Debt free living and looking to the future.

pennywisepoundstupid

Oh my, cannot believe that I havn't posted for so long:o.

So holiday was fantastic and spent around £800 euros out there so managed to come back with some money and we have booked to go back next year .

Lots going on in the background and had a mini meltdown at the beginning of the month, I was back at the hospital having checks done and I think it just brought everything back regarding the cancer:(.Feeling much brighter now but life seemed to get on top of me.


Both children are in full flight GCSE mode, DD takes hers this summer and is working super hard, but also being hard on her self. She falls apart (like me)when it comes to exams and is already beginning to panic. DS has just began the GCSE journey and seems to have not realised that he needs to knuckle down, we have already had emails off teachers regarding homework and attitude to learning:mad:, problem is he is very able just can't be arsed:eek::mad:.


I have got a bit slack with money making/saving and need to get my backside into gear, I know this site and my diary keeps me focussed and I need to get back into posting e more often.

We have had some big bills over the last month, first was central heating pump broke on the oil boiler and then woodburning stove (very old) cracked across the top, so a new pump and stove cost £1500:eek: Soi want to knuckle back down before Christmas arrives and there is more money pouring out.

New stove is very efficient and we are burning less wood and it is putting out more heat which is good, it has a flat top so i'm thinking of getting a kettle for it which might save some money.
I've been slack with ebay and have made a few sales but havn't been putting enough into it, so this week is half term nd I have some things to list, I want to try and get 20 items on this week, I've kept up with R0yal mail surveys and last week I won a £10 love to shop voucher. Been slack with survey sites and need to get back into them, I have redeemed £50 from y0ugov this month just waiting on it to land in account.
Also been asked to do some more paperwork for farmer friend,
need to do that this week whilst off which will result in some meat for the freezer.

Friend has gone on holiday and gave me a big bag of carrots for the horse, he has had some and the rest have been turned into carrot and lentil soup, MIL has also given me some cooking apples from her tree so need to get those stewed up for crumble, Last month my neighbour gave me 6kg of damsons which I have turned into damson jam which should see use through the year.


I havn't been meal planning or making lists and my food budget has completely been blown out of the water, I can't even bring myself to add up how much I have been spending:o, both chest freezers are full to bursting in the garage and the cupboards are full, I've also been buying food and then forgetting to take tings out of the freezer which as resulted in me then getting a take away or buying pizza/easy cook things from the supermarket on the way back from work. I can't believe how disorganized I have become and it needs to stop NOW.


So plans for this week are to sort ebay listings, eat from stores, bake/cook properly, catch up on surveys.


Hope everyone is ok x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Great to see you posting again. Sorry to hear it all got tough but happy you had a fab holiday Xx

hugglemonster

So good to hear from you, holiday sounds fab - what an ordeal since then though hope everything settles down now.

I know I've not had time to get on to surveys much lately either, so handy to get the little extras, plus I need to get dh to put on a laptop to sell on fb site or ebay too.

We have started shopping at Lidl since it opened and even though we've been so busy and haven't meal planned properly we have been good with what we have brought. Amazing difference to what we would usually spend in Tesco, currently our food spends are half compared to every other month!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, H x

pennywisepoundstupid

Popping in whilst I have a sit down and cup of tea, need to go and pick DD up from work shortly.

Weather is pants here today, did take the dogs down to the beach first thing and had a nice walk,blew some cobwebs away and gave me some thinking time. Wood burner is lit but I havn't put on the CH as there is only myself and DS in at the minute and he's not complaining and walking round in shorts and tshirt:eek:. So might as well burn free wood, I hate putting the CH on I can almost see the money burning away:rotfl:.

Frugality continues breakfast was some potato cakes I found in the freezer with poached eggs and mushroom, eggs are from our own chucks, so brekkie cost around £1 for 4 of us as everything else was whoopsed. Hm carrot and lentil soup and some whoopsed bread rolls for lunch, I have made a mince beef pie for tea tonight which we will have with mash and frozen peas. Also taken out some crumpets from the freezer as DS might want a snack , if not they will do for breakfast in the morning. Choccie cake has also been made just waiting on it cooling so I can Ice it.

Have some items on ebay and more scheduled to go on this evening, mixture of buy it now and auctions so hopefully I will make a few pounds over the next week.

Off to check out surveys x

pennywisepoundstupid

Morning,

Another cool autumnal morning but at least it is sunny, woodburner is lit and I've opened all the doors around the house so heat can circulate and I have also put the airer up to dry some clothes, will also pop some bits out on the line when the washer has finished, they might just need finishing off on the airer this evening though.


£50 has hit bank account from y0ugov and made £24 on £bay so this has been swept into savings, need to have a think regarding saving pots as we borrowed from them to pay for kitchen, woodburner and fixing CH and this needs paying back, also need a holidy/school trip savings pot and a general when the $h!t hits the fan pot. This is something for me to look at this week.


Frugality continues crumpets for brekkie, need to have a dig in the freezers as i'm sure I saw some cinnamon bagels last week and these would be good for breakfast, lunch is left over soup or cheese toastie, fruit and yoghurt, tea tonight is chicken and spinach curry, rice and naan bread.
I'm also trying to think of things I used to do to help save the pennies, I think I might need to pop onto the old style board for a refresher course :rotfl:.

Have a great day xx

jwil

Well done on the surveys and sales. Lovely to 'see' you again. I did post the other day but it seems to have disappeared!

pennywisepoundstupid

jwil wrote: »

Well done on the surveys and sales. Lovely to 'see' you again. I did post the other day but it seems to have disappeared!

Hi Jwil, thanks for popping by. I've got to get myself back into posting more regularly as this diary really does keep me straight. I think I just lost my head for a little while and needed to cut off the world and refocus.

PWPSxx

pennywisepoundstupid

Today's to do list.

Surveys.
Post RM survey items.
Bake cake for DH sports club.
Wrap sold £bay items.
List 3 £bay items.
Meal plan for next week when back at work.
Saving goals!?.
Ironing/washing.

scubaangel

Glad to see you're getting back on top of things and feeling better, nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed!

chanie

Welcome back penny. I do enjoy reading your updates, you always sound very organised.