Marginal Gains

Brindlebabe

Just popping by to say hello. I've really enjoyed your diary.
I was pleased your cash machine money was refunded, such a heart-sink moment when you realise you've left it in the machine.

Well done on the remortgage and good luck with your DD getting in to the same school as DS.

BB

Cornish_mum

Thanks for popping by Brindlebabe it’s lovely time have a visitor.

On Saturday DH worked in the morning (I did homework with DS, wrote a few family cards with the kids, did house chores with the kids, and made spinach and white sweet potato soup).

DH came home in the afternoon so I could take DD to another birthday party... she joined in and had a lovely time:). Present came from my Black Friday stores. On his way home DH bought new waterproof coat and trousers as his old ones (which he uses every day it’s wet) were totally trashed (£220 less rich...). I encouraged him to buy them as he cycles everywhere and it’s not good for him to be wet-through all day at work. But eek proper outdoor clothes are really expensive.:eek: His last set were 5 years old so per day it’s not so much money.

While DD and I were at the party; DH took DS to choose a Christmas tree at local farm, they got a lovely one for £45. DH and I both did top up shops (£15 in total, though most of this was for DHs office snack supplies, as he has a mammoth work fortnight for second job coming up and needs serious sustenance to hand).

On Sunday our online groceries arrived £70, as I had to re-buy our Christmas nuts, as DH had eaten them all.:rotfl: I hid the chocolate but thought baking ingredients would be safe in the kitchen- should have known better. Managed to get DS to finish homework before church which is always a battle. While DH and kids were at church I did more laundry and made double batch of pastry for mince pies which is now in the freezer. We had a ploughman lunch using up odds and ends, including some very old homemade chutney. Kids had ham and cheese sandwich’s and veg sticks. Then we decorated the Christmas tree.

DS had a party, in the afternoon it was a drop-off so DH took him; DD and I made a Christmas wreath with trimmings from the tree, pine cones I had collected over the year and ivy from next doors hedge. It’s not as good as a bought one but was free. We also started Christmas wrapping; DD chooses ribbons and gift tags (from last years cards), I did the actual wrapping. The paper came from JL summer sale in 2018 - each roll was ~50p so I bought a lot of what they had. Just realised that it’s all the same pattern, which means I will have to source Father Christmas paper from somewhere else, as DS will spot if his stocking wrapping matches what we use. He is getting quite suspicious already about Father Christmas but I want to try to keep the pretence up. Batched cooked pasta sauce, while DD watched Cbebbies with DH who did the ironing.

Monday was normal work day £3 on lunch and free coffee. This morning dropped DS to school by cab (£8) so I could make my train. Our Babysitter is picking up the kids tonight, as DH is working late. PILs arriving tomorrow to help for the rest of the next two weeks, as DH is working late every day till 18th. I have a bunch of key meetings and deadlines before Christmas so can’t take any more time off.

DD announced on Sunday that she wants to meet and talk to Father Christmas; everywhere is completely fully booked and we missed DHs work Family Christmas party on Sunday because it clashed with DS’s party. We could try the shopping centre on Saturday that doesn’t take bookings but the thought of queuing for ages there is not filling me with seasonal joy. I think DD is actually going to refuse to see Father Christmas when it comes to it, but clearly kids at preschool have been talking about it, so don’t want her to miss out. DH suggested that we arrange for DD to have a phone call from Father Christmas....

Cornish_mum

Bit of a week as DH and I had a lot of work on; so I spent a bit much on coffee, taxis and lunches. Not actually sure what I spent.....

I will use my November (£400) consultancy payment (which I decided to have paid to my work in the end instead of personally) to expense my teams Christmas lunch (£108) which I usually pay from my own money, so that’s a win.

PILs are staying with us so we are going through more food etc. Online groceries came in at £65 this week, plus £3.29 nice bread, £6 at MrW for fruit and bubble bath to top up soap dispensers. I have started using my Christmas stash and freezer stores but that’s what they are for. Managed to squeeze an extra day out of food we already had in and we all ate really well, so pleased with that.

Made homemade mince-pies after we came home from the woods on Saturday and they were really good. Since I started making my own I can’t eat shop bought ones. PIL brought kids kinder chocolate from Germany so they have been having that rationed for treats. We had a roast chicken on Sunday, very little left overs but managed to use it for the kids tea.

I bought DS an extra Christmas gift (£21) as the present cupboard gift I had in mind was not what I thought it was. Also when I fully investigated my gift cupboard on Sunday morning I discovered I am quite low on stocking fillers for DS too. I ended up spending another £41, on 4 gifts for him . I am bit annoyed with myself, as I thought this was all sorted out, but better to find out now than on December 24th at 9pm.

I sent BF a bundle of DDs old clothes for her girls (she is mega frugal and appreciates hand me downs), also bought overseas stamps when I was in the post office (£38 in total). This is better than last year as I have managed to organise all the family gifts to be handed over in person or via PILs. I did the Christmas cards on Saturday night but still have the local ones to do. I am really late doing them as just been too exhausted from work.

DD nursery are having a Christmas party with Father Christmas so no need to take her to visit FC this weekend. We provide the gift for this, (I used something from stores).

We went to woods on Saturday for fun £6 on parking two cars it was really cold so we couldn’t stay long. On Sunday DH took PIL and kids on tour of some local sites including his second job office!! His parents are generally very into his career and he always takes them on tours of his work places. Any way free entertainment for them equals no spends for me.:p

DD has been happily wearing a hand me down Christmas jumper for DS all week and DS has agreed his jumper from last year is fine for his Christmas jumper day, so that was a saving. Also sold an old carseat for £5 on gumtree and took a bag of kids clothes to the charity shop on Saturday. Complained about non delivery of a book from amazon marketplace and immediately been given refund which was nice.:D

Remortgage went through, DH has had a £250 side work payment which I think he wasn’t expecting. I am due £150 and DH about £1600 extra this month for extra work.:D

Cash-back on my cc was £133 this year; which means I must have spent 13.3k on it over the year. This includes my 4.8k season ticket, my new mobile, the new washing machine, most food including meals out (as DH rarely pays using his cards), our summer holiday costs including plane tickets minus £700 taken in Euros, all my work expenses, all gifts and clothes for me and the kids, my coffee and family entertainment. I am happy with that.

Monday was frugal fails x2; because of my schedule I couldn’t go to MrW for my usual coffee and lunch for £3. Instead spent £2.80 on coffee and £4.89 on lunch in Pret, also had no lunch break. 4 days left in the office...till January 2nd.

Busy_Mee1

Hi Cornish Mum just popping in to say how much I enjoy reading your very hectic exploits. This used to be us juggling two full on jobs and family life. You do amazingly well to keep on top of your finances.

I hope you get time to relax a bit over Christmas and the New Year, but suspect it will still be hectic but just without going to work !

Cornish_mum

Thank you BusyMee; it’s lovely to have you pop by. Yes, I fully anticipate Christmas holidays will be just as hectic!

Oh well ‘if your not living on the edge your taking up too much room’;)

Cornish_mum

Tuesday-Friday were very standard work days, free coffee and £3 lunches. I took home made mince pies for work potluck on Tuesday, and worked later on Tuesday and Wednesday but luckily PIL were helping those days. Today the internet and internal servers failed at lunch time and the IT department were out at a Christmas do, so I ended up leaving the office early as ran out of work to complete offline. Unfortunately this means I haven’t been able to clear my desk- so just had to leave myself a handwritten to do list and downed tools at 2pm until January 2nd.

We are all exhausted, DH especially. There is norovirus at DD nursery we are just hoping she doesn’t catch it.....

I took the opportunity to do a MrW nice fruit, cheese, bread, nuts and premade stuffing shop (£39) for Christmas on my way home. And bought DS another extra stocking gift (£7); last minute spending on the kids is my weakness. I am doing better than last year but still think I need to avoid shops now until the New Years.

Tonight I need to organise DB and DF birthday cards and gifts, sort out DS after school activities for next term and the schedule for our babysitter. Play date for DS tomorrow and I need to start the Christmas baking for DM and PILs Christmas hampers.

Hope all MFW have a restful Christmas break.

CM

Cornish_mum

Completed the Christmas baking (mince pies, almond biscuits my mum likes, cupcakes for kids, and chocolate truffles for gifts and for me). I baked cookies on Saturday but we already ate them all. I have hidden the mince pies from DH and told him he can’t eat any more baked items until PILs arrive. Today I boiled and glazed our ham so tomorrow I don’t have to cook much. We will just have jackets with ham/cheese with salad and beans for kids. I still need to finish icing the Christmas cake.

All presents bought, just need to finish packing the hampers and wrap the stocking gifts for the kids. Online groceries came in at £140 :eek:after I used £22.50 of nectar points, and DH spent another £30 in Herr A yesterday. He took the kids and apparently DS spent the whole time saying ‘don’t look at the toys in the middle, we are only buying stuff on mums list’.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I have bought far too much food, it’s my first time hosting PILs, so I keep worrying about hosting and running out of something critical.

Tomorrow DD and me are off to see Frozen 2 (£12) and DH is taking DS climbing (£14) first thing. I will try to get up early to make popcorn.

Spent £17 on birthday gift for DB and knitting book for DM. Car service and MOT came in a £297. We just need to buy petrol for our trip after Christmas to see family and hopefully we won’t spend anything further now till January.

becky170

I hope you managed to dodge the norovirus and had a great Christmas!

CosmoCat

All that baking sounds delish. Hope you had a splendid Christmas.

Cornish_mum

Thank you both:). Norovirus dodge! Only 2 mince pies and half a cake left