Oh dear

I wrote a post yesterday about a challenge I have set myself and it seemed to create a couple of judgemental and unsavory comments. 

This upset me and I know I don't need to but I feel I have to justify myself. 

As I said we are very traditional that I am a stay at home Mum whose try's to run her own business that currently isn't making much money whilst the Husband (Mr M) commutes to the city. We have worked it that every Friday he transfers £250 to my account which I use for groceries, clothes for us all. Paying for the various childrens activities along with my petrol for the car to ferry said children to activities.  When I sat down earlier to work out where this all goes there isn't a lot left hence why I set this challenge for myself. Yes I could just go out and buy this new kitchen appliance but I don't want to I want to save for it along with trying to cut my food budget down and make my weekly budget go further. 

Here is what I have spent and predict to spend this coming week. 

£160 groceries this includes all fruit,veg meat and also cleaning products. (Already done this shop)

£30 petrol I drive a W reg car and not some big Chelsea tractor as one person suggested. 

£50 childrens activities this also includes a one off payment for a ballet exam

£15 for a pair of trainers for son who was currently wearing a size too small. 

This has actually taken me over by £5 and no I won't be asking for more as you can see I really need and want to make my money go further I'm not bragging and I am fully aware off what it's like to struggle because I have really been there. So please if you want to comment please think before being to judgemental. 

A challenge.

If you read my blog from yesterday you will know I need to sort my grocery shopping out and try and cut my budget down. So I have a challenge I have my eye on the Kenwood Kmix and the only way I am able to get this is to save for it.  I have set my self a challenge to save for it weekly from my house hold budget.

I'm a stay at home mum whilst the husband goes to work in the city everyday. We might be a bit old fashioned but I get £250 a week to buy groceries and other bits and pieces  such as clothes for us and the children, this doesn't include any bills.  Most of this is wasted on unorganised shops and putting treats in baskets a few coffees a week and impulse buys and usually at the end of the week there is not much left. 

My challenge Is to save £100 a week taking my budget down to £150 and putting the £100 into savings so at the end of the month I can buy the Kmix. My husband don't think I can do so I am even more determined to do it. 

As I have already spent £160 of my budget this week I will be starting on Friday 4th October. Wish me luck and I will let you all know how I get on. 

Convenience or lazy?

Having just come back from doing the weekly shop and having spent well over half off my weekly budget something has to change. I shop once a week and buy everything in one place is this because of convenience or laziness I have to admit it's a bit of both. I plan our weekly meals I have to due to various after school activities and also my daughter is allergic to dairy and eggs not just intolerant but  allergic she also has coeliac disease so everything is cooked from scratch which means we eat very healthy and I do have to plan and adapt recipes I'm not one for cooking lots of different meals. We all eat the same.

I shop at a probably one of the most expensive supermarket which delivers free of charge though I do like to go in. However for my daughter her food is cheaper here than  anywhere else. Mainly I can buy their own brand rice crispies for £1.20 and they do not contain gluten other supermarket brands do so I have to buy a special brand which can cost anything from £2.50 to £4.00 a packet so over time it's cheaper. It's also the same for her pasta.

I go to said supermarket once a week and do the whole weeks shop including fruit, veg and meat. I will also need to do a small top up at shop near me mid week.

We have a butchers and market that comes twice a week which I do use and I have tried doing cupboard and freezer from supermarket and meat from butchers and fruit and veg from market or green grocers though when I did this I always found I was shopping as fruit and veg would go off before I had chance to use it and the butchers never display the price so I'm always confused how much I will be paying and have had some shocks.

So what does everyone else do to save money and time.

To Blog or Not To Blog......

Im rather new to this blogging lark and probably a bit behind everyone else. I have dabbled in the past but it never really took off for me. I'm not sure why maybe my heart wasn't in and I seemed to lose my writers streak and I also kept thinking about it to much. A good friend who blogs lots gave some great advice to me which I use. She told me to  blog about what you love and to me that is Suffolk and living in the country along with my family which is myself, husband my daughter and son. So this is what you will find on my blog along with a few creative projects thrown in.

I love reading other blogs and find them very useful for tips and inspiration so I hope that you enjoy reading my blog and I welcome any comments you have.

Coast or Countryside

I'm very lucky to live within a 20 minute drive from the coast or a two minute walk to beautiful roaming countryside. Both are very different and offer very different things.I love the coast when its cold and the wind is coming of the North Sea its a great place to walk and blow the cobwebs away. The children love collecting stones and shells and we have been once known to find a very small piece of amber, living somewhere like this does mean you can take it for granted I am trying my best to not do this.

Stepping out my front door and within five minutes I am away from the houses and new developments in to country lanes and ploughed fields with hedgerows full of rosehips, elderberries and a few blackberries that can still be found. You cant hear anything except birds singing and no person or car can pass you for miles even though I live in a fairly busy market town. Walking gives me time to reflect think of new ideas and projects but most of all it gives me fresh air exercise and precious family time or time alone.

Growing up to fast!

This morning my little girl decided to say that the big FC (to early to say his name) does not exist! Where has this come from she is nearly 9 and is growing up so fast even though I am trying to keep her as young as possible.  

It all started because of a toy catalouge which my daughter and son have been reading from cover to cover with lots of "I wants" and me correcting them saying "I would like". My son found a certain piece of Lego with a price tag that would almost be a fortnights worth of shopping let alone nearly 4000 peices of grey bricks. Its just not going to happen.  So explaning that FC does not bring big toys like that my daughter in full DIVA mode annonced he doesn't exsist and I just dont want to buy it. 

I try not to spoil the children and they do have to earn their pocket money We are not talking sweatshop here  but they do need to  help with small chores mainly picking up shoes and keeping bedrooms reasonably tidy and if they really want something they can save for it.  It does seem now a days they are influnecd alot from Tvs and internet which I try to limit and it makes me sad that at 9 my daughter feels thats she is to old to play with toys. 

So the dilemma is what will FC bring them this year!

Autumn

I love Autumn probably more than any other season. I love the deep red browns and the crisp mornings. Most of all I love the abundance of fruit that is avalible from Apples, english plums and of course the hedgerows that are covered in blackberries.

I find cooking in the colder months much better as I love making crumbles, soups and one pot dishes that can slowley cook away in the oven for hours. this also makes it easier when rushing around taking children to clubs and the various afterschool activities they attend.

Our weekend was spent walking around near our house armed with a bag looking for conkers. However we are still abit early yet as when you break open the shells instead of shiny brown conkers they are still soft and white though it does give us an excuse to go conker finding again.