Stopping the backsliding… a family of four no longer living beyond their means

Bluegreen143

Timetocount, that’s a great way to think about it! ☺️. 

Nice day today. WFH and then my friend picked up my kids from school and came back here with her two as well for dinner. 

Kept it slimming world friendly by making a big platter of fruit for them coming in (obviously the kids aren’t slimming but my friend is a very healthy eater and strict with her kids’ diet so I knew she’d appreciate that). And then served tomato & lentil soup and a mix of sandwiches/pittas - my friend brought toppings and I had some too. I had one wholemeal pitta, half with leftover cooked chicken and half with cured beef, which fit in my slimming world plan for the day.

Got the main bit of Red’s Christmas present today which cost £85 (it’s a replica broadsword to hang in his man cave, don’t ask 🤷‍♀️🤣). Feel better for getting that and marginally less panicky about my disorganisation for Christmas! 

Also ordered fabric, thread and bits for the kids’ Christmas PJs, and have spent £42. It would be cheaper to buy them but it’s our tradition that I make them and it’s usually the only sewing project I do all year 😅. I’ve left it late to get started so I think tonight I’ll get the pattern printed and taped together/cut out so it’s ready to go when the fabric comes. Need to order a new sewing machine needle too. 

Counting down that it’s just 11 days until my payday and I think 14 until we get all that money paid out from our Help to Save accounts and can finally fill our pots and savings a bit! 

TallGirl

Amazing rooms you should be very proud of yourselves. 

QueenJess

Amazing job on the rooms, they look amazing. I also always underestimate the cost of redecorating; I consider furniture etc and forget how the other little things add up.

Bluegreen143

Thanks all! 

A couple of friends have commented how grown up Monkey’s room looks now. Well, he is turning 9(!) on Friday. Nine seems a very long way from my little baby. It’s halfway to 18! And I’m sure the challenges of the next nine years will be trickier than the previous nine in many ways. 

I’m going to wrap the couple of things we got him to open tonight and make a card. I need to message the mums of his guests for Saturday and check what toppings they like on their pizzas. And order some party snacks for delivery before the weekend. Beyond that, I don’t think I’ve much to do except bake the cake on Thursday night 🤞🏼. 

On Friday he wants lasagne for his birthday dinner which is considerate of him as I can fit that into my slimming world plan for the day and save my syns for a slice of cake 🤣.

joedenise

I wondered if you were going to make the kids PJs again this year.  You've left it pretty late - hope you've got the time to get them done!  They always look so good when you post the pictures of them!

Bluegreen143

I actually don’t think I started til December last year either but I at least had the materials ready in advance! I was going to try a new pattern but I’ve decided to stick with the old one because I know it well, no sense stressing myself! 

joedenise

Definitely not a good time to be trying a new pattern!  You have little time to make them as it is.

I'm currently making a sundress for my holiday in early January and it has so many things involved in it that are taking more time than I expected!  I've had to make pleats on the straps (never done those before!); will also need to make pleats in the skirt which is the next thing to do, also adding pockets in the side seams.  I've then got to cover 10 button moulds with the same fabric and make 10 button holes!  But before I can do all that I'll also need to add the placket down the front!  It's beginning to stress me out with only having a few more weeks to get it made!

Honeysucklelou2

The bedrooms look amazing! 

It’s interesting to read your menu plans…I hadn’t thought of chopping up apple into porridge- will have to give that a try! Have used blueberries or pears before, just not apple.

Have fun making the cake. The party idea sounds fab.

QueenJess

Honeysucklelou2 said:

The bedrooms look amazing! 

It’s interesting to read your menu plans…I hadn’t thought of chopping up apple into porridge- will have to give that a try! Have used blueberries or pears before, just not apple.

Have fun making the cake. The party idea sounds fab.

Pears are also good and even better if you add a bit of cinnamon   It's actually a good way to use up apples that are slightly soft as you can part cook them in the porridge.  The kids like to add sultanas as well.

Bluegreen143

Lovely day today! It’s Monkey’s birthday and he’s really had a good day I think. He loved his gifts, especially the games table we bought him, which is now in his room. 

After school we all played the Game of Life, which we’d also got him - it was fun to introduce it to the kids as it was one of my childhood favourites. 

I went off plan for a non-slimming world friendly dinner of lasagne, garlic bread and chocolate cake - delicious! 

Then the kids got to stay up til 9 and we all watched Home Alone 2. So basically the perfect birthday for a 9 year old 😅. 

Financial update 

Excitingly, the Help to Save accounts have paid out today so that’s £6,000 reallocated from “off budget” (non accessible) savings to “on budget”. 

I’ve allocated it as follows:

£3,000 for sensible use - £313 to pay off the last of the credit card and the rest into the emergency fund.

£300 split between Red & I for extra spending money.

£1,000 aside in a pot for a new mattress for Red & I.

£500 into the gifts & celebrations pot. 

£1,200 into the holiday pot. 

We also got the child benefit money in (£170). And there’s only one week to go til I get paid so it’s starting to feel that we’re really starting to get back on top of savings/pots. 

SO nice to now have £0 balance on the credit card and £2,721 in the emergency fund 😍🥳