Operation Cost Cutting

A few weeks ago George Osbourne announced the first budget of this Parliament.  He made cuts.  It inspired me to go through our finances and see where I could make savings.  (My mother has been urging me to do this for years but I am stubborn and fought against it).  I was shocked when I calculated how little money we had left at the end of the year when all our outgoings (including children's clubs etc) were taken off.  The money left was theoretically  to provide clothes, holidays and treats for a family of 4.  It would also have to cover any unexpected costs. 

So Operation Cost Cutting was launched in our household with vengeance.  As Chancellor of the household I have implemented some changes.  We have separate monthly budgets for food, petrol and extras.  I had to relent a little when I saw the confused and terrified look on my husband's face; so this system isn't as hard and fast as was originally planned. 

My husband was dispatched to the phone to find the best phone and Internet package.  This nearly caused him a coronary but bless him he has secured us a good deal.  Well, we think it is good but time will tell.  Oh and the TV is going completely.  We watch a lot but purely because it is there.  The programmes that we follow are very few and far between so the monthly cost is not warranted neither is the yearly licence.  As long as we don't watch things live we can get most of what we want on the Internet (we made sure we got a larger monthly download limit for this purpose.)  We may have to sweeten the girls with a DVD box set of the A-team series. 

It is my job to see what I can save on the Gas and Electricity bills.  Some of the deals require the money up front which seem a little odd so I will keep looking into that. 

So readers if you have any ways of saving money then please let me know. 

Have a laugh on me.

Well actually I came across this video on Sally Lloyd-Jones blog.  It made me laugh so I thought I would share it with my many blog readers.

The Competition

A few conversations got me thinking.

Conversation one:
I was having a chat with Lady 1 and she was just a little overwhelmed by the circumstances she was facing.  Lady 2 came over, noticed the tears and asked what was wrong.  Lady 1 gave a brief explanation with the tears still flowing.  Lady 2 gave the following words of comfort: "Welcome to my world."  I am no counsellor but I somehow don't think that helped.

Conversation two:
At the end of a church event after everything was tidied away I was chatting to 2 ladies.  Lady 1 was explaining about her busy week and that the next 2 weeks were for preparation of a camp she was helping at. Lady 1:  I am waking up so early each morning and that is making me really tired.
Lady 2:  Oh I am waking up early and going to bed so late.  I am just so tired.
I fought the urge to tell them that I wasn't busy, that I was going to bed at a reasonable time and waking up at 6am by choice.  I don't think they would have appreciated my input.

I them remembered a sketch that I had seen performed at a Talent Event at our previous church.  I attempted to find the sketch myself on you tube.  No joy so I asked the one who would know.  So, Ladies and Gentleman I give you Monty Phython.

Whew, that's a relief

Well, it is World Cup season.  England had us worried there for a bit.  They didn't play well in their first 2 matches.  I feel they were too generous to the other teams!  Thankfully, Jermain Defoe managed to score a goal in the first half.  I didn't see it as I was otherwise engaged.  My girls and I watched the 2nd half but didn't witness any other goals.  We were nearly going to win the group right up to the wire until the USA scored a goal against Algeria.  Sunday we get to play Germany. 

I shall not be holding my breathe but perhaps our team may produce another miracle from the bag. 

In other sporting news:  I am fascinated by the longest ever Tennis match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.  Their game has spanned two days and the score last night was 2 sets all with 59 score a piece.  I think they will be relieved when it is all over but both should get a prize for their physical and mental endurance.  Amazing stuff.

'It's an Abstract Painting, Mummy.'

My children's school has an Arts Week every year.  They choose a painting and base all Arts work on the type and style of that Artist.  Last year it was Renior's Umbrella. 

This year the girls was full of excitement because the REAL picture had been loaned to the School and was now in the Hall.  I promptly disbelieved the girls; the nice and considerate mummy that I am.  I soon stood corrected when a letter from School informed me that the picture had been loaned from a local Art Gallery.  This year the painting is called 'Parrot's Idea No 2' by an artist called Alan Davie.  I have never heard of him or the painting.

As Art is something both my girls love and do well in their is great excitement in our house this week.  My eldest has gone to School this morning dressed in black and white to be 'part of the swirly bit', as I was knowledgeably informed.  She told me he painted Abstract Paintings and that she rather liked them.  So, there we have it.  I am completely unsure of Abstract Paintings as I am the type who would probably hold them up the wrong way but from now I can ask my in-house Art Critic.  She will put me straight.  Or swirly.  But always the right way up.

Diet conundrum

We have a problem in our house.  We all love food and will try many different varieties of it.  I love cooking and baking.  This week I finally got around to redoing my menus in order to make shopping easier (and thus spend less money!)  I have a whiteboard strategically placed in my kitchen; ready for the list of food items which need replacing.  I hope my menus turn out to be a careful balance between meat, fish and pulse dinners that satisfy each and every family member. 

But I digress slightly as that is not the problem.  The problem is this:  I have worked hard this year and am extremely proud of my achievement in losing weight.  This has been down to exercise and slight changes in diet.  Unfortunately, the same has happened to my husband (not the exercise but the weight loss).  Last year he was proud of his achievement to get more weight on him!  He has been told to watch his saturated fat intakes due to a slight excess of cholesterol.  So therein lies our conundrum. 

How do I get a good balanced diet which keeps me the weight I enjoy being but doesn't allow my husband to lose all his?  For those few of you that read this blog.  If you have any good healthy weight-gaining snacks that my husband can partake, please let me know.  What about exercise that he might be able to do to. Before my husband becomes a shadow.  Thanks.

These are a few of my pet peeves.

I come from a family who are good at pet peeves, in fact almost everything can be a pet peeve, bee-in-your-bonnet, a subject to really get under my skin; if you just try hard enough.  We are good at it.  In fact, if we are not careful that is all we are about.

Anyway, I thought I would blog a few for the few readers I get.  Blogs are often 'pink and fluffy' and a kind of ethereal world that may or may not really exist (you could say that is a pet peeve of mine).  So for you dear readers an insight into the things that 'get my goat.'  (As an aside:  What on earth does that mean?  Perhaps, I could have that as another blog - "The sayings which you hear that don't mean anything at all")

• People asking me how am I and then not listening.
• People who are passive-aggressive and don't tell me straight what on earth I have done wrong.
• Idiots who ride around on motorbikes without their helmets on, and for good measure have their very young children on the bike with them.
• People starting sentences "I am not racist but ....".
• Prayerful concern.  If I can't help the situation of another person don't tell me.  I don't want to know.
• Busyness competitions.  The sooner you all realise that no-one is busier than me the better.  Got that.  Good.
• Christian tradition being confused with Christian theology.  Lets sort out together on the things that are really important and allow differences in the rest.
• Amateur Counsellors, especially people who are just plain weird themselves.  If you can't look me in the eye when you talk to me why should I refer others with problems to you?
• Having a sense of humour that puts others down.
• 'Uriah Heep' type humility.

Oh, the list is obviously endless and I could go on but I think that will suffice.  Maybe, one day I will post a few of my favourite things.