Happy Birthday SonnyHen…

 

Our little boy was born today, Thursday 3rd January 1991, 22 years ago at 21:50 weighing 10lb ½ oz.

 

You were a lovely child and have developed into a wonderful caring man in whom we are VERY proud

 

Happy Birthday

 

 

MummyHen X

 

Goals for 2013…

The last six months have been very revealing, challenging and something we should have done years ago.  I know this all sound like a cliché but it’s true; we should have done this years ago.

So what will 2013 hold - who knows - but we will be doing the following, 13 goals for 2013:

1.    Continue to spend less on food – we have now got into the habit of looking for bargains (DaddyHen says I’m obsessed with Yellow price reduction stickers).   Stock up on non-perishable items when they are on offer.

2.    Sealed Pot Challenge – see SFT SFT Sealed Pot Challenge for details;  I have been saving £2 coins and £5 notes (for some reason never get many of either of these) since May 2012, which will all go towards Sealed Pot Challenge.  I need to find a suitable pot as the jar I’m using is only small.

3.    No spending on credit cards.

4.    Finish CC#2 –  August.

5.    Start snowballing on CC#4 - September.

6.    Finish car loan – November.

7.    Finish CC#3 – December.

8.    Increase Emergency fund by £2,000 by year end.

9.    We will be losing weight - for me it’s been a battle for years, and is not helped by medication, but I am stone and half (21 pounds) lighter than I was this time last year. 

10.  Don’t start new knitting or crochet projects until the WIPs (Work in Progress) are finished – this is going to be tough.  I have a massive stash of yarn – I recently gave a huge bag to my mother and her sisters as they knit for charity and today sent over 2kgs of yarn to Frugal Mummy after her ask.

11.  Giving something back – Our local foodbank is based around the corner at the church and we’d like to volunteer, either in time, food or money.  DaddyHen & I went just before Christmas and spoke to the pastor to get an idea what involved. 

12.  Only buy what we need NOT what we want.

13.  Declutter & get rid of stuff – stuff we have so much stuff that we don’t use anymore or are unlikely to every use again, the house is full of it.  Sell it, if its saleable; or give to Charity Shop or freecycle.

OK there are Hens household goals for 2013

What will you be doing this year?

 

MummyHen X

 

Six months of blogging…

 

The year has ended on a high in the MummyHen household (we have not had any powercuts since Saturday morning - ssshhhhh)

After six months of blogging, six months of being careful with money, watching what we spend we have made some really good progress.

 

 

Credit card #1 has been paid in December good riddance – woooohooo (dances a jig).  I will write about the problems of trying to close the account.

 

CC#2 is now being targeted with final payment due in August.

 

DaddyHen Loan paid off in July.

Snowballing has begun – DH loan and CC#1 are now going towards CC#3 which should be paid off in latter months of 2013.

 

CC debt is now just over £42,000; down from over £54,000.

Emergency fund established in July.

Christmas - no cc spending everything is paid for.

 

 

And the best of all was making some lovely friends in blogland

Thanks to all of my followers and readers

Goals for 2013 are being finalised …

 

Happy New Year!!

MummyHen X

 

 

It goes on and off and off and on…

Power cuts still on going. Power went at 7pm yesterday evening; workmen turned up at 10pm, lights came on for about an hour. Then the digging started, yes they started to dig up the pavement directly outside my house at midnight, why couldn't they do this when they came at 10am in the morning??!!

They continued digging and looking for the problem until 2:45. I did telephone to complain, but the thing that got me. You won’t believe it. The power company do send text updates during the power cut but they stop at 22:00 until 7:00 because of the noise nuisance. Yes, blogging friends they won't send updates because its (and I quote) 'it's against the law' as it causes a noise nuisance but its ok for them to erect powerful lights and for them to dig up the pavement in the middle of the night directly outside my bedroom. I am not happy.

Eventually got to sleep to be woken by the house alarm going off - you know what that means - yes another power cut. More workmen, another hole in the pavement a few doors up. Clearly the hole they had to dig in the middle of the night in front of my house was a waste of time and sleep.

The customer liaison officer phoned me this afternoon after the power had been off for 6 hours, to apologise for the inconvenience but they still hadn't found the fault and we should expect more power cuts.

 

Brilliant just brilliant!!

MummyHen X

Had a lovely Christmas…

Except for the power cuts.

 

Just sitting down to Christmas lunch and darkness, after stumbling around for mobile phone I managed to phone the power company – it’s not the same as the one we pay our bill to for power cuts you have to know who is the supplier of electricity.  Anyway got the number logged the call – they were already aware; I did point out that the auto messages whilst waiting do say to check the website or yellow pages or utility bill.  Yellow pages we recycle as we have the internet,  ah except when we have no power, and we don’t get a paper bill it’s all online.  Fortunately I have a phone that is internet enabled but what about those that don’t; anyway I had my whinge.  We were able to carryon eating and the day wasn’t really spoilt; just over an hour without power, but some of the neighbours where still cooking and they have small children – it can’t have been much fun.  One of the positive things is when you phone and report it you can get text message updates – that was helpful. 

Boxing day – quite day; visited MIL. Just sitting down to dinner and again - darkness – yes another blackout.  This time the number was already in my phone – the  man on the phone said I was the first to phone; and was I really sure it was a power cut and not my fuse box – deep breath; yes I was sure as we had one the day before.  Again just over an hour without power.

Went to bed early as have been suffering a cold and sore throat; didn’t sleep well so woke late at just after eight; that’s odd the digital clock isn’t working – yes you’ve got it another power cut.  Phoned again – blah blah blah.  This time they will send out a gang to see if they can identify the fault and fix it.  This time is wasn’t as bad as it was light so we decided to go out and collect medicine for the cat – it could have waited but might as well do something useful whilst the power is off.  SonnyHens birthday next week so pickup up a few presents in the sale – shhh.  By the time we got home the power was back on.  First thing was to make sure all the phones are fully charged.

We will now put together a power cut kit and leave it in the draw in the hallway so we don’t have to rush around finding touches, matches, candles, radio with battery.

Do any of you have a land line phone that doesn’t use electricity to work – remember the days before digital phones; we don’t and it’s a real pain.

 

MummyHen X

Been on the go all day

Like most of you I’ve just sat down for the first time today.  Worked this morning, collected the final shopping, then started the baking and cooking.

I finished the gingerbread house – not great photos but want to make sure I got some pictures before it collapsed; it’s still standing!!!!

 

Boiled the ham, cooked the turkey crown, made mince pies, sausage rolls and then cooked tea.

The only thing I’ve not done is vegetable prep but that won’t take long in the morning.

I am now going to put my feet up and have a lovely glass of wine.

MummyHen X

Christmas preparation

[thought I'd published this yesterday - grrrrr]

Although I’m working next week – it’ll be much less busy and stressful as most of my colleagues are on holiday, so finishing work yesterday was a relief. 

Went to Mr S’burys today and to spend my nectar points and do a final shop before Christmas – it wasn’t as bad as previous years.  Speaking of previous years – I looked back at how much we spent last year on Christmas; everything gifts and food; it was a real shock, north of £3,000.  No, I can’t believe it – this year I have spent under a third of last year – just the butcher to visit on Monday and then we are done.

I received a lovely cook book for my birthday from SonnyHen along with a request for a gingerbread house

 – never made one of those before; ok I’ll give it ago; had everything in the cupboard except the decoration; so have started

  

What are you going to prepare over the next few days?

Tomorrow preparation
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce
Mince pies
Sausage rolls

Monday preparationButcher – turkey and beef
prepare vegetables

Feet up, relax with a glass of ...

MummyHen X