Missy’s Surviving the storm so we can dance in the rain.

missymoo81

Hi!

I thought it was time to start a new diary. 

Quick update, there’s me, OH and my 2 children, May who’s 8 and Roo who’s 10 in a week.

I’m 40, run my own business and a shared one with OH. Both of which we’re trying desperately to rebuild after Covid. We bought our first house this year which is great but we have a massive mortgage and we’re struggling.

So this diary is about getting back on track and trying to make good financial decisions and have a little bit of money left at the end of the month.

My car is on its last legs but I need to eek it out for at least another 18 months to 2 years, until we’re hopefully in a better financial position and can get a new one. 

I need to be accountable and keep track of where the money goes.

I’d love it if you’d join me in my journey.

mumtoomany

Hi, missy. will be reading along, although i rarely comment. Good luck on the journey. Mumtoomany.

missymoo81

Thanks @mumtoomany.

So I need to start as I mean to go on. I need to get a hold on my money for the week ahead and see what I’m short going forward. I’ve just had to buy new wellies for May and it’s Roos birthday at the weekend, so need to get presents and I either need to make a spectacular cake or order one. Cakes are big in my family…… I’ve bought the big Xmas presents but still need to get all of the smaller bits. Me and OH don’t do gifts generally so it’s literally just the 2 children I buy for.

I need to go food shopping today or tomorrow, probably tomorrow.
But I have learned my lesson and I absolutely need to go without the children unless I have a list as otherwise I end up with a million things in the trolley I didn’t need! I need to menu plan and think about what is needed for dinners for the week.

Second load of washing is in the machine and I have about 4 loads to sort out and put away 🙄. Best get on with that now 🙄

Four_Seasons

Hi missy I will be cheering you along.
I get my shopping delivered from Mr. T. I can't trust myself with all the special offers! and would spend a fortune x

enthusiasticsaver

We do online food shopping now too.  If I take DH he puts all sorts of rubbish in the trolley and I find there is less waste if I do an online shop after menu planning and finalise it two days prior to delivery. 

Do you have other debt or is it just the mortgage?  Sorry your businesses have been badly affected by Covid. 

missymoo81

Hey @Four_Seasons and @enthusiasticsaver I used to do all of my shopping online but then stopped. I’ve been trying to use lidl which I pass in my way home which usually works out cheaper, but obv not if I’m putting all sorts in the trolley. I’d like to get my food bill down to £50 a week, but we both exercise anything up to 3 hours a day so need a lot of food.

I have a debt that I pay £450 a month to and another I pay £50 a month to. Both will only be for about another 20 months ish. So basically by September 2023 we should be in a much better position to buy a new car to overpay on the mortgage etc.  

So have sorted some of the washing, have all of my clothes to put away. Might just pop to lidl as fancy stew for dinner. I won’t do a full shop As it shuts in 25 mins and I’m not 100% what I need for the week. But I’ll get basic essentials I know we need. Right best get changed can’t go in my track pants and without a bra 😳🤣

BellaLasagna2018

I do most of my shopping in Lidl. It’s worth it as long as long as you’re not tempted by the offers in The Middle or,in my case, get tempted by a lovely plant at the entrance! 

missymoo81

ok so very pleased with myself. Just drove the 5 mins to lidl and got bananas, gravy granules, diced beef, swede and parsnips and spent £5.06 which I paid for by change in the car. I’m pleased with myself because I would usually have done one of 3 things: Got a takeaway, approx £15, got 3 ready meals (OH eats 2), approx £9 or bought the same ingredients from coop and paid twice as much for them, so around £10. But getting the bits from lidl, it’s now in the slow cooker and I have meals for us for 2 nights For less than £5 is great in my opinion. And I used up the bendy carrots and rather suspect potatoes in the bottom of the fridge. 

I need to keep switching on to these small changes. Things I’ve been doing to help with how much things cost. Turning the lights and tv off when I’m not using them. You’d think this would be a no brainer but I’ve just been leaving them on for no reason. Getting the children to turn their lamps off before they leave. Going to lidl instead of coop. I’ve found a fabric conditioner that’s half the price of my normal one and it’s nice. I have a huge fabric conditioner addiction and a huge bottle of Comfort usually lasts me a week! So this is a big switch for me and I’m using less! And I’m only washing things once instead of washing then leaving them in the machine and forgetting about them then coming back to them hours later when they’re all foisty smelling. I’m actually getting them out of the machine straight away. 

I’ve gone back to dying my own hair, rather than paying £100 at the hair dresser and I’ve grown my nails instead of paying £30 every 2 weeks. To be honest I rarely did either but I’ve now found ways to look ok on my own, Both are a little work in progress but I’ll get there. I’m happy enough with them. BIL has been round and fitted an external plug so that we don’t have to run an extension through the window anymore so we can shut the window in the lounge. So much warmer! 

Things I still need to change:
washing at 20 degrees instead of 40
driving better and more economically 
Thinking ahead and not wasting food
recycle more
don't cancel work just rearrange instead

Will come up with some more as there are plenty.

joedenise

Have bookmarked your new diary.  Good luck with sorting things out.  Definitely sort out a menu plan for the week before you go shopping, it will save you loads.

Do you have a freezer so you can batch cook and freeze another meal for the following week?  Also could you try stretching your meals like stew by adding lentils and/or beans/chickpeas?

RelievedSheff

Good luck with your plan.

Small changes can start up add up to big savings 😀

BellaLasagna2018

You are doing so well @missymoo81!  

The way I save food is by freezing leftovers: cooked pasta, cooked rice, cooked veg, bread, etc.  And eventually they get used up.