Cooking the Books

Feeding this family of four which include a very fussy teenager and at the other end of the scale a 10 year old with an insatiable appetite plus us two adults isn't easy. I love cooking, but the biggest chore is planning it all along within the fnancial constraints.

Last night it was a beef stew. Because the kids social lives sometimes dictate what we sit down (and I do believe in round the table every evening principle) last night I'd planned on a beef stew. Given the cold weather yesterday, and the fact I could throw it in the oven at 5 and it would be fine if things ran late with picking one of the children up from a friends house it was a good idea.

Thought I'd try dumplings with this stew, I admit I'd never cooked them before. The beef - shin of - was £2.85, bucket loads of root vegetables, my beloved butter beans, the remains of a bottle of red wine and in it went. Looked up loads of recipes for dumplings, but in the end went for for fault free prepack mix for 40p.

Well this worked, really well. Talk about bulking out a meal. Served four of us with mash and there are two large portions of leftovers in the freezer. Awesome, six meals for £5.00 I reckon.

I could do with finding more recipes like this. I do have another favourite, found on the MSE -Old Style board. New potatoes, cut into halves in a large roasting dish, chicken portions (particularly thighs) laid on top, a garlic bulb or two, rake each clove and scatter amongst chicken and potatoes. A lemon quartered and squeezed over everything and added to the layers, glass of white wine and a dash of olive oil. Throw it in for a good hour and a half , turn the chicken occasionally, adding more white if you feel like it.

It's just easy and tastes wicked, the garlic gloves are like sweet little pearls, squeezed on to some bread. Any chicken left over tastes even better the next day for lunch.

Today it's a the family favourite of roast chicken, which will stretch to chicken salad and jackets tomorrow, chicken wraps for lunch boxes and by Wednesday the dog will have whatever - if anything - is left. I tried the soup thing withthe carcass before and can't do it, but now I have discovered dumplings made easy I may well try again.

Gosh I'm hungry....

Bits and Pieces

I did it, went to Morrisons and spent £29.89, freezer is full will see us through next week, payday is nine days away I have £15 for top ups. A last minute birthday party invite for one of the children has stung me for £6, but I reckon I can do this.

Thanks for the Santa Karma comments on my secret Santa experience :) I'm not going to buy myself anything, I think I may put £5 in the emergency fund.

Now here's a fun site, no affiliation just quick quizzes to win prizes, only takes 5 - 10 minutes a day. The great thing is it's not the player in No.1 spot that wins.
OfferX

Budget Targets

Things being tight as ever and having yet to keep my monthly grocery spending under £200 I wrote my menu plan last week trying to keep things down, and while shopping via Tesco online took advantage of BOGOF's etc that would be used. Yet I still manage to spend £60 - £70 a week.

While at Tescos online this morning, again I thought I'd only put the necessities in my basket, but the total including delivery was £77, that's too much, even with the one £5.00 off a £50 shop code. So against all my previous thoughts I've cancelled my delivery and decided to take £50 cold hard cash and do a real physical shop at Morrisons instead.

If I could get it to £50 a week I'd be happy.

Secret Santa Update

After all my whinging and moaning about the Secret Santa at work, my guardian angel bailed me out. Yesterday was the day to pick the name out of the proverbial hat. Whose name did I get ?(Silly question as you lot don't know anyone I work with !) I picked my own !!!!

See my smile ?

Todays Competition

Got this competition in an email link.
Film Factory website has loads of excellent competitions, including a PS3 and the trilogy of Pirates Of The Carribean on DVD. You have to register though.

Friday Daze

It was the end of a busy week and the car was running on a teaspoon of petrol. Pulled into the petrol station . Now you know the filling up game? See if you can get it exactly on a nice round amount. I had my eye fixed on £25. I did it with only one extra squeeze of the nozzle. Off to pay with my debit card, need milk, went through the chip and pin process. Got home - something niggling me.

In my Friday daydream I hadn't checked the amount charged. The milk had cost me an extra £10 ! How I don't know. Not my idea of fun but drove across town with receipt, more cross with myself than the young cashier, got my refund, wasted 30 minutes faffing around, but once again I need to watch where my pennies go.

Comp It Up

As always Louise over at My Journey To Eliminate Debt has once again inspired me. My last post was a whinging moaning post, much too easy to write and boring to read. So spend half an hour reading other PF blogs and I'm back up to speed.

The purpose of this post is to reveal a habit of mine which is actually healthy ! For the last 15 years, on and off, I've been comping. Mr Marbles has been comping a little longer.

Comping - what is this ? The entering of competitions. Be it a cereal box, product flash, instore leaflet, newspaper giveaway and dare I say it the telephone/TV competitions used to be the main source of our entries - last century ! However the wonders of the WWW has obviously changed the promotional activities of many a multi million pound company.

You read about people that actually make a living from comping, with toasters, TV's, holidays etc arriving by the day. We are far from that sort of success.

One of our first 'big' wins was a flight in Concorde over the British Isles coupled with a weekend at the Savoy and major theatre tickets (can't remember the show - but Sean Connery was sat two seats away from me). This was, obviously way back in the 90's. Never made it on to Concorde - I was pregnant and although I have no fear of flying, at that point I did. What a missed opportunity...did the Savoy weekend though. We won this through a major daily newspaper. Also won the aforementioned tumble dryer - instore leaflet at Macros, and way back in 2002 a superb TV. Again a major daily newspaper.

Coupled with quite a few DVD's, games, cuddly toys, hampers, signed one offs etc over the years it makes for a profitable hobby. We have a rule, don't want or need the prize, don't go for it.

There is of course a downside. Junk mail, sales calls and spam. Obviously there are ways to deal with each of these.

As the silly season steps up a gear from the beginning of next month many sites start Advent Calender competitions, win a prizes each day. If you're aleady doing daily cashback clicks add an extra 10 - 15 minutes a day for these . Most will be found on Loquax for UK competitions. It's well worth signing up to Loquax, great forum and loads of advice.

Going to add a competitions element to my blog, and post here, because it is the season, goodwill and all that etc.

So today :
Channel 4 are offering a 42" flat screen Samsung TV worth £1,000, an Xbox 360 console and a copy of the game Project Gotham Racing 4. It closes tomorrow at 10.00am. Click here to view competition.


Will post advent competitions as soon as I find them.

My friends have said to me in the past, 'I never win anything.' Well you've got to be in it to win it.

Cards

Not a good few days. Life is certainly throwing things at us, not big dilemmas just enough for the one step forward two steps back feeling.
After the car next comes the tumble dryer. Now I know tumble dryers aren't particularly green or part of frugal living. This particular tumble dryer is 8 years old and we actually won it in a local store competition. It is the only kitchen appliance that hasn't let us down. It doesn't get used in the warmer months. This week it died. Mr Marbles and I had a discussion about whether to replace or not. For once I was the one saying look we managed before, we have a clothes horse etc. He was the one that said yes that was before we had football mad, active kids, sock chewing dog etc.

I checked online via Quidco and there was one - unknown brand - for £130, 5% cashback, delivered. Mr Marbles then flashed his nil balance 0% for 15 months credit card and made the decision that to buy online meant it being delivered during the week when no-one was in, getting the old one taken away etc. So local Electronics store got an instant sale and we had it delivered, installed, old one taken away within the hour for £150.

It hurts to do that, felt extravagant, but if I look at it properly Quidco clicks will pay for it before the 15 months are up.

Two paragraphs on replacing a tumble dryer, what an exciting life I lead.

I'm not faring too well on the budget, haven't started Christmas shopping yet. There is a secret Santa scheme at work - which I loathe. I haven't been in a place of work over the Christmas period for nearly 4 years and forgot about all these rituals. I've never enjoyed the Christmas card ritual either, probably did at school, but now I find it a waste of time and money. Sending cards to people once a year, that you probably haven't seen since the millenium, and then the same thing to people you see everyday. I'd rather donate £10 to a charity and be done with it.

Once again this post turns into a I hate Christmas post, when I don't. Am I just getting old ?

Here We Go

I'm upping my game !
Increased EF fund target to £1,000.
Awaiting one last credit card statement to pay and I'm all done with bill payments this month.

I can feel the silly season approaching. Thankfully Halloween and Bonfire night are gone. Sorry but neither of these events appeal to me. My youngest loves Halloween and I dutifully kit him out in whatever theme he is intent on, take him trick or treating with friends etc, but I really don't get it..

Guy Fawkes night, I am amazed this hasn't become the target of the politically correct police. I don't begrudge anyone any bonfire night fun, the more organised displays the better. Yes they are pretty, but that's about it.

So the madness that is Christmas is nearly upon us. The adverts have started, the slow appearance of BOGOF deals for crackers and chocolate covered brazils are in the supermarkets seasonal aisles. But there is no turkey on my list. No offence to any turkeys reading this but I don't like the taste, or the palava, the endless '10 tips to tip top turkey' in the media. Nope it will be a nice easy chicken for us, cos everyones likes it, particularly the budget.

This post is turning into a Room 101 post. You all know I have no affection for Halloween, Fireworks or turkey. So far I've sounded like a fun sapping scrooge during this mad season. I'm not - honest !

I've got a Crazy Eight meme to complete, thanks to the wonderful wealthy_1 over at collecting my cash here we go :

8 Things I'm Passionate About:
1. My Family
2. Movies
3. Robbie Williams
4. Daniel Craig
5. Cheese
6. Chocolate
7. Football
8. Roast Potatoes

8 Things I Say Often:

1. What has the dog got ?
2. I'm going to do the ironing.
3. Wherever you left it/them. (in response to a question regarding keys/shoes etc.)
4. Thanks
5. Have you got your keys ?
6. That doesn't make it right.
7. OK
8. No !

8 Books I've Read Recently

1. Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking
2. This Is Your Life - John O'Farrell
3. Deception Point - Dan Brown
4. Cradle and All - James Patterson
5. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
6. 4th of July - James Patterson
7. Steal You Away - Niccolo Ammaniti
8. Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight - Paul McKenna

8 Things I want to do before I die:

1. Get out of debt
2. Stop smoking !
3. Hold a conversation in Italian
4. Visit Hong Kong
5. Visit America
6. Make a cheesecake - successfully !
7. See England won the World Cup
8. Do something wonderful for someone.

8 Songs I can Listen to Over and Over:

1. Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You
2. Karyn White - Superwoman
3. The Jackson 5 - Can You Feel It
4. Robbie Williams - Heaven From Here
5. Barry White - Trouble With Me
6. Frank Sinatra - Come Fly with Me
7. Carly Simon - Coming Around Again
8. Il Divo -Anything !

8 Things That Attract me to My Friends

1. Sense Of Humour
2. Honesty
3. Affability
4. Loyalty
5. Genuine
6. Silly factor
7. Trust
8. Immaterialistic - is that a word ?

8 Things I Learned This Past Year:

1. I avoid things when I should just take the bull by the horns and get on with it
2. My perspective of me is very different to other peoples
3. I've wasted a lot of money
4. I love blogging
5. I love reading
6. I'm selfish
7. Expect the unexpected
8. Love yourself.

Tags to follow...

Big Sigh Of Relief

Back on track and relieved. Got car back Saturday, for £40. I always go into panic mode when something tips the balance. Emergency fund did bail me out, it's empty right now, but will be back to it's £30 balance tomorrow.

I'm ready for this months budgeting, going to be a real scrooge with Christmas approaching. I love Christmas, the atmostphere, the trash TV, the silly games with the kids, doing nothing, and not having to be anywhere at a certain time.

My dog decided to make a financial statement on Friday, he found away to get to my card holder, home to my driving licence, debit card, mobile top up swipe, and my brand new 0% credit card. All were okay, apart from the credit card, one big tooth mark. Making it unusable in any chip and pin.

That's one clever dog.

Today is going to be a good day.

Optimistic ?

A new month. New attitude ?

At the moment I'm up and down like a rollercoaster. Just read Louise's post at My Journey to Eliminate Debt on attitudes. Quote "It's not hard to find something to whinge about." How true.
Less effort required. Car trouble has got me down, no idea of final bill yet, should have it back Friday. It's not caput, it is labour intensive. I know that parts cost pennies, but the work doesn't. But what's the point in whining about it ? It won't improve the situation.

On the upside I did receive some cashback into my current account that I thought was held back until the end of November. This has to stay accessible for the garage bill. I also did a weekly shop via Tesco this week. Proving to me that it is the only way to control my grocery budget. I spent £47, no top ups required until the weekend.

Today is my day off. I shall adopt a positive attitude.

If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one. ~Cavett Robert