Wobbly Jellie looks for balance!

Lois_E

Hi Jellie

Working part time can be great. I work part time because I'm a single parent and I think my kids need more from me than I can manage to give them if I work full time. It does mean my MFD is a very long way away :eek: but I'm on here because it helps me to keep plugging away little payments, and one day I will get there.

Your health matters, Jellie. The only point in trying to reach mortgage-freedom is so that you can live the rest of your life unencumbered. It's useless if you get rid of the mortgage but you're too ill to enjoy living your life.

Don't be scared of your spreadsheet. You've been ill - it's OK that you haven't been able to stick to your old plan. You will have to make a new plan, but that's OK. I was talking just the other day to a friend who's recently gone part time and she is so much happier, and she finds the quality of life so very much worth the financial adjustments she has had to make.

Good luck, anyway.

newgirly

Hiya jellie , glad you are back again!

It doesn't matter how well you are doing hun, you should still pop in now and then I have had more fresh starts and new financial plans then I care to remember, the main thing is to hang in there even if you can't op at that moment in time.

Sorry to hear your health is not the best, hopefully its a bit easier now you are part time.

Best of luck.:D

*Jellie*

Thanks so much for all the kind and helpful words. I am often amazed by people on MSE- I would never have made it this far on the journey without all the support from people here.

You are all so right that health is really important. My pay cut will basically remove the extra money we planned to add to our offset each month. I am hoping that with more time I can get into better habits with menu planning, making do and mending etc. however, I am aware that I will have to fight all my usual demons- emotional and boredom spending and aspirational spending ( the most ironic being spending money on books about saving money but never quite following the advice but somehow hoping a miracle will happen just because you own the books!)

QB_Wolf

Good luck with going part-time, may it give you a balanced, healthy and happy life.

Hope you can muster the bravery to get back into the spreadsheet, I've been there, it was only when the overdraft charges came in that I forced myself to get a grip of my finances again.

CathT

I hope going part time has a positive impact on your health. I think that having the mindset of being a MFW means circumstances such as these are easier to deal with as we don't tend to live to our means and are used to making cutbacks.

greent

Hello Jellie and welcome back

Health is more important overall.

With regards to the spreadsheet sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and jump right in - the way you'll know for sure if you're off track and how much and can figure out adjustments. Sometimes the ostrich approach just leads to more worrying about it. We're here to listen and hopefully offer helpful advice if you need it

x

*Jellie*

Thanks for the good wishes.

QB and Greent- it really helps knowing that you and others have had ostrich times too. When I've finished posting here I plan to do a thorough update of the finances!!

Cath T- thanks so much for that. I guess I'm upset that OPs are bound to go down a lot but at least we will be able to manage. As you say we're already living to the lowered income and hopefully we'll be able to adjust and still make OPs.

I thought I'd boost my confidence a bit before getting my head out of the sand by reminding myself of some of the things we've achieved despite the difficulties this year. One of my goals is to try and get money neutral gifts. Although they haven't been money neutral I have driven down gift giving costs and made all my gifts and cards this year. Full details are on my blob but I thought I'd post some pictures here! Not quite money neutral but substantially less money than I would have spent and some things are getting cheaper now I've figured out some tricks.

Now to see if I can remember how!!
I've made pictures




Door hangers




Tealight holders



Drawers for jewellry

*Jellie*

Thanks everyone- I have faced up to it!!
Feeling a bit scared about the future as I have slipped into overspending and I really need to be stricter with myself.
We have basically put an extra £4000 into the offset this year when the minumum aim was £1000 per month. At least I can try and get myself back on track for when my wage drops in September. First stage will be analysing my recent spending and then working out some challenges to help. I'm also making a spending diary and might ask OH to watch me fill in a spending spreadsheet each week- I'm less likely to spend on wants if I have to confess!!

yukkibear

Good to see you back posting Jellie x. Part time can only be a good thing. I need to get back on the saving wagon as well

*Jellie*

YB- so lovely to hear from you. I've been looking out for you- hope you are well. Maybe we can climb back on the wagon together.

I've always found it difficult to keep a spending diary and have tried quite a few times. I want to try again as I'm sure the it is the key to reducing my spending as it will make me think twice about what I want and need when I shop as I will then have to record it. It will also help me to analyse problem areas.

I decided that if I made a pretty wallet for my bag to record the spends and made a folder to keep the records each month I might have more incentive to record my spending. I plan to use the records to update a spreadsheet each week and I will try and post here so I feel accountable.

Details of the wallet and folder I made are here