Laziness

It was simply laziness that I couldnt be bothered to make up my packed lunch last night.....so it cost me £2.95 for lunch and £3 for a birthday collection today...dreadful weather but I managed to get a 30 minute walk in after I got back from work so feel better now.

March grocery spend - £250 and £65 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £0 (and £11.46 from April)
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £55.91
Entertainment - £100 (and £5.13 in debt to April)
Spent with money paid back - £307.25

I fear IKEA...

Another Tuesday has dawned....dd wasn't up to going out so I got my hair done (why? in this wind and rain did I get a blow dry?????) so that's £25 down so far....

Then OH suggested a trip to IKEA for a meatball lunch.....£9.85 for that....then there was the dreaded walk round IKEA (yes, I shouldn't have done it...) but actually I was very restrained indeed - bought another pan (the set I got didn't have a middle sized pan), kitchen scissors, rubber gloves, washing up brushes and a stuffed rabbit for our granddaughter who is far too young for Easter eggs (which I must actually buy!) So I spent £23.45 which for me in IKEA is a world record.

(and when I have totalled up I realised I have gone over my £100 entertainment budget for this month and am now in debt to next month - this is not good!....I must get a grip as that's 3 budgets I have over-spent on this month - bad girl)

So this blog is making me plug the holes (or at least see where they are!) I am getting better and not just hoping that it all will balance. My eldest dd laughs at me as I wont lie on this blog and hope the spend just vanishes - first step to ruin if I did that....

March grocery spend - £250 and £65 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £0 (and £4.51 from April)
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £55.91
Entertainment - £100 (and £5.13 in debt to April)
Spent with money paid back - £307.25

A small spend....

Just to say hi to Silver sewer - we are in the same area! I am down at Dunbar....

Had a small spend today - £5 in the co-op on cake, feminine thingies and the Daily Record as there is a voucher to go camping for 95p a night - will have a look at the campsites later on....

Had my blood pressure taken as it was high last time and its even higher this time - i'm to go back in 4 weeks and if its still high....more investigations......

So despite the weather me and OH went off for a walk round a lake at Smeaton and then into the Garden centre for a wee cuppa and cake (£4.50)

March grocery spend - £250 and £65 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.41
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £95.28
Spent with money paid back - £307.25

Yesterday no spend but had to go out today!

Stayed in yesterday as it was a lovely sunny day and got loads of gardening done - not looking forward to the rest of the week and forcast of snow!

Sunday is day out day - off to the pictures - again used the last of my luncheon vouchers and our 2 disabled cinema cards so the 4 of us had a McDonalds lunch, went to the pictures and had afternoon coffee for a grand sum of...

£27.15

which isnt too shabby! Will have to work on getting some more vouchers....

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.41
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £90.78
Spent with money paid back - £307.25

No spending!

Well I have been very good the past few days as I have not spent very much at all - 55p for a cake at work and that's been it! Haven't any plans for the weekend yet and its miserable weather so might just curl up with a good book!

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.41
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £90.78
Spent with money paid back - £280.10

Another nice day out

Well - me and eldest dd decided not to do a Tuesday this week as we have seen quite a lot of each other and been out and about and our houses are starting to suffer...by 9.30am I got a text from her saying not going out on a Tuesday was boring! So off we went......

Quite a long trip this Tuesday down to the Teviot water garden just outside Kelso - nice gardens going down to the river, nice shop and a lovely lunch. I got some smoked chicken and rasberry cheesecake to take home. Then came back via Kelso and found another big garden centre where we both bought some plants. So altoghter today I spent £30 which I shall be naughty and take off the money eldest dd paid back!

Only at work 2 days this week as I am having a flex day off so hopefully there will be at least 2 no-spend-days this week!

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £90.78
Spent with money paid back - £280.10

Wee necessary spent on caravan

Had to spend £8.11 as the outside cover for our water filter on the van has finally blown away!

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £188.65 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £90.78
Spent with money paid back - £250.10

Free day out courtesy of National Trust

We had a great day out at Cragside - the first house to be lit by hydro electric down in Northumberland - been there before but didn't have time to go round the whole estate and it was lovely to go back and best of all - it was free! Wish I had heard about the free weekend earlier as could have fitted in another property but hey-ho..

Packed a picnic and flask but OH decided to stop for coffee on the way down and I treated the 3 of us (myself, OH and eldest dd) to a cream tea so spent just under £20 (maybe not totally a free day out then!) I bought my mum a fold-able bag in the National Trust shop 1/2 price for £2.50 as a belated Mothers Day present as I didn't get to see her last week. Gorgeous spring weather really made it a lovely day out.

Then saw an offer for joining the National Trust - its usually £48 for a single person for the year but it was a special offer today of £40. Now I joined a few years ago when there was a cashback deal and free gift of binoculars but let it lapse as there really aren't very many National Trust properties near us. But as we are hopefully going to the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales this year decided to look into it. While talking to the woman about it she said that as my dd was disabled she would get a card to let a carer in free - so basically that's 2 people for the £40 - so I told dd I would go 1/2s and pay £20 and so she joined. As it would have been nearly £13 for each of us today if we had paid we hopefully will get our moneys worth if we visit even just a couple of properties.

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £8.47
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £90.78
Spent with money paid back - £250.10

No spend but lots of work!

Having spend 2 days ripping out our caravans old carpet (the people we bought it off had dogs and despite steam cleaning it and paying a fortune for Febreeze every time it got wet it gave off a lovely wiff of Eau de Hound!) and putting in lovely vinyl tiles that look like laminate planks (totalling £21 in B&Q) we decided to flush out the water pipes and sterilise them.

Merrily running the pump and chatting to our neighbours when they pointed out there was a lot of water dripping from underneath the kitchen area!! Help, jings ma boab......turns out the hot water pipe had come loose and our nice new floor was flooded - in a way much better than if the carpet had been in! Got it all mopped up...

After much swearing and ranting OH had to make the pipe smaller as it was rotten on the end and put it back on with a jubilee clip.

Then while I was putting away the wastmaster noticed tiny puddle under the wheel arch (where the shower is). Now we dont use the shower (the shower head was cracked when we got the van) or the basin in there but today I run the taps just to clean them out. Much more swearing, ranting and raving from OH - hauled the sink out and it seems there has been a running repair in the past (consisting of lots and lots of sticky tape round the waste pipe) Again, cut the pipe where the hole was and put it back on with another jubilee clip.

As I said to him its lucky all this happened when we were at home - can you imagine trying to do all this at a site?

So a no-spend day cos we were too busy with the van to leave the house!

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £5.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £70.78
Spent with money paid back - £230.10

Hardly spent anything!

Thursday - £3 for birthday collection at work
Friday - zip at work (didnt even get the infamous Friday latte!)

Did however go to Tesco after work and got a huge shop so am now in debt to next months!!!!!! Bloomin heck.....

March grocery spend - £250 and £60 from Aprils!
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £5.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £70.78
Spent with money paid back - £230.10

The leaky damn continues....

I knew it - once I had started spending there's no stopping me!

Today off to the B&M shop - wanted new accessories for the sitting room - got a nice picture of green trees for £9 and a tiny slow cooker for the caravan for £9 - spend another £8.41 on bits.....

Then went into Poundstretchers and managed to get a small oil filled radiator (again for the caravan) for £18 and a lovely bathroom mirror for £5.99 (our bathroom mirror was rescued from a skip years ago!!!! - it was grotty then but we were always looking for a smaller one and at long last found one that fits)

Lunch was a couple of Greggs pasties (£2.09)

And finally Tesco on the way home for cold meats and salad for lunches - of course couldnt just by them! Spent a total of £14.68 but that included a new bin for the bathroom but I did use my £5 money card so it cost £4 for the bin and £5.68 for messages.

There is a wee story behind the £5 Tesco gift card....last year while we were on holiday I bought some Finest Tesco BRITISH sausages - much was made on the front about them being British etc. - now I always try and buy British pork after the programme on telly by Jamie Oliver....anyway, the sausages were really nice (pork and black pudding) so for some unknown reason I decided to have a look at the labelling - in teeny tiny letters right at the bottom it had the pork was product of Denmark and the EU! British my bum!!! So I wrote a wee letter stating the sausages were really nice but the label was misleading and got a nice letter of apology back with the gift card!

March grocery spend - £159.46 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £20.96
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £70.78
From money paid back - £230.10

The damn has burst!

Gawd, once I get spending there is no stopping me! Its like a damn bursting!

First - put an order in from Food Bargains - for £17 (inc postage) I got a huge amount of bargains which I am very pleased with. Never used them before so will reserve judgement until I actually receive my order.

Next - visit to B&Q -(this was on Saturday - 20% discount day) Its been 4 years since we decorated this place and I know I much prefer to spend my money on holidays enough is enough - you have to keep respectable!!! The cushions (see photo)were a want not a need but I thought they really brightened the place up (bargain at £6 including pad)

We bought.....

Vinyl floor tiles for the caravan (had a grotty carpet in which we have ripped out)
2 bright lights for the caravan
Vinyl floor tiles for the bathroom
Wallpaper for the bathroom
Paint for the bathroom
3 new cushions for the sitting room
Paint for the hall
Bits ie white spririt, brushes etc

It came to £175.60 (with the 20% discount of £44.40 taken off)

March grocery spend - £153.78 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £23.05
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £70.78
From money paid back - £175.60

Happy Mothers day!

Got some lovely cards and choccies - ended up at the cinema to see Alice in Wonderland which was great in 3d - used our cinema cards and what was left on the Vue gift card so it only cost around £9. Went for a nice meal (paid for by OH and eldest dd) - popped into Asda on the way home and as usual couldnt just buy bread and milk - spent £16.02 (did include reduced rolls/cakes down to 10p etc which have gone into the freezer)

March grocery spend - £136.78 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £23.05
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £70.78

Booked our next holiday!

Just finished booking our next holiday in the caravan - we are doing a tour just me, eldest dd and OH (youngest dd is off galavanting again with her pal and her family) - we will be away for 6 nights..

Inverary - £23 per night
Tarbet - £17.25 per night (x2)
Oban - £10 per night (x2)-very cheap as its a Certified Location with the Caravan club
Killin - £22.20

Must admit the prices seem to have gone up a lot this year - it appears the whole world and their mums must be caravanning instead of going abroad!

Anyway, thats a total of £99.70 for the accommodation. It will cost quite a bit in petrol and we intend to take the ferry from Oban to Mull as well for a visit. We have decided to only have one meal out the entire trip and of course, one chinese! The rest will consist of picnics if we are out and I am taking the slow cooker to have nice meals to come home to after a days sightseeing!

March grocery spend - £120.76 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £23.05
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £61.78

We really have to spend on the kitchen

Well, yougest dd (and a mountain of washing!) had a great time skiiing - took to it like a duck to water....

Wee bit of a spend yesterday - the now infamous Friday latte (£1.60) and lunch (£2.95) so not really too bad.

But here's the hard part - we must do something about the kitchen. We only have a tiny kitchen with hardly any work space (or even cupboards for that matter) We managed to get a dishwasher from Freecycle a year ago and its still not plumbed in (I know its a year cos the guy we got it from has bee offering his new dishwasher which is just out of its years warranty and broken!)Our bench is coming away from the wall and water has got into it so its all warped. We have been thinking about what to do with the kitchen ranging from just changing the worktop to putting a whole new one in and never actually got round to doing anything. Trouble is, I will never like this kitchen (its simply too small) so I don't see the point about putting new units in (we only have 3 small units on the bottom and 3 1/2 on the top) As we are a downstairs flat we have the back door and 2 under-upstairs-stairs pantry cupboards. The units are in good nick (need a good scrub with sugar soap) We need a new light, it desperately needs re-painting (last time we did it was 4 years ago!) and new flooring. We put down lino tiles as that's all we could afford at the time and they are now moving away from each other. Also they are textured (never again!) so you have to get on your knees and actually scrub them which hasn't been happening due to my back problems and oh's neck problems. So basically the kitchen has been getting grottier and grottier......

We have acquired a new length of worktop (thank you Freecycle!) and my eldest dd got some back payment of money due to her so she is giving me some of the amount she owes me so I think its now time to actually deal with the kitchen! My son is a joiner and has offered to put units and worktops into the two pantry cupboards to give more working space - might look a bit daft but its never going to be a show kitchen - I would just like to be able to make a Sunday dinner without having to resort to putting the ironing board up to put dishes on!

So I have text him to get me a price list for our local Howdens - I want a smaller sink and new taps - will try and get a plumber arranged and phase 1 is ds can take out the old worktop, plumber do his bit with the dishwasher, ds put in the new worktop and plumber put in the sink/taps. Phase 2 is to deal with the pantry cupboards and the last phase is to get new flooring, light, blind and decorate...

I will be ok when the work has started but always find it difficult to actually start!

I will post pictures of the kitchen as its is in all its glory (when I have washed the dishes and tidied up! lol!

March grocery spend - £120.76 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £23.05
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £61.78

No spend for me - just OH

Thought I had a cracked another no spend day but when I got home OH had been shopping again and spent £8.26 on groceries (bless him, hes in the house all day and I think he gets bored!)

I have been spending in my head though - got the lovely Lakeland catalogue in....mmmmmmm

Youngest dd is coming back tomorrow after a weeks skiing with the Sea cadets - shes phoned and has been having the time of her life!!!!!

March grocery spend - £120.76 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £61.78

A no spend day!

At last - i spent nothing and oh spent nothing!!!!!! yayyyyyy!

March grocery spend - £112.50 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £61.78

Gardening Tuesday

And yet more money spending!

First went to our local garden centre - was actually looking for a new cover for my dds plastic walk-in greenhouse but no luck - will look on the net.... Simply had to have lunch - I had pot and parsnip soup and eldest dd had bacon, brie & cranberry ciabatta followed by a selection of cakes (5 lovely wee bits of cake and we cut them in two to share!) - my share was £10!. Bought 2 packs of seeds (Night scented stock and some climber for my trellis) £4.49.

Off to my dds to tidy up her pots and plant some seeds - planted peas, beans, 3 type of ornamental grass, sweet peas, poppy (from last years seeds) and 2 type of tomato's. She had bought a pack of seeds from Asda - smart price for asters, marigolds, rudibeckers (not sure about the spelling!) and one other pack for the grand price of £1 for for packs of seeds! Will be dead chuffed if these grow!

It was actually very pleasant sitting outside planting things - the sun shone for a change!

Then popped into Asda to get some salad stuff for my packed lunches and bought a red fleecy jacket for £2.50 and a pack of 5 tea towels for £5 - bought some groceries - £5.52.

March grocery spend - £112.50 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £8.35
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £32.46
Entertainment - £61.78

Cheap day out

OH decided he fancied going to the pictures today so off we went.....

Bought a McDonalds for lunch using some luncheon vouchers - spend - £1.88
Cinema - free as used Vue gift card from son for xmas
Sweeties & juice - bought in Boots with luncheon vouchers - free
Rennies for OH - £1.99

OH treated us to coffee and cake afterwards with his allowance!

Went to see Legion which was ok - not as scary as I thought (thank goodness!) but fine. Really want to go and see Alice in Wonderland in 3d next!

March grocery spend - £106.98 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £22.97
Entertainment - £51.78

Budget musings

I have been looking back on my blog and am really happy I have been doing it. Although it seems I spend nearly every day when I look back on my spending before I blogged it really was out of control (well, out of control for me - always within what I get paid in! and certainly not involving getting into debt!!) I always thought that by doing my banking at the end of the month (i.e. I put everything on my spreadsheets for my freedom account and compare it with my bank statements) I was really doing well but since I have been accounting for every penny I spend I can see there were amounts on my bank statement I literally just used to ignore!

So another wee grocery spend today (OH did this one - went for coffee and ended up spending £20.46!)

March grocery spend - £104.09 (budget £250)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £22.97
Entertainment - £49.90

Money, money, money and a huge craft fair

The stuff seems to be constantly pouring out of this house!

Fridays spends - forgot my packed lunch - lunch at canteen - £3

Meal out with girls from work (very nice too!) - £20

Saturday - up and off early to the Creative Stitches/Craft fair at the SECC at Glasgow with both dds - eldest had very kindly made up a picnic. Eldest dd had never driven to Glasgow and was a bit dubious but she did really well - coming back it was manic - never seen driving like it and 5 lanes totally terrify me - thank heavens I cant drive! Anyway, we all had a great time - both dds bought crafty stuff (took eldest dds pal and another friend too)I'm not really a crafty person - I do try occasionally but its not really me. My eldest has done every craft going and is a fab knitter/card maker/jewellery maker. She bought a felting beginners kit, beads and buttons. Youngest dd bought a decoupage kit,scrapbook paper, small cross stitch kit and some scarfs. I was very restrained - bought 6 glass pendants and 3 necklace cords to put them on (total £13) and a cross stitch kit of a summer sampler reduced to £4.99. I haven't cross -stitched in years but thought it would a good way to get back into it. My entrance fee was £6.90 and I paid the car parking fee of £5. Then, as usual, it was really late when we got back so I ended up buying kebabs as a treat for us three and OH - totalling £18!

Youngest dd is off today for a weeks skiing up at Aviemore with the Seas cadets so off to help her pack........

March grocery spend - £86.63 (and quite a bit in the freezer!)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £27.60
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97 (mums had to come out of savings!)
Household - £22.97
Entertainment - £49.90

Happy Happy Thursday!!!!

2 bits of great news today - my eldest has had the all clear after a brush with cancer and our local Tenants group (of which I am the secretary) got a grant for a new play park - great day!!!!!

So me and dd had a celebration lunch - £16.98 - another chinese all-you-can-eat buffet. She treated herself to some new underwear and I bought some nice smellies and travel items for my youngest dd who is off on a skiing trip with the Sea Cadets on Sunday (also got 1/2 price sanitary towels for her!!!!) - £12.97

Also had to pay for bus fare from the hospital to the centre of Edinburgh (£1.20) and then home (£4.10)

March grocery spend - £86.63 (and quite a bit in the freezer!)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £48.60
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £22.97
Entertainment - £22.28

Weak willed Wednesday

Really thought it would be a no-spend day today - went to make my packed lunch up last night and found out it had been nibbled at!

So had to spend 90p today for chips for lunch (mmmmmmm) at work.

Got home and OH had done a wee bit of shopping (some reduced bargains so he was happy!)

March grocery spend - £86.63 (and quite a bit in the freezer!)
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £48.60
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £10

Trying for a cheap tuesday...

As you know by know if you are following my ramblings that a Tuesday is mother and daughter day (i.e. my eldest who drives takes me somewhere!!) Its a family tradition - my grandmother visited my mum on a Tuesday and when I left home I visited my mum on a Tuesday...

So decided it would be a frugal day - I made up a picnic! Had already decided to go to Dobies for inspiration for the garden and would take the picnic to Vogrie Country park.



Off we went - determined not to spend any money at Dobies (actually fairly easy in there as I refuse to pay the price of stuff!) But as usual got sucked in....they had a sale bit and I got 3 mm-mms (that's code talk for surprises!!) for birthdays reduced from £5.99 each to 99p so they have been put in my gift box. Then bought 2 packs of seeds - lettuce and rocket (and got another free - aubergines) for £3. The park was really nice as there was loads of snow so we walked for nearly 40 minutes after having our picnic in the car.

Then feeling very chuffed we headed home but dd decided on a wee de-tour to our local re-cycling furniture shop as she has been after a smaller tv stand - got one she really liked and then spotted 2 leather sofas which she has now bought! I bought a cupboard for our tiny bathroom to keep towels in - really pleased with it and it only cost £7 (some of the stuff can be quite pricey in there - people give it to them and to be quite frank, they charge quite a bit for it) In fact we saw a mahogany unit my dd had given to them and they were charging £30 for it - she had already tried to give it away on Freecycle and nobody wanted it!




March grocery spend - £63.47
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £49.50
Clothes - £5.85
Birthdays - £2.97
Household - £10

I swear I have a real problem....

I just cant keep away from the shops!

A wee trip to Asda for Rennies, Toilet roll and a hamster ball.......how did I spend £25??????

OK - dd owes me £4 for the ball
Pair of jeans for my granddaughter - 85p!
Xmas pressies - reduced from £3 to £1 (bought 2)
2 new nighties for me - £5 (this was a real need as some of my nighties are barely even fit for dusters never mind the bucket!)

So that's another £13.15 for groceries (and I still forgot fabric conditioner so have just put a glug of white vinegar in my machine)

Since its the 1st of March I am starting again with my totals....the first thing is an extra £50 straight into the holiday fund from the grocery budget...

March grocery spend - £63.47
Holiday fund - £196.76 ( last hol cost £442)
My allowance I have left - £49.50
Clothes - £5.85