Living within my means-the challenge

beckseven

It's so cold these past few days isn't it? I've been out and about in my ski jacket-which is really tight now! I need a new coat but don't want to spend a fortune and also don't want to buy a really cheap one because it'll show every bulge! I'm going to do a trawl of the charity shops next week to see if I can find something decent in there. I was just thinking-ooh I'd never of dreamt of buying from a charity shop previously but then I remembered that as a fashion conscious and stylish student (pre kids when I was a svelte size 6/8) I used to love trawling the charity and second hand shops for beautiful vintage sixties coats and jackets and I always looked good(I can see now in hindsight-at the time I was full of teenage self doubt!) so I am going to start doing this again-who needs money to look stylish! Mind you the bump out the front kind of cramps my style! I'm starting to dread seeing myself in the mirror when I take DS swimming each week-I have to get in with him and it isn't fun being out in public in my swimsuit.

beckseven

Actually scrap the trawling the charity shops next week idea-I'll have to make do until I get paid because I've got absolutely no money whatsoever! i keep forgetting!

beckseven

Well had a busy Money saving day today! I'm at work and it's quiet so made the most of it and did loads of ms things. I trawled the Old Style boards for the cheapest recipes to use for the next couple of weeks so that I can do some budget shops and use the bare minimum of money from my maternity savings on shopping. I also registered my EOn electricity account with my clubcards so should earn loads of clubpoints (is that a positive?!!!). I've entered zillions of competitions so hopefully will have a nice surprise. Feeling quite positive for once!

lucielle

Glad you are feelin' good. Hope you win some comps.
L

beckseven

Me too! I entered so many yesterday it made my head spin! Entered loads for digital cameras as ours has gone kaput and also lots for health spas, weekends and holidays! Well I can dream can't I?! I entered one that was for a two night luxury break at a stunning country hotel in the New Forest with a tasting menu one night and a table d'hote the next and it's worth £2500! that would get me 50 sun caravan holidays! Had a nice day today in spite of rain-cooked a sunday roast with pork, potatoes, carrots and beans, homemade apple sauce and apple crumble and gravy-using up as many apples from the garden as possible! My DS ate really well and polished off quite a sizeable dinner and all his veggies as well as a big portion of crumble! I was really pleased! I'm at work now and feeling stuffed! Going to pop to the works gym to do some gentle walking on the treadmill to burn some off about 6pm on my break. DS and DH were going to watch Chitty Chitty bang bang this afternoon. I've got all week off so am going to attempt potty training ds...not much looking forward to it as I'm not quite sure he's ready. He doens't appear to be that aware of going to the loo and often denies he's done a no. 2 when it is blatantly obvious to all that he has! I've been advised by the hv not to push it with him because he will just get really stubborn about it so think will see how it goes for a couple of days and if it's disasterous and he's not using the potty will have to leave it until next month. I don't think i'd be so bothered about it if the new baby wasn't arriving in January-I've sort of put myself under pressure to get it done for then but obviously if he's not ready he's not ready!

moanymoany

beckseven wrote: »

It's so cold these past few days isn't it? I've been out and about in my ski jacket-which is really tight now! I need a new coat but don't want to spend a fortune and also don't want to buy a really cheap one because it'll show every bulge! I'm going to do a trawl of the charity shops next week to see if I can find something decent in there. I was just thinking-ooh I'd never of dreamt of buying from a charity shop previously but then I remembered that as a fashion conscious and stylish student (pre kids when I was a svelte size 6/8) I used to love trawling the charity and second hand shops for beautiful vintage sixties coats and jackets and I always looked good(I can see now in hindsight-at the time I was full of teenage self doubt!) so I am going to start doing this again-who needs money to look stylish! Mind you the bump out the front kind of cramps my style! I'm starting to dread seeing myself in the mirror when I take DS swimming each week-I have to get in with him and it isn't fun being out in public in my swimsuit.

Have a look on Freecycle - you could put a wanted on there.

One important moneysaving tip is to have stuff in your cupboards to keep you going for a week.

I use Tesco, value milk powder - mix up and use for if you run out of milk.

value self raising flour and baking powder to make soda bread if you run out of bread.

It is often the milk and bread that drives you into the shops. To have these in the house stops that.

Get some value meusli or value oats and add some value sultanas. 1 tablespoon of sultanas (or any dried fruit) is 1 portion of fruit.

Value instant mash/baked beans/tinned tomatoes/pasta are all great for emergency meals.

Sandwiches for lunches - value wholemeal bread, value marge (don't use any spread myself), value pate, value cheese and value pickle - make and freeze them.

May not be cordon bleu - but it can be tasty and fills you up - and it sure is cheap.

beckseven

Thanks moanymoany for your great advice. I went to Asda last night as I have got £70 to last me for food through to payday-which for most of the inspirational people on the OS boards could last all month-but I'm still a bit of an amateur-but learning. i did what you said and have stocked up on sp flour, oats,beans, tinned toms,sausages and streaky bacon and bought an enormous bag of pasta-all in all I spent £40 but hopefully this will last me through. This week im off work with days off in lieu so am potty training DS-well it's certainly fun!!!! We haven't had one poo or wee in the potty yet but i am going to persevere and on the positive side he loves wearing his pants and he is spending time on the potty now-but unfortunately he keeps wetting himself but baby steps and all that. I've got nothing planned for the week so we are going to stay round the house and have some fun with paints, baking etc together. If I get get him to wee or poo in the potty by the end of the week I will be happy. If i wasn't expecting a baby in January I don't think I would be trying so hard now with him (he's two and 9mths) but this is my only week off between now and maternity leave so if i can make progress this week it will be brilliant-have saved myself a fortune in nappies as well-mind you we used 6 pairs of pants and 2 pairs of trousers yesterday! he's having a little nap now so having a quick cuppa and a trawl on the net. Booked La tasca for Thursday-seems v. decadent to spend £30 on a meal out(although Tesco vouchers) when i've got that to last the month for the rest of my shopping but i'm really looking forward to it. Making a sausage, baked bean and lentil casserole for tea so hopefully will be ok.

Verbatim

Wow you're doing well beckseven. I remember when I was trying to potty train my dear d she got the poo and the pee mixed up and it was " Ohhh Mummy pee everywhere" when it wasn't!

beckseven

Thanks Verbatim-my DS gets the two mixed up as well. I was loading the dishwater when he came in saying poo on the carpet-I ran in in a panic but thankfully was just wee on the floor! We had a good afternoon yesterday-he seemed to 'get' it and did four wees in the potty and was really chuffed with himself-however this morning he seemed to have got up on the wrong side of bed and although he has been sitting on the potty he has had accidents every time and none in the potty. he seems to be playing me up today and being very awkward. He's gone for an hours nap now so hopefully he will wake up in a more cooperative mood! I had £20 of Waitrose vouchers through so I will pop out this pm and get a toilet seat, a step to the toilet and some fun handwashing stuff to see if this helps in the journey. I found myself getting a bit stressed this am so am just chilling now whilst he is in bed to try and get myself in a positive frame of mind for this afternoon. i went to pop in some babyclothes to a woman in the village and she really kindly gave me some maternity clothes. I had a look through and there is some really lovely Isabella Oliver stuff there that I could only dream of buying normally-a real yummy mummy brand!-so i am really chuffed so at least i will look a bit more decent! I'm going to trawl for some mystery shops and some pigsback as well. Sorry if this is turning into more of a potty training diary at the mo' but I'm like a woman obsessed!Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Tomorrow DS is at pre-school-so I can have a chance to tackle my tip of a house!

beckseven

Wow Verbatim-just noticed your impressive signature-that's amazing!