Week 2 - There's so much we can do.

RubySewSew

Okay, week 2.

I have been floundering a bit this week. I think this whole process would be much easier if I could have a clearer picture of what I've got, what I haven't got, what's coming in, what's going out and when. So I might have to pull my socks up and get to grips with this a bit.

I did sign up to the £10 a day in August challenge so have something positive to focus on. Thinking about what other challenges might be helpful for September. Thinking maybe a grocery challenge?

So my spending diary today amounts to:
chip supper £8.80
This was an unplanned spend so I'm a bit p**ed off about it. I've been lacking in motivation today and to be honest the boys have done my head in, hence I had an afternoon nap and woke up too late to make dinner! Ironically, I love the summer holidays and enjoy spending time with them so don't understand why they are always so grumpy! I'd planned a picnic in the park but they spent the whole time moaning! For tomorrow I've planned blackberry picking and jam making. Let's see if that goes down any better!

The universe has been playing games with me today, I got a bill from the tax credits for overpayment of £1000. Not completely unexpected but would rather not have to deal with it. Amazing they can tell me what I owe them but not what they owe me. However, on the other hand my neighbour dropped off free tickets to the circus which was a lovely surprise. We love the circus! And then, my oven which was due for delivery tomorrow is out of stock for 5 weeks so I have changed my order for another model £200 cheaper. So £1900 down then £200 and circus tickets up!

I'm going to to attempt a proper statement of affairs, revise my signature here so it is a little more honest and try for my £10 a day challenge! Wish me luck!

RubySewSew

Ok, I put my hands up - I'm feeling sorry for myself. Have just sat down with calculator, going through the bank statements and I am so broke! There is no escaping it. Some days it feels relentless and overwhelming. I need to regain some positivity. Need to focus on some targets!

RubySewSew

Have had a better day today. Got up early to clean the kitchen as my hairdresser was coming over. I am now a red head again!! A red head with a clean kitchen at that. Got the boys to help me tidy and clean and sorted through the dreaded school uniform. Just need to sew on the labels now. My sewing friend is coming over tomorrow so I can get started then.

Went to get school shoes (my worst job of the year!). We usually go to a lovely little independent shop but at £120 a go minimum that was not an option. I've always invested in good shoes because they last but one of the boys is dyspraxic and managed to go through 2 x £45 pairs of indestructible shoes last year. So Brantano it was. One decent pair of school shoes and reluctantly a pair of black skate style shoes which were only £14. So DS2 and DS3 sorted. DS1 had a meltdown - he also chose black skate shoes but he already has a pair of black vans so I said that I wouldn't buy a second pair almost exactly the same. I agreed he could wear skate shoes to school and I agreed that I would buy him new school shoes just not new skate shoes for school. What started off as him understandably upset and disappointed turned into a massive pre-teenage tantrum. To his credit, it was short lived. I cheerfully ignored it, bought cakes for everyone at the supermarket and engaged him in pocket money chores when we got home. Phew.

So, the upshot of all my money meandering last night was that I reminded myself that I actually do have a debt repayment plan and if I stick to it I should be debt free by summer 2014. And even better could then redirect some of my debt repayments towards reducing my mortgage. Worryingly, I also noticed that my tax credits haven't gone in this month. What is the betting that something has gone wrong with my renewal? Will chase that tomorrow but meantime panicking that my mortgage will bounce. Wouldn't normally be an issue as I have an overdraft but had to pay my tax bill this month too so have no room for manouevre. Eek.

So spend for today:
School shoes (2 of 3) £37
Grocery shopping £97
Hair cut and recolour £50

So not a cheap day but all in budget although I would have liked the groceries to be cheaper. I did stock up on half price dishwasher tablets though and bought a few picnic bits to get us through the holidays. Stuff I would normally bake but need my new oven to arrive!

Ok, need to make a start on £10 challenge...

RubySewSew

Well, surprise, surprise, got a letter yesterday saying my tax credits have been stopped. Apparently they haven't received my renewal which was sent along with a correction as they are still overpaying my childcare. I've been calling them on redial but just get a recorded message saying they are too busy to take my call. So I'm really stuck. i know that my mortgage is going to bounce and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

On a more positive note, my lovely friend came over and helped me clean out my shed so that we can use it as a workshop for sewing, making and refurbishing. It felt like a big achievement.

Still struggling with energy and motivation. I'm not sure what it is I need to get me going!

mrs_robinson_3

Hi Ruby! Just to say I am enjoying your diary so far and am sorry to hear about the tax credits blip, I'd find that really stressful. But keep going, it's so tough to get on top of the finanical situation but there are so many people here to inspire you that you can't fail! Unfortunately it's not a quick fix and in the meantime life has to carry on. I'll try to keep reading.....

Mrs R

RubySewSew

Here's to you Mrs Robinson!

Thank you, good to know someone is listening to my ranting and raving! Off to put the chickens to bed before going to work. Will phone tax credits/mortgage co/bank tomorrow and hope for the best!!

RubySewSew

I confess I have been a little bit lazy and a little bit complacent with the £10 challenge. I think this might be because I have got a bed to sell which is worth about £150 which would be the whole amount. However, it is still in pieces in the bedroom and I haven't listed it yet! Lazy, lazy, lazy! No excuses. I promise myself I'll do it tomorrow.

I have a glut of runner beans in the garden which is a shame because I don't actually like them. The kids eat them pretty willingly. Any ideas for exciting runner bean recipes? Trust me to be successful growing a crop I don't like! Oh well. We had our first red tomato today which we cut and ate in the garden. Now that is a crop I can get excited about! Looking forward to beautiful tomato salads with fresh basil and mozzarella drizzled in olive oil. Yum! Or rubbed over bread with cheese. Yum! Or fried up and stirred into pasta. Or roasted in the oven and popped in my mouth like sweeties. Yum, yum, yum!

Right, money saving activity for tomorrow:
List bed on gumtree
List playmobil on FridayAd
Phone tax credits (again!)
Sort out childcare for Monday so that I can go to work!

Night all!

RubySewSew

Whoops! Not only did I not manage to tick the money saving activities off my list but I had a mega expensive day yesterday. Eek! Took the boys to get the last tiny bits of uniform - logo'ed stuff, sports shoes, coats. Failed on all but the school logo'ed stuff which set me back the best part of 20 quid. Had a school jumper to change at M&S and ended up buying knickers and pyjamas for me. This is one of those things that I put off buying and put off buying because I haven't got any money and then can't manage without any more and it costs me a fortune.Think that was the best part of 50 quid but I need to do an inventory and report back. Got blagged into buying a couple of t-shirts for the boys - their clothes are getting so expensive as they get bigger. Then another £5 went on sweets which were a treat for the circus and doubled up as a reward for being super good at the opticians. Ordered DS1 new glasses - £40 on top of the voucher although I don't have to pay that until next week. Asked his Dad to go halves, he has grumbled but hasn't actually said no. I know that it is a lot of money (actually, I don't think half of it is a lot which is why I asked for a contribution) but they should last a year and there is no point in buying him glasses he doesn't like because he will not wear them.

Had planned a visit to the circus as neighbour had given us promotional tickets. The deal was 2 adults for the price of a £4 programme so a total spend of £8. However, when I went to the ticket office they said that I couldn't take the kids in on an adult ticket. I actually nearly, cried, I was speechless. What was I meant to do? The boys turned to me and said 'does that mean we can't go'? We were all so excited but I just didn't have the £30 they were asking for. I decided on this occasion that no matter what the repercussions I couldn't let them down at that late stage and bit the bullet. When I came to pay it was actually £19 which was still pretty galling but I guess it was only £11 over what I'd planned to spend. The show was fantastic and we had a great time.

Another busy day today - the boyfriend bought tickets to Shoreham Airshow. Packed up a picnic and explained to the boys we would not be spending any money. They still managed to blag the boyfriend for an icecream (and I was bought a cup of tea). Is it just my kids or do other people's children see any day out as an opportunity to shop and spend money? They were driving themselves insane with all the stuff they couldn't have rather than the fantastic stuff there was for free to enjoy. Again, the show was amazing - loads of really cool stuff and lots to keep a vintage soul like me happy! I did make one unplanned spend - a really cool woolly cow hat for DS3. He is famously obsessed with cows (yesterday at the opticians, pointing at the letter 'O' she asked if he knew any words with it in - 'yes cow and moo') and it really was worthwhile - I struggle every year finding hats that they'll wear. He was incredibly badly behaved though (highlight was him shouting at the top of his voice 'my mum is a WITCH!') so I have stashed it. It would make a great Christmas present but then he will have missed half the season. I haven't bought the others anything so am not sure when or why to give it to him.

So now, after an exhausting 24+ hours I'm writing here whilst watching blackberry jam bubble away in the background and waiting for some particularly stinky cheese to breathe ready for a garden cucumber and my first red tomatoes!!! The jam is very liquid, I'm not sure where all the liquid has come from. Is this normal? Is it ever going to set? I don't have much luck when it comes to boiling sugar and I would really like my first jam making experience to be a success.

The cheese actually stinks and I don't think I can wait any longer! So, will leave you for now whilst I go face down in some stilton and 3 year old cheddar. Life really isn't that bad

mrs_robinson_3

Great post!

Would like some more please

Mrs R

RubySewSew

Ha! My jam was hilarious! Don't get me wrong it tastes lovely (well the boys think so although my brother-in-law says it tastes like burnt sugar!) but it is very solid and sticky. I think I just invented blackberry treacle! And it doubles up as a great wasp trap!

So, trip up to Essex on Sunday for my niece's birthday party. Had a lovely time. Put £40 of petrol in the car and had to blag money for the bridge. August is turning into a very very tight month. Not only that but I forgot to pay my credit card bill so reckon I'll get charged. I paid by phone the day before it was due but don't reckon it will wash. Will keep everything crossed!

Spent Monday in Essex to just chilling with my family and enjoying the summer holidays. Have been agonising over an unexpected proposition. The back story to this is quite long but a couple of weeks ago my sister's dog was run over. He was older than my son and a well loved family member. And to make it worse, I saw it happen and sat with him when he died. So my sister is looking for a new dog to fill the void he has left. She has found 2 working cocker spaniels for rescue and she can only take one. Now I have ruled out having a dog on a number of occasions for a number of reasons but when she told me this I burst into tears. My Dad had working cocker spaniels and they are beautiful dogs with a fantastic temperament. So I have been vacillating. Well agonising. Expense, mess, commitment, time, poop. But then it isn't a pragmatic decision. If you got a dog on the basis of practicality you wouldn't get a dog. So money savers, I have to confess that although my financial situation is dire I am considering getting a dog. I've handed this one over to fate. If this dog is meant to be it will be, if not then that's fine to.

Man, my eye's are struggling!

Had a wicked day today. Cleaned for my friend whilst she's away and got to use her swimming pool. It was flipping freezing! But it was so perfect seeing the boys gaining confidence in the water and splashing around, carefree and having fun. Got home, cleaned, warmed up then headed back out to the beach for full moon celebrations. Fire, circus and duvets. Late night for all but oh well! ANd I can tick of my first £20 for my August challenge.

I've got too tired to make sense so I'm heading to bed. Work tomorrow...

RubySewSew

A no spend day! So that's the bright side! Ok, ok, its not that bad.

Good things:
I've worked 5 hours today
I've got another 5 hours tomorrow
I have another cleaning job before the end of the week
My tax credits have been reinstated
My garden is getting rained on
I didn't spend any money today
I've nearly finished a course so I can claim fees and expenses on Friday
I start my new job on Wednesday
I managed to clean my kitchen and bathroom yesterday
The boyfriend is making dinner AND bought me flowers
I have a glass of wine in my hand (and a bottle in the kitchen )

Not so good things:
I still need to buy sports shoes for school
I think I'm going to have to invest in some new work clothes, shoes and raincoat
It's nearly the end of August and I'm not very far through my £10 a day challenge
My kitchen and bathroom did not stay clean
I have no idea if my mortgage has been paid (and I'm too scared to look)

I surprised myself there - I've got more to be positive about than negative. I think I'm feeling a bit down because the doggy didn't work out. My sister went to view them but the set up was a bit dodgy and it didn't feel right. I said I would leave it to fate and fate has decided that the timing is not right. But should anyone know of a working cocker spaniel that needs rehoming then please let me know! I guess I'm spared the cost and commitment for now but I've proved to myself that I'm very ready. It does give me a chance to save and prepare and get the house more doggy-proof.

I'm starting to think ahead to September - my favourite time of the year. It feels like a more powerful January all new beginnings and stationery! So, I'm thinking about a no spend month, a £10 a day challenge a £300 shopping challenge and a one hour a day TV challenge. Over ambitious? Me? Absolutely!