Earthgirl gets back on track!

earthgirl

Yep completely cream crackered. Reading diaries just to stay awake!

Still having NSDs.

Thinks going really well at work despite everything that happened last week. Looking forward to going away for the weekend. Unfortunately I can't seem to get any MSs for next week, but have got 4 tutoring which makes more money anyway!

earthgirl

Hi All,

Easter holidays are here! yipee!!:T

I have 27,000 to find to pay off the mortgage minus endowments. If I can find £2,000 EVERY month I can do this in just over 1 year. That would be AMAZING! It would give us an option for me to go part time, or buy a larger more family friendly house, or a holiday let investment or... many other options!

I have been encouraged by my ability to overpay £2,000 during the last two months, but I don't hink I can keep it going

I know things will be very tight on the opfront when I go on maternity, and I probably won't be able to tutor as much - even though friends have offered to look after the baby I don't want to take advantage. And then when I do go back to work and start earning a reasonable amount, I will have to pay childcare.

Going in my favour - I am expecting a small pay rise in September, and I was going to stop breakfast club, but I could keep this going - childcare permitting - at £100/ month it will be worth it.

So I have completed another budget, and I have cut out a few things.

No more clothes - if I want a new item of clothing, I have to get it for a present, or sell an item to pay for it. I have cut my toiletries right down, I have loads in a box that I am still using - sorted these out 4 years ago and I am still using them up! (shows how bad I was!:o)

No budget for holidays, we can take up offers to stay in friends caravans etc. and petrol always goes through OHs business. OHs business also pays for a tiny amount of entertaining, wine, and phone and broadband.

According to the budget we should spend £1000 per month. OH puts £1,000 per month in the joint account, so if I can stick to the budget, I could actually put all my wages and tutoring money into OPing every month.

Budget MY Expenditure
Year
Month

Car - MOT

£150.00

£12.50

Car - petrol

£480.00

£40.00

Car - road tax

£125.00

£10.42

Car - insurance

£125.00

£10.42

Car - maintenance

£200.00

£16.67

Telephone - mobile PAYG SIM

£60.00

£5.00

Dad car loan

£720.00

£60.00

£1,860.00

£155.00

Budget - Joint Expenditure



mortgage

£6,000.00

£500.00

endowments

£1,200.00

£100.00

sky

£564.00

£47.00

Groceries - cleaning & toiletries

£84.00

£7.00

Groceries - food

£960.00

£80.00

Health Insurance -

£252.00

£21.00

Personal - eating out/cinema etc (assume 2x month)

£0.00

£0.00

Personal - Christmas presents

£260.00

£21.67

£10 /person
Personal - birthday presents

£100.00

£8.33

£20 /person immediate family
Personal - lottery

£48.00

£4.00

Property - building & contents insurance

£250.00

£20.83

Property - Council tax

£1,380.00

£115.00

Telephone - broadband & landline

£0.00

£0.00

Utilities - Electricity

£960.00

£80.00

Utilities - Water

£120.00

£10.00

£1,200.00

£1,014.83

Some other things about the budget are questionable as well. Sky at £47 per month is outrageous! I am going to call them tomorrow to see how we can reduce this.

Also, if I can reduce my petrol this will be of benefit, although no cycling to work possible at the moment!! If I could do without a car that would save me loads, but I really don't see how I can, especially when I'll have to drop off the baby at childcare.

I guess reducing usage of energy and water would be possible, but my biggest battle is going to be sticking to the grocery budget of £20 / month and £7/ month toiletries.

Growing my own is going to help this, as is more baking, batch cooking and cooking from scratch.

I have sold over half my items on ebay, so I have made about £15. I will relist some items and list more as I tidy up the house this Easter!

earthgirl

To do over Easter:

1st week at home -

1. post items sold on ebay
2. tidy house, declutter, list on ebay, or freecycle, or charity shop.
3. Plant out seeds - very important
4. Find out how much childcare costs!
5. Do work on small business

Next week at mums
1. Do more work on small business
2. Work on Dads website
3. Collect all the baby items and bring home.
4. Visit family and friends

twinklie

Soooooo jealous. I have 4 more days to go. But then I'll have 2 weeks and A DAY!!!!

cha97michelle

Hi Earthgirl.

Admirable as your plans are, i think once the baby arrives love, it will be a whole new kettle in some respects.

My childcare costs for one were £27 per day. This was in a private day nursery. (By the way, look at the one you might want and get your LO's name down as soon as you can as the places go quick.) I had to leave a £25 deposit when i registered, but this covered 8 free hours so we could do trial days while he settled in.

This cost was until DS was 2. Then it dropped to £25 per day, but still not cheap. This covered from 7:45am to 6pm if i wanted, but mostly 5ish. DS got breakfast, lunch and tea for this price.

My nursery was right next to school, so by the time i had walked in to the nursery at usually 7:45, he had cried and clung to me, and i had walked back to my car to get my work stuff out it was usually after 8 by this point.

This is also not taking into account the mornings when he pooed as i was about to leave the house, or threw up on the way to school after drinking milk and being put straight in the car. This could add 10 or more minutes on, and this was with DH helping me.

Your ability to continue doing breakfast club might be jeapordised.

My friend chose a better nursery in the next village that didn't open till 8, and often came in after the staff meeting had started at 8:25.

Sorry love, i realise this is probably a bit of bad news, but as always, just wanting to provide a few thoughts for you. I don't want to appear negative, but these have been the findings of not just me. I had several colleagues with kids, and it is a constant juggling act to try and fit it all in.

Some thoughts for you anyway. Enjoy your hols. Remember to get your feet up a bit as well. The summer slog was when i swelled up terribly, both as the pregnancy went further along and my poor feet were traumatised with standing so much. I had to wear flip flops most of the time which wasn't ideal in a science lab. I found keeping a bottle of body shop peppermint foot spray in the department fridge was heaven. A quick squirt every time i walked past.:D

earthgirl

Thanks I know I need to be realistic!

I am going to call up some places and get some ideas.

Did you hear of anyone using a childminder?

Thanks so much (I neverthink any advice is negative, ermm... except from my boss!)

cha97michelle

Everyone i knew used day nurseries to be honest. I think childminders can be slightly cheaper and a bit more flexible for time, but the majority of us had our kids in the same nursery nextdoor to school as it was easiest.

Some of the better nurseries were a lot more pricy. I heard of one in our area that was £45 a day and was really heavily subscribed. I wouldn't have been able to afford that. Particulary when i got 2 in childcare. That was setting me back £52 a day before any other expenses. Not surprisingly my money seems to go a lot further now.

It's probably worth seeing what other teachers at your school do with their kids. It also depends on whether you or your OH will take on the brunt of childcare drop offs/pick ups. I also then found if they were sick through the day because i was right near them and DH an hour away it was always me who got the call and dragged out of work. Oh the joys of being a working mum.

Sorry - i'll stop with all the doom and gloom. You are going to find somewhere wonderful for childcare and it will all be fab. Also, your child will have the immune system of an ox and not pick up every grot going round.

earthgirl

Had to redo my budget as I found that I had missed a few things

National union of teachers subscription comes in at over £200 / year!! Useful to have though incase I get sued! I called sky and found out about our uber expensive package, now need to convince oh that he doesn't need super expensive HD and all the packages under the sun! I have set up a so to a savings account for the car maintenence and mot and service etc. so this is how it looks now:

Budget MY Expenditure Year Month
Car - MOT £150.00 £12.50
Car - petrol £480.00 £40.00
Car - road tax £125.00 £10.42
Car - insurance £125.00 £10.42
Car - maintenance £200.00 £16.67
Telephone - mobile £60.00 £5.00
Dad car loan £720.00 £60.00
NUT Subscription £211.80 £17.65
£1,860.00 £155.00

Budget - Joint Expenditure
mortgage £6,000.00 £500.00
endowments £1,200.00 £100.00
sky £564.00 £47.00
Groceries - cleaning & toiletries £84.00 £7.00
Groceries - food £960.00 £80.00
Health Insurance - £252.00 £21.00
Personal - eating out/cinema £0.00 £0.00
Personal - Christmas presents £260.00 £21.67
Personal - birthday presents £100.00 £8.33
Personal - lottery £48.00 £4.00
Property - building & contents insurance £250.00 £20.83
Property - Council tax £1,380.00 £115.00
Telephone - broadband & landline £0.00 £0.00
Utilities - Electricity £960.00 £80.00
Utilities - Water £120.00 £10.00
£12,178.00 £1,014.83


I have called the family information service who are sending me out info on local nurseries and childminders. I am really thinking about a childminder now, as they seem to offer the most flexibility, and there are a few that offer term time only places - that would be great!!

I have posted all my ebay items, but have decided not to relist at the moment, I will give it a break until ebay is a bit quieter. I picked up a easi yo yoghurt maker from a freecycler, with all te extra pots and things, so I am looking forward to trying that out.

Tomorrow I need to :

Do small business work
tidy and clean

earthgirl

Hi All,

Today I did the small business work I needed to do, and also signed myself up to a business event tonight with a free buffet I have got £400 winging its way back to me for payments that shouldn't have been taken (long story) and the accounts are looking good for a big OP next month.

Have called a few nurseries and childminders. 2 nurseries offer term time full time dropping down to pt in holidays. Childminders seem more flexible, start earlier and I could still keep up breakfast club in the mornings, as they all said dropping off at 7.30 is fine. They also seem to be about £20 / week cheaper than nurseries and seem to suggest they can offer more outdoor and varied activities.

Going to have a quick clear up now (of the house and me!) then off to collect my baby gym bought off ebay for 99p and then on to business event.

Tomorrow I will hopefully get outside to do gardening, and get the house sorted out. I've got 2 tutees tomorrow evening as well.

Courgette

Yay to free food :T:T:money: And well done on the owrk done with childcare so far. I must admit I've not even got that far but I had heard childminders were the way to go too. Best of all are cm's with kids who will only look after during term time = cheaper

I'm jealous that you've broken up already but only two more days to go for me