2013: hello!

2013: hello!

What a lovely Christmas break we had. Before Christmas, we (our family of FIVE!) went to Cornwall for a week, we had booked a gorgeous barn and it was fab. So so relaxing, fields, peace and quiet! Then the hot water didn’t work for bath time, and the owners upgraded us to the farm house- we were treated to an Aga, a log burner, a jacuzzi in the courtyard and too many bedrooms for all of us! It really was a wonderful week off – we enjoyed walking the beaches, coffee shops, tea rooms, a little walk a through the farm and lots of chats!

What a lovely start to our Christmas holidays! We had so many family days, relaxing days and a big family party with a lot of my aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and my lovely Nanny!

On new years’ eve, Ryan and I had a meal together (yes, it was at home, but it was a proper 3 course meal with everything we love from restaurants: soup, steak and creme brûlée!) we remembered our highlights from 2012- the best thing from each month. I look forward to making more memories this year! 2013: I haven’t got any big plans, definitely no new babies for us! I am hopeful that this will be a wonderful year ahead, hard to think bigger when life is so full of lovely family, friends, things and hope already! Although I do want to be more regular with my blog, after all Alyssia is 6 months old and is falling very nicely into a routine that fits around us all! Ben is starting a new nursery-he just turned 3, and maybe this will be the start of term for Bethany who will enjoy going to school, and hopefully no tears… (after a long time of her not wanting to go because she misses me…)

Ohhhh yes: the £100 challenge is upon us again. This year we want to save up for some exciting things and have realised we can probably reduce our weekly spend to £100. It may not be the most exciting, I already tried lentil lasagne (way too many lentils!) but it worked the past 2 times we did it and we were able to do some amazing things with the savings! So I’ll try and be a bit more thrifty with the food shopping and buy a lot less “cute, gotta have it” things for the bbs-this part will be hard! I’ll let you know how it goes!

I do hope you have a wonderful year ahead full of promise, and hopes that are fulfilled <3

Thanks for following my blog! Love a xox

When did life get so busy AND expensive.

Well, we had a lovely weekend, we popped in on our lovely friends and visited Stratford-Upon-Avon together. You know when you are encouraged by the smallest thing someone says? Well, I totally was!

We walked the streets of Stratford with our two children being absolutely PERFECT. Yes, you heard me. We actually wouldn’t even have known they were with us, if we hadn’t been pushing the buggy! There they were all cute and snuggled in, and being so peaceful. Maybe they had a sense of the greatness of Shakespeare – ahhh Beth got all the baby Shakespeare (Baby Einstein) Dvds as a babe. Ooops forgotten to do the same with Ben. Does that mean he won’t be a baby einstein? Gosh, no. He is so intelligent already Honestly.

Anyways. For the first time in a long time. I came close to starbucks (you will know I love it there!) and kept walking. No there wasn’t a queue, there weren’t any works being done inside…. I just realised how expensive life is getting.

You’ll have seen my £100 challenge.  We had £100 a week for food/petrol/going out etc. We did this for a while when we were saving up for our patio. I will have to do a patio post, but I’m waiting for the sunshine (seriously, we are waiting for a blue sky day to sit out on our new patio, been waiting a few weeks now!)

This is what I wrote:

£100:That’s it. To spend (ONLY) £100 per week – on the following:

1. food (we usually spend £30-60 pw)
2. petrol (we have 2 cars so that’s about £10-£20 pw)
3. nappies (usually £13 a fortnight)
4. meals out/dates/coffee (this is going to hurt ME so bad…………)
5. days out with the bbs (£5 pw)

Okay. It is totally possible, even if I spend £60 at the shops and £20 petrol. It leaves £35 for coffee, clothes, fun. This could hurt some but if I do it and keep it up for a month then I will be celebrating with a night in a hotel (or two!). Which is more than worth splurges in primark, starbucks, playcentres, takeaways and meals out.  Send some love! xxx

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Well. I’m back on it. We have just gone through one of the most expensive times in our life. AND I am ready to not spend any more £££££££££ on things that aren’t fun! When I think about money, what I’d like to spend it on, I think of holidays, hotels, date nights, beautiful clothes for the children, taking friends out, doing things for others. When I am spending sad amounts of money on car breakdowns. It almost makes me want to cry. There’s so much fun stuff to do. And don’t get me wrong. We have a lot of fun.

Even re-reading the budget seems absolutely ridiculous, silly even. But it works.

I did this monthly spread sheet (might sound really basic) But if you add up all your income, and deduct all your outgoings (yes, EVERYTHING YOU SPEND!) then we got a WONDERFUL amount left over. Well. We would. If………………… So I looked at that lovely amount that was left over and subtracted £400 (yes, £100 per week) and there we are. A budget. I tried it and: There was more money left. And there was a challenge Whatever is left out of that £100 is free to spend on ANYTHING. sweet!

Hebrews 13:5

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! [ Assuredly not!]

So there we are. At least I’m free from the love of money. I just don’t like the way you end up spending on things that go wrong, rather than things that are right!

Yes, I’m satisfied with what we have, and the ‘possessions’ that mean the most are my family and friends (and maybe my laptop!)

God says that He won’t leave me without support. And honestly. Even when you see the bills and the fear comes. I have never been without God’s overwhelming faithfulness. Even as I think to the beginning of the blog. I don’t want to presume that I can provide for myself. I can’t. I know that God provides for us, in EVERY single situation. But… That worry came back. Just reading that scripture today really inspired me not to worry. But trust. And if God’s never going to ‘relax His hold on me’ then that means I’m totally cared for, never going to be let go of. WOW!

We have been so fun busy the past week, I am really looking forward to my week off with the children as it’s Beth’s half term. Please sun, shine every day!

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy all who are close to you xox

 

Home Improvements… the benefit of us saving!

So exciting..! Today we are getting a quote for our patio! I (we) have chosen the paving slabs to go down a cotswold cream/buff – not smooth. I was going for a cheap option ie smooth, but then I looked at what that would look like – thanks to design eye Ryan and we’re def going for the buff/crinkle look.

I actually can’t wait for the redesign. The rose bush that will trail up the side of the garage, the ivy and honeysuckle that will intertwine and creep along the fence. And the white bistro table(s) and chairs with pretty seat covers. And the bunting. Oh wait. We weren’t going to have bunting were we???? My garden would have been completed last year, but we had to replace the patio windows – which are truly fantastic, and bring so much light into the home and were fitted/custom made by my super cousin’s company. A 4m window wall with opening french doors. I love them. And with them opening onto the new patio, it will be just wonderful.

I am not great at waiting for this project to be completed. I want it today. But as we are only at quote phase I’m guessing it could be a little longer… This is why we were doing the £100 challenge, to save for good things! To drink a fresh pot of coffee out on the patio, to read a book while the children play, to have friends round for drinks/bbqs- oh yes. We are having a built in Braii (Zimbawean word for bbq. Did you know my husband was Zimbabwean? yah. He is. And I love him) Loving the sunshine and the idea of summer xox

£100 Challenge – update

Well. I realise I haven’t been consistent with the blogging of my £100 Challenge. I thought it would get boring. But I have been consistent with my spending When I see my blog readers in person (hi!) they want to know how it is going. so my real, actual alive and blog reading friends… this is for you.

November: I started my £100 a week challenge. It was quite akin to the worst thing I have ever suggested to myself. Other than banning the internet, or possibly dieting….! So I stuck to it, and remember one week I had about 1p left over…  see here: http://annabakerbarnes.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/100-challenge/ (will update it to make the link work later, just copy and paste…sorry!)

December: Was an odd month to budget and stick to, what with 2 birthdays on 23rd and Christmas, and King of Leon concert and Ellie Goulding concert and traveling to families. But we did our best.

Jan-Feb: This is where I really began to see the benefit of being thrify and frugal. Now back in November I wrote our challenge:

to spend £100 a week for the next month – not including dd (direct debits/standing orders)

That’s it. To spend (ONLY) £100 per week – on the following:

1. food (we usually spend £30-60 pw)
2. petrol (we have 2 cars so that’s about £10-£20 pw)
3. nappies (usually £13 a fortnight)
4. meals out/dates/coffee (this is going to hurt ME so bad…………)
5. days out with the bbs (£5 pw)

Well. Let me explain how I’m managing on each point!!!

1. Food: I have been doing pretty big food shops online. Which means I make a meal plan and that will keep us going for almost 2 weeks. I realised going to the shops with 2 children, none of whom want to be in the trolley and then trying to stick to a list or even remembering to buy essentials was becoming tricky. Then loading it onto the converyor belt without losing a child. Then bagging it (as they don’t seem to have extra staff to come bag for you anymore… ) and then putting it into the car, and then unloading from the car to the house. Whilst making sure both children are happy (they won’t be, it’s been a long shopping trip which can never be timed correctly…. whenever I have carefully scheduled it) oh yes, then you have to unload it. Ok my point there is. I LOVE food shopping, going around choosing items etc. But I hate the rest of it. So I have been going online. Fantastic deals. Fantastic delivery times… and the nappies are cheaper etc.

Well. last time I spent £111. But that was 2 weeks ago and my freezer is still full. That week I didn’t have to top up with anything at all. We also didn’t need to spend money on anything else – phew…! But we did go for a lunch date at our favourite resturant, which was such a super treat that I didn’t even include it in ‘the budget’! Was more like a life long investment…! lol?

2. Petrol. Let me just say. Um…. HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT GOING TO GET?? Anyways I filled the tank on Saturday and it cost… nope I can’t write it. It was too much ok. seventy pounds. seventy. seven-tee. As I went to pay the shop assistant said “oh it grieves me that it costs you that much….” It was my money as well. So maybe th £10-20 per week on petrol wasn’t accurate. I haven’t stopped driving, but I am aware of how much fuel is becoming. May have to increase the budget for petrol but that is more a necessity rather than a luxury item isn’t it?

3. nappies still going on. Unless you have an idea on potty training a one year old boy. Go on…. And yeh I tried cloth diapering. And I failed. I failed well…. But it doesn’t seem to work with me and a teething child… enough.

4. Coffee dates work fine, and still is nice to treat someone/be treated. And I haven’t had to cute back too much here. Just won’t have a cake which saves me £s and pounds Meals out are rare so I can justify having a meal out once a month.

5. Days out. I have been having fun in the garden, and going for walks, baking and painting with them, all free…. But going on long drives to see friends has been really nice too. I guess when it’s warmer we can go to the zoo or the poor little farm down the road in the next town. Which I do like to go to because going/paying means that I am supporting the unwanted donkeys/abandoned monkeys (I am serious. there is a monkey there who got abandoned and this rescue place looks after them…. Sweet??)/ no idea how the owls got there nor the sheep/pigs/chickens but hey.. we like it there! Writing about it makes me want to go there….! You didn’t see that coming? I am a town girl, you know it- the blog hasn’t been hacked!!!

So, here is a general round up of £ for the week. £70 petrol, £5 milk + 1 coffee, £20 other. Yippee I have £5 left… til tomorrow.

I guess I could take the money out and keep it in an evnvelope and mark it for the week. But I am not great at getting to the bank weekly etc, and I feel doing it this way works for me – use debit card and a running total on my calender.

There’s the update…! Gotta go get my little girl, who’s not felt too well and has only just woken up 9.30am…. I checked on her a million times, but going to hope the fever is GONE…. Love xox

 

 

£100.01 Challenge – week 2-

Last week I managed to spend £99.99. So instead of saving the penny I am adding it onto this week’s total. Well within budget! I was really impressed I had stuck to it and been out with the girls for a concert, 2 starbucks’ and petrol for the car.

I am starting the week on a Sunday – as we usually pick up snacks or treats for a Sunday Afternoon.

I have £73 left for the week after the snacks and nappy purchases on Sunday – and this week feels easier than the last.

I am not scrimping around for the money. I reckon I could have been spending a LOT more than £100 per week (shush!) but after completing our tax return where you get to add up everything – food, bills, clothes, necessary things and treats. Somehow my treats were accounting for a good  proportion of our income…. (again, shush!)

I’m keeping my money challenge as a way to account for my outgoings, it’s fine if I do spend over my personal £100 but as I save for Christmas and our birthdays it’s kind of fun to see how far money stretches. (family & friends don’t worry: presents are from a separate fund…..)

I was a little inspired by a book I read years back called something like ‘how i lived a year of my life on £1 a day’. I couldn’t do that as it’s only £30 pw. But x 4 people – is close enough to £100, and I haven’t even had to buy from the bargain bin out of necessity like she did- although I check it out, always have done, and always fall into the trap of buying something ‘cheap’ like the soda farls. They are not so nice but were less than half price. ha.

Have a wonderful week doing everything you love. xo