Is it wrong to want it all? Ramblings and other stuff

LittleBit_2

Hi everyone,
As I've not updated in about a month, I thought it was time to jump back in and get back on with the budgetting. I have about a month left of full wages, and then go onto SMP, so there's no time like the present.
We have been doing really well this month, as I decided that we shouldn't put any money into the savings this month, and use the extra to get us out of our overdraft...

The accounts currently stand at:
£110 car maintenance
£25 Xmas
£3100 maternity leave fund
£190 car insurance
£115 Tax and MOT
£102 house insurance
£205 holiday
£30 one off house expenses
£16 birthdays

We're also NOT in our overdraft this month, and I'm really positive that we won't need to go into it at all :j We have allocated a budget of £50 each for Xmas pressies, and don't have any more to buy for other people.

All in all, I think we're slowly getting back on track, and next month we will put at least £600 in the savings account again so we will have almost 4k to tide us over while I'm on SMP. My master plan is that I'll be good at sticking to the budget by then, so we won't actually have to touch it, and I can use my time on maternity leave to look for a part-time job so I can be at home with the boys

LittleBit_2

I am going to try and get back into updating this every day, even if I don't really have much to say.
Am at home with DS2 today, as DS1 is at the childminder's. I'm going to get us dressed and then go down to the local children's centre to collect the photo's I got done of DS2 last week. It's £33 but you get about 16 photo's, and we're going to use them for Xmas pressies.
This evening we are hopefully going to Stockeld park whoch is a bit of a Xmas wonderland near us. They have a woodland walk that's all lit up with Xmas lights and other stuff and I'm hoping it will make me feel a bit more festive, as I really don't at the moment

mum2one

LittleBit wrote: »

He's here :T

Maxwell David was born on Thursday 5th November at 9:05pm after a scarily quick 3hr labour. He was an eye watering 10lb 0.5oz. I'm pretty tired, but he is just beautiful, and his brother is great with him (so far :rolleyes:)

Hi

A massive congratulations, sorry for the delay, not been catching up properly, had my head in books, not good!

3 hour labour, you lucky lady, but don't think I'd fancy popping out 10lb.... Bless him thou. It was those extra few days... building up for the cold weather xx

LittleBit_2

We've been paid today :j:beer:
Well we almost made it through the month without going overdrawn. We ended up £54 over which isn't too bad to say we've had the car serviced, bought 2 new tyres, and had to buy Xmas pressies too.
I've transferred all the spare money over to the maternity leave fund, and we now have 4k!! I'm really hoping we can make it through January without going overdrawn too, as then I think we'll have cracked it.
It's DS1's 2nd birthday on Jan 8th though so will be having a bit of a family tea out. I think we're just going to go to Pizza Hut, and take a little cake with us. I think there is still a 50% off voucher floating round on here too, so hopefully it shouldn't cost us a fortune.
Am going to have some lunch now and try to mend the washing machine, as it seems to have gone a bit funny...

LittleBit_2

Hope everyone had a fab Christmas!!

We have been to the Boxing Day sales, and bought quite a bit, although we got a lot of money for Xmas, so didn't actually spend too many £££s.

We have bought DS1 a kitchen for his 2nd birthday which is a week on Friday. Then we bought both boys quite a lot of clothes, so they should both be ok for the next 6 months as least :rolleyes: I didn't buy anything for me though, as I somehow seem to have put on weight since having DS2!! :eek: So after Xmas has finished I'm soooooo dieting :rolleyes:

LittleBit_2

WooHoooo It's 2010!!

Hopefully this will be the year where our finances are sorted, and we know how much we need to live on and still allow ourselves some treats. I've been on maternity leave for 3 1/2 months now, and can't imagine being back at work for a lot of hours, so I'm going to start looking for some part-time work when Maxwell is about 6 months old and can go longer without feeds.
DH and I have decided that we are going to convert our dining room into a playroom. Although this will eat into some of the savings whilst I'm on maternity leave, it will be worth it for my sanity as it drives me crazy trying to leep the lounge tidy with all the toys in there :rotfl:
:rotfl:
I am also going to look for local college courses for me, as I think I need to start some kind of hobby which is for me and not to do with the boys.
Diet starts today too, and am going to update my siggy after I've been paid to show my weight loss.
Well enough rambling for now, need to get dressed - if I can find anything that fits :rolleyes:

Flower08

Happy New Year to you!!

Good luck on all your challenges for the new year, think it sounds like an excellent idea looking at the part time jobs and the college course.

Let us know how you get on!

mum2one

Def agree with the college idea, gets you out and about, I'm doing (aiming / attempting!!) a degree with Open Uni, but did a reki healing course just to break up the study and get me out of the house.

You should be able to do the playroom reasonably without going to far into the budget, more a case of moving the bigger furniture, and going from there, may be worth looking at freecycle as a lot of people who have new items at xmas, finally get round to getting them up in Jan, may be worth a try xx

LittleBit_2

Mum2One I've just seen on another of your posts that you've recently been to Devon. We're going in April and have been looking for things to do with the kids. Any suggestions??

mum2one

LittleBit wrote: »

Mum2One I've just seen on another of your posts that you've recently been to Devon. We're going in April and have been looking for things to do with the kids. Any suggestions??

Which part of Devon are you going to, if its South Devon, ur boys are younger, they'd love Model Village at Babbacombe, and Pennywell farm down off the A38 towards Plymouth, its great as they have activities every half hour.

Zoo - paignton zoo - thou thats a bit up and down, avoid Living Coast as Torquay, I haven't been but some friends said, they were in + out with 30 mins, not worth the money.

Steam Train - Our favourite is Buckfastleigh Steam Train at Buckfast, just off the A38, go on a dry day, they've got a little rare breeds farm, (extra to pay, get a joint ticket at train station), you can get up close to the animals, your allowed to wonder in with chicks, pigs, and they have flying display. - One major point the toilets are on the station platform, (only 30secs walk), but may be worth going 1st. xx

If your staying on a caravan site always ask at reception if they have discount vouchers.