A new royal start

Grogged

I do love Tiffin, especially if it has orange in it.
At least you know you have flex in your budget, so I'm sure you'll soon make progress.
Hopefully DD will take the hint soon! 

QueenJess

I know I just need to wait until August when I will no longer have childcare fees to clear it, but I'm impatient and have a big list of other things to save for after that! 

savingholmes

You are doing well. This will pass. I love all the to expressions they make at that age

QueenJess

It's the end of May already and DD is already 2 months old!  Roundup of progress for goals set for May:

- Joint debt £2,175 (aim £2k). Failed due to an unexpected £250 returnable deposit needed for DD's nursery next year! Was doing quite well before that!
- eBay listings 17/5. Smashed it!
- charity donations 2/2
- Tech fund progress £225/£1,000
- NSDs 14/15 (so close...)

QueenJess

June goals:

- Joint debt £1,900
- NSDs 15
- eBay/freecycle/Facebook listings 10
- Charity donations 1
- Tech fund £500 (comes only from unused budget and extra income from eBay sales/surveys etc).

Edit: Forgot to say that my planned EF contributions for this year are now done (I have enough for a year of unemployment and am now adding to it each year for when I need a new car or have another home need). As DH is putting the max allowed into the mortgage this year and I already increased my pension contributions to a total with employers contributions of 25% this year(!), everything is now going to my ISA.  All part of operation freedom from work! The more I can save, the better...

Jessy103

Well done on reaching the EF and good luck with the June goals 🙂

savingholmes

Amazing progress

QueenJess

Been a tough week.  Nothing really happened of any interest, but just struggling along.  Not been doing any baking (apart from today) as I have lots of things to use up.  This morning I made an apricot and raspberry clafoutis for pudding later (got apricots in my weekly/bi-weekly fruit box)- it looks yummy.  DS is very excited as we also got cantaloupe melon and watermelon this week - his favourites!

Spent a ton of money this week and it's highly unlikely I'll meet my goals for the joint account this month already  Needed to buy lots of things for DS who has grown, need school uniform  and also needed a couple of bits for DD too.  Sourcing as much of it 2nd hand as possible, but it still all adds up.  Also had to get a fan for DD for the summer.  Expecting a million different parcels over the next week or so now!  The only frivolous purchase was a height chart that sticks to the wall so I can document DS's and DD's heights over the years.

Just need to not spend much money for the rest of the month and see what extra I can make from online sales etc.  Need to keep food purchases under control and dig through the cupboards/freezer to keep costs down.  I did put something up on my local buy nothing group a couple of weeks ago and note the irony that it is easier and quicker to sell things online than give something away for free... Fingers crossed the third person will actually take away my item - no one else turned up!

Finally kicked this cold thing and so booked myself in for a covid vaccination on Monday.  Not looking forward to it as my immune system is obviously at an all time low after so much sleep deprivation!

themadvix

Sorry to hear it's been a tough week. The clafoutis sounds delicious though!

I think your only frivolous purchase is entirely justified - measuring your children as they grow (and being measured) is such an important part of marking time and progress and it'll become a treasured memory when they're grown (and DS is 6ft tall!). 

Much belt tightening happening here too - you're not alone.

Hope your vaccination goes OK. As you'll be having pfizer or moderna the side effects from the first jab tend to be fairly mild, but I think the second one might be worse (apologies if this doesn't help - I've not told my husband or sister this yet! I had Astra and felt awful after the first but OK after the second).

QueenJess

Weather is expected to be cooler today, which is typical; my new fan arrived yesterday!  It has a remote control for it too, which is fun (and practical when stuck under a baby).  DD hasn't approved of the hot weather much and so she'll be relieved.  I also don't like it too hot and I've been trying to drink enough to satisfy both myself and a hot baby.. basically I have no time to do anything apart from drink water all day (and night) just to keep up!  It is ridiculous.  I went to bed last night with 2 litres of water on my bedside table and drank the whole thing overnight!

Treated myself to a cooked breakfast this morning (scrambled eggs with toast, spinach, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes) and some orange juice.  A nice veg hit already today Am thinking about making an orzotto for lunch with peas and broccoli.  DS hasn't had it before and I keep trying to make different things to try to avoid him turning into a child that never tries anything new.  Am hoping the melon will be ripe now, so we can have it for afters.  Am having withdrawal symptoms from no biscuits and so will have to make some today/tomorrow.

The apricot and raspberry clafoutis was so tasty - I think it's the favourite thing I've cooked this year!  Still got half of it left, so will do us for tonight and Monday night.  Am hoping my fresh blueberries will last until Tuesday and then I have my eye on a blueberry and coconut sponge recipe (I have some old coconut that I really need to use up!).  Need to do the shopping list later and need to do my best to restrain myself and try to keep costs down.  Will use up anything I can find in the cupboards/freezer.  Need to have a quick look through anyway to remind myself of what is in there.  May have to make flapjacks again for DH soon to keep him away from the expensive (child!) snack bars.

Managed to go into the garden and tie up my flowering rose yesterday.  It has been annoying me and now it is nicely trained along the fence.  It has huge beautiful peach coloured flowers to it and it looks so nice next to a green and white bush and next to my red currants.  I have a weakness for spending money on plants and so am determined to spend nothing this year.  There is only the odd gap, but I'm going to take some cuttings to try and make some plants for free.  I have two blueberry bushes - one loves it in the full sun and is flowering nicely, but the other one (a pink blueberry) has never flowered.  No idea why, but I'm going to give up on that one and attempt to take cuttings from the other blueberry to replace it for free.  Still need to tie up the thornless blackberry which has gone mental again this year.  It is attacking everything in sight and is taller than the trees I planted a few years ago!