Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

@ryandotdee it’s still to be seen if we’ll have any remaining! We too have found it almost impossible to stick to our monthly budget in recent months and have just increased the amount we put in again. Very disheartening to see what used to be a £50 shop now coming in way over that with treats removed. 

I have to say, cutting down on the little top-up shops mid-week has made a big difference. 

Dakota_Rose

Nothing much of interest to share today. It has been a fairly busy day work wise but have managed to squeeze in a few surveys that will take me over the cash out limit. Only a small amount but every little extra will be popped into the emergency fund pot. Have also rounded the bills account down now I’m only waiting for one final DD to come out and sent the extra £1.23 over rounding it up to £633 - with surveys, this should be £640 by the end of the month. 

It’s the little, consistent steps that make a difference over time though isn’t it?

I would like to fill the emergency fund when I’m paid next week, but I think it might need to wait until I’ve cleared my daughter’s residential cost, which I would like gone from my list of ‘due payments’ before the spring comes around. I will still throw all extra bits of money I can round up at it in the meantime. 

RedLipstick

Hey! Thanks for saying hi in my diary, I must have been here ages ago, said I'll follow and never did!!

How is your little one, hope is all back to normal. Amazing news on the audition, you must be very proud

Well done on keeping within the budget. I've noticed limiting top up shops works well for me too, though then I need to get quite creative with my dinners. A bit fed up of overnight oats for breakfast by now, I think it's been 2 weeks now, the only difference is the fruit I add to it

It's nice that you have charity shops so close, and with a wee stop at the bakers it does sounds like a nice day out. Sure it costs money but better than having a wander around a big expensive shopping centre.

Not long to weekend now, hope it's relaxing, enjoy when it comes xx

Honeysucklelou2

Great news on the audition 🥳

Dakota_Rose

Thank you both 😊 I’m really proud of eldest and it’s hopefully given him the boost he needs to get through the rest of this school year with a bit more confidence in himself. Little one is definitely on the road to recovery but has been knocked for six this week. He’s had the full week off school 😱 

Really glad it’s the weekend. Posh bath (candle, oils and bubbles all appreciated gifts), Mr D’s creamy curry and maybe even a wine and lemonade spritzer to end the day with. We (I) love our little luxuries and they’re low cost so low on the guilt too. 

Not sure what we’ll end up doing this weekend. Nothing planned, which is my favourite kind! Will most likely visit my mum for an hour or two, which we all enjoy, and we’re thinking of having a Burns night dinner for the first time. We have Scottish roots, with my dad’s side of the family all Scottish aswell as Mr D himself. We’ve not done it before, but M&S are selling a nice looking ready meal which means we would need to be far less brave with cooking it. The last of my Scottish relatives passed away recently so it seems right to host a wee Scot’s night in their memory. If we like it, it could be a new family tradition. If not, we’ll find another one 😂 

Survey earnings are now above £10. Just waiting for another couple to clear before withdrawing. I thought I might hang on to my last £20 in the petrol pot, but alas it isn’t to be. To be fair, I budget just the right amount every month so I really shouldn’t be disappointed that I’ve spent it at month end! 

Can you believe that this time next week, it will STILL be January?! 

Cherryfudge

Congrats on the audition, you must be a proud Mum! Deservedly so.

My son married a Scot and we have been introduced to the delights of neeps and tatties, haggis and cranachan. Delicious, every one. I might see if I can find us a haggis for Burns Night, even though we're in Yorkshire!

FootyFanDan

Another one in the camp of having a scot partner, although not got as far as trying some of the traditional delicacies haha I am a bit too food fussy for that 🤣. Give me a roast dinner with some Yorkshire puds and I am happy

Dakota_Rose

We like to think of ourselves as Yorkshire too now we live here but the accents give us away! 

I’m another big fan of a roast but it’d be blasphemy to pop a Yorkshire pud on the side of haggis, neeps and tattles I think 🤣 

…little one not as recovered as I’d thought hence us being up at all hours. He’s been awake with earache, now tucked in with me after having some medicine and back asleep. Of course, I’m now wide awake. 

Dakota_Rose

£7 survey money added to the emergency fund, rounding it up to £640 for the month. 

Dakota_Rose

Should have predicted it… Little Miss is now sick and has been in bed all day today bless her. This has meant that Mr D has stayed home all day, while I’ve done the pharmacy run and visited mum for an hour. Eldest has stayed over with her to try and avoid the lurgy. Somehow, I’ve still managed to be on sick duty each time she has needed to be. I’m sure they save it for when I’m home 🙈 Little one still very tired and tearful but much better otherwise and it’s been nice to see him playing and drawing again.  

At least it’s meant that we didn’t go food and petrol shopping as planned so another no spend day. We really can’t put it off tomorrow though. I will likely be the stay at home adult, which suits me fine. 

We’ve started plotting out our summer holiday which we hope will be a bit of a special one this year for our wedding anniversary. We agreed when we were married not to celebrate with gifts/cards but to try and spend that date somewhere different each year. Something we’ve mostly managed. Last year, we were in our bell tent in a beautiful North Yorkshire location. This year, we hope to be up in a fairly remote but gorgeous part of Scotland. As the drive will be long with kids in tow, we want to make a road trip holiday of it, stopping at different points along the way for a night or two. We may need to scale it down a little for costs but we tend to enjoy cheap activities and simple meals so it’s accommodation we really need to be mindful of. We’re lucky in that my mum enjoys staying at our house while we are away this one time each year. She dog sits the daft one and they have a great time together.