Living within my means-the challenge

beckseven

Well feeling a bit more positive today-was feeling very full of cold, tired and hormonal yesterday and everything just got on top of me. I was awarded £20 of John Lewis vouchers this morning for good work so that will go towards Christmas. I've also realised that I can't control the car situation so it is useless me sitting here worrying about it until I get the actual bill on Thursday. whilst my car is in for the service on Thursday I have a mystery shopping job to do and i'm going to check again today and tomorrow to see if I could perhaps do two! Tonight when I do my frugal weekly shop I will cash in my two pennies and pennies to get a bit more cash. Even if it is a couple of quid I get back that will be money towards my mums and tots subs on Friday(£2). I've also decided to enter lots of competitions for a bit of fun and to see if I can win us a holiday! I think it will give me something to look forward to in the relentless penny pinching-when i've done them before I've won some nice treats-expensive face cream etc that I couldn't usually afford. So onwards and upwards for me and trying to be positive! Have £32 of tesco vouchers that I am either going to use for a family day out or maybe for me and DH to go out to a restaurant together-we used to go out together a lot before Ds and talk but now our social life together seems to consist of watching telly due to lack of funds so it could be just what we need.

Lucielle-someone suggested I just try some Autumn king carrots now and then start afresh in the spring with salad etc. have you had any success with these types of carrots?

lucielle

Not sure on that variety? Are they 'long' carrots or the short stubby ones? If they are long you need to have really well prepared soil, if it is compacted the carrots fork and don't reach their full potential. Have a go nothing ventured nothing gained. How was the pie?
L

beckseven

I'm a complete novice at the veggie growing so haven't got a clue. I was going to mooch round Wilkos and see what I can find. I've got a raised bed to use ( I had to google that to find out what one was!!!) but i haven't done anything with it yet. What should i do to prepare it-do i need to add anymore soil or should I just fork it over?

lucielle

The idea of a raised bed is that you shouldn't have to dig it because nobody walks on it. It wouldn't hurt to add a couple of bags of compost and lightly fork it in (trying not to stand on it). If you could wait until next year, plant a green manure this year. A green manure is a plant that grows on your bed, come spring time you dig it in because the plant puts the goodness back into the soil. How about some winter leaves?
L

beckseven

Aha! I'm such a novice at this gardening lark! I'm off on Friday so I'm going to give the raised bed a bit of attention ad get a green manure. The funny thing is that I have a beautiful established garden with lots of different varieties of plants thanks to the previous owners but at the moment DH takes care of it (he is very greenfingered) and I'm normally the one on rugrat duty as you can't take your eyes off the little man for two seconds as he's the type of little boy who will be halfway up a tree/in the waterbutt/messing about with the hose and letting the guinea pigs out given half a chance! However when I'm on maternity leave he will be in preschool for a few mornings a week so the plan is that as the new baby will for a few months stay in one place for two seconds I could tend to the veggie patch-in between feeds and nappy changes! Yesterday I received a quote from the nursery that DS attends for the two children for four days a week-it was £1200 a month!!!! Although this isn't allowing for Childcare vouchers for DS this still would only mean £140 off the bill during term time and would mean that I slogged away for £200 a month-basically working to pay someone else to look after my kids! Thats decided me that I can't go back-although I'm not going to tell work this as you never know whether DH could lose his job and we need me to go back full time as a temporary measure so don't want to burn my bridges. Although i knew this would be the likely scenario this still reduced me to tears yesterday and had a mini breakdown! I've always worked since i was 16 and feel sort of helpless at the thought of not having my own paypacket. The plan is that for a year in October I will get an evening job in a supermarket or similar to get extra money without having to pay for childcare and then the year after I am hoping to do teacher training-the kind that is on the job for a year and you get paid £13,500 for the year as you are employed by the school. DS will be at school by then and think that will look into getting a childminder for newbie baby in term time. When I was having a mini breakdown yesterday my mum rang and I was in tears on the phone saying how bleak i thought the future was (was v. hormonal and got really overwraught and dramatic in my last pregancy too!) and then blurted out that I didn't want any Christmas presents as I couldn't afford to buy any. Well Mum, Dad and my brother thought this was a great idea as well and once i'd calmed down (in Asda car park which is v well lit-v embarassing!) we agreed that we would spend £5 max on fun/homemade prezzies and mum is going to tell my aunties and uncles this as well. the thing is that i'm really not at all bothered about receiving presents and said to mum and dad to just buy for DS. So that worked out ok and feeling calmer about Christmas too. Spent £50 in Asda and just need to get some sausagemeat from the butchers-they don't sell it in Asda for some reason!

lucielle

Hope the hormones have calmed down. I think a green manure is a good idea then your soil is in tip top condition. A tip I heard was feed the soil not the plant.
L

beckseven

My hormones have now calmed down-for the time being despite being very scatty and forgetful! I had the dreaded service and Mot and all in all it cost me £262 as I needed two new front tyres to get through. I've now got no money whatsoever for the shopping for the rest of the month-I've got a full tank of petrol so hopefully that will last especially as I'm off work all next week and am potty training DS (oh crikey!-not sure if he's ready but will give it a good old try). I have saved up £500 for maternity leave so I will have to borrow a little from this account but am trying to make some money on the side to minimize this as much as possible. I have £20 of waitrose vouchers that I was going to use for Christmas but will use these for some shopping-for basics like milk, cheese extra-won't be buying their expensive ready meals and I did a mystery shop yesterday for Comet so earnt £5 and also could spend £10 in store and claim it back so bought a popcorn machine for DS and a Brita water filter for us and it came to £11-bargain! Also got £30 of La Tasca vouchers from tescos so me and DH can have a night out together for free! So despite the nasty garage bill feeling quite positive. Have decided to buy a £5 car tax voucher every month as well as am so bad for being 'surprised' by my car tax!

lucielle

Glad you are feeling better. Have you got any plans for the weekend?
L

beckseven

I'm working the 3-11 shift so not got much planned except work this weekend! Hoping to get a break in the rain to take DS to the playground in the morning. Have you got anything planned?

lucielle

Working Saturday and Sunday morning. Was going to go and see Amy MacDonald but the concert has been cancelled. Maybe go up to the horses depending on the weather.
L