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

RubySewSew

I am so relieved to be on half term! Despite the headache I am sooo relaxed compared to term time!

Well, with your help I have the beginnings of a plan forming. Half term has given me a bit of time and space to think and reflect. I have been careering from financial disaster to financial disaster, barely managing to put out the flames as I go. Whilst I am keeping on eye on how to reduce my outgoings and earn some extra money there is very little I can actually do about my immediate situation. What I can start to affect and plan for is the near future.

So here are some things I have done:
1. Budget for November - I can cover my essentials and my debt repayments. I need to find extra to cover car (mot and tax due), haircuts (everyone is overdue!) and starting to Christmas shop. I also have three big family birthdays so am thinking about what I can make.
2. Planned postnatal reunions for November (5 at £53 each) - need to send emails
3. Looked at competitors for antenatal classes, priced up average hourly rates, thought about unique selling points and researched starting up a co-operative
4. Called a meeting with colleagues re 3.
5. Sat down with the kids and started sock bunnies and sock aliens (2 for birthday parties next week, alongside homemade cards equals no spend!)
6. Have started a sample stuffed elephant (have been meaning to make one for my Mum since Mother's Day!). It is nearly finished but after 3 hours fully absorbed needed a break!
7. Have set up the sewing machine and cutting mat at the desk with all my stuff in one place.
8. I have decided to stick with the current job at least until the end of the academic year. I am hopeful that my hours will increase after Christmas which will be more effective in terms of how I cost my time. This will allow me to get the co-operative set up and running, I'm aiming for this to be profitable and for the transition from charity to co-operative to be complete by July 2011. I hope then to be able to give up school and concentrate on making RubySewSew profitable, selling homemade crafts and cakes. And to do a dressmaking course!
9. Have emailed an old friend about designing me a logo for each of the businesses.
10. Looked at the financial chores I have to do and broken them down into 2 phonecalls, 1 letter etc so it seems more manageable.
11. Had a little panic about whether or not I could actually go ahead and set up on my own and then realised that I have to try. My January course with the charity hasn't even been advertised and has no bookings so almost certainly won't run. I have accrued £100 in bank charges because of overdue invoices. This working situation is unacceptable and has already failed so I HAVE TO TRY. If I give it my best shot and it doesn't work out then that's ok, it will still be better than this. And I can still apply for the graduate training programme as a back up option.
12. Using a bit of divergent thinking I am going to write a 'skills CV' similar to what I posted here and give it to the headteacher at DS1's school. I have a good relationship with her and think it would be a good idea to let her know how diverse my skill base is.

Thank you so much for all your support. I am feeling so much calmer and more focused. Isn't it funny how just having another perspective can allow everything to just drop into place? I'm going to have a think about the 50 day challenge to. I'm thinking about stabilising my bank accounts and writing and promoting an article as my challenge. And actually getting on with my personal training programme rather than leaving it on the kitchen surface!

Can't believe how late it is but I'm feeling really fired up. I would go to bed and read but finished by book earlier. Doesn't it make you sad when you finish a really good book?

Cheery_Daff

Wow Ruby!!!! I'm so impressed!! Look how far you've come in such a short space of time :T :T :T

Sounds like you've got an excellent plan there! :j :j Yes, it is AMAZING how your thinking can change with a bit of perspective and some thoughts from other people :T Looks like you've made an excellent start on thinking through the move to the cooperative too! And July is far enough to be manageable, close enough to be motivating! :j :j

I'm so pleased and excited for you! Will the antenatal reunions money cover your car/presents? Get your thinking cap on and see what you can make for people! Can't wait to keep up with how you're getting on

And your 50 day challenge of writing/promoting an article sounds like a great one :j :j :j And what a good idea to give your CV to the headteacher! :j :j You never know where that kind of thing might lead :j

Ooh, I'm all fired up myself now!

sparkleisshopping

Hey Ruby, I've been reading your diary and it sounds like you have lots of great ideas to turn your finances around - I hope you manage to get it sorted soon Could you approach any of the shops in Brighton and see if they would take your items on a sale or return basis? And once you get over your fear of your sewing machine you could go into making dresses like the ones they sell in Get Cutie - from your diary I get the impression that this is your type of style?

Good luck and you can do it!

RubySewSew

I love Get Cutie! They are the motivating force behind me learning to sew so that I can have more pretty dresses for less!

And Cheery, I am one for getting things done in fits and bursts! It's one of the reasons why keeping a diary is so helpful because I tend towards woefullness on the days when nothing is happening so it's helpful to have a reminder of how much i can get done on the the days when I do achieve stuff!

Have had a lovely day today, went to visit an old friend. Put £15 of petrol in the car to get me up to London and a couple of quid on emergency sweeties. All very relaxing really. And I have done nothing productive (overlooking feeding the children, washing up, laundry and putting the chickens to bed).

Now I plan to veg in front of the TV, idly sewing up my elephant and dreaming about cherry beer. Mmmm, cherry beer.

Will think about productivity tomorrow. Night!

Mags30

WOW Ruby that post from last night is so inspiring. So good to see that you are feeling more positive.
Here's to 50 day challenges:beer:
x

RubySewSew

Had another delicious lie in this morning (I am going to miss those next week!). Had planned to go to a castle today but got up, looked at the weather, looked at the cupboards and thought nah! Asked the boys who were easily convinced that the cinema was a good alternative. Taught DS1 how to make pancakes (breakfast). Put them all to work in the garden - the animals were long overdue for cleaning out and the garden toys needed cleaning and packing away for winter. DS1 has earned himself an extra 30 minutes of chores and DS2 and DS3 were employed in order to stop them belting the hell out of each other. I intended to clean the chickens and guinea pigs but managed to sort out the compost bins, clip back the bushes, store some kindling and mulch the flower beds with the most beautiful, gratifying homemade compost. And the chickens looked very content on their fresh straw. I even made them a feeder out of an upturned flower pot and terracotta base. I looked at bought ones yesterday but were between £15 and £30! Maybe now they will lay me some eggs.

By the time we'd done that it was late afternoon. Made some mash for a shepherds pie I'd batch cooked and frozen. Booked cinema tickets which were an eyewatering £35. Eek! How and why does the cinema cost so much and how do people afford to go regularly?

Got home and the kriek fairy had been! Cherry beer on the doorstep! Yippee! Finished the elephant. It's pretty good, bit rough in places but a very passable first attempt. If I knew how to post pictures I would. Have rescued an old door hanging to make some beautiful Christmas decorations. And am having a slight panic because the fayre that was booked for the 28th is actually on the 13th. Ahhh!!!!

RubySewSew

Blimey oh flipping reilly! I've worn myself out today! Had a bit of a clean up then my brother came over. Made eyeball cupcakes and halloween biscuits. Taught DS2 about rounding and researched Tudors with DS1. Friend popped over with his family and helped me clip the chickens wings. Jacket potatoes and sausages for tea and parkin in the oven for bonfire night.

Took out £20 for groceries - this covered sausages and potatoes plus veg for roast dinner tomorrow, baked beans, few sweets for trick or treaters tomorrow, guinea pig food and what else? How did that cost 20 quid?!

Need to crack on with craft fayre. Although I could really do with a night off tonight. Am shattered!

RubySewSew

Bump. Back to reality. DS3 back to school, the others are on inset day. I have a tonne of stuff to do like shopping, cleaning, make a cake for the meeting tonight, making lots of lovely craft things to sell, set up a business, advertise it and market it to ensure clients for January. Eek!

I am going to really, really miss the lie ins. I have found that I have been so productive responding to my natural body clock. I've been getting up about 10 and going to bed about 1 and this has really suited. I feel ill from getting up at 7.30 this morning. All the more reason to get my own business set up so that I can work in a way to suit me.

I have to really crack on this week whilst the momentum is still there and before the exhaustion of being back at work sinks in. Including the meeting tonight I am working 3 nights in a row this week. I'm going to be shattered!

RubySewSew

Really quick update as have just finished one lot of work for the day and about to start another. I held the meeting last night with colleagues re setting up a co-operative and it went really well. Lots of interest. It also made me realise what a fantastic resource these forums are and how much I have developed and grown in confidence since sharing my life with you. Things are going to be really full on for the next few months, holding the job down at school, continuing to teach, setting up and marketing the co-operative and making sure I have enough craft to sell. Oh and I got in touch with my Jamie at Home manager about doing a one off Christmas party and staff room drop to make a few extra pennies. Go me!

Need to move really quickly so am going to contact the ex to see if he would be willing to design and implement a logo (he runs a design business) to help me get things going. Wish me luck!

Cheery_Daff

Excellent news Ruby! :T :T Sounds like you're really motivated and moving at the minute :j :j Well done you :T :T