NST March: Marching to a different beat

Thank you all so much. I'm not very up to speed with how to quote bk/tag. Really appreciate all your support. Had a little cry earlier after reading your lovely replies. I knuckled down when kids had a nap...figured out a budget and realised that we dont budget for annual expenses like Xmas, car maintence, health appts. So I've done the sums, divided by 11 months, opened up multiple savings accounts and popped relevant monies in each. The money we safed on me changing energy supplier and no council tax, has meant I've been able to put money in for Jan.
I realised in January that we have alot of disposable income atm. We made a decision to pay off a large debt that was charging 6% interest. This month we paid it off and as much as I want to hammer the rest of the debts this month, I can see it makes sense to work on a buffer too.
Our financial situ will change once I go back to wrk in April ( from maternity). We will then have childcare to pay for and I'll be doing part time. Dreading it but know financially it makes sense.

Feel nervous abt posting budget but here goes:-
March
Fuel £90/£400 - it is high as we are off on holiday in UK, DH travels a distance to work and we have a long commute to take DS to his Childrens Hosp appt. I have rounded up so hoping to have sme left towards buffer

Food £70/ 170 - Meal planner done for next 10 days. Batch cooking yesterday meant we have meals in the freezer

Savings for hair colour and cuts,health related costs, car, hair,clothes & professional fees - £217

Going out/takeaway - £0/ £40 - I have scrowled MSE and found some great MS tips so we will use these for drinks and food on the day of hospital appt.

Off to dish up dinner for kids. Sorry for lonnggg post!
I will be trying the bannana icecream receipe tomo! Thanks for this x

Hi Turtles

Still too snowy and icy to go out (I'm terrified of falling) so NSD No 2

All meals from freezer and stores. Just as well we have frozen bread. There is no bread in the shops and we've given some of ours to to the neighbours with children who can't get any. Got lots of cereal, soup, etc to help out if need be. Our neighbour has a lovely little grandson who unfortunately has learning difficulties and he really wanted some meatballs for his dinner. C to the rescue – one of his impulse buys in the freezer!

Been thinking about the electiricty. I probably don't need to do a wash as often as I do and could do it on a cool 30 mintue cycle (nothing gets that dirty). Same with ironing. If the bedding is hung up properly to dry it doesn't have a lot of creases and who sees it anyway. The guilt comes from my mother who was the ironing queen. Does switching off appliances that are on standby make a difference? Should I replace the bulbs in the lamps (don't use the overhead lights) with low energy ones? Make enough coffee for my two cups in the morning only so the coffee maker isn't on for hours in case I want another one? Turn off the TV when we're not actually watching it? Few things to think about. And thank you, Foxgloves and others, for the tips about the slow cooker.

Plans for this month:

Haven't done any decluttering or tidying. Weather is defintitely making me lazy.
Haven't done a proper meal plan yet so really have to get on with that. But tonight's dinner for us is left over cooked gammon cooked in cider and some kind of chutney or apple sauce (of which we have many!). The boy will be having his favourite bolognese.
Started reading the Odessa File. It's one of my favourite films and the book is even better. I'll have it finished by the weekend and then I'm moving on to The Day of the Jackal
Seriously need to get over this laziness and start taking care of my appearance.

It's really cold here but I think we're over the worst. To all of you down south take care and stay warm.

Easy NSD here as well. The weather and roads are so atrocious that it just wasn't worth going out. Made do with what we have, and I suspect tomorrow will be the same! Occupied myself by getting loads of packs of HG raspberries out of the freezer, together with a bag of mixed red and black currants. I made cordial (in order to have something nice / different to drink that isn't alcoholic) and cooked up the fruit (after the juice was strained off) with some apples to make fruit pie / crumble filling. All sticky now!

NSD today 1/18.
Took lunch into work.
Grateful for:
Headteacher phoning early enough for me to make it into work on time. School was open.
Being able to work today.
Making good bus connections to and from work.
Being let home slightly early due to the weather.
Having a chilled out evening.
Making a list of what I need to buy tomorrow.

Hi quick update from me.

Thursday never got to my gig, trains cancelled problems with wheels and didn't fancy driving as knew journey home be awful. Hopefully get refund on both train tickets, saved on premier inn. My friend paid for tickets can't let her stand the loss so will sort something out with her.

Today- had to do food shopping as my gas oven won't stay on, got food I can cook on hob or in my slow cooker, can't get a plumber out at moment.
Cleaned my oven today -one frog down, be too ashamed if gas engineer out his head in that.
Glad I had today booked as a holiday anyway. Update my totals Monday.
Hope this weather gets warmer soon worrying about heating bills !