Currently clueless...aiming for awareness

canvascamper

We're home! And I'm sure you will be SHOCKED (not) but I learn that I did not manage to stick to our crappy budget.

I've not tallied it all up yet, my internet was rubbish in our field, we got back last night and I was straight back into work this morning! Thankfully I get paid tomorrow 🙏

Only the rest of the summer holidays and school uniform shopping to contend with now 😬

savingholmes

Welcome back. Good luck with the uniform shopping.

canvascamper

Aah the summer holidays continue.

Been to the huge shopping centre today with child 2 and child 3 - got new school shoes and trainers, jumpers and trousers. Still need football boots, coats for the boys, and shirts for child 1.

I am blessed to have been given a £500 gift from my gran, my mum mentioned that I'd bought child 1's blazer from the PTA second hand shop and she was horrified (very proud lady) and insisted that I buy new uniform for him and new everything else. It's been an absolute godsend because the prices of 3 lots of uniform are horrendous. 

I'm working the next 3 days so no money to spend on child entertainment, but holiday club instead.

Thought I was doing quite well generally and might come out of this month in the black, but I'd apparently forgotten to pay the cat sitter (£208 😵‍💫) so I suspect I will be overdrawn again.

I can feel the weight of remortgage with every purchase. 14 months to go. Must get better at money. 

canvascamper

I had to visit a terminally ill client today, she's in her late 30s and has a child in nursery. So sad.

It got me thinking and I wound myself up in knots - is life to short to worry about money and should I just enjoy it, and time with the children whilst I'm here, or is life short so make better choices and don't leave behind a mess?

The same applies to food, in my head...life is short so eat the cake, Vs life is short so be as healthy as possible.

I'm sure there's a middle ground but I'm not very good at seeing the grey.

Anyway I was feeling really down after the meeting so I could have had a no spend day but I bought an almond croissant to cheer myself up. Both frivolous and unhealthy, I suppose. 

savingholmes

We had a friend die in his early 20s and it put us on a debt and over eating track for decades. But then we had to fight to pay off multiple debt cycles. Thankfully I have good pension provision but in my early fifties I regret those lost years of fritter spending on unmemorable things.

HTH

13thlegion

It is important to create memories. Uniqueness is the key to that and if everything is super exciting then nothing gets remembered because nothing stands out. If you eat cake for very meal for a week you feel sick of it, but once a week it feels amazing.

The memory you end up creating could just a much be having to repeatedly climb out of debt.

canvascamper

Ppphhhhhhttthhh (that's the noise from a very long sigh/stressy noise combo).

The end of the summer holidays is in sight. I feel like I'm running just to walk, financially. I've got £80 left for 2 weeks and we have not much food in...

On the plus side I've bought a new dishwasher after 5 months of washing by hand, paid the water bill for the last 6 months, and I'm not overdrawn.... 

savingholmes

Lots of positives then. Meal planning sounds like a good plan so the money stretches 

joedenise

Check out some of the cheap recipes at the beginning of the Grocery Challenge thread.  Also check out websites like www.cookingonabootstrap.com which is the Jack Monroe website.  Loads of really cheap recipes on there although mainly vegan/vegetarian although some of her earlier recipes included small amounts of meat.  She uses lots of beans and pulses as these are much cheaper than meat for protein.

canvascamper

Thanks, will take a look. I'm vegan anyway and so is Mr CC but the kids eat some meat.
So far I've planned lots of pasta, beans on toast, jacket potatoes, noodles with tofu.
The packed lunch stuff (x 3) and snacks seem to be shooting up in price, just as child 1 is hitting a big growth spurt (he's nearly 12). I try and avoid processed snacks but nuts and fruit is expensive, biscuits and crisps are cheaper but not good for him/us. 
I'd love to find the time to do some baking/freezer batch cooking but I don't have any right now.