Expensive week

QueenB.

I am not looking forward to this week as it looks like it will be quite an expensive one.

Aside from all the normal bills to be paid and shopping to be done it is that time of month again when the worst CC must be paid, it is never cheap and with the new agenda to be debt free in 3 years it is even more expensive than usual.

On top of that i have to go to Cardiff this Friday and that is going to be quite costly as i don't exactly live next door to it.

Then there is fathers day, I have a few free ideas for my OH but as for my dad and his i am stumped and broke:rolleyes:

Finally there is the weather, it is wonderful and really cheers me up, however it also means the children are in the garden for most of the day and as our garden is in desparate need of TLC it is quite a boring place for them. Being bored tends to lead to digging in dirt, collecting bugs, pulling at the fench already on its last legs due to the winter gales and finally they turn on each other:rolleyes: .

As much as i have some ways to keep them entertained out there i also can not spend every hour out there with them so what is really called for is some cash investment into garden entertainment. But on a tight budget and with such an expensive week i am a bit lost as to what to do about this. We have no garden furnture so something to sit on is a must, a paddling pool is what is really wanted but it has to be big enough to do for my two youngest 5 and 7 and my eldest who is 13.

So any comments on any of the above very welcome.

LookingAhead

Hey Queen B. Sorry to hear it's going to be a tough week.

Is there anything in the garden that you could get the kids invloved in, in trying to make it better? Maybe they would respond to being challenged in some way to improving it....?

Is there any garden furniture on freecycle...? Maybe you could advertise for some...?

Your OH's Dad.....does he drive? What sort of things is he in to? Could you make him a cake or some flapjack or something?

mountainofdebt

Where in the world are you QueenB?

I only ask as national express seems to do some deals to Cardiff.....lovely city by the way....even if I do say so myself!

Why not get the kids to help you do up the garden with the promise of a watering can fight (or something similar) provided you aren't on a meter or got a hosepipe ban.

piglet6

Hi QueenB

Can't offer any practical, helpful advice I'm afraid, as I have no kids and no garden(!!):o , but just wanted to wish you luck with getting through the week ahead...!;)

Piglet

P.S. Like others' ideas of persuading your kids to help with the garden...good idea if you can pull it off!!:p :j

QueenB.

The children have been put hard at work helping us with the garden. We spent a good part of saturday pulling up weeds and in a garden our size and with the state it is they where big nasty ones LOL. But the kids did well, the eldest enjoys mowing the grass, under supervision of course and the youngest is always competitive which makes him a hard worker. The trouble is my middle child, the one with special needs, it means i have to watch him carefully as he has no understanding of commone sense or what not to do, he is often touching things he shouldn't and eating things which can be problematic, plus he has no concentration at all as there is just to much stimulation in the garden and he finds it difficult to settle. Most of what i did on saturday was pulling him away from things, telling him not to do something and trying to get him to focus, in the end he went in and as he can not be left alone i ended up going in with him.

The children have been told that once we have the grass sorted out, and fence done and some planting completed then i will look into a big swing set. I am even getting them to each pick a veg or fruit they want to plant to hopefully encourage their green fingers and they have been helping me with garden plans. But they still need some other more fun activites.

I have applied to freecycle 3 times but have not ever heard anything back, no idea what the problem is but i have been trying local free paper ads but not much luck at the mo:rolleyes:

As for OH dad he was a Chef so i never bake for him as it is no comparision to his. He has a few interests but finding a way to get him something to do with them that is cheap is proving difficult and my creative mind seems to be on holiday at the moment:rolleyes:

I am just outside of London mountainofdebt so i will look into the national express idea.

CosmoCat

i think if you've got to be outside you should really get them involved in very very messy craft projects like papier mache or large hand-paintings. i know, a large bowl of water and a lump of clay!! magic...

ozzyfan_2

Hi QueenB

Does your special needs son get DLA? If he does & your income is below £23000 you could try applying to the family fund for a grant towards play equipment.

http://www.familyfundtrust.org.uk/

sorry if it doesn't apply to you but just an idea

bikerqueen

You can get to cardiff from london by megabus for £6 each way.

moggins

QueenB do you have a Wilkinsons anywhere near you. They have some fantastic outdoor toys for very little. My friend picked up a decent sizes paddling pool for £1.99 last week.

As for fathers day presents, the Book People have some fantastic books for very cheap prices or try looking around for a CD Wow voucher and get a cheap DVD or CD.

If you have a printer then you could pick up a small pack of white card for under £1 and print Fathers Day cards off like this

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/acProject?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&extcat=cards&project=fathersdaycards

lynzpower

Need I refer you to my garden furniture thread again *nooooooo*

I know what you mean the indecision is amazing.

Although do check out woolworths, our local one seems to have sales on, and the same stuff my mate says is in poundstretcher for cheaper.

Be realistic. You migfht get your kids a swingball, they might never play on it.

I guess everything like this is wanted on freecycle at the mo, Ive never come accross any garden furniture in london it has to be said I asked repeately. Guess hardly anyone has gardens

YOu could get them to make a scrapbook with twigs, leaves etc from the garden, I did that as a kid

homersimpson_3

am just outside of London mountainofdebt so i will look into the national express idea.

why not travel to cardiff on megabus for £1?