Second time lucky... debt free diary.

WannabeFree · 1 January 2018 at 1:19PM

My budgets low because really there's only the older two smalls that eat

I also have quite a big stockpile of basic things and I use vouchers from surveys to keep it up

I think you do a brilliant job x

Mumoffourkids · 1 January 2018 at 2:43PM

charlies_tribe wrote: »

Thank you for posting MOFK. I've lurked on your thread too, looking for ideas to reduce groceries. We also have £10 a week on beer and DH has beer each week but other than that we don't seem to spend on anything luxurious. I am definitely going to work on it though. It doesn't help with DH and 2 teenage Ds's, they can eat a mountain of food and still be hungry.

I know we use a lot of electric but I couldn't see how it was that much more (it's a graph on their website comparing my use to other 3 bed semis with the same amount of occupants). I spoke to the children yesterday about the bills and making sure they turn lights/chargers etc off. Also trying to get them to wear Pj's a second night if they aren't mucky. I think washing is a major use and the boiler needing replacing too. When we have showers, the boiler has to be on, it heats all the radiators too and it can't be turned off in between each person otherwise it doesn't come back on for hours. My tea consumption is a probably a huge factor too.

Well I've been on the scales for my start weight this morning and hoping my clothes will be more comfortable by the summer, I refuse to buy a bigger size!

I'll try and post up my meal plan for each week from now on which might help!

Oh and I have kids who seemed to have hollow legs and are constantly eating. Its worse in the holidays I find.

I think one of the other things that puts up my electric bill is I have a very old fridge freezer and very old freezer. I think I might try to save up to buy a new more efficient one once I have finished sorting out the furniture in the kids rooms.

I agree that my kids just seem to generate washing just by looking at clothes! I swear sometimes they don't even wear the clothes before putting them back in the washing basket!

charlies_tribe · 1 January 2018 at 3:12PM

Mumoffourkids wrote: »

I'll try and post up my meal plan for each week from now on which might help!

Oh and I have kids who seemed to have hollow legs and are constantly eating. Its worse in the holidays I find.

I think one of the other things that puts up my electric bill is I have a very old fridge freezer and very old freezer. I think I might try to save up to buy a new more efficient one once I have finished sorting out the furniture in the kids rooms.

I agree that my kids just seem to generate washing just by looking at clothes! I swear sometimes they don't even wear the clothes before putting them back in the washing basket!

Thank you, it's nice sometimes to see other meals, sometimes we get fed up of the same things all the time.

I always wonder in the holidays how on earth they make it to lunch time at school as by 9 they think they've been starved!

We had a new fridge/freezer a few weeks ago so hoping it makes a bit of a difference. We still have a quiet old freezer though. When we replace the dryer I've been looking at a heat pump dryer, they are more but supposed to use a lot less electric to run.

I sent the children to tidy bedrooms yesterday and I'm just sorting through the mountain of washing they've put in the bathroom and quiet a bit of it is still folded! But we have a cat that wee's on any washing on so can't even put them back in drawers. I've put another basket in the bathroom and said all clothes must go in it and not on the floor, then things can have a normal wash too, rather than a long, hot wash.

charlies_tribe · 1 January 2018 at 3:15PM

Just realised I put DH Has £10 on beer, it was supposed to say £10 on nappies and then DH beer, he gets limited to £5 a week, hoping his Christmas present will help reduce that further.

Mumoffourkids · 1 January 2018 at 3:24PM

Yep mine do the same, put clothes that are still folded in the washing. Or my eldest tries on an outfit and then decided it's not what she wants to wear and do in the wash it goes!

charlies_tribe · 1 January 2018 at 9:41PM

We have just eaten a huge roast dinner, so much for that diet starting!

Today has been NSD 1.

Need to check we have everything for back to work/school. Cant believe how quick it has come around.

charlies_tribe · 2 January 2018 at 11:36AM

Good morning. Just a quick update. £76 paid off CC today. Balance transfer done, has cost £179 charge but is less than the interest would have been over the next few months. Need to look which is the next 0% to end and pay any overpayment on that card.

charlies_tribe · 4 January 2018 at 8:58PM

Good evening. Just a quick post, DH off and complaining I spend too long on my phone.
Yesterday was a low spend day £2.25 on bread and crumpets.
Today was spendy! £64 on 2 sacks of dog food. £84 on fuel. £2.40 for new washers for the toilet as it keeps sliding while sat on it, now DH can't find the tool to take it off to replace the washers. £21 in the new @ldi. Mainly crisps and biscuits to keep the kiddies quiet while DH sleeps over the weekend.
We had pasta Bolognese for tea yesterday and enchiladas today. We still have beef to use up that we were going to have new years day

charlies_tribe · 5 January 2018 at 2:05PM

Just another post. Banks checked and no changes. At work in an hour (really should get showered and dressed) Need to use the rest of the pet budget to get the cats things for the month after work today.

Spent last night helping DD1 to fill in job applications last night, i understand she doesnt want a job as college is very demanding (3 9-4 days at college and 2 8.30-4-30 days at placement) but she wants to learn to drive in june and if she thinks i'm paying her lessons/car/insurance she's going to have a huge shock.

Right, better get ready for work.

Mumoffourkids · 5 January 2018 at 2:16PM

My oldest daughter got a job where I work. She is a waitress and kitchen assistant. The beauty of her job is that she doesn't have set shifts. She works as and when they are busy or if one of the regulars has a holiday. It suits her completely as she doesn't work every weekend but still earns on average £100 per month in term time. In holidays she earns more as she can do more shifts.

Maybe look for jobs like that. My daughter works for a yacht club but I would say a hotel, wedding venue or something like that.

Second time lucky... debt free diary.

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