Hypno's "bursting with energy" diary.......

hypno06

Hi Mizmir - yes, clawing my way back is more like it - no bouncability here right now! hope to catch up with you soon and that you are ok x

Surfbabe - enjoy your brief visit from your sister - I am sure you will have a good wekend.

Well, today we opted out of ski racing - the funds wouldn't allow, and to be honest I am glad of the day at home. I have got a number of housework jobs to do, a fish pie to make for dinner, and some more "number crunching" and brainstorming for the "new improved :rolleyes: budgets" so at least I can make a start.

Hope you all have a good day x

lucielle

Hy hypno, we spend a fortune on petrol living in the country and it is a 50 mile round trip to go and see my horses!!! I feel for you on the shopping I have a budget of £336 for 6 of us and I know this month it will be over, I think I have £3.36 to last until August. I am looking forward to but dreading at the same time the children breaking up, because they consume so much. So this ginormous shop I have done will not last very long. Even supplementing it with baking doesn't seem to eke it out. I look forward to reading your progress.
l

hypno06

Thanks lucielle - I am quite looking forward to August.....apart from one week's race camp, there is no skiing, and so not so much running around to do - the children will be making do with going out on their bikes and hanging out with their friends/msn/facebook for most of the holidays, and thankfully they are very good with not raiding the cupboards without permission so the food bill should stay static. I will get DD making flapjacks or something in the hols to "help the cause" and we will more than likely go blackberry hunting later in the summer to make lots of jam etc.

OliveOyl_2

During the holidays with my three I had 2 rules. (well actually I had loads more, but there were 2 holiday rules :rotfl: )

1) they had a job each to do, they could choose when they did it, but it had to be completed by when I got home. (often opened the door to the sound of last nights washing up being done and a wail of "you're early!")
2) they could not leave the communal rooms in a worse state than I'd left them the night before

They'd been little princes and princess in the years before OH and I married, we'd both been guilty of over-compensating them for being in a broken home. so those 2 rules were harsh for them. But they were reasonable people and could see how hard their parents worked so didn't object

doodledo_2

Morning Hypno and followers.

Good to hear you have a day at home today, think it's just what you need this week.

Karmacat

Hi hypno - "and followers", I like that - yes, I too am glad you've got some time to unwind, even if you're busy at home, you're not on a schedule - trying to think of positives for you. Hope you're okay.

hypno06

OO, those rules are pretty similar to ours.....and always work nicely - although I do tend to ring home at about 4pm "just to see how they are" and to remind them that jobs need to be done before I get home!!

Just done a qualifier for a paddy power bonus thingy - OH can do his later today. That should give me £10 on Monday, all being well.

DS can't stay away from all things snowsport related, so has gone with my bus ticket, and £2.50 for the day to a snowboard comp with instructions to be back "when he's bored".....!

Still in "budgets and survival" mode - I have decided that once the essential bills have been paid, any extra money is divided between overpayments and savings for skiing/emergencies......not sure what the ratio will be - but I would like at least 50% to go to debt payments, so probably 25% slush fund, 25% ski fund to keep it simple........(simple is good - I can do simple)

Karmacat

That sounds good - I love slush funds! I can't wait to join paddy power - well, I have to, I want to join in euros, and won't spend it out till the footie starts, but when it does, I'll be really focussing on m.b.ing, trying to use whatever bonus comes my way (and it sounds like paddy do a lot) - whatever sport it is. Good luck for today - I'm off soon.
xx

hypno06

hi KC hope you have a good day - yes PP do fairly frequent bonus things - generally on casino games and def not risk free as such, but not too bad if you are prepared for the risk - Once I only came out with 18p profit, but generally it is more than that, so worth doing, in my book.

OberonSH

Morning Hypno love, I have to say you are a complete star. Well done you. Have you ever thought of being a bit immodest, looking at what you do for your family and saying 'Well actually, I do rock quite a bit. I really do.'. I hope the family appreciate you, cos I know we all do.

This challenge sounds great. I always spend less than £50 a week for 2 adults, a bottomless pit of a toddler and a baby, including nappies. Allow me to share a few things I learnt:

1) I always meal plan. I have Obi's Diary of Doom - doom insomuch as touch it and die. I wrte in when everyone's in an out, and then ask the family for anything they fancy the next week, and any 'extras' they want like a different cereal this week etc. Then I write down what I need to get further to what's already in the cupboard. I try and have a 'freezer' night once a week.

2) I shop online, so no being tempted by extras. I also don't drive, so means I can get everything in one go, and no lugging washing powder miles. I go through Mysupermarket to Asda, because then I get Ipoints. Also Asdas substitute for no extra cost, and once I got a full leg of lamb for £3 when the half ones were out of stock. I also check here for any voucher codes, but they're usually for over £50 and I never hit that amount.

3) I order the 'smartprice' basics whenever I can. If that's not available I got the next step up, and rarely buy brand name stuff. I buy smartprice washing powder, and mix it with soda crystals to give it a boost - a whole bunch cheaper than tablets or liqutabs. I do admit to fabric conditioner, must get back to vinegar really but it smells so nice...

4) I bake my own bread, cakes and biccies where time allows, not just a money thing, I know what's in hem plus it's something I like to go with the kids.

5) Don't forget to check out the freebie boards for free samples of toiletries - I've probably had enough moisturiser recently to keep me going for a month!

6) Asda have a fruit promotion on atm - 50p each for certain things, mangoes was something I noticed, but think they rotate it and I didn't hear the rest of the announcement.

So good luck lady - sounds lke you've got the family on board as well which is a huge help. Have a great, cheap day!