Missy’s family of 4, paying off debts, saving for a house and just trying to survive!

missymoo81

Ah just typed a post and lost it. Wondering if I should get a pressure cooker, I can get an electric one for £30. Not sure if I will use it or it will sit unused under the sink?! I do have a slow cooker, and I make stew in there. But I struggle with the layer of fat that appears on the top when I make bolognese or chilli, I know I could cook the mince first, but just makes me think I might as well just do it in the Pan. 

Thanks for the batch cooking thoughts. We do cook enough chilli and bolognese and stew for 2 days, but I don’t freeze them we just eat them For 2 days in a row as we really don’t mind. 

I have so much food in my fridge. Just not eating the Gousto stuff because it take so long to cook and I’m so tired when I get in and it’s late. Really need to sort it out. Have also bought some bone in, skin on chicken thighs which I’m going to just shove in the oven to cook and then just peel the skin / bone off when they’re cooked to try and reduce cooking times. Will let iiu know how they turn out as they are so so cheap. About 900g for £1.88.

Been at work all day today and have friends coming over for bbq in the garden, socially distanced of course. Managed to fit this in my budget which I’m happy about as usually would spend about £100 on shopping if people were coming over. And I even managed to get beer! Need to finish cleaning at work and get myself home to get the house in order, it’s in a right state! Have mountains of washing that need doing too. Might try and have a lay in tomorrow then get lots of things done when I’m hopefully less tired.  Argh people keep popping into work and wanting to chat, but I’m all peopled out right now. After months of not seeing anyone, I’ve seen about 10 different people and I’ve had enough, and I have the 2 people come round later. Think I may need to lay in a darkened room for half an hour before hand just to normalise!!!!

joedenise

That's a good price for the chicken thighs.  Where are those from?  The last lot I bought were about £3 a Kg but had to buy 5 Kgs!

missymoo81

joedenise said:

That's a good price for the chicken thighs.  Where are those from?  The last lot I bought were about £3 a Kg but had to buy 5 Kgs!

They were just from Tesco they work out at 1.80 per kg but are bone in skin on.

missymoo81

Hey everyone, having a lovely day! Just at the beach. Will post later as have lots to report!

missymoo81

Hi!
Have had a lovely relaxed day today, got up late and read some diaries, then we went to the beach. OH paid for lunch and we just splashed about and built sandcastles for hours. Home and had left over BBQ food for dinner, bathed little ones and hung some washing up. Have so much more washing to do, but struggling to dry it as it was too late to put it outside. If I’m organised enough in the morning I could in theory hang some outside before work..... but I’m not usually that organised. I could and should be though as have a timer delay on machine, so could set it tonight..... hmmm really should. I should also make some banana bread as don’t have any for tomorrow, but feeling too lazy to do it which again is pretty ridiculous, have just made some overnight oats in the hope they’ll be nice for tomorrow’s after workout breakfast. I guessed though and didn’t have yoghurt so added what I did have which was cream, milk, and the children’s fromage frais. Then I cut up some tinned peaches and added some of the syrup so we will see. OH loves certain yoghurts but they’re £2.20, which is ludicrous, so hoping this can be an alternative as I refuse to buy them right now. 

Still have a fridge full of food, so going to sit here and do a meal plan for next week. Then come up with a plan for batch cooking for the following lot of shopping. Need to use up the Gousto stuff this week. Have started to do my shopping once every 9-10 days which really helps. I’m over budget for this month so far because of the Gousto, but it’s all accounted for. I’m hoping to be able to bring budget down for next month and for this next week of June. I have a shopping order on the 30th June and the 9th July, I would have booked it for the 10th but the day before was free instead of £1.
Moneywise, things are good. I have moved all money from my savings into premium bonds so fingers crossed I’ll be lucky! I have bids on 6 of my things on eBay, totalling up to£71.20! But they don’t finish until Wednesday I think so fingers crossed they’re genuine bids. I managed to sell some FB things for £10. So at present I am £81.20 up so I have made the £31 I needed. I have finally been paid for some work I did in February so hoping that hits my account this week, and it will move straight over to my emergency fund. I moved £40 odd into it today as it was meant to be in there but had been used to open premium bonds so took it back out. Really need to go to the bank and pay all the cash in. Will def do that this week, and sort that invoice out as budget depends on it!
Finally listed car for sale, really hoping I make more than I thought on that too. I will get this budget stuff sorted!

PurpleFairy26

Sounds like a productive day. Well done on the sales and getting the car listed. 

I use the time delay on my washing machine so there is a load ready in the morning. It’s a really good way to keen on top of washing. If you do it every day that’s 7 loads a week done already. If the weather is going to be ok it gets pegged out, if not it goes on the airer. 

missymoo81

Hey PF thanks for popping I . Washing machine is currently on! Almost done! So hopefully I will actually get the washing out before work today. Need to get 2 more done today. Have 2 workouts this morning then hopefully I can go and get the school work, get some home school stuff done and more washing. I need to go to the post office and post one eBay thing, so might take the children on their scooters. Need to Have a good tidy up and sort some clothes and find some things to eBay.

i started doing huge sums and working out money last night to try and get everything paid back into the deposit by Aug 2023, but gosh it’s tight. Will do my SOA and show you how it worKs out.

missymoo81

Hmmm does anyone know where I can find the SOA template? I’ve googled it but they don’t look v user friendly like the ones I’ve seen on here. Thanks so much.

PurpleFairy26

Try this one

https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php

joedenise

That one doesn't work any more PF.  The one in use now is the lemon fool one.  I'll try to find the link.