There is light at the end of the tunnel

mummytogirls

Morning GAP, hope your feeling a bit brighter today . Keep going your doing so well x x x

girlatplay

Hi mummy, thank you. I am feeling better today I had a better sleep last night so I am not as exhausted as I was yesterday. I could have curled up in a ball and gone to sleep on the wooden floor in the office! Also feeling a bit happier today. I just get days like yesterday sometimes. I did a wash and dried it and Little Miss vaccumed the floor for me (for a price!) and I tidied the kitchen a bit so I think that has gone towards cheering me up. I just feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it

Probably going to have £1.30 for PAD today but going to PAD it later just in case. Tax credit day today :j something nice for tea. Day 11 and still not used the cc :T Because it is TC day I won't have to use it today and I am writing a shopping list today so that we don't impulse buy (Little Miss comes with me when I pick her up from school - she is actually not too bad, for a child, when it comes to food shopping. Sometimes she asks for stuff but I say no so much that she rarely bothers anymore).

Off to read some other diaries for inspiration

Gap x

girlatplay

Managed the £1.30 PAD yesterday :T and it is £2.30 today :j Sadly though, the only reason it is £2.30 today and not just 30p is because Little Miss had a school disco tonight but it was cancelled at the last minute The DJ didn't turn up :mad: The poor kids were so disappointed, they all turned up in all their finery just to be turned away. It did mean that I got my £2 back that was for the tuck shop and I will be getting my other £2 back from the ticket. Poor Little Miss though. She was dressed beautifully and looked like a wee princess At least it means we are in for the night and I don't have to go back out to collect her - both of us have our jammies on!

Spent £37 in Mr M's yesterday. Although we bought things that we needed and stuck religiously to the list, we still didn't seem to get much for our money. I am going to have to sit down and make out proper meal plans. I am doing great with lunches but failing miserably with teas

That's it for tonight!

Gap x

Itsadogslife_2

I have to admit, I was sat cuddled up with DD under a blanket between 5pm and 6pm whilst she watched Cbeebies or something. I think I dozed off I was all cozy and comfy and warm :money:

It's such a shame when the little ones get all excited to be let down.

I need to do a bit better with teas too, I was most upset today when I realised that the WW raspberry cheesecake (which is divine), which are quite pricey to buy went out of date two days ago :mad: They were at the back of the fridge and I knew they were there but didn't quite remember that the date was so close I hate waste even more so since realising how lovely these cheesecakes are.

girlatplay

Oh Itsa, that's a shame that the cheesecake was out of date That is disappointing, isn't it? Sometimes I doze off when we are sitting under the blanket watching the tv. It is cozy and I love that feeling

Day 13 of no cc!! :j Have dipped into the CSA money though Tomorrow I have to take Little Miss for new school trousers and new gym shoes. I know it is just a few weeks until the end of the school year but she really desperately needs them. That is CSA money too and there should be some left over I get the CSA money paid into an account specifically for that money so it is separate from all the other money. Now that I am in a better position I am thinking about getting my CB paid into that account too so I can keep the money to benefit Little Miss in the one place, that way when she needs new stuff there will be money there. I used to put all the money together and use it to pay off the cc etc (used for the benefit of LM - to buy food and clothes!). Also, she has a small savings account and I would like to pay some money into that too. I'm thinking of paying some of the CSA / CB money across every now and then.

Going to do some serious work now! My boss doesn't pay me to update my diary :rotfl:

Have a lovely day everyone

Gap x

mummytogirls

Morning GAP, woohoo to you getting through half the month without using the CC. Come on keep it up you can do it !!

Oh no gutted for Little Miss with her disco being cancelled, meanie DJ for not turning up .

Enjoy your weekend x x

Itsadogslife_2

I think I got DDs gym pumps from Asda and they were cheap as chips at about £3.00

I think saving the CB is a good idea. Especially as when they get to the higher years at junior school they start going away on trips and stuff. The older kids have just been for a residential week away, quite scary to think that will be DD in 3.5 years time - she seems far too small to go away with anyone but me And apparently the other mums were telling me now when they go to secondary school they have to have a laptop, they rent them if you cant afford to buy one :eek:

beanielou

Rent laptops!!!!
Whever next?
Ive heard it all now.

girlatplay

Thank you for your encouragement mummy. Day 15 now!! :T

Itsa, I paid a little bit more than that for the gym pumps because I was in a rush and wanted to get them yesterday. At least we have them now and they should last a wee while. I think I will save the CB money now that you have mentioned about the laptop. Little Miss has been banging on about getting her own laptop for ages now but I keep saying no because we have one in the house already and she has unlimited access to that. Also, she is 10, I don't want her to have her own laptop at 10. Some people I know let their children have things that I just won't let Little Miss have. At least with the family laptop I can control what she does on it. When she gets to high school and needs her own one (just over a year to go :eek:) then that is different. Thanks for the heads up on that one

Beanie, I'm not sure whether to rent one for her or get her one of her own. I'm also not sure on what the whole story is at the high school yet but I have the joy to look forward to :cool: I think I am lucky because I have been a single parent for so long and because I am now only a couple of years away from being debt free, I am much more in control of my money and if Little Miss needs a laptop, I will be in a position to get one for her (I have savings for her for things for the future) but there are others out there who just won't be able to do that.

Been helping Gap-Sis move house this weekend. Just about to go back out to help her buy a tv. Had a VERY lazy morning this morning but reminded myself that we didn't get home until 10pm last night because we were helping with the move yesterday.

Grinders (my colleague) is leaving She has been looking for a traineeship (law) for ages now and the placements are so few and far between that loads of folk are getting knock backs. She feels she needs to look at it from a different angle now and so she is going to work somewhere else where she has a slim chance of a traineeship which is better than at our work. Also, the job she is going into she has experience in and pays much better than what she is getting paid at our work but then, that is not difficult. I will miss her so much though

£1 to PAD yesterday and 50p today. Not much. Oooh, bought a tin for my sealed pot money yesterday. The tin I was using wasn't sealed and it was too tempting to look in it from time to time. All the money is transferred now and I didn't count it!!

Off to get ready for Gap-Sis!

Gap x

girlatplay

Day 16 of no cc but thinking I might have to use it once this week I have the girlies coming for dinner on Friday night and I don't think the shopping budget will stretch as far as I would like it too. The problem is that I am meeting another set of girls for lunch on Sunday and whilst it won't be overly expensive, I need to have the cash in my purse. I would probably manage to stretch the budget to include the dinner but I wouldn't have any cash left for Sunday. It's not even really a dilemma, I know what I have to do

Other news for this weekend (I know am a little premature with that, it is only Monday, but I am really looking forward to it) I am getting my hair done on Saturday - this is calculated into my monthly budget so no need to find any extras for that :T (just to clarify - I don't have my hair done every month! I just add it into the budget when I do get it done) and I am also having microdermabrasion done on my face. I paid for it ages ago as it was a Groupon offer so I don't have to budget for that either :j I have had some blemishes on my face for about a year now and they will just not shift. I cover them with make up every day but they bother me.

Mr Gap is going away on a stag weekend, hence the reason I am trying to do everything / fill the weekend next weekend. :cool:

Today I took lunch to work and had water with me. Had mince and potatoes etc in for the tea. So a NSD today (I don't count bus fares because I incorporate them into my budget. If I had a bus pass I wouldn't be spending and I take out the amount of money in change that I would need for a bus pass to use for the fares). Mr Gap picked me up from work so £1.30 to PAD!

Left over mince and tatties for lunch tomorrow, just have to make up a roll for Little Miss. Got water at work already so no need to buy anything. Tea at Gap-Mum and Dad's tomorrow night and Zumba with Gap-Sis (have to find £4 for that )

Bathtime for Little Miss!

Gap x