Learning to live my dreams not trample on them

savingholmes

Hi dmp = debt management plan - where you pay your creditors token payments

You are welcome to slave boy LOL - arrange with him and MIL - he was hoping you would offer

My boss is trying to get my job made perm which would be a weight off my mind... It isn't great money... but right place etc and steady money better than feast and famine! I would then have other opportunities longer term so could work out perfectly

savingholmes

Well confession time

Today - I nipped in to the M&S sales - and spent £43 but am getting a refund of £28 as I am taking 2 out of the 3 back. So final spend there £15.

I spent £2 on lunch as had an early start today and forgot to take it with me. I have a really early start tomorrow so hope I will remember to take it tomorrow.

£2.20 car parking

savingholmes

Tried to go to bed but have got back up again as really restless and disturbing OH!

I was able to help a friend get a job today - that was an absolutely fantastic feeling:j. She was absolutely ecstatic as was the person the job was for! It was that sort of thing I wanted from this year so in that sense things are coming together.:beer:

I think I am also excited that my own job could go permanent as it would be such a weight off my mind. :jIt would mean that I could gradually develop my knowledge of the organisation and if other roles come up spread my wings and develop further. I was also honest with my boss today about having a dip currently in my workload and wanting to be fully occupied and it looks like I am going to get given some work to do that is right up my street and which would look good on my CV.:j My job is also currently going through an evaluation process so there is a slight chance it could be upgraded. If I take on the additional work - I think long term the role would be upgraded.:T

It the holidays, flexi-time and work/life balance that make the difference for me. :pNow I can even use the laptop at home to work if I needed to which is also good news and would increase my flexibility if the kids were ill or something.

Next week I want to work longer hours Mon-Thurs and then do a short day Friday before my holiday and that would be legit.:j

I am so excited about the possibility of going perm - I am soooooo fed up of interviews and always worrying about what if we drop down to one income. If I go perm it would also mean that OH could look for a different job which he often says he would like to but struggles to because of childcare commitments.

savingholmes

Withdrew £10 from free scratchcards today too!

DS has been scrubbing the carpet today to get facepaints out!

DD is giving her teachers incense sticks (3 packs for £1) tomorrow so that was nice and mse especially as I already had them in!

DS as part of his punishment for staining my carpet and sofa - has been asked to do the washing including hanging it out tomorrow. Hopefully he will do a good job. That will also help us get ready for the kids going to MILs, then the holiday then the grandparents... Need to plan 3 weeks of clothes almost!

savingholmes

Well today - worked a long day making up for time off last week!

Money news

• Took packed lunch - but spent about 25p on a can and 29p on some sweets.
• Bought a present for BIL but had vouchers so only cost £2 extra
• £2.20 parking at work
• Took back the £28 worth of clothes from yesterday and got a refund

So money-wise best day of the week:money:

Teachers liked their pressies apparently so DD was happy

DS in the whole day had done one lot of washing but not hung any out.... I don't know why I am surprised!

savingholmes

budgeted £205 (brought some hair budget forward a week)
£90.00 after school club
£10.00 school dinner
£11.00 car parking
£35.00 hair colour
£23.00 cleaner
£14.00 hair cut OH
£10.00 cash back to OH for his lunches/spends
£1.00 DS
£1.50 DD
£4.00 £2 lunch
£4.00 chips for family
£0.25 can
£0.29 sweets
£0.46milk
£1.00chocolate biscuits for at work

unbudgeted £78 (however £47 should have been) so £31 spend questionable
£25.00 OH fuel hit our account - OH hadn't told me
£20.00 birthday pressie
£2.00 birthday pressie (plus voucher)
£0.20Sweets
£4.80 popcorn
£1.20 DS
£15.00 clothes - M&S sale
£9.98can opener

£283.68

gilligansyle

Looking at your budget and realising that it doesn't include groceries, just the lunch meals and extras etc. makes me realise how lucky I am that most of the 'extras' in our house are for DS, so he pays me back for them. Also I had forgotten how stressful the juggling work and school holidays was.
My budget looks good, but there are only 2 of us.

Hope the carpet is recovering.

savingholmes

Plan for next week

£16 car parking but includes £5 that could claim back. Ideally would walk in as no kids but lots of meetings I have to travel to next week. Expenses should compensate for this.
£25.00 hair cut me
£23.00 cleaner
£10.00 cash OH lunches/spends
£10.00 DS monthly pocket money
£1.00 DD
£10 lunches/spends me
£50 diesel for me - but some of this reclaimable on expenses
£25 fuel for OH
£30 groceries/ top ups

Expected spend about £200

savingholmes

gilligansyle wrote: »

Looking at your budget and realising that it doesn't include groceries, just the lunch meals and extras etc. makes me realise how lucky I am that most of the 'extras' in our house are for DS, so he pays me back for them. Also I had forgotten how stressful the juggling work and school holidays was.
My budget looks good, but there are only 2 of us.

Hope the carpet is recovering.

You seem very good at budgeting! It is scary when I look in black and white at what I actually spend. Yes some of it is challengable but we made a decision a long time ago that we wanted to live while repaying our debts so it is always a balancing game.

Still wondering whether to take the half price £15 top back - but some of the £6 tops I bought earlier in the year are losing their shape and one of my favourite tops has developed a hole so think will probably just keep it.

Really hoping that we can save quite a bit with DD and DS being mostly away over the summer.

DS has done a reasonable job on the carpet

gilligansyle

savingholmes wrote: »

You seem very good at budgeting! It is scary when I look in black and white at what I actually spend. Yes some of it is challengable but we made a decision a long time ago that we wanted to live while repaying our debts so it is always a balancing game.

budgeting has become such a habit that I think I'll end up one of those people who go out of their way to save 5p. Sorry,I didn't mean it as a criticism, if you can actually live while paying things off, you certainly should. The children should still have their clubs etc.
It's easier for me to be strict because its actually only myself it affects. If DS wants something he can go and get it himself, hence we have sky sports etc. because he pays for them. I don't put it in my budget because I don't pay it.