Single, six kids and going to be debt free!

hamiltoes · 1 January 2018 at 11:10PM

Hi and happy new year to you :beer:

I've just had a read through your diary and it sounds like you're off to a great start on your journey!

I'll follow along if that's ok, we are pretty similar in that I can totally relate in having weekly, 4 weekly and monthly payments separate to a wage and how that can be a task to contend with! I'm also a working single mum although I have two and I absolutely take my hat of to you for doing so well with 6 children in tow. I have no idea how you do it!

I'm loving your lists and your diary is very motivational. I've been using YNAB for a while and have found the simplest method for me with all the different incomings and a set weekly spending budget for all food/ fuel/ misc spends was just to create categories for Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4. I did try to separate food and fuel etc but I'm finding this way easier as I can roll over any underspending (or bad overspending!) into the next week and it's a bit simpler. Not sure if this could help you but thought I'd mention it :-)

Best of luck for 2018!

Honeysucklelou2 · 2 January 2018 at 3:18AM

Sweet peas and broad beans are good to plant now.

Mumoffourkids · 2 January 2018 at 4:08PM

Thanks Honeysuckle. I had a good sort out of my seed drawer whilst watching tv last night and a lot were very out of date so I have thrown them. I feel really bad and that I have wasted money but I have saved a few and will be planting again very soon. I don't think I have any sweet pea or broad beans but I will take another look tonight.

Hi Hamiltoes and thank you for stopping by and taking a read. I found your diary earlier but as I am at work, haven't had much chance to read through it yet. It might be one for when the kids are in bed tonight, after I have ironed the mountain of school uniform!

I'll have a look at maybe splitting off each week into different groups on YNAB and see if that works as it certainly is hard to keep up with money coming at different times. It certainly would be easier if I had one payment at the end of the month so I knew what I had to work with!

Oh and I have no idea how I cope with six kids either! Actually I mean I don't cope sometimes but sometimes I do. I am very organised and have a very good memory fortunately!

So today was my first day back at work since before Christmas and as the kids aren't back at school, I have managed to do a slightly longer day which is great. Tomorrow though I may have to bring two of them into work with me so I might only manage the morning but am hoping to do a longer day on Thursday as well. Work have confirmed that they want me and my colleague to up our hours as from now so that is good news. It means about an extra four hours a week and as I earn more than I have to pay for Breakfast club that is good. I'll have to work out how much extra it is and ring tax credits and housing benefit to tell them as I think it will effect the amount I get.

Not much else money saving happening today and I need to do a list tonight for tomorrow as I haven't been doing them and my house looks like a bomb has hit it!

camz2017 · 2 January 2018 at 7:24PM

Don't worry about throwing things out - I personally like to throw things out, it makes me feel like an anti-hoarder

It sounds like you have your hands full, I wont be having 6 kids, definitely couldn't manage it... You must be a saint!

Drawingaline · 2 January 2018 at 9:20PM

Just catching up after a Xmas break.

I am shocked at the student loan situation! In my eyes at 18 you are an adult, parents income shouldn't be looked at at all. Although I suppose it was when I went to uni when I actually got paid to with a grant :rotfl: but, old enough to vote, get married etc, old enough to not need to look at parents income. My girl is adamant she will be going (she is going to be a history teacher apparently) she is yr9, we are stuffed :eek:

You sound very organised, and well done on the ppi thing. I have amounts in my YNAB lines, but I also have emojis, I was so excited when they updated the app and I could add them. Even invented some new categories so I could use more. I MAY have a problem :rotfl:

Mumoffourkids · 2 January 2018 at 9:21PM

Oh I enjoy throwing things just felt a bit wrong that I hadn't managed to use the seeds before they were past their use by date.

Yeah my house is a bit crazy and I definitely didn't plan on having six kids. Not sure what happened!

So today has been a nsd which is good and I did an extra hour at work but it has resulted in a very tired me and I still have to iron school uniform. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I am usually exhausted and don't manage to do much around the house apart from the basics so feeding everyone and keeping on top of the washing up.

I was thinking of other stuff I could sell on the drive to work today, so that will be my job for Thursday or Friday. Also got it confirmed that my music magpie payment will be in my bank tomorrow.

I am sending off my first offer letter to one of my debts tomorrow so hopefully they will accept.

Off to do some ironing and think about a to do list for tomorrow.

Honeysucklelou2 · 2 January 2018 at 10:48PM

I'm the same Mumoffour, on work days just cooking and getting everyone prepared for the next day, so main housework has to be left to the weekend.

Large families are fab...to the outside all can seem chaotic but there is a lot of organisation that goes on to keep everything ticking along ( single parent here too) !

Mumoffourkids · 2 January 2018 at 10:57PM

Yep I am super organised, it's the only way to get through the day with a large family and being a single parent. Although I do like the fact that I am able to watch what I want to once the kids are in bed!

So to do list for tomorrow
- drop small two at nursery
- get largest two ready for school
- go to work
- post letter to first debt about repayment offer
- post littlest pets and build a bear items for sale on FB
- clean and wash Moses basket
- go to rugby training with oldest two girls
- iron school clothes for middle two

I think that's all but will be in addition to general things like washing, washing up, drying clothes, putting clothes away!

wishingthemortgaheaway · 2 January 2018 at 10:59PM

Ooh good luck with the offer letter. Hope it goes well.
I have one child and work days are Home survival days - can you get away with giving the uniforms a shake?
As a teacher I never judged un- ironed uniform,

Mumoffourkids · 2 January 2018 at 11:32PM

The offer letter should go ok, they haven't had any payments in almost two years so I am assuming that they will be grateful to start being paid. Well I am hoping they see it that way.

The ironing for the two eldest didn't take too long tonight, so I will do the two middle ones tomorrow night. They only have two days of school this week so it shouldn't take too long. The skirts and trousers look ok to be honest, so it's just the shirts really. I only really iron school clothes and it's normally my Sunday night job. I always say I am going to get the clothes washed and ironed at the start of the holidays. And that never happens :rotfl:

Single, six kids and going to be debt free!

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