£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

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  • Suffolk_lass
    Suffolk_lass Posts: 9,332 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Yes, you really are adopting new and changed habits which really is a good thing.

    I also bake my own bread - because I don't think we understand fully the impact of "flour improvers" - those things that mass production adds to stop the steamed bread from going mouldy and stale. I read Doris Grant's book called "Your Daily Bread" written in the 1940s/50s and it was a revelation. It was in a Scottish House we rented for Easter a few years ago and it's a real collectors book - a sort of Jamie Oliver style of campaigner in her day
    Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
    OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
    I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
    My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman
  • Treadingonplaymobil
    Treadingonplaymobil Posts: 1,895 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Week 23: Day 3


    Yawn. Tired this morning. And just slid down the stairs while half asleep, which is no way to start the day!

    Cherry I knew you would appreciate the importance of the arrival of the WUB!

    Meant to be having two play dates for DC3 today - one in the morning and one in the afternoon (trying to see her friends before they both head off for the summer on long trips), and am slightly dreading it. So much to get done, still haven't put all the camping gear away from the weekend. One friend did send a message yesterday to say her DC was slightly under the weather, and I'm half hoping she will cancel and give me a bit of free time where I can park DC3 in front of the tv for an hour and tidy up.

    Had a v cheap food shop yesterday - only £60ish and I think I've have leftovers next week as MIL is bringing food with her too - but spotted big 13-piece tupperware sets in Aldi for only £10 each, so bought two for Lego storage as discussed the other day. Miles cheaper than the sets I was looking at on Amazon, and because they are for Lego it doesn't matter if the lid seal isn't amazing. We do actually need some packed lunch tupperware too, so I might snaffle a couple for that too and see what the seal is like. Will take the tupperware coat from the entertainment kitty, which will leave us with about 8p for the rest of the month, but I think it was worth leaping on the cheap tupperware while it was there. Most unlike me to go for the budget (and less beautiful) option, but my desire to organise the Lego hoard is greater than my desire to organise it prettily.

    Must update my savings pots in YNAB to break down christmas and birthday savings further - it's been working really well with saving for upcoming work expenses and DC1's bike, stops me dipping into the pots so willingly when it's taking from something specific rather than generic 'savings', and I'm much more inclined to add the odd pound here and there when I can when I can visualise it going towards something tangible.

    to do today
    1. unpack and put away camping gear.
    2. laundry
    3. Ironing mountain :o
    4. Bake flapjacks for school snacks
    5. Bake biscuits for play date
    6. Tidy up a bit before MIL arrives.
    7. Make quiche for dinner - have foolishly menu planned a 'portable' dinner as Tuesdays usually involve dinner on the go, but have realised there is no swimming so I didn't need to. Silly me.
    8. Update savings pots in YNAB.

    to do this week
    1. survive MIL visiting. :A
    2. continue with cleaning the house thoroughly one room at a time.
    3. charity shop run with decluttered stuff that is currently (ironically) cluttering up the hallway.
    4. plan out the first couple of weeks of activities for the summer holidays.

    Aims for July
    1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. Well, a whopping £15 paid on top of the minimum payment so far, hoping to make another payment before end of month.
    2. Pay for camping holiday commitments out of self employed income rather than adding to debt. So far so good, but there is one more camping trip to cover in August.
    3. Stick to the budget even more closely than in June!
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • warby68
    warby68 Posts: 3,020 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Good luck

    I too had to buy some 'storage' yesterday - DS1 & DS2 appear to have brought home the entire library & stationery cupboard at the end of the school year. I have giant lever arch files so went for half price Really Useful tubs from Amazon. Have to say storage tubs always seem overpriced to me and also the most tedious of things to have to buy.

    You sound like you have your mojo back a bit. Keep tracking your spends, get the budget realistic for long term -recognize that zero spend on 'things' in a month is probably unlikely and make a pot.

    I agree that 'Millie's Christmas stocking money' will be much harder to dip into than just generic 'Christmas' which, after all, is still months away when you're re-educating your very emotional spending habits. Whatever works girl :)

    Good luck with MIL - hope she provides a few treats!
  • Hiddenidenity
    Hiddenidenity Posts: 5,423 Forumite
    I actually love sorting lego :o I could (do) sit for hours sorting my twos :o

    Have a lovely day :D
  • Treadingonplaymobil
    Treadingonplaymobil Posts: 1,895 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Hiddenidenity wrote: »
    I actually love sorting lego :o I could (do) sit for hours sorting my twos :o

    Have a lovely day :D
    Oh gosh, me too! I am actually quite bitter that I haven't got time to do it today :D
    warby68 wrote: »
    Good luck

    I too had to buy some 'storage' yesterday - DS1 & DS2 appear to have brought home the entire library & stationery cupboard at the end of the school year. I have giant lever arch files so went for half price Really Useful tubs from Amazon. Have to say storage tubs always seem overpriced to me and also the most tedious of things to have to buy.

    You sound like you have your mojo back a bit. Keep tracking your spends, get the budget realistic for long term -recognize that zero spend on 'things' in a month is probably unlikely and make a pot.

    I agree that 'Millie's Christmas stocking money' will be much harder to dip into than just generic 'Christmas' which, after all, is still months away when you're re-educating your very emotional spending habits. Whatever works girl :)

    Good luck with MIL - hope she provides a few treats!
    I too am always shocked by the price of storage tubs - I've seen ones that cost £30 each! I resent buying £5 Wilko ones.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,104 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Well done on your cheapo lego storage...........Im impressed!! :j
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • GeorgianaCavendish
    GeorgianaCavendish Posts: 2,387 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Sounds like a bargain in Aldi :)

    We've got a couple of giant Lego head storage tubs (a girl and a boy one) for things like phone chargers, USB sticks, travel adaptors ... they were massively discounted in TK Maxx last January, I think we paid £15 for the 2. I've just seen that they are £35 each on Amazon :eek: That has totally changed my perception of how expensive Lego storage can be!
  • Hiddenidenity
    Hiddenidenity Posts: 5,423 Forumite
    GeorgianaCavendish wrote: »
    Sounds like a bargain in Aldi :)

    We've got a couple of giant Lego head storage tubs (a girl and a boy one) for things like phone chargers, USB sticks, travel adaptors ... they were massively discounted in TK Maxx last January, I think we paid £15 for the 2. I've just seen that they are £35 each on Amazon :eek: That has totally changed my perception of how expensive Lego storage can be!

    Our lego storage is recycled ice cream/butter tubs and similar (decorated by the smalls) all inside a huge plastic storage box with lid (£2 from W!lkos) I always mean to buy tupperware or similar then think I can't justify spending when what they have works just as well :o
  • JoJoC
    JoJoC Posts: 1,836 Forumite
    I feel like I should get ahead of the curve here and start preparing lego storage for when our lego gets out of hand. My son is only 4 but is great at lego - all his creations are sets and currently displayed on shelves in our living room but that's not sustainable! And I'd hate to get the sets messed up...shudder.

    GC - those lego heads are so expensive! I always keep an eye on the price but am loathe to spend that kind of money on something that's not even a toy. They'll get no joy out of that and for that price I'm not sure it's worth it.

    They're so cute though :)
    CC1: £4481.14/ £5031.14 (12% paid off, £600) | CC2:£3307/ £3807 (14.4% paid off, £550) | Loan: £10,528.20/ £15,792.30((33% paid off, £5,264))

    July debt total: £24,630.44 | New debt total: £18,316.34 | Total debt paid: £6,414.10 (26%)
    *My debt busting and savings diary*
  • Treadingonplaymobil
    Treadingonplaymobil Posts: 1,895 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    JoJoC wrote: »
    I feel like I should get ahead of the curve here and start preparing lego storage for when our lego gets out of hand. My son is only 4 but is great at lego - all his creations are sets and currently displayed on shelves in our living room but that's not sustainable! And I'd hate to get the sets messed up...shudder.

    GC - those lego heads are so expensive! I always keep an eye on the price but am loathe to spend that kind of money on something that's not even a toy. They'll get no joy out of that and for that price I'm not sure it's worth it.

    They're so cute though :)
    Our lego used to be like that, and I was similarly obsessive about not mixing sets. Then the lego sets multiplied. And multiplied. And multiplied. The whole lot is in one enormous laundry basket at the minute, far too much to play with and not easy to access. We will get rid of perhaps 2/3 of it when we move it into tupperwares - they currently play with the odd tupperware-full that I pull out far more than they play with the whole laundry basket full.
    Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
    Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.
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