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

dawnybabes

Have you started getting CMS for the kids yet ? 

Baileys_Babe

missymoo81 said:

 Also I decided to bite the bullet and buy 3 x shampoos 3 x mascaras and 3 x conditioners whilst they were all super cheap. I have no idea how long they will last, I’m hoping for 6 months +. 

So I have an idea how long a product lasts us I make a note in my phone of the product and date opened, then when it is finished I work out how long it lasted. This helps me make the most of offers without holding ridiculous stocks. I don't do this with everything and I only do a few things at a time.

missymoo81

Hey @dawnybabes yes! I am finally getting child maintenance. About half of what I was getting pre Covid, but he has a step child to look after now, and wages have changed. It is a minimal amount. But something is better than nothing I guess. It is month 2 of getting it, and I had to chase ex up but I got it in the end.

Thanks @Baileys_Babe I keep meaning to do thiS, but I forget! I don’t use a lot of make up. And probably only buy some things once a year, others maybe 3-4 times. But it would be interesting to see! Then I can budget accordingly. I think for shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, mousse and makeup it’s probably £100 a year, which sounds expensive when I write it like that, But I think if most people were to break theirs down it would be a surprise how much these things cost. So I may set up a budget of £10 a month.

Feeling a bit more in control. When my brain can take it, I’m going to look at maybe looking into ways to work a little more without being stressed and up the amount I get paid. 

Baileys_Babe

£10 per month for toiletries seems reasonable to me. I don't wear makeup so I have no idea what a reasonable budget would be.

Glad to hear that you are getting some child maintenance, are you receiving everything you are entitled to or is your ex choosing a figure that suits them?

missymoo81

Ex has worked child maintenance out as per government website but we’re not in agreement on how many days per year he has them as it’s sparodic, but for now I can’t be stressing about it. Just been for a lovely walk, glad to be back with a cuppa though.

Baileys_Babe

I hope you keep a diary with dates and times of when the ex has the children. Then you have evidence for future negotiations. 

jwil

Could you buy kidney beans in chilli sauce?  Save buying a separate jar.  Also what about stripping a whole chicken rather than buying chicken breasts so that a chicken lasts for 2 or more meals.

You could use the ham joint in place of bacon in some of your recipes.  We've just had gammon, new potatoes and salad, and will use the rest of the joint for ham, egg and chips and probably something else too.

Toad in the hole? Crustless quiche?

I don't cut up iceberg until I use it, but find that a whole one will generally last a good couple of weeks in the fridge.

Do you use a reusable cup for your Costa habit?  If not, it's probably worth getting one even if you don't manage to totally stop buying the coffees.  You'll save 25p on each coffee which will help pay towards the cup and you will be helping the environment too which I know is important to you.  You can then make coffee at home as much as possible which is the cheapest option, but still save a small amount if you do succumb! (assuming you remember to take the cup with you).

missymoo81

Hey @jwil such fab tips thank you! 

I was in actual fact trying to justify the ham, that would help. I love toad in the hole. So that is also an option! 

And yes! You are right! I could of course take my cup if needed. I could actually just leave one of the spare smaller ones in the car….. not that I’m going to have one!!! 😳

I’ve done some saving today. We went past 2 Starbucks and I didn’t even mention having one. OH took squash with us which meant we didn’t need to buy a can of pop. I’ve also been super good with doing surveys at the moment as I’m often on my phone reading diaries etc. So I’ve made about £10 since the start of holiday. Going to try and save it up and use it towards Xmas. I have £28 in there so far, and I have £30 in PayPal which I forgot about so that will also go towards the xmas fund. 

Oooh also I’ve emailed a coffee company called Pact that we got bought a voucher for last year that I stupidly, completely forgot all about and has unfortunately expired.
I’ve emailed them and asked if there is any chance at all they would  still let us use it. So fingers crossed as it’s worth £50!!!! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤞🏼 I doubt it but you can but ask! 

Baileys_Babe

A friend likes pact coffee and the convenience of it dropping through the door 🤞

missymoo81

@Baileys_Babe indeed! And we can get quite a lot of coffee for £50! Then I can make it in my new travel mug 😊