Approved food post!

I have been meaning to post this for ages.

Firstly, my first order was a disaster, as it didn't arrive the first time, they said it was "refused" - by the recipient - assume they got the wrong address.  Second, time it arrived late and it had to go back because the pickled onions had "exploded."  However, the items were a bargain.  I believe I posted about this before.

My second order arrived but having ordered four big bottles of vinegar in order to be thrifty one leaked -it was not well packaged and clearly said that the vinegar should not be laid on its side and it arrived on its side.  It was only when I thanked the delivery man for carrying it in as he was hastily leaving he mentioned that there had been an "incident" and that the products had to be repackaged.

Well here is the packaging:

It took me ages to clear everything up and wipe it off before putting it away.

It took me over a week for Approved Food to sort it out but they refunded me items that had got ruined and items that were crushed somehow and also for the item that was missing.  They did try and send me that again with another 3.5kg of veg suet mix 60p:

This is the other products I received:

249 (should have been 250 packets of Special K bites - still have lots left lol)

I then tried again a month later (sorry so excited that it was all in one piece that I forgot!) as I knew that money was soon to be tight. I have to say that everything was packed well and I got a lucky box. This included alfafa sprouts, a pack of fudge, a pack of anniseed sweets, various soups and a can of coke!

Okay some items were out of date, some not.  I got 30 bars of in date chocolate for £4.99 - yes was not essential but nice, two cakes were out of date, I got two huge bags of blancmange I think they were two for a pound!! I got a large bag of mild chilli and then lots of dried goods for the cupboard and items for pack lunches.

I think that although ordering from them can at times be infuriating, it is so necessary when you are short of cash to do what you can to reduce your food budget, it is essential to order from them! 

What are your experiences with approved food.?

Good day today!

I cannot say much but I saw someone today who listened to me.  She understood my problems and is going to try and help me.  I want to thank the earth for bringing her to me.

What to expect when you are expecting!

OH and I saw this film last night for free coourtesy of see film first.  I do hope that you are all signed up.  We see about 10 films a year free!

As a comedy it was all rather silly but would give it a 7 out of 10.  I would probably download it on offer but I would not pay to see it I am afraid.

As you can guess it is about how five different women deal with their pregnancies.  Cameron Diaz stars as a famous star who is very fit and helps others lose weight, she is relatively normal, Jennifer Lopez adopts an Ethopian baby as she cannot conceive, that is a lovely part of the story.  One young girl, I am not sure of the actresses name her and her partner run a fast food truck in competition to each other, unfortunately, she loses her  baby.  Then the other two are sort of related, one is married to a famous racer and sneezes out her twins, she is so glamourous and her husband's son's wife, is really normal she sells pregnancy products and cries all the time, wets herself a bit and has bad wind ha ha ha.

Unfortunately, when giving birth she had to a have c-section and due to complications she had an operation but it all turned out fine in the end.

I have seen lots of good films through see film first, some okay and some bad well one or two, the best were Slumdog Millionaire and Real Steel, mediocre were this and knocked up and most of the rest, the worst was something with Steve Coogan in it that bad I cannot remember!

As it is free save parking if we have to go to the one furthest away from us or free parking at the one closest to us we try and get tickets for  most films!

I am off to Jersey next week!

I feel in need of a break money is short however, I did put some money by as I was supposed to be going away with my friend last year for a break. 

I am going to Jersey for four nights and it costs £189.00 per person - I am so pleased.  Good news too that the sailing are now closer by!

I will post about it when I return although I am not going to next week.  I am bit apprehesive that my hubby is not going as he is my rock at the moment.  We have also spoke at length about the cost however it was in need of a break and it would be more worthwhile in the long run to my mental health.

Secret Sister!

Firstly welcome to my new follower, Cheryl.

I went to the bootsale and all we bought were six raffle tickets and won two small cakes - was very disappointing but I didn't mind because just before we left my Secret Sister Package arrived.

I unwrapped it and found a box:

But what is inside?

It is well wrapped but what is inside?

Pretty paper - what is inside?

All this - I am so pleased with my parcel - here is a closer look:

Lovely bubble bath which smells amazing and some hand cream one of my favs!

Toffee and Fudge what a treat!!

A nice jasmine candle in a jar mmmmm smells lovely!

This book has been on my wish list for ages - thank you!

Now when I saw this I could not believe it a lovely sparkling butterfly brooch - so lovely I keep looking at it.  I collect brooches and wear some of them and this is definately going to be worn.

I love this magazine but rarelt treat myself to it, it has some great recipes in it.

I found a use for the box already:

Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to Confession of a Shopaholic and of course for Carla for organising Secret Sisters XX

Hoping to pick up bargains at a bootsale

We are off to a bootsale today. As I am now on a strict budget I am going to see what bargains I can find. I do not need much just a few clothes really. If I were at target this wouldnt be necessary as I have plenty of clothes that would fit then. So as I am trying to lose weight and I am on SSP I need to buy second hand! Wish me luck and should I return with any bargains I shall blog about them! Have a happy Saturday!

Losing Weight

Not sure if I mentioned that I went back to Slimming World.  I lost 8 pound the first week - stuck to it 100% and I received my half stone award!!

I lost 1 and a half pound the second week and half a pound this week.  I am hoping for a bigger loss this week to make up for the disappointment of the last two.

Instead of points you have syns and I usually use most of mine.  Half of it on a kitkat at night.  Chocolate philiadephia is nice and a tablespoon is only 2 syns.

I am allowed four healthy extras' two a's and 2 b's.  For my a's I have cheese and milk and for b's bread and breakfast bars.  Alpen light is good as you can have two, and at the moment the chocolate fudge is in the 99p store at you guessed it 99p.

For meals I obviously use a lot of quorn, there are two relatively new flavours of fillet - Barbecue and Chilli and Lime - Sainsburys did have them on offer for 1.50 for a pack of four.

I also eat a lot of baked potato and salad, most of which are 39p in Aldi this week.

I live close to Aldi but Sainsburys is closer but I often just go to Sainsburys, that has stopped due to the lack of salary.

I am off to the Doctors tomorrow, I need signing off for a couple more weeks, I have a meeting with an independent Occupational Health assessor to discuss going back, they want to move me to an office an hour away, where I hardly know anyone and give me a secretary who is unsuitable!

I have been off since the 7th March and that is all they can come up with.  It was hard enough moving from the office just up the road - after 9 years to another office further up with all the secretaries problems.  Anyway it is up to this person now but I cannot function in the mornings so how I am meant to travel in the car for an hour - I havent been able to get in the car all this time as I used to suffer panic attacks on the way to and from work and my anti-depressants make me dizzy.  I can walk to the office up the road, and I can work around my tablets if I need to go to Court but not everyday to travel to office up the road and back - 2 hours travel when I have had a breakdown geeze thanks.

Sorry to have reambled on.

More Changes are happening need to ebay!

More changes are afoot this week, finance wise so having some hair accessories that I never used after buying in bulk as presents for my neices over the years, have today put them on ebay.  I heard hair accessories do well.  I didn't sell anything last week although I only listed two items previously relisted.

Oh well win some you lose some. If I don't sell them I will take them to the boot sale in a few weeks!

Feel free to take a look at my sales - I  use hubby's maccount -  perhaps you could give me some feedback!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/chris42h/m.html?hash=item20c586a1c5&item=140752888261&pt=UK_Hair_Accessories&rt=nc&_trksid=p4340.l2562

Water - Success!

At the end of last year we requested a water meter, our monthly payments went from over £60.00 per month to £41.00.

Well guess what we had £37.57 refund and they have reduced our monthly payment to £40.00 - so although only a reduction by £1.00 a month I am happy with the change and savings of over £20.00 a month.

We have not actually tried too hard, although I had stopped leaving the tap running whilst brushing my teeth and we have one of those bags in the cistern, and we do not spend too long in the shower, and I have a bath about once a month, run the dishwasher and washing machine with a full load (more difficult with the washing machine).  We do not have a garden so we save water there and there is only the two of us.

We are going to try not to flush the loo every time we have a wee!

What savings do you make around the house?

Sarina's Upside Pineapple Cake

I went to my sister's home for a games evening yesterday.  She made some nice sandwhiches and provided cakes and nibbles for later, we brought our homemade cake - the recipe of which comes from Sarina over at Sarina's Alsorts blog - http://sarinasallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/welcome-on-board.html to eat with some cream and we also took some nibbles:

What do you think?

Hubby helped bless him!  It tasted lovely and light - we warmed it up so as Sarina said it would be better served with custard but we loved it with thick cream!

A family meal out and Hello new follower

Firstly, I would like to say hello to Hardup Hester.  I have followed you for some time and enjoy you posts on a certain forum - welcome x

About twice a year my step-dad (he brought me up so he is like my dad) and my sisters Sarah and Claire go out for a meal to celebrate a birthday last year we managed three times.

Anyway we recently went out for an Indian to celebrate Sarah's birthday.  Dad is 60 this year so we are going out for a chinese and a drink.  I will put some money by for this.

I thought I would show you some of my family, without my family I am not sure I would still be here now.  Knowing I am down Claire has invited us over for tea tomorrow night and we will have a poker night - we do not play for money.  I am going to make a cake.  A pineapple upside down cake as posted on Sarina's blog.

So on to my family:

Here is Claire and Dad:

Here is Sarah and myself:

Here are my sisters and I:

Here is a break down of what I wore as knowing I may need every penny I couldn't buy anything new not that I normally do:

Scarf - £3.00 from Primark over a year old
Cardigan - £15.00 Next in a sale over a year ago
Top £5.00 in a Next sale over three years ago
Trousers - £12.00 in a Next Sale over three years ago
Evans shoes (go there for wide shoes especially in a sale) think they were £22.00 over four years ago
Bag from Next £22.00 had over two years and I take it out for special occasions and on holiday when we go out in the evenings.

What do you think?

BTW I have lost 8 pound since then as I lost that in my first week at slimming world last week - whoop whoop (because that two and half stone I lost I put most of it back on).

Change

As you know I have had problems at work for ages.  So much so that I ended up going off sick on the 4th March.  I haven't been back since.  I did warn them time and time again.

I have been put on anti-depressants and originally I was put on Valium and for two weeks I was a bit of a zombie some days.

I am no longer on valium but I am still up one day and down the next and until this matter is resolved fully am likely to be the same.  It is hard to believe that an employer can make you feel so bad.  I feel even worse than when I was a pennyless single mum - which I may blog about one day.

I am now being paid SSP, under my contract my employers had to pay me for so many weeks and I was paid up until 30th April.  So now the belt tightens.  I cannot go into any more details about work but I will update you when I can.

I do have some savings and hubby has a full-time job well paid but he does have massive debt.  I am going to have to deal with this month by month.  I have stocked up on food, I need not buy any toiletries for months nor clothes.  Bills are up to date no arrears a little in the joint account.  I should feel blessed.

I have at least had three no spend days in May already and its only the 4th.