I am being upgraded from Mum to Nan - I need a plan!

Mum2Nan

It’s been a lot longer than I had wished to get back on here and update my diary. 

My sister had gone by time I got home on Friday last and I felt a little deflated but was pleased she wanted to go home.  There was the most beautiful bunch of roses and a note to say thank you... until the next morning when I received a nice but angry text thanking me for giving her £50 which I had withdrawn when I popped over to the shop to buy us both yet more wine and stuffed it in the bottom of her bag.

Roll on to Wednesday and when I left for work noticed the rear end of my car had been hit. Fortunately it seems only the paintwork so I’ve booked it in to my local garage this week and will be lucky if I see any change out of £100.  So annoying but I trust my garage so it won’t go anywhere else.

I’ve pretty much blown all my budgets this month.  My budget is not realistic!!

Aldi were selling my cats cat food during their pet week offer so I spent £40 on that but at least I don’t have to buy any for a while.  If only they liked Aldi’s food.  I’ve gone very stingy with the cat litter and that was made very clear to me by Hardy as he left me a surprise in the bath… To be fair, he’s made his point!

I managed to sort out the issue between Quidco and PayPal and the money has now been received.  I so desperately wanted this kept separately as I am not only targeting my BC1, I am secretly trying to reduce the dreaded Halifax MC.

I have had a few wins on my eBay sales.  Thank god for relisting as I really don’t have the time and including my Quidco money now sits at almost £200 including another £10 from Quidco that I transferred yesterday.  My work expenses came through as well.  I’m not going to bother sorting out my savings pots until tomorrow.

So where am I financially?  Come Monday, for the first time since I bought my flat back in 2015 when I had no debt at all I am moving into the £18K territory.  My loan will be under £3K and the dreaded MC will be under £10K.  I appreciate it’s still an awful lot of money to owe but it’s all going in the right direction despite challenges on the way.

Mum2Nan

I woke up raring to go yesterday morning.  I’m not sure where my energy came from but sorted out a meal plan and spent most of the morning cooking and preparing for the week ahead.  No wonder time goes so quickly, I never seem to spend it in the here and now, it’s the same at work, am booking meetings in for next month and May already.  I moved money around to ensure all bills, debts and overpayments were made today and tomorrow and replenished my monthly pots.

Popped over to my parents for dinner in the afternoon, back home again last night and it was time to get organised for bed.

I didn’t visit Sainsbury’s at all in February!  The first month ever, I think.  Not sure if it’s a coincidence or not but they sent me a £10 voucher for an online shop so I plan to use it later on this week and will choose the cheapest delivery option which is a 9-10 pm slot.  Will also convert some of my Nectar points to keep the cost down even further.  I will order things I either can’t get or don’t like from Aldi.  I’m getting a bit bored of making the same meals so I thought I would add a bit of variety for next week’s meal plan so have been working on that for an hour this evening.  The timing will also fit in nicely with having to collect my car from the garage on Friday after work.  In between getting home from the garage and my food delivery I hope to have enough energy to do some housework so I can have a bit of a rest on Saturday morning. 

Saturday afternoon I am looking after my lovely Grandson for a couple of hours.

I am planning on a very frugal March.  After Friday’s shop I plan not to do any food shopping other than milk for 2 weeks.  I have cancelled a night out next Wednesday as it would be an expensive and late night and my sensible head (sometimes I have one but it doesn’t show very often) is reminding me I have to get up for work the next morning. 

I have a wedding coming up in two weeks and still need to pay the balance of that plus my contribution to the wedding gift.  Tomorrow evening I am hoping to list another few items on eBay but then my eBaying will come to an end as I won’t have anything else left to sell.   Well I could sell Hardy, he’s been a grouch since yesterday afternoon and boy is he letting me know it, perhaps he’s as fed up with the weather as me.

enthusiasticsaver

Well done for getting into the £18ks. It is all going in the right direction in spite of the challenges you face. Glad you had some time with your sister although sorry it was for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately your BIL does not sound like the type to go quietly if that is what your sister wants.

Mum2Nan

Thanks for the encouragement, Enthusiastic!

Tuesday already over and I am one relieved Mum2Nan tonight.  I had my PDR this morning.    I don’t know why I dread them, but I do.  You are expected to be very critical whilst selling yourself at the same time.  How does that work?  I’ve been in the same job for years and take the view if they didn’t think I was doing a good job they would and could have got rid of me sooner…  and there is no room for self-praise as that’s no praise at all!  I tried to look ‘engaged’ but I think it was written on my face.  I’ve got a great line manager and he’s been my line manager since I joined the company, so we went through the motions like we have done in previous years… thank god they only happen once a year.

Got home relatively early for me this evening.  Fed the cats, made a brew and spent half hour listing the last remaining items to sell on eBay.  I find it a bit of a chore to be honest but relieved once it’s done.  Hopefully I shall see a return on my efforts.

BIL seems to be 'off the couch' and picked up some work, not much but enough to give my sister a little cash injection in the next week or two.

Mum2Nan

I’m so tired I can barely think straight this evening.  I’ve had two horrendous commutes in two days. Yesterday morning took over 2 hours to get to work and this evening took almost 3 to get home.  I’ve claimed for yesterday and will claim tonight’s tomorrow but I’m afraid the piddly amounts of compensation compared to time lost just doesn’t cut it.  Thankfully it’s Friday tomorrow and am looking forward to the weekend.  Assuming there are no other public transport problems tomorrow I am collecting my car from the garage, have my online shop being delivered, babysitting my grandson Saturday afternoon and my BF is taking me out for a meal on Saturday evening.  I say he’s taking me out because he’s paying!

I really need to start contributing to other people’s diaries as I am stealing another idea (on top of the successful frozen sandwiches) … shopping from home.  I have a wedding to go to soon and I have quite a few dresses in my wardrobe one or two with their tags still on (due to unplanned weight loss), it’s a Muslim / Islamic wedding but I do have pashminas and a plethora of scarves that I somehow must have known years ago I would need in my future life.

I received an offer on another of my eBay sales and for the sake of £1 accepted.

At the end of this month I will need to take Laurel and Hardy for their booster jabs.  Come the end of April I need to renew their insurances but I am thinking of self-insuring, I got this idea from a work colleague.

I wish my diary was a bit more exciting.

Mum2Nan

The weather today in contrast to yesterday briefly reminded me Spring is on its way.  If it’s the same tomorrow I will take my gorgeous grandson to the park, if not, will take him to soft play, either way we need to go via the farmers market in town due to a few items not being available from Sainsbury’s.

Public transport was kind to me tonight and I arrived home in time to collect my car from the garage and they’ve done a fantastic job.  As they already had the paint, was ‘only’ charged £75.  It had been valeted and washed as well and it looks as good as new.   Of course, I am £75 down through no fault of my own but in staying optimistic, I am £25 up as I thought it would be around £100.  I’ve taken this out of my emergency fund for the time being but do have some money in my car pot.  A good start to the weekend, on the whole.

Now my Sainsbury’s order has been delivered I intend spending some time tomorrow cooking up my meal plan for next week including French Onion soup in the slow cooker.  I’ve made this a couple of times before and it’s very tasty and very filling.

I claimed for the train delay from yesterday’s horrendous journey home.  I have requested both claims for this week to be paid into my PP account as I am trying to squirrel some money away.

I’ve decided to cancel my pet insurance and save the money separately.  Laurel & Hardy are both 4 years young and are home cats so feel the risk is minimal.

I love Saturday mornings… other than 4pm on a Friday when the week is behind you and the weekend is ahead of you.  No alarm, no work and a sense of freedom.

Blackcats

Mum2nan - your diary might not be exciting but it's interesting and that's what counts.  I don't think any of us have exciting diaries unless we win the lottery it's usually a steady journey towards changing habits and saving money 😇
french onion soup sounds lovely - could you share the recipe?  

Mum2Nan

I logged on here last night for another update but was interrupted by the phone… it was my sister.  She is sounding a bit happier these days, but she’s asked if she can stay over for a couple of nights again next month and of course agreed.

I made French onion soup on Saturday morning as planned but it took my eyes a good half hour to recover from the tears, the onions were that strong so decided to have a shower before continuing any further.  I now have 4 portions of soup bagged up in the freezer.  I also made potato Dauphinoise.  Gruyere cheese is quite expensive, but I grate it and freeze it to use for croutens for the soup when I have it at home.   It’s groaning again under the weight, but I don’t want to do any shopping for another 2 weeks.

Went and picked up my gorgeous GS from DD’s and went to the park via the farmer’s market to pick up some veggies (total spend was £4.20).  I really enjoyed the couple of hours or so we had pushing him on the swings and now he is walking helped him climb up the baby slide.   Dropped gorgeous GS home and I could still smell the garlic in my flat when I got home!

Went out with BF on Saturday evening to our favourite Italian.  I’m a very cheap date, ha ha as only eat starter and mains and drink tap water… I’m a savoury person rather than sweet and we had a bottle of wine, well a bit more than that actually as we drank the remaining wine used for the soup when we got back home this was my treat.

I’ve had to claim yet another train delay this evening as two trains were cancelled.  At this rate the train company will be paying off the dreaded MC! but it’s very frustrating especially as it was raining so another £3.20 will be winging its way to my PP account in the next few days.

Hi Blackcats, thanks for stopping by.  The recipe is loosely based on the BBC’s good food guide.  Ingredients are:

1kg onions
50g butter
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon sugar
300 ml dry white wine
1.5L beef stock (I use 2 or 3 Knorr stockpots)

Partially caramelise the onions with the butter, garlic, sugar and plain flour.  I made the mistake of completely caramelising them before putting them in the slow cooker and the onions turned a bit gloopy.  Throw it all in the slow cooker, add the white wine and stock.  Give it a good stir and either leave on all day or overnight (I’ve done both previously) and it’s that simple.  Depending on how you like the thickness, you can add or reduce the plain flour.  I like mine quite thick! 

I have some watchers on two of my eBay items.  I hope they turn into sales.

beanielou

The trains just dsound dire.
Glad that your sister sounds a tad happier 

Pollie

I have started replacing gruyere with emmenthal as it is cheaper