In denial no longer!

happydenial

I've been reading all your inspirational posts on here for a few years now (I'm more of a lurker than a poster) and thought that it would be really helpful in the current climate to create my own, hope that's ok!

A bit about me - I have been a SAHM since March 2020 (lost a part-time job due to the pandemic), luckily DH has a good job so this hasn't affected us too much financially. My kids are 11 and 13, the youngest is starting secondary school next month (with all the expense that involves including buying a laptop) and I am starting a very part time job in mid-September. Debt-wise we have twelve years left on our mortgage where we can pay up to 10% extra per year. 

We are reasonably sensible with our money I think - I definitely have a tendency to get a bit lax with grocery spends towards the end of the month, mainly due to top up shops and boredom! Other things that generally scupper us are eating out which is expensive for 4 people, and treating the kids to cinema trips, days out etc, so I think we definitely need to start an entertainment 'pot' going forward and focus on less top-up shops (we live very close to both Waitrose and M&S Food, so it's extremely easy to slip up!).

I am a decent cook and I enjoy pottering in the kitchen which is helpful. DH is fully on board, he is constantly going around the house switching things off (infuriating when you've just popped to the loo!), saving electricity and swopping car insurance deals etc. We grow veg - I would like to do more of this next year, and might put some pots in the front garden - our back garden is mainly given over to lawn for the kids to trampoline and play football (although I did lose two courgette plants this year to wayward footballs, grrrr) and that isn't likely to change for a few years at least.

Frugal things I've done today - made a big pan of courgette and parmesan soup (I save parm rinds in the freezer for soup) for dinner and to freeze in portions for lunch. Stripped the rest of the meat from half a roast chicken, this will make chicken sandwiches to go with the soup. Straggly bits given to the cat who appeared the moment I opened the fridge! Prepped and frozen a bag of runner beans and two bags of green beans. Also froze some yellow-sticker kale which I know won't get eaten and can be added frozen to pasta sauces/minestrone/noodles. Two loads of washing done at 30 degrees and line dried. Meal planned from the pantry and freezer for the next 7 days which is when we go away for a week - I am NOT going to the supermarket this week and will buy milk from the corner shop to avoid extra things/yellow stickers popping into the basket!

If you've made it through all that - thank you - and I'm looking forward to chatting with you all.

Getridofdebt66

Happy new diary! 
You seem to already be on the right track

Doris17

Hello!
Happy New Diary!
You are doing great, looking forward to reading more.

happydenial

Well August has flown by and the kids are back at school from Monday 🙌 😆

Our summer was slightly scuppered by the youngest having an unexpected hospital visit which resulted in an emergency op - thankfully he is recovering, and we did manage to go on holiday with my parents last week. We were obviously limited with our activities, but on the bright side - coupled with the fact that my mum brought the entire frozen section of Costco with her (and sent us home with the remains) - we only spent half of our holiday budget! 

Usually on a self-catering holiday, we would eat out for either lunch or dinner every day, mainly to give me a break from the relentless cooking 😬 This time we only had three meals out - one birthday dinner which my parents kindly paid for, one fish and chip lunch at the beach and a posh hotel lunch on a day out. So all-in-all, we’ve done ok 👍 

This week it’s back to business - I’ve joined the Grocery Challenge for £400 for September and budgeting £85 per week Friday to Friday. This leaves me with a bulk fund of £60 to stock up on canned pulses, flour, spices, bleach, cat litter etc. 🤞 this should be doable.