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

missymoo81

I wrote a big long post yesterday and lost it. But I was basically asking if everyone is ok after the storm? I hope you haven’t suffered much damage.

so this last week or so I’ve been happily going about my life thinking that it’s all good and businesses and money are all good. But I’ve just been burying my head in the sand. The smaller business has picked up but I’ll be getting invoices from staff this week as it’s been half term and I haven’t been able to work. OH is In Full meltdown with regards to the state of main business and the huge bills that are coming in. There was tax last month, now there’s VAT etc etc. OH is barely taking a wage but it’s not making ends meet With  all of these extra bills. We’re just trying to work out how best to go forward. 

We’ve been going out for working lunches a lot, as it’s  great to be without the distractions of home and saves time on cooking etc but is obv costing a fortune 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ So we’re going to reign that back in. I think we started it because we are always working but it doesn’t feel as bad working all the time when you’re out doing something nice.

Like everyone else, we’re really worrying about the cost of living going up. I’m trying to keep an eye on the electric bill, food shopping has gone out of the window for convenience of getting a shop delivered, so I need to go back to Lidl. I need to think about fuel and try and take the car as opposed to the gas guzzling truck. Which is having a service and MOT next week which will be super expensive 😳.

Oh and all of the lights are on in the car again and it is in limp mode, so that needs looking at again and will no doubt cost hundreds! Really feeling the pressure and stress of everything. Not really sure what to do. Feel really poorly all of a sudden today and don’t know if it’s stress manifesting itself. Am on the sofa with the duvet so hoping to feel better soon. 

Hope you’re all ok.

missymoo81

Ok I know I have an expensive few weeks coming up. Roo has 2 parties And May has 1. Also Mays boots have a hole in and Roo doesn’t seem to have many clothes that actually fit him, I took him bowling with my friend and his jeans were half way up his leg and his t-shirt he kept pulling down 🤦🏻‍♀️. Oh and I need to find / make an Egyptian costume for Roo, So expensive?!

So, May has an extra xmas present that I forgot to send back so that will do nicely for the girls party present. But boys wise…..I don’t know. I get the children to draw and make cards as we have craft things, so I don’t need to spend on those. 

So that’s £20 I need to find for presents. May’s boots, maybe £10??? Erm…. Roo’s clothes maybe £20…… And costume, I really don’t know £10? 

So I need to find £60…..

I have got £10 in surveys I can cash out. I have just listed 2 jackets on Fleabay in the hope I can maybe get £30. So I’m £20 short. I need to find it all by 7th March. So we shall see what we can do! 

I’m going to try and cobble together cash for shopping.
I don’t want to spend any more than £30 but that includes shower gel for both me and the children and £10 on cat food, so it’s going to be tight to do it for that. 

Meal plan for the week:

Breakfast:
Porridge & Frozen berries / Toast & Jam

Lunch
Ham sandwiches / wraps / Toast
Fruit, yoghurt, Crisps, choc bar

Snack 
Banana Bread / Rich Tea

Dinner:
Cheese and bacon Omelette
Chicken Stew x 2 / Tuna Pasta
Sausage & Mash
Fajitas
Thai red Curry
Salmon Pasta


Shopping List
4 x Cat Food
1 x Rich Tea
3 x Cereal Biscuits (currently @ 15% off)
4 x Sweets (Currently @ 15% off) these will be rationed!
1 x Wraps
2 x Bread
2 x bags of Apples
20 x Bananas
1 x Tuna
1 x Bag of Potatoes
1 x 6 Crisps
1 x 8 not snickers bars
2 x 4pt milk
2 x Shower Gel
1 x Kitchen Roll

So my £30 needs to go pretty far!

stymied

Have you tried any of your local Fb sites for boots, clothes & Egyptian costume? I’m currently loving Share Everything, Buy Nothing: <insert local town name here> for decluttering. People ask for all sorts and there’s loads of people happy to have a clear out of the same.

missymoo81

@stymied no I haven’t! Thank you so much for posting! I will have a look!

Bluegreen143

Sending love @missymoo81. You’ve had so many challenges lately 😕

Would posting a full SOA up with the upcoming bills/debts/tax stuff in case anyone can see anything you’re missing?

WinterWarrior

We’ve changed to soap instead of shower gel, it’s a bit cheaper, lasts longer and is reducing plastic use. Would that help? 

missymoo81

Thanks @Bluegreen143 I really appreciate your posting. I’ll think about putting up an SOA. 

Thanks @WinterWarrior, I’ve used soap in the past but It always made me smell a bit funny….. if that makes sense. I like really sweet smelling shower gel, I use an imperial leather marshmallow one. I wonder if I could get a similar smelling one? Any ideas would be appreciated.

I’ve just had a look and can get some jeans for Roo and Shoes for May on Market place, if they’re still available. I’ve sent messages so we shall see. 

Elisheba

Hey @missymoo81 Sorry times are so tough right now. All through my teenage years my parents business was struggling and I remember very well how hard and stressful it was.

Regarding your shopping list, I can make a few suggestions. You might see them as a bit brutal, but as I say they are only suggestions. 

1. Why buy kitchen roll? Can't you live without it, and use clean rags you can wash over and over instead?

2. That's a lot of fruit. I know it's good for you and you have growing children, but 20 bananas will take up at least a quarter of your human food budget. I'm pretty certain you can find apples a lot cheaper, and maybe oranges - which are in season right now. If you buy whole oranges and cut them into quarters that will do 4 people for a piece of fruit 

3. If times are tough then you can cut all the sweets and treats and biscuits. I know the kids like them and maybe they go in lunch boxes or what have you, but buy a bag a carrots and give them one of them  to nibble on instead. Make some really cheap buns or biscuits or flapjacks for a sweet, which will all work out cheaper and stretch much further for the money.

4. Buy one carton of milk, and keep topping it up with water and it will go a lot further.

5. I'm another one who buys soap. I use Dove which I find very nice for my skin. You need to use flannels with soap really, rather than plastic scrunchie things which might be why you thought you/it smelled funny. 

6. It's no good for this week, but regarding cat food I buy in bulk on pay day and then I don't need to think about it for the rest of the month. Can you switch your cat to something cheaper? Tins instead of packets, or biscuits instead of tins? I know cats are super fussy though, but it might be worth trying.

Good luck with it all *hugs*

Bluegreen143

I think that’s a really good point about baking some flapjacks instead of crisps & chocolate. It’s really cheap to make especially if you have the ingredients anyway. 

I’m also a soap user and prefer how it smells now though my DH does prefer to use shower gel. Could you at least buy just one shower gel to share with the children rather than two? Your budget for this shop is so tight that any little savings will help. 

Meals sound tasty 🙂

missymoo81

Thank you so much @Elisheba and @Bluegreen143 I really appreciate you taking the time to think and come up with ideas for me. 

I’m trying to figure out how I could incorporate your ideas, as they really are good and would save money. I’ll try and answer and explain the best I can. 

Kitchen roll is for OH, he has had OCD since he was little and his mum died and it’s his way of dealing with things to clean everything to within an inch of its life when he gets stressed (like now). A cloth just doesn’t cut it, it’s not ‘clean’ enough. He needs to use kitchen roll as he can throw it away. He’s got a lot better he will at least use the kitchen cloth now and he doesn’t need to use bleach all the time now but it’s a work in progress.

20 bananas does sound like a lot, but Roo has one in his lunch box, and me and OH eat one daily. As we have to eat a lot on the run with our jobs and need instant energy for training and a banana fits the bill well. It’s only 1 a day for us 3. We also eat an apple a day and OH and Roo tend to share the oranges. The cereal biscuits are also for me, I use around a packet a week, (buying in bulk this week as 15% off). Again for eating between workouts or when time is short For breakfast. I could possibly make flapjacks instead but not sure on the cost or calories.

Milk I do water down, I used to buy 3 x 6pt and can. Just about
 get away with 2 x 4pts.

The crisps and choc bars are for OH for his lunches, because of our jobs we need an awful lot of calories and food we can eat on the go at work, and these are easy things to have with sandwiches. It’s a step down from the meal deals we used to get. 

Sweets are actually for OH and are his only vice. We barely drink and don’t smoke or anything like that, so OH eats sweets in the evening. I have managed to move him away from expensive wine gums, fruit pastilles and opal fruits and now only buy lidls own. I understand what you’re saying about it being and unnecessary expense though. 

We have some new flannels, I may buy a bar and see how I get on. And thanks @Bluegre@Bluegreen143 (not sure why it’s done that with your name 🤷🏻‍♀️). Me and the children have separate bathrooms so need 2 really. I’ve had a look and Tesco have a mango and lemon soap which might be nice. Years ago I got a lush one and loved it, but was super expensive.

cat food is my hugest bugbear! We have 2 bengals and they are super fussy. Won’t eat tinned food, and I’ve tried lots. Will only eat sachets, fortunately they will eat lidls ones but they’re often sold out. It’s a huge expense, I did some research the other day but can’t get it any cheaper than what I’m already paying.

I’m sorry I feel like I’m making excuses and I don’t mean to I’m just trying to explain why I buy certain things. Our job is a large reason. And I also don’t sleep lots and am awake for around 18-19 hours a day which is an awful lot of time to be awake and need food for. I do really like the flapjack idea. I wonder if I can make healthy ish ones or maybe biscuits. OH doesn’t like dried fruit so that’s out. I also need to make sure thAt anything I bake isn’t too nice. Else I will just eat them all!!!!

Thank you both so much again for taking the time to reply.