Diary of a (hopefully)reformed shopaholic

mummytogirls

Hi Livvy,

I think its the time of year making us very tired, dark evenings etc.

Re the nursery and benefits thing I hope I dont cause a riot by what im about to say! I was so annoyed recently as our school do 2 weeks of holiday cover in the 6 weeks holidays for £5 a day (9.30-3.30) which as you know is incredibly cheap. I was thinking this is something I will definately take advantage of once DD2 is in year 1 as thats how old they have to be. Anyway I found out from a family on benefits, not sure which kind but neither parent work and havent for the 5 years ive know of them for whatever reason. They get to send their kids to this for FREE! I was furious why the hell would they need holiday cover sat on their @rses in the holidays! It should be us getting it for free !!!!!!! Anyway sorry about that rant over!! They probably wont do it anymore by the time I get there, sounds about right doesnt it!

Hope childminder visit goes ok. I love my childminders, and the kids love going which is the most important thing.

Yay to the insurance :j xx

LivvyLoo_2

Hey there,
I had a migraine last night so ended up going to bed at 8:30, I slept as well but then woke up 3-4.

Going to child minders tonight, I have a list of questions. I have told DD that she is a big girl now and that she will be looked after by a very nice lady. Hope we like her.

Aw mummy that is so bad! I don't ever get time to myself, if I'm off work DD is with me. Anyway don't get me started on benefits. It is something that really annoys me, that nursery is lovely for DD and she loves it yet I can't afford it on my own and I work full time so I need it. But people that work part time can afford to put their kids in full time as they get benefits? It just doesn't make sense does it? :mad:

I need to wrap DD's two main pressies tonight.

Got about £30 to last until pay day. 1 week today YEY.

xx

mummytogirls

Hi Livvy,

How did the visit to the childminder go?
Hope DD had a lovely birthday and party. Im on with DD1's party etc hers is in 5 weeks xx

LivvyLoo_2

Hi there,

I have been so busy over the last week that I haven't had chance to update diary.

DD's birthday was great but it was so tiring and then we had it all over again on Saturday for her party at the soft play. I ended up spending a fortune on it all, the party itself was £90 (went halves with ex), the cupcakes ended up being £36 (was really annoyed about that), and then I did a party at the house which ended up being £100 (and I shopped in Mr Al's). Her pressies didn't cost too much but the easel is still in bits in the garage as the screws just wouldn't stay in the wood.

Hi Mummy,
The child minder went really well, she is lovely but I just felt sad for DD and the change etc. She still charges me a full day though (£27) as DD only at half a day of school, and I will need to pack food for one meal every day too, which I don't do at the minute. Anyway she is £528 a month, which is £120 less than nursery. So I have to do it.

I told ex about the child minder and he said if she is cheaper then the sooner the better...!!!!!!? He doesn't pay anything towards it anyway so how can he say that?

Off to a new solicitor this week, I asked ex when his mediation appointment was and he said 16th Oct at 9 but he is cancelling as doesn't want to take time off work. So I need to get things sorted asap (we have supposedly been going to mediation since April!!!!). I also got my pension transfer amount through and its £97k which means that ex is entitled to at least 20k...and seeing as though he doesn't have a pension I need to protect mine as best I can.

Its my birthday on Sunday so I am getting to go on a night out YEY! Hope the weather picks up.

Payday tomorrow and I am so pleased as I am skint.

xx

mummytogirls

Hi Livvy,

I was thinking about your childminder situation! My childminder only charges for the time DD2 goes but then I dont send her before school, is that why she charges you for the full day? Do the school do a breakfast club or anything, although that said she might be too young to go. Or is there you be better off knocking off an hour of your working day and taking her yourself so you dont have to pay for the hours shes not there?

Happy Payday :j.

Im glad DD had a nice birthday and hope you do too xx

LivvyLoo_2

Hi Diary,
I am feeling a bit excited today...even in this bad weather.
I have updated my accounts (as best I can without ex's money) and I called nursery to ask about the money for the free day that my friend has passed over to DD from her DS leaving...£50.25 WAHOOO. I have divided this between this month and next month as both months are going to be tight, but then she said I also was owed £32 back as I paid this as kind of a bond.

On top of that, she recommended a child minder to me who used to work for her and has great OFSTED reports, she is only £23.30 a day. So I have called her up and we are going for a meeting on Monday.

Mummy, yeah I do get charged a full day as DD gets dropped off and picked up from school. If it was significantly cheaper I could actually manage to take her to school myself every day and come into work late...something I need to ask I guess. The school doesn't do a breakfast club, there is one for the area at a different school but I didn't fancy DD going there and an afterschool club (bless her), would rather her be with the same person every day so she knows where she is.

Tonight DD is at the dentist. I managed to do all my ironing last night so I will hang that up when I get in as I have a viewing tomorrow. I asked ex OH to have DD a bit longer so I could do the viewing and surprise surprise he can't have her at all as he is on a course! So we will see him a week on Wednesday then.

Off to play with my spreadsheet.

x

LivvyLoo_2

No rain YEY!

Spent the morning with my spreadsheet and doing my accounts. Its not too bad seeing as though nursery bill is so high, I will see a little bit of recovery next month and then by Novembers' pay it shouldn't be too bad. I can't really save for next years holiday until the whole thing is sorted out and my monthly left over money isn't great but I should be able to manage. I like a challenge.

I think I have put too much in my bills account (£25...the amount I got taken off the nursery bill), but I will leave that in there in case I need something at the end of the month.

We don't have an awful lot of food left in the house and its going to have to stay that way until I have time to do a shop next week.

House viewing tonight and my garden is all over the place, the grass needs cutting and the wind has blown all the furniture and flowers over. DD's birthday cards are still up and her balloons are in the back room...hope they can look past those little things ha ha. Hopefully I will get the garden semi tidy after I get home tonight.

xx

Keeping_Motivated

For what its worth when I read your updates I think you are doing really really well...juggling finances and big expenses like nursey on your own with no help from the ex and also looking after DD virtually single handed as he doesn't seem to be an involved or active dad.

The main thing is not letting his actions get to you as that would mean he is still in your life 'mentally' and he doesn't deserve to have any more of your head space...well as little as possible anyway.

You gave him a second chance and it didn't work out so you can look DD in the eye and say you tried everything to keep her parents together and once they weren't YOU still did everything you needed to and were completely committed to her. You didn't fail her so try and let frustration over him be kept to a minimum even though I am sure it is hard.

Take care

LivvyLoo_2

Aw thank you KM, its lovely of you to say so and you're so right I do need to try and not let ex get to me any more...easier said than done mind you but Im going to make it my mission.

Well I had 2 house viewings last night, the first couple weren't that keen and hadn't sold theirs and the second couple seemed to love it, and whilst they were there we discussed DD's new child minder and her kids sometimes use the same lady and apparently she is so lovely and very good at her job.

OK next thing, I have been to the solicitors so I am £500 lighter!!! Thank god for the £250 stash in my bedside drawer. I am a bit sick of spending money on this now.
However if it all gets sorted then its worth it.

I have used my house and emergency money plus my holiday money to cover the other £250 and I transferred £100 out of my cosmetics pot into my emergency pot as this had more than I need in. Hope nothing else crops up this month.

Going to preen myself tonight ready for my night out tomorrow ha ha.

xx

LivvyLoo_2

Im out tonight YEY! Hope I can get in my dress lol. My false eyelashes have lasted nearly 3 weeks...was praying I would get tonight out of them.

Nothing much to report money wise today. I have paid the solicitors in full.

Still haven't done my food shopping, perhaps thats something for me to do on my laptop tomorrow whilst Im not feeling too good, I need a quick reccy of what we have in first as I don't want to over buy.

I was talking to a girl who was in the same situation as me last year and she had the same solicitor...she said he is really good. So Im happy with my child minder and solicitor choice now. I can relax.

All my stars say that from October everything will be fab! Bring it on!!!!

Have a good weekend everyone

xxx