I've just made a major mistake! I have been checking my money (or rather lack of it) as part of my 'not working and catching up at home' admin day.

Christ it's depressing how much things cost isn't it? I'd really decided to make an effort and not overspend this Christmas. We've cut out the stockings for everyone (cue outraged cries of "What? No stockings? But we ALWAYS have stockings on Christmas morning. Where am I going to get all my deoderant / moisturiser / sweets / make-up / pens / plastic crap for January from now? I'll have to go and buy it!"), not overbought on the yummy but fattening snacky food from M&S (Christmas is the only time I buy food for the family from M&S because it's so frigging expensive) and not bought myself any (well, not many) seasonal treats. But the credit cards still seem to have taken a hammering!

I suppose it's my own fault. I like treating people, probably too generously. And I like to be organised so I thought it was a good idea to get everything straight before the weekend then I wouldn't be worrying about it. As it is I'll still be worrying, but differently.

Anyway, there's nothing else to buy now, and we could probably survive a seige for a month by using up all the food and drink in the cupboards and the freezer. Meals would get interesting to say the least, but we wouldn't be hungry. And if all else fails I have three full 1 litre bottles of Bombay Sapphire out the back (they were on offer, it seemed silly not to) with which I could drink myself senseless and forget about it all. But that does seem rather extreme, and hopefully won't be necessary. After all, we have paid Thames Water their extortionate bill for the year, so at least we'll still have water coming out of the taps!

Unless the pipes burst in the cold, which seems to happen every year to someone. Nothing like that has happened to us for a few years, so it must be our turn!