Help for the Desperate

Suffol

Oh my (collapses in little heap of gratitude). All of this good advice, good sensible advice that I ought really to be doing already. But you know life just gets away from you, and somehow I've reached my late-forties without really being schooled in the basics of home economics. I let M&S take the strain for far far too long - although we never ate much in the way of takeaways, so aren't missing those at least. I can't even blame my mother - I have clear memories of her trying to get me to be interested in cooking and housework, and me resisting and airily saying 'Oh I'll have a housekeeper for all of that stuff'. Hahahahah and who gets the last laugh? She does of course.

Am off to work now (rare morning off) but this evening I'll read my way through all of your posts, and may see if I can crystallise the advice into a action plan (at work I'd be calling it a 'work breakdown structure'!). The idea of inducements will work quite well with my kids, I think, but real input from them will have to wait until after their exams are done with in early summer, so I think my 'project implementation plan' will need to extend over a few months. this seems sensible anyway, from what you've all advised - miracles may not be worked overnight.

Again many thanks to all for your input so far.

Chris

BitterAndTwisted

If you're not going to implement a full plan until the summer holidays this will give you a real opportunity to keep a spending-diary between now and then if you keep a note of every single penny spend on the housekeeping. I promise you I think it will be a real eye-opener and opportunities for savings will make themselves crystal-clear quite quickly. I did this for a couple of months myself and I was shocked at what I frittered away on non-essentials.

k2tog

Sounds like you really have your hands full!

I also think it would be good to enlist the children to help and if you can't implement it completely until the summer, look on it as a getting-them-used-to-it phase .
I know you don't want to tie up too much of their time but even things like putting the washing on or putting it out to dry aren't too time consuming and I think because you are so snowed under, even little things would be a big help.
For a cheapish "filler" that your kids would be able to do, try getting them to make Twink's hobnobs which are here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=471992&highlight=hobnobs
Sorry, don't know how to do posh links . They really don't take long to make and are lovely and oaty so could fill little gaps when necessary - but they are moreish! If they last long enough, I use them in lunchboxes. The raw mix also freezes (turn it into a sausage shape inside cling film) and then can be sliced and baked which cuts down on prep time for next time.

zarazara

why cant your OH and the teenagers do most of the cooking whilst you are out at work? This would teach them life skills and responsibility. You could even give them the weekly food budget and get them to do the shopping for ingredients first.