The Ultimate Incentive muddles along

Cinny91 · 31 October 2016 at 1:22PM

It is! I'm a sucker for a Stephen King book. I actually ordered IT to reread (read it so long ago and have watched the movie too many times inbetween, totally forgotten it!) at my local library but haven't had the time to go get it.. so it's probably been sent back

How are you finding it, Ruby?

That's so sweet of your mum though, Tete. That would have been me for sure, I love horror but I'm so jumpy.

Fingers crossed you get to move soon Ruby, how exciting!! Can't wait until that day comes, I'm not looking forward to having that much to do with the bank and grown up things :rotfl:

ruby_eskimo · 31 October 2016 at 1:30PM

I've read it before Cinny so not too bad but keep picturing the film as I'm going which is annoying me more than it should! I hate dealing with the banks and solicitors and estate agents, plus it's so depressing that the seller only bought the house 4 years ago, has done nothing to it, and is making almost 100% profit on it just because of the way the housing market is down here. As soon as we've completed I'm jumping straight on the MFW boards so I can pay it off as soon as possible!

roomontheend · 31 October 2016 at 1:49PM

I use audio books and 11.23.63 is amazing and so much better than the series. I love audiobooks, I set the timer and just fall asleep. I have listened to the woman in black aswell but that was a bit scary as a bedtime book but fab.

Cinny91 · 31 October 2016 at 2:10PM

Glad to hear the book is better, ROTE! I just thought the way the tv show ended didn't suit the main characters personality?? If that makes sense.

It's hard to not picture Pennywise. I just hear an odd noise in the loft and think... Pennywise!!! Tim Curry did a brilliant job playing it.

Must be a kick to know how much the prices have gone up for no work. Looking forward to your MFW diary. Find those so inspirational!

Dinah93 · 31 October 2016 at 3:00PM

Now have a cold and no voice - on copious amounts of herbal tea.Started writing this post days ago, maybe shorter and more often would be good!

Took the kids out yesterday with mum, really lovely woodland gardens, mums treat to get in, and she paid for lunch, and drove since we don't trust my car, all I had to pay for was the tea/hot chocolate after the walk - £5.45. Today we have the kids at a messy play session, paid for the whole term weeks ago, it's the kids activities I think I struggle with most- it's by no means where most of our money goes, but it does cost especially in winter when there are fewer free things to take advantage of. So I'm trying to rationalise, rather than doing multiple things a week I'm trying to stick to one family activity, Ben's playgroups are all free to attend ones now (Friday is £1 but we don't go often, and you get tea & biscuits for that). Go back 6 months and I'd have had him at a paid for class every day of the week.

Still reading the book, I have about an hour before the school run so going to try to work out a budget - assign a purpose to every pound before payday.

Started a new yoga class this morning, my first time teaching adults. Pretty nerve wracking but the class went well, just need a lot more people to come to it!

archersluck · 31 October 2016 at 6:03PM

Ooh well done Dinah, though think I'd feel the kids were the harshest critics!

Didn't know you had diary on here Tete, off to investigate...

Hope Oscars feeling better Cinny, did you have to take time off work? He knows how to time it if so!

Happy moving Ruby! Think I'd have to ignore the money they're making, would depress me so much!

I must check out audio books ROTE now my 8 minute commute has come to an end, it used to take me half the week to get through an album so a book would have had no chance!

That's me finished at work now, had a lovely send off with some great gifts and didn't get up til 4pm on Saturday I celebrated so hard. Just spending this week sorting the house out - very unMSE but I booked an oven & extractor clean for £67. Little sad I won't get to enjoy the sparkly oven as it's all just to get the deposit back.

Dinah93 · 31 October 2016 at 6:14PM

Tea making is slowing me down. 12 cups since noon, worked out everything that comes in, just not all the going out yet. Job for after bedtime. Carved a pumpkin too. Grace wanted it to look like Princess Sita, I threw some more mainstream options out there and we made a house (after briefly settling on spooky spoon from Numberjacks). Wasn't going to have a pumpkin this year because, well, money, but mum turned up with one so it would be rude not to.

Cinny91 · 1 November 2016 at 10:48AM

Sounds like you're making headway, Dinah

I think it's a good idea to stick to just one activity. It's all we used to do growing up, and the great thing about little kids is that anything's an adventure if you put enough enthusiasm behind it.

What about having some craft/baking days leading up to Christmas? Aldi are doing bauble decorating kits for £1.99 for 6 baubles which would be plenty for them both. Or you could make bonfire toffee on Saturday? And stir up Sunday isn't too far away! Throw in a walk to the park/woods and that's a totally free/cheap days entertainment in the bag.

Dinah93 · 1 November 2016 at 11:10AM

We bake Sundays anyway for yoga playgroup - very yummy banana and raisin muffins this week (that I in no way had two of for breakfast).

The only thing I think I'll struggle with for cash is food shopping. I HATE going to the supermarket, I always spend £150+ and can't find the one I want. Online I can compare prices per g and buy the most cost effective one, and if they don't have it they bring me a bigger one or another brand for the same price. And I can't get distracted by offers. So for now I'm going to try the cash system but keep £200 online for a month's food. I wonder if you can use tesco vouchers online? That might be a solution, buy a pre-loaded gift card at the start of the month and when it's spent it's spent.

clearmydebts · 1 November 2016 at 11:25AM

Morning all! Sorry I haven't been on much. Had a really busy weekend. We had friends up for the weekend and then were at a pizza party in my sisters and trick or treating last night. The kids had so much fun.

Dinah - I have to say you sound really focussed, like in the olden days. It's great to see. It definitely is way harder to find activities in the winter. I tend to host/go to a lot of play dates with the kids which is way cheaper (mid-week) and at the weekends they go to GAA/gymnastics which uses up a lot of energy and then we might go to a park or have a movie afternoon. Once they get out once a day to participate in something I tend to let them chill out and play together for the rest of the day. Works well for us and isn't that costly.

The Ultimate Incentive muddles along

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