Nursing A Broken Heart With A Spending Spree

Hello Readers

Eldest son was up for the weekend and was due to leave on Sunday but decided he wanted to stay for an extra night so left this afternoon instead. It was lovely having him up and even nicer to have him ask to stay an extra night. I miss him terribly. We spent lots of time talking, watching movies together, and on Saturday he took myself and his brothers out for lunch. We have arranged for him to come up again in 2 weeks time for the weekend which gives me time to save his train fare up. If I could afford to I would have him up every weekend but it is just beyond my financial means right now so once a fortnight will have to do until I can get him back up here and into his supported living house. I will be ringing his disability worker tomorrow and chasing it up as I miss my boy so desperately and just want him back home in Wiltshire where I can see him several times a week.

As I was nursing a broken heart I decided to go on a shopping spree to try and make myself feel better. I bought myself 2 pairs of jeans, a black shirt, a thin black jumper, and a nice padded gillet total cost was £2.50 lol. I bet you thought I was going to say a much larger amount than that didn't you ? lol. My local air ambulance charity shop is a little gem for bargains at the best of times but they also occasionally have sales today was any item of clothing for 50p. I also got middle son a lovely Tom Wolfe jacket for 50p and a Burton jumper for 50p. Youngest son got a teddy bear that he wanted for a 20p donation. So in total my spending spree cost me £3.70. I also popped into Morrison's this evening to see if they had any yellow stickers and I managed to get the following items.....

2 Frijj milkshakes 10p
2 Bags of diced swede and carrot 10p
2 Bags of egg noodles 10p
2 Pots of mixed fruit 10p
2 Loaves of bread 10p
6 Finger rolls 5p
6 Crumpets 5p
A family deep fill steak pie 5p

Total 65p


The Bestie brought over the table and chair for me this evening so I now have a little work station in the dining room. This will be used for youngest son's home tutoring and both youngest son and I will share the computer until I have fixed up middle son's old computer for youngest son to have in his bedroom. So what do you think ? This whole set up including the computer cost me just £1 to put together thanks to the generosity of my wonderful soul sister aka the Bestie lol.

Table and 1 chair (Bestie)

Computer (Bestie)

Monitor (spare)

Keyboard (spare)

Mouse (Pondland)

2nd Chair (garden)

Towel covering (towel cupboard)

Total cost £1

Speaking of which I am babysitting for Bestie's 7 beautiful children tomorrow so I better get some sleep.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Eldest Son Is Home For The Weekend :)

Hello Readers

The last 2 days here in Wiltshire the sun has been shining and it has actually warmed up a little. It feels like spring is finally on its way and I for one can't wait. I have not had to put the heaters on and I have switched my jumpers to T shirts with a light cardigan or shrug over the top. I love spring, it is my favorite season as its not to cold but not to hot, its just right for me.

Yesterday I gave the house a thoroughly good clean and took a bin bag of bits to the charity shop. Bestie asked if I would mind making her a carrot cake and as I had all the ingredients I needed I said "sure" (my way of thanking her for the "new to me printer" she gave me this week along with lots of spare ink and several DVD's). It was my first time making a carrot cake as myself and the boys don't like it. There's something very wrong about putting a vegetable in a cake in my opinion lol. Having said that I did a pretty good job, it smelt delicious, and if it had not been a gift for the Bestie I would have taken a slice for myself which kind of blows my vegetables being in cake is wrong theory out of the water lol. She has assured me it was delicious and that it is almost gone as her little ones keep pinching a slice lol. I also did a spot of yellow sticker shopping and managed to get the following.....

30 Munch bunch yogurts 25p
A lettuce 5p
A bag of carrot's 5p
6 Bags of apple and grapes 30p
A loaf of bread 5p
8 Cinnamon and sultana muffins 10p
2 Ham and mushroom tagliatelle ready meals 10p
A Chinese pork and egg fried rice ready meal 5p

Total cost 95p

Today I got some housework done before the arrival of eldest son. I get so excited about seeing him. Since he moved out in November I have made a conscious effort to see him every other weekend and save hard throughout the month to help with the cost of his train ticket (£32 with a disabled railcard). We always have a giggle and it is so nice to be able to enjoy each others company instead of having to be the bad guy all the time, telling him off about things. We get on so well now and he has grown up so much since staying at his dad's. I think he finally realizes just how much I used to do for him when he was living at home and he tells me all the time how much he misses me. I miss him terribly but him moving out was definitely the right thing for all of us. This evening we have watched a couple of movies on Netflix and shared a big bag of toffee popcorn (50p from Poundland). Tomorrow he is taking myself and his 2 younger brothers out for lunch and a shake away. This will be a lovely treat for us and certainly not something I could afford to do right now. I am very grateful that I have raised such a sweet, kind, caring young man.

Dinner tonight was chicken nuggets, homemade chips, and spaghetti hoops. Total cost £1.90 so 48p each.

I must start remembering to take some photos from our day for the blog. Anyway off to bed now.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Hidden Treasures

Hello Readers

It has been a nice couple of days here. Yesterday I had my friends little girl for the day and got some jobs done around the house before heading off to messy church. Messy church is a wonderful place for children to learn about god. They start with some games, then a short bible story, then craft activities, and then they have tea. I have taken youngest son a few times and he always enjoys it. It is open to all, not just members of the church and is run completely on donations. I was extremely disappointed to see that out of the ten families that attended on Sunday I was the only one to make a donation. I realize that times are hard for a lot of families but even 50p for 2 hours of fun and food would be something. I myself don't have much in the way of spare cash but I always make a donation as does Bestie when she attends. It surprises me how the church manages to continue with this activity, but somehow they do and I think they should be highly praised for that. This months subject was hidden treasures and youngest son managed to earn himself  9 chocolate coins through games and activities. He also made a crown with jewels out of play dough and decorated a biscuit sandwich with edible hidden jewels in the middle, both of which he was allowed to take home. For tea there was platters of cheese, grapes, cocktail sausages, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, crisps, crackers, sausage rolls, cakes, and biscuits. Each child also got 2 pancakes each as did the parents. We had a lovely time and look forward to going again next month.

Today I had a dental check up and all was well which was a relief (I have a major phobia of the dentist). I popped into Morrison's afterwards as they currently have Huggies pull ups on special offer for just £2. As I have mentioned in the past youngest son has continence issues and we go through 3 pull ups a day. I always  buy the cheapest pull ups I can but when I see a good deal like this one I like to stock up so I bought 5 packs which will keep us going for the next 3 weeks. I will try and pick up another 5 packs before the offer ends. On the way home I popped into Besties for a catch up. We had a good old giggle and before we knew it 2 hours had passed. Youngest son was very happy that he had got to spend some time with his Bestie and they arranged to meet in animal jam land (a computer game on the internet) when we got home.

For tea tonight we had pork, mashed potatoes, veg, and gravy. Total cost 76p so about 25p each.

Anyway I have a busy day tomorrow so I am off to hit the hay
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Insomnia, Complaints, And Bargains

Hello Readers

Damn insomnia is keeping me up so I thought I would write a bit of a catch up post before trying to get to sleep again. I am in the process of putting in a complaint to youngest son's previous school as I have now received his draft EHC plan and well let's just say I am far from happy with it. This is a 70 page document and my complaint has to be made to both the school and the SEND department of education. It is going to take a lot of time and hard work to write up these complaints but it's something I must do for my son's sake. I went through similar many years ago with eldest son and trying to get him the right provision to suit his needs but that was years ago and I am older now with less energy and less motivation. For youngest son's sake though I am digging deep and getting on with it. Youngest son will start his home tutoring after the half term and having met with the tutors and visited the building they use for practical lessons such as art and cooking I think this is going to be a good fit for him.

I had a lovely day last week with eldest son. It was just him and myself as youngest son was at respite and middle son had plans to go to the cinema with friends. The original plan was that he was going to cook me lunch at home and then we would watch a film on Netflix and munch on popcorn. Eldest son decided he wanted to take me out for lunch instead which was a lovely treat. We popped into Poundland whilst we was out and they had several items on sale for 50p. My boys love pot noodles but at the usual price I refuse to buy them but at 50p I stocked up and bought 10. I also stocked up on toffee popcorn for 50p a bag and bought 12. I occasionally take the boys to the kids club at the cinema (£2.50 each and I get in free as youngest son's carer). I always take my own drinks and snacks from home so these have been put away and will probably do us popcorn for the cinema for the next 6 months.

Middle son got a postcard in the post from his headteacher praising him for his hard work at school which I thought was rather lovely. Also he finally reached his target amount of savings and was able to buy his dream computer which arrived today. Needless to say I have not seen him all day as he has been in his room playing around with it and getting it all set up how he wants it lol.

It has been a pretty tight week or so here so I have not had any yellow stickers. We have instead been eating down the freezer and store cupboard. Tonight we had steak and ale pie, mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy. Total cost 47p so about 16p each.

Anyway readers I am going to attempt to get some sleep if I can.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Brighter Days

Hello Readers

Hope everyone is keeping well. The next 2 weeks are going to be incredibly tight here so I am doing everything I can to be ultra frugal and come in, on or preferably under budget. It is one of my little peeps birthdays on Saturday and his mum has asked me to do his birthday cake for him. We have decided to go with a Dora the explorer theme as he loves the tv show. In total the cake will cost me just £5.23 to make and it will be personalized with his name and how old he will be. For a cake like this to be done professionally you are talking around the £40 mark so this along with a Dora DVD will be my birthday present to him. I have 4 bananas way past their best but I am not chucking them, tomorrow they will be turned into 2 banana and blueberry loafs, one for me and one for the Bestie. I still need to get a mouse for the computer Bestie helped me put together but will do that when I am in town on Friday after a meeting I have. I am feeling a lot better now and my chest is finally loosening up again which is such a relief. Youngest son still has his rash but it appears to be drying out now so I am hopeful it will be gone in a day or two. I have eldest son coming to visit on Saturday and he has asked to cook me lunch, anything I want, its his treat, so I am really looking forward to that. I have a pack of 25p sweet micro popcorn in the cupboard and we will watch a movie together on Netflix (currently on a 30 day free trial). I popped to my little local one stop last night about 8pm and was able to grab a few yellow stickers .....

2 Loaves of Hovis 25p each

A bag of frozen prawns 50p

A bag of easy cook veg 25p

A punnet of sweet cherry tomatoes 20p

I absolutely love prawns but never buy them as they are wayyyy to expensive for my budget so when I saw this bag of frozen prawns reduced from £4 to 50p I grabbed them. They have been defrosted, washed, and placed in a bowl in the fridge for me to grab a couple as and when I fancy a few :)


Today I had to go and do my weekly shop which in total came to £13.27 (with yellow stickers). Whilst I was there I managed to get the following.....

8 Pints of whole milk 40p

2 Toffee sundae deserts 58p

2 Cloves of garlic 5p

A ham and cheese toastie 9p

2 Chicken legs 45p

A loaf of bread 15p

6 Free range eggs 29p

A whole extra tasty chicken 99p

We will eat well for pennies again this week thanks to my yellow sticker bargains.

Dinner last night was roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, roast potatoes, veg, and gravy total cost was £1.91 so approx 64p each.

Dinner tonight was Beef curry and rice total cost £1.53 so 51p each

Anyway off to bed now readers
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Itchy Times

Hello Readers

Not much to report I am afraid as I have been down and out the last 2 days with a chest infection. Had a pretty good day on Wednesday on the yellow stickers, I managed to bag the following.....

2 Pretty pot plants 10p
4 Chocolate ring donuts 5p
2 Loaves of bread 10p
24 bottles of actimel 10p
Small tub of extra thick double cream 5p
12 cheese and bacon chicken kievs 15p
3 Mince beef hotpots 15p
A large brisket of beef originally £9.67 cost me £2.25
500g of stewing steak 85p
1 Punnet of peaches 9p
2 boxes of blueberries 18p

Total cost £4.07


I received a notice seeking possession of my home yesterday for rent arrears which is just what you need when you feel like death warmed up. I could not understand why because I always pay my rent. I rang my landlord in a panic to find out what the hell was going on. It turns out I was one week late with my payment and the letter was issued the morning before I made my payment so that payment had not been deducted from the arrears. After my payment had been deducted it turned out I was £58 in arrears and this was for a repair to my kitchen light where I was charged £58 for someone to put my own light bulb back in and replace the starter (£3) in Wilkinson's. I decided to contest the charge as I felt it was way to much. I was willing to pay for the cost of the starter but not the call out charge as the guy was already here anyway doing a job that the landlord was responsible for, not myself. It seems mighty strange to me that I receive this notice at the same time as I put in a complaint about being over charged for a repair. Their threat had the desired effect, I was so scared about losing our home that I have agreed to call back on Monday and pay the £58 just to get the notice seeking possession dropped.


Yesterday I noticed a slight rash on youngest son's ears but thought nothing of it thinking it was probably just the shower gel I used on him and made a note not to use that one on him again. This morning my poor little man was absolutely caked in a angry bumpy rash but only on certain areas of his body, his ears, cheeks, nose, hands, and feet. Despite feeling very unwell myself I took him to the doctor's this afternoon to try and find out what it is. He is showing no signs of illness he just has this itchy rash on certain parts of his body. The doctor said it was very odd and could be one of 2 things, either a viral infection or an allergic reaction but that it was very odd that the rash was confined to certain areas of his body only. She has given him antihistamines and antibiotics and told me to keep an eye on him over the weekend and if anything changes to call 111 and seek advice. Bless him he is so itchy with it, I am hoping the antihistamines hurry up and kick in and at least stop the itching for him.


Other than panicking I would lose our home and rushing youngest son to the doctor's today I have done my best to rest and keep warm to try and get rid of this chest infection. Tomorrow I have a few bits being delivered for free from my best friend and her husband. She is lending me her Windows 7 installation disk to try and fix middle son's computer as he has somehow wiped the operating system off of his computer. He has saved up enough money to buy his new computer that he wants but I thought if I could mend his for him then he could sell it and buy himself a new computer desk and chair with the proceeds. Bestie is also giving me a small foldable dinning table and chair that she was getting rid of which will be perfect for when youngest son starts his home tutoring next week as well as using it as a computer desk. I mentioned to Bestie that I was considering buying middle son's old computer from him if I am successful in fixing it so that youngest son can have his own computer. Bestie informed me that she has a base unit that has Windows 7 already installed on it that she no longer uses but no monitor, keyboard, or mouse to go with it but that if I wanted it I was welcome to have it. As luck would have it I have a spare monitor and keyboard from middle son's old computer 3 years ago that I hung on to as spares. So all I need is a mouse and a mouse pad, the mouse will cost me £3 from Morrison's and the mouse pad will cost me £1 from Poundland. So for £4 youngest son will have his own working computer that he can use. I did offer to pay for the items that Bestie is giving me but she said no stating that I do lots for them also, and babysit whenever I am needed and as sister's (not by blood but by heart) helping each other is what we do.


For tea tonight we had Mince beef hot pot and for pudding Peaches and cream (all yellow stickers)

Total cost 25p so approx 8p each

Anyway must dash youngest son is laying next to me scratching like mad so I am going to smother him in calamine lotion in the hope he can get back to sleep bless his little heart.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

MIA = Missing in action

Hello Readers

Sorry I have been MIA for the past few weeks. I don't know about you but when there is to much s**t hitting the fan and I am feeling overwhelmed I like to retreat into my cave (home) and hide away from everyone and everything. Well that is what it has been like here for the last few weeks, I put out one fire turn around and there is a fresh one blazing. I won't go into details but a LOT has been happening with family both here and in London recently but I am pleased to say things are finally starting to calm down.

Youngest son has finally been permanently excluded from school due to the fact they can not cope with his ADHD. I could appeal the decision based on the fact he has been expelled due to a disability and therefore is a victim of prejudice but I am choosing to see this as a good thing. I told the school before youngest son started there in June that this was not the right setting for him, that they would not be able to meet his needs, and that he should be in a specialist setting NOT a mainstream school. My hope is that now the local education authority will have no choice but to find a specialist setting for youngest son. The school STILL have not submitted an application for an EHCP although I have a meeting to sign a proposed draft on Friday. For the next 5 months whilst we go through the EHCP process youngest son will receive home tutoring from the LEA and I will be topping his education up with some home studies until he is back in school.

Middle son has been pinpointed as someone who should "seriously consider going to university after finishing secondary education". Whilst this was lovely to hear it certainly wasn't news to me. Middle son has always been classed as "gifted and talented" since primary school. We have discussed the issue of university many times in the past and looked at the most frugal way of doing so. So far I have £3000 saved for him for university, my Nan has £1000 for him, and he has a child trust fund currently worth £900 (this is invested in stocks and shares so the value can rise and fall depending on the market. However this was a £500 investment made by the government on his behalf 13 years ago and has almost doubled in 13 years). I will continue to save for him for the next 5 years to help with the cost of tuition fees but we will also look at any financial assistance he may be eligible for at the time via scholarships and that sort of thing. To keep costs to a minimum he will continue to live at home and attend Bath university negating the need to pay out for digs and all the bills incurred when you live away from home. He will also get himself a part time job to cover any costs such as trips, textbooks etc that he incurs whilst at university. My hope is that with a little help, some hard work on his part, and mummy's frugal brain he will be able to get a university education without incurring a ton of student debt.

Eldest son is still living with his dad but things are slowly moving in the right direction. The disability workers are meeting this month to finalize and sign the care package, Y, one of the other mum's thinks she has found a house for the 3 boy's to rent through her church, so all that is left is for the care agency to tell us the staff have finished training and are ready to go then I can finally get my boy back in the area where he belongs. I have been seeing eldest son every other weekend which has been good, we also talk on the phone and face time several times a week. It feels like we have grown closer since he has moved out and that he has grown up a lot so it was definitely the right move for all concerned.

As well as constantly putting out fires lol, I have been doing my usual thing of living as cheaply as possible and we are slowly getting used to the most recent cutback we had to make when eldest son moved out. I have already started on Xmas 2017 :)  I didn't need cards as I still had lots left over, I bought gift tags / gift bags / and rolls of wrapping paper dirt cheap in the January sales, I have bought 5 Xmas presents in the January sales (total £10), and I have increased my usual £30 a month Xmas savings to £60 a month and made my first months saving of this. I have been doing my usual yellow sticker shops and have refilled the freezer after eating up what was in there over the last few weeks. I intend to start writing a post on the 1st of every month with how much electric I have used, how much water I have used, and how much I have spent on food / toiletries / cleaning products / and pet products to try and help me see where my money is going a little better each month.

Tea tonight was Cheese and bacon chicken kiev with homemade chips and some mini chocolate mocha donuts for pudding. Total cost 20p so approx 7p each (I bloody love my yellow stickers lol).

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

A Quick Catch Up

Hello Readers

How is everyone in Blogland doing ? Wow it's been a busy few weeks here in the run up to Xmas but I think I have finally got everything ready and under control. All presents are wrapped, all cards have been sent and handed out, the house is all decorated and looking nice and festive, and other than Xmas day puddings, all the little extra bits of food needed have been bought and stored away ready to come out Xmas eve. I will be dropping youngest son at Bestie's a bit later so that I can do my usual yellow sticker shop and pick up the last few presents I need. I have been fortunate enough to get some extra hours work over the last few weeks which has enabled me to buy the boy's a few extra presents each.

My sister and her lovely partner came up from London for the day yesterday with a big bag full of Xmas presents which have gone under the tree for Xmas morning. They also came with a few bags of shopping for me bless them. My family and friends are pretty sneaky when it comes to helping me out as they know I am a bit of a stubborn git and refuse any handouts so they tend to do things without telling me so that I can't say no lol. They also pinched the electric key without me knowing and put £20 on the electric for me. I gave my sister a telling off but also thanked her. There is a 10 year age gap between me and my sister and I helped her a lot when she was a teenager and facing difficulties in her life that I will not go into. She see's this as her way of being able to return the favor and help me out now that she is grown up and settled with a good job. I am blessed to have some incredibly wonderful people in my life. They also treated us to lunch out yesterday, I had an all day breakfast which was absolutely delicious. But the best bit by far Readers was they brought eldest son up with them for the day. They live just half an hour away from where eldest son is staying with his Dad temporarily so I asked my sister if they would mind picking him up on their way and then asked my ex husband if it was OK for them to do so. If I get nothing else this Xmas then yesterday was the best Xmas present I could have wished for. I had an amazing day surrounded by a few of the people I love most in the world. Eldest son seem's to have done a lot of growing up in the last 3 weeks that he has been staying with his Dad, and I now feel confident that his moving out was the right move for him. I still miss him like crazy and can't wait for him to move back to this area once his supported living house has been put in place but I feel a lot happier knowing that he is doing well.

Anyway I better get on "no rest for the wicked" lol. I will be having tea at the Bestie's this evening after I have been shopping and will be bringing little S home with me for the night and having her for the day tomorrow to give Bestie a bit of respite as little S is Autistic and can be very hard work. If I get time and little S is not running rings round me by that time I will do my post about best buys from Pound land for Xmas presents for those on an extremely tight budget this Xmas.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Pound World Best Buys For Xmas Presents

Hello Readers

I was talking to a friend today about how expensive it is to buy presents for our little ones at Xmas. She told me that one year she was so skint she literally had £15 to spend on each of her 2 children. I asked her why she didn't go into Pound World or Pound land. Her response was "well they only sell cheap tat that breaks after a couple of days". I informed her that actually they have some pretty nice stuff and brand name items to and that if she should ever find herself in that position again she should really consider giving them a try. As a result of my conversation with said friend I have decided to put together a list of what I consider to be best buys for Xmas presents from both Pound World and Pound land for any of my Readers who should find themselves in the same position of a very limited budget. Today is the turn of Pound World.....

Girls

These recorders are available in Disney princess, My little pony, Frozen, Sofia the first, and Doc Mcstuffin

Disney princess tiara also available in blue Elsa from Frozen tiara

This is available in Doc Mcstuffin, My little pony, Sofia the first, Disney princess, and Frozen

Lovely little activity book

These cheer leading pom poms also come in blue and red

Cute set of fairy wings and a wand set

They have 4 of these dolls in store each dressed differently

Boys

Avengers light up yo-yo also comes in Disney Pixar cars and Spiderman

Mickey mouse recorder also comes in Avengers, Disney Pixar Cars, and Spiderman

Spiderman activity pack also comes in Avengers and Disney Pixar Cars

Cool little Cowboy set

Just like a Nerf gun only a fraction of the price 

Does your little one like Pirates of the Caribbean ? If so they will love this pirate set

Most boys like playing cars and with this set you can get 10 cars for just £1

Unisex

Cute My first canvas

30 Colouring pencils 

Drawing pad

Doctors and Nurses play set 

Travel Doodler draw your picture, magically wipe it clean, and start again

Who doesn't like bubbles :)

A balloon modeling set for those budding balloon artists out there

A nice game to play together in the back garden or at your  local park

Again who doesn't like bubbles lol

Play sand which is basically the same as kinetic sand but a whole heap cheaper. Comes in various colors

A bug viewer. Hours of fun to be had with this and educational too

All the items on this list cost just £1 each from Pound World. Today I have focused on younger girls and boys. Tomorrow I will focus on older girls and boys gifts from Pound land. This is NOT a sponsored post in any way. I just hope to give those struggling with a very tight budget some ideas on how to make sure their little ones have a nice pile of presents come Xmas morning without bankrupting themselves to do so.

Until Next Time 

Much Love

Maria xxx 

Xmas On A Budget = Presents

Hello Readers

Xmas can be a very expensive time of year especially if you have younger children that are exposed to peer pressure. I am very lucky with my 3 boys they tend not to go along with what everyone else wants and as a result I don't end up with a never ending list come Xmas time. Here's an example, I asked the boys what they wanted for Xmas this year and here is what they told me.....

Eldest son = A Norman Price plush toy £7.99, A decent set of headphones £10
Middle son = A set of gaming headphones £15, Some notebooks and pens £5
Youngest son = Dr Who DVD £8, Magic sand set £4, Extra sand £4, Air hockey game £10

I save £30 every month from January through to November which means come the 2nd November I have £330 to spend on my entire Xmas. That's for everything presents, wrapping paper, tags, cards, decorations, food, and treats. I set a budget of £60 per child this year as things are a lot tighter than they have been in previous years. Now to some this might seem like a big figure but when you consider some families spend several hundred pounds on each child at Xmas this really is not that much at all. I am also very fortunate that I have a big family so they get lots of presents through them also. My children never feel deprived come Xmas morning and are always overjoyed with whatever they receive. As well as my 3 boys I have another 28 people to buy for at Xmas (yes you read that right 28 lol). I tend to spend around £5 on each person so around £140 in total. I usually buy 6 Xmas gift bags for £1 from The Card Factory. I buy 5 nice items per person from Pound land or Pound world and pop them into a gift bag for each person. An example of what might be in one is as follows.....

Ladies = A nice bottle of bubble bath, A nice scarf, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.

Men = A bottle of shower gel, A matching deodorant, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.

Children = A bottle of bubble bath, A set of play dough, A book or DVD, A chocolate Santa, Some chocolate coins.

Some people may feel that £60 is not enough to spend on their child and what can they possibly get for a mere £60 in this day and age but if you do your homework and know where to look you really can do well for £60. Here's what each of my boys have got this year.....

Eldest son
Norman Price plush toy £8
Set of skull candy headphones £12
Air hockey game £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £5
A set of 3D virtual reality googles £10 (you put your phone in the device and you can watch movies and videos in 3D)
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1

Middle son
A Set of gaming headphones £15
A Set of 3D virtual reality goggles £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £4
5 Picture frames to frame a set of laminated A4 posters £5
Set of 5 laminated A4 posters £5
Table top pool table £10
Notebooks and pens £6
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1

Youngest son
Dr who DVD £8
Batman Scooter £15
Magic sand set £4
4 Sand refills £4
Batman t shirt £2
Large army play set £8
Air hockey game £10
Foam dart gun £1
Avengers pencil case and matching stationary £3
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1

So you see each of my boys will wake up to a nice pile of Xmas presents and they each have exactly what they have asked for and then some. Don't be afraid to inform people you are on a limited budget and therefore can not afford to buy them an expensive gift this year. You could even ask them if they would mind a no gift giving policy this year (you don't buy for them and they don't buy for you). Check out stores such as Pound land, Pound world, B and M, Pound stretcher, Home bargains etc. They are not beneath you and save you a whole heap of money. The stores all my gifts have come from this year are as follows.....

EBay
Morrison's
Sports Direct
B and M
Pound land
Pound world
Asda
Store 21
Home bargains

If anyone wants to know where I purchased a particular item just ask in the comments and I will let you know. Cost for presents for 31 people this year £320.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

When A Family Pull's Together

Hello Readers

This weekend I have really felt blessed and loved. Only my family and closest friends are aware that eldest son has moved out as I didn't want to have to deal with the hundred and one questions that I would inevitably get asked until I had come to terms with the move myself. I am slowly getting used to him not being here but then I do talk to him every day lol. I am finding it hard to adjust to the silence, lack of mess, and lack of washing since he left. Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy it and that I have earned a rest and I am sure they mean well but I am finding it all incredibly difficult. My mum, sister, and 2 best friends have been checking in with me and keeping an eye on how I am doing. Youngest son was at respite this weekend so I got to spend some quality time with middle son. Yesterday was our towns annual Xmas street fair and Xmas lights switch on. Middle son and I decided we would attend both events and when we got home snuggle up and watch Xmas movies together. The Xmas fair was not as good as it has been in previous years but none the less it gave middle son and I the chance to get out of the house and do something together.....

This young lady couldn't have been more than 16 years old yet she had a lovely voice.

The local dance troop

The funfair

An old fashioned music machine

Santa's grotto

The high street lights

Library lights

Tree lights

Our little town looks incredibly pretty when you walk down there after dark now. Total cost to me for yesterday was £0. My mum gave middle son £10 to spend and £5 for me and son to have a portion of churros whilst we was there, and my best friend also gave middle son £10 to spend (they both know how incredibly tight things are here now eldest son is no longer contributing and this is their way of helping out as they know I am to proud to accept a handout so by giving middle son spending money it saved me having to do so). After the lights switch on I popped to Morrison's to see if there were any yellow stickers before dropping little O back home (she loves coming for a ride on Aunty Maria's mobility scooter lol. Unfortunately there were no yellow stickers but when we got back to the bestie's to drop little O off the bestie announced she had ordered a take away for all of us. This was a real treat for us and I was very grateful that I did not have to come home and cook. We had pizza, southern fried chicken, chips, and onion rings. We were both stuffed and I thanked bestie giving her a big hug and telling her she really didn't have to buy for us also. Her response was "I know things are hard right now and you are family I didn't want you going home to that cold house without a full belly". When we got home middle son and I put the little electric fire on in my room, snuggled up in bed and watched cartoons for the rest of the night.

Today I have been a busy bee. I had a lie in as youngest son was at respite. After I eventually got up I sorted the house, went to work for 2 hours, went yellow sticker shopping, came home and unpacked, sorted some washing, saw to the animals, did dinner, got the washing up done, got everyone bathed and ready for bed, and am now writing this post before going to sleep myself. I got quite lucky with my yellow stickers today bagging the following bargains.....

850g Grated cheese £1.10
A bag of melon slices 15p
A bag of pears 19p
2 Pots of mixed fruit 30p
6 Tomatoes 15p
A bunch of flowers 19p
4 Chocolate chip panetonne 36p
A tomato flatbread 5p
4 Cheese scones 5p
16 Activia yogurts 38p
A garlic flatbread 9p
A loaf of bread 5p
3 Boxes of 6 eggs 15p

Anyway I am off to bed now Readers. Hope you have all had a productive weekend.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Nursing A Broken Heart

Hello Readers

Sorry for my absence over the last few days but Eldest son moved out on Friday night and I have been nursing a broken heart ever since. He has gone to live with his Dad (a 2 hour drive away) until his supported living accommodation is sorted out for him. Although he is almost 19 and I know this is the right decision for him as well as my younger 2 boys I can't help but feel sad that he is no longer here with me. I have been a single mother for 13 years now and raised him single handed (he would only see his Dad 1 night every 6 weeks and had very little other contact with him). I have also been his sole carer for 18 and 1/2 years (he is autistic). The fact that he is so far away does not sit well with me either as it's not like I can just jump on a bus and go see him and I don't drive. I have a lot of anger right now as to how our situation has been handled by so called professionals. Eldest son would have been in his own home locally had certain people done their job correctly and within the specified time frame and then he would not be so far away and I could see him several times a week. As it is a family has been torn apart and put under considerable stress due to one man's incompetence. Both eldest son's father and I will be putting in a strong complaint once he is in his supported living but feel to do so now would just delay the process of getting him into his supported living home. I am angry readers and my heart aches for my son who I have never spent more than a few days away from. Things are going to be so strange here without him. It also means another drop in money (quite a big one) as I will no longer be receiving his contribution towards the household bills, food, and keep etc. Right now though I am more concerned about the pain I am feeling now he is not here, than any lack of money this situation has caused. We will get by we always do, it just means tightening those purse strings even further. So if I am a little quiet over the next few days you know why, but I promise I will be back to blogging daily before you know it and with the tightening of these purse strings I will have a lot more frugal posts to write lol.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

A Sterling Report And Preparing For Xmas

Hello Readers

How are we all diddling ? I will be doing a post at some point over the weekend sharing all my tips and tricks on how I do Xmas on a budget. I have lost a lot of income this past year, and whilst I have always been pretty frugal at Xmas anyway, I have really had to scale back this year.

Anyway on to today :)

Usual morning routine. Boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school. The head teacher was taking youngest son's class today and he took a few minutes to come out and tell me that it was a pleasure teaching him today. He was extremely well behaved and did everything asked of him. He praised youngest son directly and gave him a big thumbs up which made youngest son really happy. After collecting little man I went to work for a few hours. My friend lets me take youngest son with me when I clean for her. He sits and plays on his tablet quietly while I get on with my work. Its only 2 hours but its an extra £14 added to this weeks budget and it all helps. After I finished work I had to attend a progress meeting at middle sons school. He is excelling at English, maths, and geography, got the highest grade in his class on his p.e exam, is on target in most of his lessons, but needs to improve in food, dance. and drama (his least favorite subjects lol). I left there a very proud mummy and he was treated to a chocolate bar when we got home :)

This evening I have tidied up, done some washing, seen to the animals, done dinner, done the washing up, and got everyone bathed and ready for bed. I also managed to finish off my Xmas cards and the ones that need sending have been addressed and stamped ready to post on the 7th December. I also managed to finish decluttering downstairs. The house is now completely free from clutter and reorganized and it has made a huge difference. I have one lot of items to take to the charity shop and have sold another craft bundle for £8 so I made £28 in total from my house declutter which will go in the Xmas savings envelope. I have a quiet weekend coming up as eldest and middle son will be at their dad's and youngest son will be at respite. I will be using this time to do a bit of Xmas shopping, wrap some presents, and have a major sort out of all our clothes. Any brand name clothing will be sold, any non brand name clothing that is in good condition will be taken to the charity shop, any clothes I would like to keep but are broken will go on the mending pile, and any clothes that are beyond repair will be turned into rags and put in my work bag. You might remember I set myself 3 manageable goals to complete.....

Week 1 Declutter upstairs
Week 2 Declutter downstairs
Week 3 Sort through clothing

I will have completed all of these a week ahead of schedule which is fab and I am very pleased with myself. My next goal will be to get the mending pile sorted next week and keep on top of present wrapping. I am on schedule to have Xmas all done and dusted by mid December which is not bad when you have 31 people to buy for lol.

Anyway Readers I am off to my bed for a well earned sleep. Are you all ready for Xmas ?

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Coupons And Freebies

Picture credit: Holly at Extreme couponing check out her Vlog here 

Hello Readers

Amanda from  Parenting a child with Autism (check out her blog it's fab) asked me yesterday where I get my coupons from. I felt that I couldn't answer this in a simple comment and that it warranted a post dedicated to how I get my coupons and freebies so here it is.....

Let me start by saying I am not an extreme couponer, I don't have the time, but I do sit down a couple of times a week and see what is about. My first suggestion would be to open a free email address specifically for your coupons and freebies. You don't have to but I find it makes couponing that little bit easier. If you wanted to you could open a few extra email addresses so that you get more coupons and freebies. I just have the one and eldest son has one also.

The next thing I would suggest is if you haven't done so already sign up for loyalty cards and register on store websites. The loyalty cards I currently have are.....

Tesco
Morrison's
Nectar
Game
Bon Marche
Co Op
Boots
Hairdresser's (My local one)
Perfume shop (Superdrug)

Any store that I shop in no matter how often, if they have a loyalty card scheme then i'm on it lol. Not only do you collect points or stamps that can be redeemed for money off coupons or items, but once you are registered with them they will occasionally send you out coupons to use in their stores. They will also let you know about sales and deals that they have going on at that time.

The other thing I do is I have a list of coupon/freebie sites I check a couple of times a week. If I see a coupon or a freebie I can make use of I go ahead and print it off or fill in the form (for freebies). A lot of times the site itself will tell you where the item is selling the cheapest so that you get the best deal or even get the item for free. If it doesn't it is really easy to find this out for yourself using an app like My Supermarket. I also print all my coupons in black and white to save money on ink costs (check out my post Saving Money On Printer Ink ). If you sign up to the sites newsletter coupons and freebies will be emailed to you automatically. I also follow a couple of coupon/freebie sites on Facebook. Here is a list of the sites I use.....

Extreme Couponing
Money Saving Expert
Latest Free Stuff
Coupon Mama UK
Super Savvy Me
Ashleigh Money Saver
Coupon Mama UK Facebook page
Extreme Couponing Facebook Page


My next tip is to register with Check Out Smart
It is a cashback site that has lots of products you can get part or full cashback on. It's really easy all you do is register an account with them, see which cashback offers tickle your fancy, buy them from the specified retailer, send a photo of your receipt, and they will credit your account with the cashback. The only drawback is you need a separate receipt for each item you want to claim cashback on and you can only make 3 claims a day. The way I see it is if I am getting something for free then I am happy to take a bit of extra time paying for items individually and scanning in the receipts over the course of a few days. You have to have £5 in your check out smart account before you cash it out but my advice would be to wait until you hit the £20 or more mark as that way you will avoid paying any fees for the transfer of funds. Check them out they have a lot of good freebies on there at the moment.

Another way of getting coupons is to choose a few of your favorite products or retailers and write to the company telling them how much, and why you enjoy their products. Very often as a thank you for your feedback they will send you a letter thanking you and include some coupons for their products. I have yet to try this one out for myself but I have heard of lots of people getting good results by doing this.

So Amanda I hope I have answered your question and armed you with lots of tips for getting coupons and freebies. Let me know how you get on.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Torrential Rain And A Coupon Shop

Hello Readers

Yesterday started with me getting up and getting everyone off to school and then cracking on with the housework. I only have an hour and a half to get things done in the morning before I have to collect youngest son from school as he finishes at 10.45am. We then popped home quickly so I could quickly finish the housework in the half an hour before my dentist appointment. I dropped youngest son at Bestie's on the way to the dentist. I had to have a tooth removed and I am a very nervous patient in fact nervous is an understatement I am terrified of the dentist. When I entered the room I realized it was a different dentist to the one I had seen last time which did nothing to calm my nerves. I needn't have worried she was lovely and knew I have a fear of dentists as it is logged on the system. She took her time, explained everything before she did it, stopped whenever I asked her to, and was generally very kind, caring, and compassionate. It was definitely the least traumatic visit I have had to the dentist to date.

After the dentist I popped to Morrison's  (as its just across the road) to do a coupon shop. I had coupons for the following.....

4x £1 off a carton of Covent garden soup
1x 35p off any 2 liter bottle of soft drink
1x 35p off any yogurts
1x 45p off any pre cooked meat

This little lot cost me just 57p after coupons and 5p of that was for a bag (must stop forgetting to take my own bags).

On the way home I picked up little man from my Bestie, but by the time I got home I resembled a drowned rat (the rain here has been torrential). I put our coats, hats, and gloves on one of the airing racks to dry off as they were wet through. We both got changed into onsie's, snuggled under the duvet and did some work on vikings as that is what he is working on at school at the moment.


Today started how it usually does getting the boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school and popping to the Bestie's for a bit. I then popped to the charity shops in my tiny little town as I was on the look out for a couple of warm jumpers. I managed to get 2 that fitted the bill one cost £1 and the other cost £2.50 and they will keep me nice and warm. Youngest son bought himself a Pudsy teddy £1.25, and another teddy 30p out of the £10 Granddad gave him at the weekend. He has seen a Tetris game that he also wants to buy but we didn't have enough on us to get that so we will go back for that tomorrow after school. Again by the time we got home we looked like drowned rats lol. We got into our onsie's and did some English and maths. Although youngest son is back in school (went back in June after 2 years home educating) he is on a very restricted timetable 9am - 10.45am. As a result he cant be learning very much so I am asking the school for work I can do with him at home and topping up his education that way so that he is not missing out on as much. For tea we had homemade mini pizza's, homemade chips, and garlic tear and share. Here are the costings.....

Warburtons thins (yellow sticker) 5p
Ketchup (value) 10p
Cheese (savers) 30p
Potatoes (£3 for 12.5kg sack Morrison's) 30p
Tear and share (yellow sticker) 9p

Total cost 84p so 21p each


Anyone else having torrential rain at the moment ? What do you do when you get home looking like a drowned rat lol ?

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Sunday 20th November

Hello Readers

Wow last week was such a busy week for me I was fully expecting a vertigo attack but touch wood so far so good. I had a meeting at youngest son's school on Friday morning and it has been agreed that as he is doing so well (other than the blip he had recently) we can slowly start to increase his school day. I have requested that this be done very slowly so that it does not become overwhelming and result in another meltdown. We are going to start by letting him stay for playtime one day a week (a Friday) and slowly increase this. He stayed on Friday and Readers he did amazingly well. We was all ready for a meltdown and I was on the premises ready just in case as it was children in need day and there was almost 300 children in the hall, lots of stalls, and lots of noise. His head teacher popped out at one point to tell me he was being really good and he was very impressed with his behavior. I also inquired about his My Plan and was told that the request has now been submitted and the council has 6 weeks to decide whether or not they will go ahead and start putting one in place for him but his SENCO is optimistic that the draft she has put together is good enough that they will agree so fingers crossed.

I had a meeting with eldest and youngest son's disability worker shortly after the meeting at school and things are progressing with eldest son's move into supported living with 2 of his friends, and we are now just waiting for a suitable house to become available for them. After the blip we had recently with youngest son at school I was really starting to feel a bit low but it appears things are slowly starting to go in the right direction and I am feeling a lot happier about things now.

Friday evening my Dad came to visit for the weekend which we was all really happy about. I needed some cheering up after the week I have had and Dad always knows how to make me laugh. Saturday morning we was treated to one of Dad's legendary fry up's for breakfast. The plan was to take the boys out for the day but middle son went to center parcs for the day to celebrate his best friends birthday, eldest son wasn't that bothered, and youngest son asked granddad if he could stay at home as he wanted to carry on watching his Dr Who DVD's. In the end no one went anywhere and we just had a relaxing day at home lol. Dad put some money on the electric key for me which will save me paying out for electric this week and he gave the boy's £10 each (he always spoils us when he comes down as we only get to see him once every few months). Early evening we went over to my best friends for a roast dinner. Bestie and my Dad get on really well so we always have a roast there when his down. By the time we got home we were all shattered and just went straight to bed lol.

This morning I woke up at 6.30am with a raging headache so got up to take some pain killers and was able to see my Dad off at 7am (his coach was at 7.30am from the next town). Once Dad had gone I decided to go back to bed as all the children were still asleep in the hopes I could sleep off my headache. It didn't work and I have had the damn thing all day :(

Despite having a headache I have managed to push through and get things done in the house. The decluttering is coming along nicely and I only have the kitchen left to do. I have made £20 so far selling off little bits here and there, 3 bin bags of rubbish, and 2 trips to drop bits off to the charity shop on my shopping trolley and the house is looking a lot better and is a lot more organized. This afternoon I went to Morrison's to do my usual yellow sticker shop. Because of this damn headache I was running late and we didn't get there until 3.15pm instead of the usual 3pm and everything had gone. This is almost unheard of, for me to come back on a Sunday without a single yellow sticker item. I certainly don't feel like the yellow sticker queen today lol. I picked up a few bits and pieces that we needed for the week and some pet food and came back home.

This evening we have been over to Besties for tea again, I really have been spoiled this weekend and have not had to cook at all. We had spaghetti bolognaise which was yummy. We are now back home and youngest son is in the bath (he has a fear of showers). Once he has had a good old scrub ready for school in the morning the eldest 2 boys will have a shower each and then it will be early nights for everyone as my head is still raging :(

How has everyone else's weekend been ? Anyone managed to get any good yellow stickers ?

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

How Note Books And Lists Keep Me Organized

Hello Readers

If you are anything like me you have lists for everything. I have a terrible memory since I developed Menieres Disease almost 10 years ago. I forget everything and I mean everything although you would never have guessed it. I have a lot of list's that keep me organized and on track and notebooks are my best friend. I keep list's for the following.....

Budget
Stockpile List
Meal Planner
Items Needed List
Coupons To Print List
Coupon And Freebie Websites List
Weekly To Do List
Daily To Do List
Repairs List

I use a family planner to keep track of all appointments and meetings and this is hung up in the kitchen. I also carry a pocket diary in my handbag and a pen at all times because you can guarantee if I make an appointment when I am out I will forget to put it on the family planner when I get home. Every Sunday I go through my pocket diary and family planner and make sure they correspond with each other and any missing appointments are written in. Since I have started doing this I have not missed a single appointment or meeting so it is working well for me. I also have a little plastic wallet I keep all my coupons in. They are all filed like with like, so all Tesco coupons go together, all Asda coupons go together, all Morrison's coupons go together you get the picture. I keep my coupon folder in my handbag at all times so that when I am out if I buy something or I see something I have a coupon for I can easily grab it out of my bag meaning I never miss out on a chance to save money.

Every Sunday I sit down and go through all my paperwork, update anything that needs updating, and get myself organized for the week ahead.

I write a daily to do list each night for the following day which usually looks something like this.....

Tidy up
Wash up
Hoover
Washing
Animals
Dinner
Baths

I will then go through my weekly to do list and tack on any additional jobs that need doing depending on if I have any appointments that day. If I don't get everything on the list done that day, I don't beat myself up about it, I simply tack it on to the following day's to do list and almost always that weeks to do list is completed by the end of the week even if it has not been done on it's assigned day.

So my lovely Readers how do you keep yourself organized and on track ? Are you as obsessed with lists and notebooks as I am ?

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx

Appointments And Yellow Stickers

Hello Readers

Its been a long few days here. I have had appointments coming out of my ears. Optitions, Doctors, Work, Workmen, and Hospital. Tomorrow I have a meeting at the school and then a meeting at home with the disability team. In among these appointments I have been trying to keep the house clean and tidy, see to the animals, look after the kids, sort the washing, declutter upstairs, and finish my Xmas cards. It has been manic and I am completely shattered. I have not had a vertigo attack since last week but with the stress of this week I would not be surprised if I go down with one some time in the next few days. Why is it in the run up to Xmas anyone and everyone decides to give you an appointment ?

Youngest son had his eye test on Tuesday and it appears he is extremely long sighted. He needs to go back on the 2nd of December and have some drops put in to switch off his ability to focus temporarily. His eyes will then be tested again so that they can work out the correct strength of the glasses that he will need to wear all the time. He is also being referred for vision training at the hospital.

Today youngest son had a hospital appointment in the town 3 towns over from us. It is quite a distance and I do not drive due to my Menieres Disease. To go by bus it would have taken 2hrs, 2 buses, and cost £13 (even with little mans disabled bus pass). Also the second bus only runs every 2 hours. I decided to look at trains. I knew there was not very many trains that went there each day so wanted to check the timings. To go by train it meant getting there 2hrs early and having 1 and 1/2 hours after youngest sons appointment. The train would take 15mins and cost just £3.45 (with my friends and family railcard). So I decided to take the train option and find a way to kill the time before and after the appointment. I was supposed to go Xmas shopping tomorrow in the next town but decided to do that today in the 2 hrs before his appointment. It killed the time and now I don't have to go out tomorrow afternoon. I took drinks, food, books, and youngest sons tablet and after our appointment we went for a short walk along the canal till we found a bench to sit on and eat. We sat there for an hour eating and reading before making our way back to the train station and waiting a short while for the train home.

I popped to Morrison's this evening and was able to get the following yellow stickers.....

1 Macaroni cheese ready meal 5p
2 Tagliatelle ready meals 10p
3 Family steak and ale pies 15p
2 Packs of welsh cakes 10p
3 Packs of English muffins 15p
1 Pack of Warburtons thins 5p
2 Loaves of bread 10p

Total yellow stickers 70p

We also bought 2 tins of tuna and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes for the #30DayFestiveFoodBank challenge which brought our total up to £2.56.

My Dad is coming up tomorrow evening for the weekend and the boys are really excited. They always get spoilt when granddad visits lol but then again so do I :)

Right I am off to put my feet up and try not to nod off till the boys go to bed at 9pm although I cant promise I wont lol.

Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx