holiday:) First day in over a month I didn't have to set an alarm because of either work or kids for school:T

£1 TT'd today.

Thanks to shangaijimmy, greent and beanielou for your comments about my meal planning:) I know it sounds a lot to meal plan and shop for a month, but:

1) I am the only 'adult' in the house. I make the rules, I decide what we are having for dinner and the kids eat it:D I don't have a partner to veto my choices. Occasionally one of the kids will decide they don't want what we are having, in that situation they are more than welcome to make themselves toast/sandwich/bowl of cereal instead. Knowing what we are having makes it easier on me and gives me one less thing to think about.

2) The menu plan isn't set in stone exactly, we may change some days round because of events I don't see happening when I write the plan, or there are a lot of leftovers that need using up. This means we don't have loads of mystery meals in the freezer and everything gets used up quickly and efficiently.

3) I don't do all the cooking. DS1 cooks on the days I work and he likes to know what he needs to cook. If I am working (usually finish at 8pm), I check the plan before I leave for work and get out anything from the freezer he needs and leave it on the side. It makes things easier for the both of us. He just needs to look at the menu plan.

4) Within a month, we usually have a couple of things that repeat (like roast dinners). Most things are cooked from scratch which saves money and there are days which are just labelled 'use up night' where I let everyone know what is available and they choose their favs from all the leftovers.

5) DS3 is severely autistic and he likes to know what is for dinner. In advance. If I have to change the menu for any reason I have a couple of his favourite meals on standby in the freezer to placate him and reduce the possibility of a meltdown.

6) It saves me money. I don't keep huge amounts of food in stock. I like to keep my money in the bank not in the cupboards or freezer. I don't have much waste as everything I buy is for a specific meal. What costs money is having to run to the local coop to pick up stuff to make random meals or buy things we have run out of. Doing a monthly plan and a large food shop means I have checked I have everything I need to make every recipe I have chosen for the month.

7) The kids are not that adventurous in eating and I do not have the time to be whipping up masterpieces every night:D I know what we like and what we don't. I try and cater to all and never make my kids eat something they truly don't like. The menu plan covers this. Happy kids.

8) I only menu plan for dinners. Breakfast is always a choice of cereals or toast. Lunches are a sandwich/crisps/biscuit/fruit or sometimes leftovers.

Hope I didn't bore everyone:)

beanielou

Not bored at all.
It all makes perfect sense.
If only I could be so organised.

JAMIEDODGER

Thanks again Beanie

Tonight will be one of those use up nights:D I have taken from the freezer 2 portions of beef stew for myself and DS1 and three portions of chilli for DS2 & 3 and DD. All made during March and frozen for a later date. Tomorrow will also be a use up night I think. Chilli for me and DS1 and a chicken nuggets or fish fingers and chips for the rest. Will be roast chicken and roast gammon on Sunday:D Reminds me, I better go get them out of the freezer now...