Belt tightening!

I am back after the dreaded lurgy got me! I guess it was my turn, after all the rest of the family had been through it. I am just thankful it waited until after Christmas and New year before it pounced on me! Not a lot has been done but I have had time to think and make some plans.

We are tied into a fixed rate mortgage for a hefty 6.4% it seemed a good idea back in 2007, before the credit crunch/recession happened. We knew trouble was coming and prepared in the best way we could, after all back in the 90's recession interest rates soared to about 15%. We hoped a fixed rate of 6.4% would protect us from that for a while. Things seem to be quite different this time though and unfortunately any savings we have are now no longer earning their keep. It is time to visit our building society for some advice.

We have also tightened our belts (and budget) and have started to keep a record of any spends, I know that this is basic and very good advice when you first start to change your moneyspending ways, but the areas that need particular monitoring (for us) are house maintainance, entertainment and pocket money. It is incredible how much money can leak away in these areas! We are now plugging the gap! Also having a well stocked medicine cabinet, perhaps by buying a few bits each trip to the shops, would have saved us some panic buys while we all battled the lurgy!

Mr C has finally cancelled his gym membership, saving £50 a month, long walks with Penny and an exercise bike at home will suffice for both of us.

The food budget is incredibly tight this month £50 but I think I will go over slightly as despite (like most folk) having a fair bit of Christmas food left over, there have been some very good buys at Sainsburys and our farm shop which couldn't be missed.

2 x 4 tins of tuna in spring water @£2.69 £5.38
2 large (4pts) organic semi skim milk (normally £1.78 for 1) £3.00
(most is now in freezer for rest of month)
large sack of potatoes £6.00
2 pkts of birds eye fish fingers (ultimate comfort food)@89p £1.78


With a couple of earlier shopping expeditions for milk, eggs and bread (which I must start to bake again as soon as I feel better) bargain reduced braising steak, and a organic box delivery, my total is now £41.28 and it is only the 10th of the month! On the plus side I am using every leftover piece of food I can (lots of home made soups) and we have enough food stored in the freezer for 3 stew and dumpling meals (lovely on the really cold days) 3 turkey a la king meals, many meals of chilli con soya mince, 1 pork joint to roast (3 meals?) plenty of smoked haddock for kedgaree, 6fish finger meals, at least 4 roast dinners from the Christmas meat I've frozen, and whatever else lurks at the bottom of the freezer. There are also plenty of vegetables and fruit from the garden and organic boxes tucked away in the freezer so we should get our 5 a day!

It would be all to easy to watch the news, read the papers and panic but that is not the way to get out of this situation. I love the old WW11 saying "Keep Calm and Carry On!" That together with "Be the Change you want to see in this World" (Ghandi) are fast becoming my mantras these days.