40 and Foolish!

Piquant_2

Try not to get so stressed, it's not going to do you any good.

I can't remember, do you have an accountant to help you with them?

NewLeaf_2

I just now hired an accountant. I need to get some kind of second job to make money to pay this tax off like baby sitting or getting a lodger or something. And do a LOT of cutting back.


Did I mention my mum turned up on NYE's morning with 1 days notice from America supposedly to "help me" after me being in the hospital, but it turns out she left my dtepday (IN HER HOUSE THAT SHE OWNS) It's all a bit of a mess right now. I need you guys.

We really need to get a meal plan together and Piq I want to shoot for £100 a week for the 4 of us.. can it be done!

xxx

Piquant_2

Four of you on £100 a week can be done fairly easily. The key is meal planning and working your shopping list from the weekly menu. It helps to do an audit of larder and freezer before starting too.

Happy to help tell me what sort of thing you like to eat and we'll go from there.

PS what is the dtepday that your mother left?

grannyx2

Piquant wrote: »

Four of you on £100 a week can be done fairly easily. The key is meal planning and working your shopping list from the weekly menu. It helps to do an audit of larder and freezer before starting too.

Happy to help tell me what sort of thing you like to eat and we'll go from there.

PS what is the dtepday that your mother left?

^
¦
Think this is stepdad!

Yes you can feed 4 on £100 a week with careful planning. So sorry to hear you are having such a rough time at the moment, it seems a common theme across the diaries at the moment.

Big hugs and just remember we are here to support you in any way we can. Hope your DB is ok

Granny x

Piquant_2

Thanks granny that makes sense!

NL with the cutting back on grocery spending it's like everything else, you need to do it gradually. What tends to happen if you cut back dramatically and without planning, is that you find yourself living on baked beans for days.

Find a couple of economical yet tasty meals and incorporate them into your first weekly plan and build on it from there.

grannyx2

Found this website, haven't had a chance to look at it properly but its supposed to be how to feed a family of 4 for £100 a month. Hope its of some help

http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/

Granny x

chevalier

Sorry to hear about the mess with you mum and step dad. I hope they can sort it out. Hope you are getting over the post op infection now?

Good luck with beating down them. I am sure that you could set up an SO for 'them' for overpayments. Obviously something to ask the new accountant.
chev

ETA that the website granny mentions above is very good, and was started by an mse'er, who I think is now debt free..

LAM2011

Hugs NL - things seem a bit topsy turvey in your world at the moment. Is mum here to stay then?

NewLeaf_2

grannyx2 wrote: »

^
¦
Think this is stepdad!

Yes you can feed 4 on £100 a week with careful planning. So sorry to hear you are having such a rough time at the moment, it seems a common theme across the diaries at the moment.

Big hugs and just remember we are here to support you in any way we can. Hope your DB is ok

Granny x

totally was stepdad. Well spotted granny.

NewLeaf_2

LAM2011 wrote: »

Hugs NL - things seem a bit topsy turvey in your world at the moment. Is mum here to stay then?

She can't stay long, she is American. I think she just needed to get some perspective but it is quite weepy at the moment around here. They have only been married for 4 years. She was alone for like 27 years (my Dad died in 83) while my mom is his 4th wife (which she didn't find out until after they got married) It's all a bit of a mess. I think she is hurt, depresed, and embaraased too. Embaraased because my mom doesn't "do" failure.

I tried to tell her it isn't a failure, it just hasn't worked out.

They have been in therapy 2x a week for 2 years :eek: . I know this is going to sound nutty but he has a camera obession. He owns over 50 cameras, and he takes about 1000 photos a week, then puts them on a computer that has a 2 terabyte hard drive. (he isn't a professional photographer) When he isn't taking photos he is "editing" them with super expensive photo software, up to 12 hours a day in his home office.

For my mom it is like living alone. He sometimes falls asleep sitting up in his computer chair. He's 75!

Anyway she says she can't come second to a camera/computer anymore.

I think that situation combined with what I owe "them" is really stressing me out.

xx

Piq I am going to take a larder inventory today and post it.