HUGE challenge for you all!

debbiemc_2

Hi Beki :wave:

Re the potty training - I used a sticker chart as a reward for my daughter when she was learning to use the potty and that was quite successful.

In the meantime have you considered using supermarket own brand nappies? Even for a couple of months? I always used Tescos without any problem.

If you have points on your Advantage card you could use your points to buy all your toiletries and baby essentials, freeing up some of your cash to go towards your holiday.

HTH and good luck!

Debbie.

tattoed_bum

hi beki please try not to feel bad ,my grandparents are a bit like your parents ,they get really offended if you say no to them about trying to help you out ,my grans attitude is when she dies we would get everything anyway but this way she gets to see us enjoy it .

grandfather will nag and nag till he gets his own way he is worse than a kid lol so i know how it feels to be in the situation where you cant say no

but by the looks of your cupboard stock your food budget will be easily acheivable good luck

lauren_1

Of all the holidays we have been on (America, skiing, egypt, turkey, cyprus, spain, ibiza, norway, sweeden, australia......Ok we only took the kids to spain BUT)
The best holiday we have ever been on was on a sun holiday in caravan down in devon (we even pushed the boat out and traveled 30 miles to get there) They kids throughly enjoyed it, we went for half board, the kids club was cringingly bad but it went down a storm with them and the beach was 100 yards away, they spend the days paddling, collecting shells, building castles forts and what nots. There are zoo's, activity centers, wildlife parks, bird sanctuaries, tropical indoor pools near by.... For 4 days 3 night, £126 inc food

I don't think your geting picked on, it's just that you are interpreting what you are doing as Old Style but not really standing on your own two feet at the same time?

Penelope_Penguin

Beki wrote: »

I don't understand why i'm being picked on here

You're not being picked on. It's just, you asked for advice on how to afford this holiday, and some people have turned it around, and asked if you need to afford it. No-one has been nasty (be assured, I'd take action if I thought they had ).

You're so lucky having parents who are on hand to assist (both financially and practically). There are plenty of people on MSE and OS who live on small incomes and have to scrimp on everyday living, just to make ends meet.

Have you thought about what you're teaching your children? Mine learnt the lesson early on that you can't necessarily have everything you want. They're now both great money savers :T

Enjoy your holiday :T

Penny. x

lauren_1

Beki wrote: »

Thank you *sniff*

No need to get upset girl, once you have achieved this goal maybe you can proove to yourself that you might not need your parents help with the next holiday.

Make it a family mission, include your eldest daughter with learning about how much it costs, working out how much you need to save each week/month, let her see the money buiding up (a large coffee jar stashed away and if your parents insist on helping ask them to make a donation to the pot) decide between you waht you are going to cut back on, include her with mealplans (also go through prices too) this way you daughter will apreciate the holiday she has helped towards and you will be instaling OS ways in to her for use later in her own life.

Beki

The thing is, i don't want her worrying about money - thinking we're struggling. I think i may be going about it the wrong way, hiding the financial side of things from her?

Thank you for all of your advice. I know that it's not meant to be hurtful - but i think i'm a bit over-sensitive

I *do* howver, see myself as being OS (i know that some people might not think so though) - i cook almost everything from scratch, i batch-cook, i knit (albeit not very well!), cross-stitch, every penny is accounted for, i keep a little spending diary, i grow my own veg, have chooks, like the simple things in life, i craft, make cards sometimes, make my own gift tags, recycle, make hampers rather than buying 'standard' gifts... plus lots more!

The only thing that differs between me and a lot of other OS'ers is that i'm allowing my parents to help me out financially right now, of which ALL will be paid back.

I hope i'm still allowed to stay here, as i love reading through the board - it has helped me out no end already. I know it might seem like i've started off on the wrong foot, but i hope you'll all still accept me as an OS'er

Oh, and thank you to EVERYONE for the advice on ds and the nappies! You've been a godsend! I'm going to start on everything you've said straight away

TheDoolallyDilly

Hi Beki - don't feel picked on, people are just saying what they think.

I feel it's none of my business, really, and you have been really honest - you could have lied and said that you needed to save all that money for repairs to your house/car.

You've had lots of brilliant advice, and you have an admirably well stocked freezer, so I think it's more than do-able. I just wanted to add that don't worry about your son and potty training, they all get there in the end (I have two boys, one took a while to get it, and the other did it by himself when he was two ), but I would take him to choose some grown up big boy pants - it might be a step in the right direction.

This thread has just reminded me I need to track down those elusive Stardops I keep reading about - I've not been able to find them.

Good luck!

elona

Dilly

Some branches of Wilkinsons have Stardrops as do some Tescos.

I found some in a small old fashioned ironmongers!

Beki

Welcome to old style and please don't feel picked on. We may be blunt but this is the warmest hearted place I have been on!

Beki

Ooooh yes! Stardrops is FANTASTIC! (asda is the only place i could find it - on the bottom shelf)

We used to use it all the time before we moved, then sort of forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago i discovered the thread and remembered how fab it is, and now i use it for EVERYTHING again

I'm definitely going to get some big-boy pants this weekend. Fingers crossed eh!

Thanks for the advice! xxxx

Beki

elona wrote: »

Beki

Welcome to old style and please don't feel picked on. We may be blunt but this is the warmest hearted place I have been on!

that's the reason i started posting on here - been lurking for a few weeks and thought it was about time i joined in. i must say that even though i was a bit hurt by some of the comments, i'm sure they were meant as constructive critisism rather than 'having a pop' - i think it's just difficult for people to understand unless they have my parents :rotfl:

i know that this is certainly the friendliest board i've been to for a long while, and i've recieved some lovely pm's from people on here

i'm certainly going to be sticking around, if you'll still have me :rotfl: