No More! debtfree2015's diary

MuffinTops

Hello DF,
That's great that you've found a friend you click with. That's not easy to find, so it's great you have.

Well done on scrubbing the house so much. Wow. I've got that to look forward to next week!

I hope you've had a good day today. I assume it's the last of the school holiday days? x

debtfree2015_2

Yes Muffin, last weekend have to admit I am looking forward to a few hours to myself on monday!! x

debtfree2015_2

DD is at nursery, I am enjoying the peace & quiet for a short while!

Not much to update as its been a non eventful week.

I managed to loose my login details for online banking so Ive been freaking out for the past few days not being able to check daily, I thankfully found my telephone login details instead so that calmed me today.

Going to make the most of the next quiet hour before picking little miss up!

debtfree2015_2

My friend had her baby yesterday, 3 weeks early! She will be home tomorrow, but Im at college, so will pop in on Friday if all is ok with her.

Ive been having a think (nothing different there!) Ive created some long term goals for myself.

I definately definately want to buy myself and dd a home. I can't do anything now because I have no money and no job, aswell as a horrific credit rating for the next 6 years.

So my plan is, this year, or at the latest by this time next year, to have found a part time job which hopefully will allow me to do overtime if my hairdressing is quiet one week.

I would like ideally to have my deposit by the time my 6 years are up, so that I am ready to go as soon as I have built my rating up, which Im assuming may take another couple of years ontop. By then DD will be 9, so childcare will be a lot easier what with holiday clubs, I should definately be in a full time job, or be doing really well in my hairdressing.

As Id be buying alone - I know Il only be able to afford shared ownership, or a very very very cheap flat/house that may need quite a lot of work doing to it, so aswell as having my deposit & fees, Id need savings for work on the house, plus a decent amount of savings to cover the mortgage if I find myself out of work for a few months.

I know in the next 6 years things might change to take me off this plan, but its a long term goal Id like to have for myself. If something changes, then the money I will have saved by then will be kept aside and hopefully carry on growing, as my emergency fall back so I can revert to this plan, so that we never struggle again as we have done the past few years.

Now for a job, looking on reed for my area there where only 97 part time jobs within 10 miles from here.
On directgov, even less as a lot are saturdays, bank hols, nights which childcare doesnt cater for! Its going to take me time to find the right one, but hopefully when I do, it will have been worth the wait.

debtfree2015_2

I was ready to start a new diary under a new name to mark my new long term goals.....but I noticed I had 2 stars :dance:

So I figured Id stay and keep letting my stars grow Itl be a long time before I can kick start them anyway, as I need a job or 2 first!! So by the time Im in a good enough position to start saving my df name will kind of be true!

Not much to report, its been a no spend weekend, its actually gone very fast.

Tomorrow food shop needs doing after school run, also need to catch up with the washing. Things have been taking forever to dry indoors as its been cold which has really slowed me down, bed sheets need doing which will be a pain to dry.

I think for the food shop, Im going to revert to buying meals every few days. I seem to do a big shop then halfway through the week find I have 'nothing' to eat, there are things in the freezer but nothing goes.

So on a monday I will get the weeks essentials ie milk, bread, yogurts, butter, cheese, toiletries plus 2 dinners. Wednesday another 2 dinners, Friday 3 dinners to take me to monday. Thats the plan this week.....Il see how it goes.

Got to get thinking of 2 meals now, I have lots of ideas, but I feel like something different - that isnt going to break the weeks budget!

debtfree2015_2

I completely forgot about my last plan, I did initially get a couple of meals, then when I next went I stocked up!!
Serves me right for not checking my diary reguarly.

Cambelt was done, mechanic said for her age its a good car, he cant see an issue with the MOT in August, perhaps just a filter change but that should be all.

It was a little bit cheaper as the water pump had already been replaced so it was just a cambelt change. That was a nice surprise, the left overs went on, a new nighty for dd, a new cardigan for me, some vests & tights for DD as she has had a growth spurt. And extra's in the food shop that I wouldnt normally get, my homeopathic flu remedy which Ive been out of for ages but didnt have the money to replace. I also put £10 aside towards the tax due end of august.

DD has had a few temperatures lately, every 2-3-4 weeks. They are not as bad as they were when she was a toddler, but still coming back with a vengence.

2 things have changed. She has started a new nursery at the college, and I ran out of that remedy, which she was having once a week as a precaution.

Im not sure which one is the cause of these sudden fevers.

The remedy, is made from ducks heart & liver. Ducks are the main carries of most types of flue & virals. The thinking is, that ducks build up an anti body to these virals, so by taking a tiny miniscule diluted part of this antibody, our bodies realise its a good thing and replicate. I have never believed in homeopathy - I never really thought of it, I was just of the thinking if science cant prove it, it doesnt work.

Until dd was ill for years on end and no amount of tests, medicines helped. Then I discovered this remedy.

DD also hasnt had major virals since I had that - at most she would have a minor viral once every 3-4 months.

The fact its returning to every 2-3-4 weeks is panicking me alot.

SO Ive ordered that remedy, if that helps her she will stay at the new nursery on my college day.

If nothing improves, I will have to look at moving her to the nursery she goes to the rest of the time. The worrying thing with that is Id have to find a childminder to take her on this day and pick her up afterwards till I get back.

In a way, it might be a good thing as if I found a good childminder, at least id have someone for when I started work, it would just be a matter of increasing her days.

The bad thing is the cost.....Im not sure how I could afford it.
Plus the new nursery have claimed some of her government funding which I cant switch until september I think.

Then again between now and when they break up in summer I should be able to tell if it was just a settling in thing, of if the nursery environment is making her ill.

I hope she will be able to stay there, she does love the new nursery on college day, and its convinient. Then again she does love her usual nursery that she goes the rest of the time. This way she would be going every day.

But her health is more important than convinience, and money for that matter.

Looks like a few sums on the spreadsheet are needed, just so I know worst case scenario.

If its not affordable, and she carries on getting sick, Im not sure I could carry on with the course, really praying its just a short term thing.

Otherwise things have been good. I still am on here a lot looking at different boards, mainly reading tips. Just got really bad at updating my diary.

My electricity bill has just come through for the quarter at £300! These storage heaters are just so so so expensive. Im hoping it warms up soon so I can stop charging them up. Today I tried just the small one in the landing, its so cold Im about to get a dressing gown on ontop of my top, and cardigan! Ive had about 4 cups of tea trying to keep warm, if I drink anymore Il be awake all night.

I finally had my carpet washed, well I hired that rug doctor thing. The water came out black, they were so filthy but unfortunately not all of the marks have come up. I dont want to replace as a lot of marks where there before I moved here, but Im embarrassed to invite people round so I need to do something. Im thinking maybe a huge rug in the middle where most of the discolouring is. Will have a think about it.

debtfree2015_2

My spreadsheet shows no way at all will I be able to afford a childminder.

So My options are - if dd is just settling in and stops getting ill, stay as we are.

If I can find a job, then Id be able to pay for her childcare whilst I continued the course. The theory being if she is with a childminder who only had 3-4 children, she shouldnt get as poorly as she has been recently.

If she is still poorly and I dont find a job, Id have to stop.

I went through all of this when I had to leave work, I so hope it isnt history repeating itself.

She seems perkier today, though her temp is still peaking at 40 degrees - 104 f. Calpol is getting it down on its own which is good, and when its normal she is lively, which is good.

Im hoping she is well enough to go nursery, I can imagine the tantrum she will have if I tell her she cant go tomorrow!

NSW for us as its been raining, we havent needed anything so have stayed in.

Im trying to think of ways to cut electricity down. One thing could be less time on the computer, Im nearly always on here during the day looking for work, then in the evenings out of boredom. Im thinking aswell a few more candles in the living room for once dd is in bed so I dont have the lights on for as often. I have tried sitting there with just the tv for light but it makes me too sleepy!

One pest is the bathroom & kitchen dont have windows so whenever I use them I put the lights on, which kickstarts the fans in them. Im sure that bumps up the electric the biggest eater though is heating. I turned off the living room heater last night, so it worked out I used £1.83 for 24 hours instead of the £2.38. That was with the oil filled radiator turned on for a little while during the day too. I have a spreadsheet which I put my readings in whenever I remember to make sure I keep track of my spending, so I can work out daily average.

Ive checked everything I needed to check online, so Im going to make sure after I finished this post, I switch the PC off & it stays off. For the rest of the day.

Tonights dinner is chicken stew, nice and warming. I do it in a saucepan, one of the quickest meals I know, normally done in 20 mins!

In my food shop last week I found a pack of cooking bacon 72p in Mr T!! I do like bacon, but rarely buy as its so expensive. We done bacon and cheesy pasta the other day, it was really nice. Theres enough in the pack for 3-4 meals easily.

We had spag bol yesterday, managed to save enough sauce to have for dinner tomorrow.

This weeks meals will be
Sun - Chicken stew
Mon - Spag Bol
Tues - Tuna Pasta Bake
Weds - Egg & Chips-or beans depending what little miss wants.
Thurs- Pizza & Salad
Fri- Cauliflower Cheese & Bacon
Sat - Carrot & potato mash with fish fingers
Sun - Veg or Chicken stew.

Lunch we ususally have sandwiches or something on toast.

Breakfast is toast/cereal/porridge

Snacks - grapes, yogurts, rasins, crisps, biscuits, carrots. Carrots not a usual snack, but we both love munching on them, and they are cheap I got a huge market value pack at Mr T 72p I think!

The only thing I may run out of is veg & fruit, so I have set aside a little for that.

Next week will be a big shop as Im almost out of washing powder, washing up liquid, comfort, sponges, gloves, cleaning bits etc.

Ive decided DDs birthday & christmas list....DD's birthday is close to christmas so I plan way ahead!
* Bike
*Leappad - may be secondhand via ebay unless I can sell some of her toys to help pay for it

They are her big presents, so one will be for her birthday the other for christmas.
The rest will be small things, puzzples, new pencils, colouring books, reading books, nightdresses etc

I can not believe she will be 4. This is her last year at home before school. My big girl. x

MuffinTops

Hello DF,
I've just caught up on your diary. I'm so glad the car didn't need much doing to it and that it's looking promising for the MOT in August.

How is your daughter getting on with her fevers? Is she doing ok still?

It sounds like you're still pretty positive and keeping on top of things which is a great achievement. I hope all is ok with you today. x

debtfree2015_2

Hi Muffin,

DD is better today, off at nursery at last! I couldnt wait she has worn me out!

xx

debtfree2015_2

Been poorly past few days, I caught dds bug, missed this weeks college. It would have been a ns couple of days, till I ran out of medicines. I just about managed to drag myself accross the road to get some. Would have been cheaper in a supermarket but was just too weak.

Im feeling a touch better today, still achy but nothing like yesterday, that was the worst I have felt in a long time!

Need to attempt to catch up with the housework Ive neglected whilst Ive been poorly, not sure how much Il manage but anything will be a start!