Time to mend and make do, beg, borrow and barter.

So today's housekeeping day - £300 has gone into the account for everything household. I'm hoping if I don't spend very much of it I can pay a big chunk off the credit card.

Its also packing for holidays day - this was paid for a long time ago thank goodness, given the state of my bank account at the moment. We booked ages ago getting £100 off each a 2 4 1 on passes and free ski carriage so I'm pretty chuffed with the lady who helped us book. DS works for the same company so I MUST EMAIL HIM with the booking details and we'll get his 5% off for family. LIKE DO IT>........:D

I'm busy packing a few bits into bags to save spends when away. We're off to the snowy lands, tiny apartment with a cooker so I've portioned up all the regular herbs, spices, porridge, tea, coffee and hot choc we'd buy out or at the supermarche......I've just lobbed 3 loo rolls in my bag too (inside my boots) and all the freebie hotel/work shampoos/soaps etc we have been borrowing here and there are now packed too.

So no spends on toiletries, basic dried goods (yes there is pasta inside my ski boot and noodles, not loose you understand). We will only need to buy fresh things and happy to support the local supermarche to do that.

I am in charge of household spends at home or abroad, so this is my budget. DH will do the treaty bits, cos he's a superhero.

I'm busily baking cakes from stores to take about the lovely dog sitters (free dog sitting = cake making) and doing a hamper from the stores for my brother who's going to pop in and see everything is OK when we are away.

Picked up elderhoond's medicine yesterday for the holidays and co-ordinated our vet to be able to speak to vet at my mums over telephone so no consulting fee, I AM LEARNING phone = free, pop in = £25+VAT. Meds were £40, given the spends on these this month I think as they are unavoidable, they need a wee budget of their own. I now have an idea of what he'll need for the forseeable. Lets hope I'm spending those for a good while yet.

I swapped some dog sitting for a chum in the summer for 10 days to have free dog sitting for younger hound over xmas. He's too bouncy for my mum at the moment. So a good bit barter there. I'm baking some treats for the lovely folks to say thank you and food for the mutt etc is all sorted (got a £1 off voucher when spend £10 in coop and bought own brand so got 5% back on my members card.)

Always learning eh.

I'll do a combined trip later - to drop off mutts/pop in with hampers etc after young hound is picked up from here.

I've got to borrow a shot of my friends tumble drier for my goosedown jacked - the only thing I own that needs tumbled. So I'm baking for that pop in too.

Oven is kinda full of brownies at the moment.

Before we go fire baskets to fill up with free wood (thanks dear brother).

We have visitors coming the day we land so beds to prep - and I've almost sorted the fridge out - seems odd to be so EMPTY at this time of year but I don't want any waste so the last of the bread and milk are going in the freezer with half a can of dog food. Waste not want not I guess.

There's a vague meal plan for when we get back I've a casserole made from reduced lamb. I've also asked the guys to bring some breakfast things. There's more stuff in there for NY day and alike but its frozen - I'll take out when I get home.

Off to update banks and move money from main bank into housekeeping.

Oh visitors how lovely Greying my dear friend welcome - I think of you often when i'm literally hoping to get some inspiration in life and in food. merci for the virtual bickies.

Enjoyyourshoes - OD one is free as its still a student account - not sure why they've never changed it - one is £6 charge with £13 interest this month so approximately £20/month, 240 a year - I'd like to save that I know for sure. The new focus I'm hoping will help reduce food spends where I know I do indulge and make more use of that money to clear this.

CC is a zero balance transfer on some of the balance but not on the rest - one issue here is subscription payments that I keep meaning to cancel and forget to as its not very visible how to do it ie 5.99 for MS office which I no longer need every month. I might try and ring them.

Thanks to both for the support.