Digging my way out

Doing_it_my_way

That's a really positive attitude savinghomes, being grateful for everything large or small.
Not much happening here today, cleaned up all morning usual routine for a Sunday. No mucking out as horses were out all night so much easier. The runner beans are doing ok, but wont be enough until tomorrow night so will keep them and if they don't fit in with the meal then I will freeze them.
DH has been particuarly grumpy today, hes not usually like this. I couldn't find out what was wrong but he is now shattered and in a better mood, he does hate rain though ...........
Anyway he didn't fancy cooked dinner for tea, so just wanted sausage and chips, fine by me
A NSD today so accounts all the same.
Weight loss is now 27lb so I am very pleased only 2lb more until my target is reached. Three weeks today we go on holiday. Not going to lie, I could murder a chinese takeaway lol
September shopping budget is £150 for the month, which I will split into weekly amounts, happily we are away for 8 days so although it will be expensive as it is a holiday, I wont be spending out of my shopping budget, therefore hopefully I will have something to carry over at the end of the month.
This month is going ok, but I think it is tougher as I gave myself £50 to use for top up spends for the month but have decided to change from monthly to weekly, I think I can do it, but maybe I will be a pound or two over, I am not going to stress over this but take on board where I could have done things differently if I do go over.
Being frugal is definitely more time consuming at the moment and it is taking a lot of focus so keep at it, but it is the only way forward.

Doing_it_my_way

Well what a morning so far!...............
I can't tell you why other than it may be linked to going on holiday in three weeks on a plane which I absolutely hate but I am having anxiety this morning. Worrying about everything. I've decided to quickly come on here and write about my day in the hope that it will help.
So this morning, DH mucked out I topped up the straw beds and put in fresh hay. Horses all our in the field, older boy has a rug on as it is not pleasant here again. A bit of sun and drier days which is what Summer is all about would be nice.
Green house checked over and watered, tomatoes looking great some very big probably around 100 or more in all but still all very green. My coreoposis have been eaten by slugs overnight so not happy about that, DH will have to find the culprits and move them to different pastures. Runner beans looking good I will probably pick them later on today and then freeze them as they don't fit in with tea tonight.
I've made a loaf of bread for dinner and another one has just gone in so I can slice it and freeze it. There was a large tub of blackberries on the hedgerows this morning and put with the bowl in the fridge I have just made 6 jars. I can say whether they will set as it was probably the most difficult/annoying jam I have ever made, I gave up in the end an put it in jars and will wait to see.
I was all ready to put washing on the line and then it absolutely hammered down, just like someone was throwing buckets of water at us, so it is in the tumble dryer, not what I wanted at all. One of the dogs has been sick over the puffe in the living room so thats all been cleaned up and the throw is in the washing machine ....lovely!!!
I have got some curtains from DS to shorten but I honestly don't think today is a good day as I am dropping things all over the place and have already splattered the kitchen cupboards twice with runny jam.
It will be a nsd today again, thats going very well now and we have enough milk to last until Friday probably, but I will go shopping on Thursday and get the rest of what I need for a week as we are having wraps on Friday so I need ham and cucumber to go in them, all written into the budget and meal plan....at least I hope I can keep under budget, but I am not going to beat myself up over it, I have done a great job already I have to believe that. Weight has stayed stable this morning the huge drop of 2lb has still stayed off so it must be real.
DH and DS are very busy today and have had a real quick coffee and cake, DS went to get a cake and found only 1 in the tin, I said I know DH has eaten them all!! To which DH replied you cant remember what you did with them can you!!?? and laughed, no, they were in the other cake tin about another 11 of them. I thought I didn't have many to go in the freezer. Honestly my memory is shot! So I took 5 out and froze them straight away.
I haven't got any knitting on the go at the moment which isn't really helping me. I love to sit in the evening and knit it is relaxing and I just love it, I am loathe to buy wool as it feels like I am wasting money but it would help me mentally a lot. I have only got small amounts of wool left, but I might go and see if I have enough for a bobble hat or something, maybe a beanie each for DH and DS for the winter, now that might be an idea
It really helps to come on here and 'talk', puts all the files in my mind into their correct filing cabinets
Cheese toasties for lunch today, homemade bread and cheese from the freezer defrosted this morning.
I can't believe how busy I am organising and being frugal. I think today might have started off with me being stressed to the hilt because I probably should have done a bit more yesterday so all my jobs didn't come at me first thing.
Taking Rescue Remedy also helps.

Doing_it_my_way

I decided to go to Aldi late this afternoon, DH and DS are going out tomorrow to secure one of their contracts and needed cash, while I was there I did enough shopping to last until the weekend, other than milk and chips which I will get on Thursday, couldn't carry them home. I could have taken the car but decided to have some exercise. Also wanted to get the medium size freezer bags but they were out of stock. They are 98p for 50, DH suggested we walk to the local shopping area and called in B & M they had freezer bags - huge- on offer, 200 bags for £3, I had to have them, I can put a whole loaf in one of them all cut up into slices and cheaper than Aldi.
Walked home in all around 5km. Horses are staying out tonight as it is meant to be dry and it wont be long before they have to come in every night. They much prefer to stay out, and enjoy the hay we give them for overnight as a treat.
DH had mash, sausages left over from yesterday and some field mushrooms all stirred up together and put into a pie dish with grilled cheese on top and some chips for tea. I treated myself to tuna sandwiches with homemade bread, 3 slices! I did think hard about it but it was in my calorie goal before I did any exercise so it was ok and I haven't had homemade bread for months, yum yum although I feel totally full up now probably too full.
Picked runner beans at tea-time and have frozen them, a small portion really.
Tonight's spend came to £6.90 paid for on my card so shopping in bank is now £12.70 and shopping purse is still £2.20 so £14.90 left in all which is £1.24 a day. Items needed to get to the end of the month are: chips x 2 = 1.78p, custard x 2 = 90p, milk £2.98p, cereal = £2, beans x 1 = 23p,treat for puppy = 55p, cheese = £1.79p, margarine = £1.25p, dog food = £2.29p, total is £13.77. Possibly more milk as well and a cheese sauce, I might make one but last time I did it was bland. So based on that, the budget will be blown and I will need to go into next months but only for a few pounds, fingers crossed anyway.

savingholmes

Glad you managed to find cake - there's always hope where there's cake. I just went and bought some stress toys.... They help too.... I think if knitting de-stresses you I would find a way to get the wool...

Doing_it_my_way

Thanks savingholmes, I think I need to feel productive, I tried to knit yesterday with two balls I have but I am not sure they will work out right, so it feels a waste of time,nevermind I think I will try
Jam back on this morning as it did not set! Added apple sauce and some more sugar, lets see what happens now.
Horses all out this morning so no mucking out ....that is a nice feeling. My back is aching a bit today after a rough night sleep so the rest is welcome.
Hopefully I may get around to some gardening later if this sunshine stays.
Washing machine working hard and first wash just about to go out

Doing_it_my_way

Nothing to update on the money front. I can not wait for the credit card to update, it's like waiting for paint to dry!
My mother said she was going into town today and asked if I wanted anything............well those freezer bags were cheap..........but no I said no, I want to keep my money in my bank and my purse.
It's cold here and the sun has just come back out now, but I am freezing. The jam well I am not calling it jam at the moment, it's more like 'that ********** ********* ******** stuff!' that wont set, hasn't set again. I can't do anything else to it, if anything its more runny. Never had this problem before.
I've sat this morning and done my accounts for my small business up until today, I am in profit, so that's something! Not much only a few hundred but at least it's not a loss and it does give me a little bit more incentive to do some more of it, i've been feeling a bit flat over really I thought it was losing money.
DH and DS are back and they had a productive morning with the promise of some regular long term agreements towards the end of the year, I am so pleased and apprehensive at the same time, I so hope it happens, that would be our way to pay the debt off and save, usually when they get word of these agreements it does happen, gentlemens hand shake and all that, coupled with all this money watching and frugal living things may just change. Fingers crossed (I say that so much my fingers must be twisted into knots lol.

Doing_it_my_way

Oh my goodness, I have just been so brave, might sound silly but I stress over anything to do with authorities. Going on this sites advice I actually just put in a request to our bank to see if we had PPI, the form said they will treat it as a complaint if we do have. I can't honestly remember, I can remember always trying to explain why we didn't need it but I also think I probably caved in once or twice, I don't know. Also I just read that packaged accounts are now a no no and you can claim for them, so we definitely had one of them from as far back as about 2004 and probably for 10 years or so, thats been claimed for as well, oh come on! it's time for the wind to change, it would be such a welcome payment and would help us cope for a few more months.
We've brought the horses in tonight as it was raining hard here earlier, it's not giving a great day tomorrow either.
Tea tonight was spaghetti bolognese and there is a tray of lasagne in the fridge ready for tomorrow, at least 3 slices will go in the freezer and when they come out next time for tea I am going to add more cheese and put them in the oven to reheat. I put a loaf of bread sliced up into the freezer today as well and cooked another one, maybe half will go in the freezer tomorrow. If I had margarine here today I would have made more biscuits, I have to go to the shops on Thursday at the latest.
Maybe the credit card interest will update tomorrow, it was done on the 21/22 last twice, it feels like it is the first step on this road.

DebtFreeMonkey

Good on ya! I'm hoping things swing to your favour, I'm sure they will. You always make me want to meal prep more but I forget and tend to just cook quick stuff daily but this autumn/winter, once I'm back from my holiday, I shall be on it, like you

Gosh, I'm waiting for payday, anxiously so that I can make more debt payments and see the balance go down. It's madness, right?

Doing_it_my_way

Yes absolute madness Alicia1804. There is something so satisfying about meal planning and preparing, I am a winter person I love snuggling down and being warm, cupboards full and everyone happy, if it's summer then it needs to be hot and dry none of this rain
Credit card updated today, we paid of £200 but after interest was added it reduced to £129.72, at least that's something. Between the overdraft interest of £40.46 going on today as well an the mortgage interest we pay about £487 a month in interest, wow what a shock! I knew we paid interest but have always been more interested in what we were having and not how we were having it, the tide has turned, they have to go, they are stopping us having the life we work hard for, no ones fault but our own. I've tried to look to see if the loan has updated but the site is down.
This morning horses are now out and mucked out, hay and straw ready for tonight, if it's dry overnight they can stay out. We have straw coming today so that's £55 and DH is going to pay. Tea is lasagne already cooked and in the fridge, the rest is going to be cut up and put into the freezer later on, as will a loaf of bread I cooked yesterday, it's a bit lopsided so the taller bit is going in the freezer and DH and DS can have the smaller end for dinner lol Runner beans are now beginning to produce regularly there are more today, not quite enough for a meal but probably by tomorrow there will be, and the other beans that we grew later have now got baby beans on them. The tomatoes have turned the tiniest bit orange, it is more an off green colour but I can see it is there, looking good at last. Snails have attacked my parsley so I need to move that!
It's raining on and off and not that warm, but washing is all done so no problem there. DH and DS will be coming in for coffee in half hour so might try and make some pancakes quickly.

Doing_it_my_way

I didn't get a response for the PPi claim I made on the banks website and i've been panicking whether or not it actually got there, I could have waited for the 15-30 day response rate but what if it didn't get there in the first place?? So I rang the bank and have done another two claims over the phone, they will check everything DH and I have ever had...so they said. There is nothing I can do now but wait. I've had some painkiller lunchtime because it stresses me so much and I had a migraine brewing, it has settled down now but I am freezing cold so I have a t-shirt, woolly jumper, hoodie and some hand knitted aran socks on The sun is out now
I used to read this site years ago and focus on being frugal but lost my way, I am scared it will happen again. If DH gets these new agreements they will put a lot of stress on things and we will be a lot busier, as long as I can remain focused and keep posting on here I think we are in with a chance. New Mantra:
'There is only one place for my money and that is in my bank/purse.'