We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Spendless

Glad you've enjoyed your day Alice.

I remember the year my DS didn't want to do the Easter egg hunt. I was upset, the same weekend fitters had completed our new kitchen and we moved a fridge into the conservatory behind a wooden door (there'd prev been a freezer there). As the kids didn't know this, I told DS I had instead put the eggs in the fridge as per his request but his quest was to find the fridge. He didn't find it as funny as I did. :rotfl:

How long has DS1 been out in America? Am sure my answer of 'forever' is not quite correct.

Goodness knows how you've managed it, funding eldest in the states, paying off debt and keeping the household going.

Enjoy the long weekend.

Verbatim

Loving your signature Alice! You're so close to paying off Santander, the Barclaycard loan and Virgin/MBNA. Looks like you'll be under £10,000 in no time.
I agree with Spendless in that I don't know how you do it all. And you're the pegging out queen.

I've eaten far too much chocolate as I'm sure the scales will testify tomorrow. But today we had a stupendous Easter Sunday lunch cooked by my daughter and son in law at their place so feel very lucky indeed.

jackie_w

Hi Alice Ive always lurked on your board and never posted so hope you donmind.

Regarding your DL can you not claim kinship payment? As far as I was aware as he is a member of your family and he is unable to live with his birth parents, you would be able to claim this (I think). Im in Scotland so not sure if its different for England, but I would definitely look into this.

I work with vulnerable children and have heard of kinship payments and social services arent usually very forthcoming with giving this information out. I would definitely check this out. Contact citizens advice they should advise you more than I can x

brizzlegirl

Have a great Easter Alice xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Hi Spendless, and thank you. I just keep plodding.:rotfl: DS1 has been away for nearly 4 years. He was awarded a scholarship programme. He has had a fabulous time but it has cost us quite dearly financially.....and not to mention emotionally. . We didn't read the small print!

Sometimes the kids just don't appreciate being our source of entertainment, do they.:rotfl:

Hi V, yeah I think debt free within 2 years might be pushing it at bit. But I am to pay the 3 small era debts off, and get under 10k as soon as I can. Glad you have a lovely day.:)

Hi Jackie, i don't mind at all, you're more than welcome.:). Thank you for the post. Yeah we are going to speak to social services and see what the next step is. I am part of the problem, I don't like asking. will see what we can sort out.:cool:

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Today has not started well on the eating front. J@ffa cakes for breakfast. . Had full intentions of doing a cooked breakfast but DL and DS3 had already eaten before I came down. Now they're asking if they can open a chocolate egg!! I've told them they can have an egg each but that's it for now. I was hoping to use the chocolate bars out of the eggs for lunch box snacks.

Not sure what to do today. Weather is too wet to doing anything outside, cinema is too expensive, don't really want to go to the sports club, bowling possibly?? Could go and get some popcorn and snacks and watch a film. Or we could just got back to bed.:rotfl: Dont really want to spend any money.

Currently got 2 loads finishing off drying the on the heated airer. Have got another 2 loads to do. Got some paperwork in the kitchen to sort but generally the house is looking fairly tidy.

Must do meter readings!

Xx

Eager_Elephant

I am not sure if I am just a bad mum or maybe I lack that maternal instinct but I find that we are so busy all of the time that it is nice to just be.

By that I mean we are all in the house pottering about doing our own thing, in our casual clothes just not rushing about whereas for most of our time we are clock watching to get to school and work so its nice to just not do anything.

I like sitting here at my computer just listening to the noise in the house of everyone doing their own thing but still being quite satisfied.

As I type this DH is on the bed snoring:mad:, he has got up and done the animals but had a bad head for 2 days which has wiped him out completely. DD is still asleep, who knows what time she went to bed, one dog is snoring with DH:rotfl:, the other is chewing a bone and I can hear the traffic outside.
Apart from DH's snoring I actually love it but maybe I am just odd.

Getting back on track, I would be going for the movie indoors with snacks. We have Sky and you can either rent a recent movie or even buy so you watch it straight away and you get a DVD copy in the post (handy for sleep overs). Cost is under £10 and we usually have snacks in the house so I reckon that saves at least £40 on going to the cinema.

Eager_Elephant

jackie_w wrote: »

Hi Alice Ive always lurked on your board and never posted so hope you donmind.

Regarding your DL can you not claim kinship payment? As far as I was aware as he is a member of your family and he is unable to live with his birth parents, you would be able to claim this (I think). Im in Scotland so not sure if its different for England, but I would definitely look into this.

I work with vulnerable children and have heard of kinship payments and social services arent usually very forthcoming with giving this information out. I would definitely check this out. Contact citizens advice they should advise you more than I can x

Thanks for posting this Jackie, I knew there were payments but couldnt remember the name - at least with the official name the social worker cant deny knowing what the payments are.

Alice_in_Poorland

Agree EE, whilst I'm battling with what to do today the kids have roped OH into a FIFA fest on the Xbox.:rotfl: and they all seem perfectly happy.:rotfl: so yeah maybe I overthink and try and do what I think everybody thinks we should be doing.......when all we really want to do is nothing.......does that make sense.:D.

I've done the meter readings and we have used £35 in a week. Still high by our standards.

Thank you for the info re kinship payments.

Xx

mummytogirls

Cant believe DS1 has been away nearly 4 years Alice :eek:.

All seems well in your house. You're so good for taking in the DL xx