Kate1979's quest to become MF!

earthgirl

Hi Kate 1979, glad to read you diary and I will be routing for you. Have you thought of anyways to increase your tutoring yet?

Best of luck.

lincoln-potter

Hello Kate,

I wish you all the best with your MFW journey!

White_Iris

Hi,
I've just found your diary and have subscribed - I'll be following your progress with interest. We're a long way from being debt free, never mind mortgage free but it's something we're aiming for in the future.
Good luck with everything!
Iris

kate1979

earthgirl wrote: »

Hi Kate 1979, glad to read you diary and I will be routing for you. Have you thought of anyways to increase your tutoring yet?

Best of luck.

Well, it's a case of trying to fit in extra hours rather than find extra students, I get quite a few through word of mouth and have had to suspend my internet adverts as i couldn't fit any more in. I tend to tutor early evenings whilst the children are having tea, so DH can do that with them after he finishes work. I then get home in time for bedtime routine. I find it hard to miss much of the children's day, maybe I need to be a bit stronger on that front! I'm looking at doing more on the weekends, particularly Sunday evening as that's when DH does his school prep anyway.

At the moment I'm just waiting to hear exam results from two students and if they've passed then I can offer their slots to someone else. I have someone lined up for one already.

Earthgirl, when do you tutor, and how do you fit it in with your family and a full time job, if you don't mind me asking? I love reading your diary, you sound like you manage to get decent quality time in with your LO even with all the other stuff you have going on.

WhiteIris, good luck with your DF journey, I often pop over to that board for inspiration too, lots of positive stories even in difficult situations.

I had my first tutoring session with a new student last night - a bit different to normal, she's not working towards exams yet but is a gifted and talented student who wants me to do extension work (I teach maths) and look at why mathematical processes work - it's very interesting! So another payment to go into the pot, and a NSD yesterday as playgroup was shut due to a faulty floor. So I went to a friends and saved a pound!

Thanks to everyone who's been reading!

kate1979

A fairly good weekend with regards to spending, we did a small grocery shop that will last the rest of the week and everything else we have done has been free. We went out for a meal last night but that was paid for by my Granny as her Christmas present .

I'm getting in a bit of a muddle at home because the house is really not tidy and organised. Christmas didn't help but I really need to start decluttering. We took a lot of bits to the charity shop this week but in reality it didn't make much of a dent. I find I can't concentrate so well if things are a mess so although it's not really a MFW 'thing', I need to focus on this so I can attack the mortgage with a clear mind.

And I also need to make more lists! I get so much more done this way, the teacher in me will never let up! So, here is a list of things to do this week:

1) Cancel Practical Parenting subscription, it's all the same as I get in my Mother and Baby one anyway, and I don't pay for that as it was a Christmas present.
2) Declutter for 15mins each day and find 5 items to go on Ebay.
3) Phone a student from last term to find out her exam result and consequently whether she wants to resume tutoring. If she's passed, ring new student on waiting list.
4) Put First Tutors advert back up, hopefully to increase tutees by 1 or 2.
5) Crack on with small knitting projects - I am hoping to set up an Etsy store later in the year, but I am trying to come up with items that would actually sell - I am going to focus on small items that can be made quickly and consequently keep costs/prices low. I don't think there's any point making larger items when shops nowadays sell equivalents for lower prices than I could. I have some ideas about which area and target market to go for but need to spend a lot more time on this!
6) Sort DH's birthday presents from me and the children.

I have three hours of tutoring this week, all are doing exam practice and revision so it won't need much planning from me as they all want to work through papers/revision guides. So I will get my records up to date today so that that's ready for the week.

All the best for everyone this week!

White_Iris

kate1979 wrote: »

I'm getting in a bit of a muddle at home because the house is really not tidy and organised. Christmas didn't help but I really need to start decluttering. We took a lot of bits to the charity shop this week but in reality it didn't make much of a dent. I find I can't concentrate so well if things are a mess so although it's not really a MFW 'thing', I need to focus on this so I can attack the mortgage with a clear mind.

I know what you mean - I've been de-cluttering our house for a while and I had made some real progress but since Christmas it just feels full of stuff again. It's not really that bad, just that things aren't as clean and tidy as they were and it irratates me. I'm gradually getting on top of it now (helped by DH being back at work!) and I also find a clean tidy house helps me focus on moneysaving more easily.

kate1979 wrote: »

5) Crack on with small knitting projects - I am hoping to set up an Etsy store later in the year, but I am trying to come up with items that would actually sell - I am going to focus on small items that can be made quickly and consequently keep costs/prices low. I don't think there's any point making larger items when shops nowadays sell equivalents for lower prices than I could. I have some ideas about which area and target market to go for but need to spend a lot more time on this!

Great idea! I seat up a Folksy store a few years ago (before the children arived - when I had the luxury of free time!) and did ok but once it went out of BETA testing mode and they put their commission up I found I was hardly making anything. Not sure what Etsy fees are like but it may be something to think about before you set your prices.

Keep up the good work, you'll be mortgage free before you know it!

kate1979

White_Iris wrote: »

Great idea! I seat up a Folksy store a few years ago (before the children arived - when I had the luxury of free time!) and did ok but once it went out of BETA testing mode and they put their commission up I found I was hardly making anything. Not sure what Etsy fees are like but it may be something to think about before you set your prices.

Yes, the children do get in the way of any serious crafting - anyone know of any 2 and 1 year olds able to knit?! If I can just train them as well, we can spend all day knitting - bliss! Thanks for the heads up about the commission, that was something I hadn't even thought of.

I have made a little headway on my list, though my days seem to be taken up with loading the washing machine and tumbler - roll on the better washing drying weather! I have two tutoring sessions tonight and one tomorrow, so, together with last Thursday's money which I still have I should have £80 to put in the bank. I might need to keep a little back actually, as I have to go to the post office and need a little change for playgroups etc. but most will go towards the mortgage hopefully.

I've almost finished buying for DH's birthday this weekend, just cards to sort out - might make them with the kids this afternoon.

Right, got a couple of jobs to do and then I'll try to get 20mins of knitting time in whilst DD naps and DS watches Octonauts.

Take care all

misscousinitt

Hi Kate1979

Just found your diary and just popped on to wish you the best of luck with your MFW journey.

We have similar yearly targets, so I will be interested in how you get on.

Take care. x

kate1979

Hi, hope everyone has had a good week. I have been quite productive I feel, though I shall leave it until tomorrow to update my list from last Sunday - gives me a chance to get a couple more bits done!

I had three hours tutoring so that plus some money from last week went into the bank. I had to buy a couple of bits for DH's birthday today, so it wasn't as much as I'd hoped but still a positive.

Great news on the exam results front - my student from before Christmas not only passed her GCSE but with a grade higher than she wanted! She phoned me straight away, she was SO excited. I have also filled her tutoring session straight away as I had someone on a waiting list so that's great news.

Also had a lovely surprise at playgroup on Friday - a lady turned up with a bag of clothes for DD that her daughter had grown out of! She had mentioned the week before that she had a pair of dunagrees, and would I be interested (yes!) but she turned up with a whole bag full! How kind! There is a beautiful dress and cardi in there that doesnt even look worn, so DD will wear that tonight for Dh's birthday meal.

I've not really been keeping up to date with surveys and so on, too much other stuff going on this week, but maybe I'll get a chance to sit down and have a look this evening.

Take care all

kate1979

Updates on last Sunday's targets:

1) Cancel Practical Parenting subscription, it's all the same as I get in my Mother and Baby one anyway, and I don't pay for that as it was a Christmas present. Not done, but I have got the phone number sorted for tomorrow so I WILL get it done then.
2) Declutter for 15mins each day and find 5 items to go on Ebay. Some decluttering done but nothing found for Ebay. But I have come across a large box of old CD's intended for Music Magpie.
3) Phone a student from last term to find out her exam result and consequently whether she wants to resume tutoring. If she's passed, ring new student on waiting list. Done and done!
4) Put First Tutors advert back up, hopefully to increase tutees by 1 or 2. Not done but I didn't need to as I have had a previous student enquire about the possibility of restarting and a new one through word of mouth.
5) Crack on with small knitting projects - I am hoping to set up an Etsy store later in the year, but I am trying to come up with items that would actually sell - I am going to focus on small items that can be made quickly and consequently keep costs/prices low. I don't think there's any point making larger items when shops nowadays sell equivalents for lower prices than I could. I have some ideas about which area and target market to go for but need to spend a lot more time on this! Spent some time on this before starting a project for a friend who has a poorly baby (using wool from stash).
6) Sort DH's birthday presents from me and the children. All done and he was very happy! Especially with his Thundercats DVD :rotfl:

So, my targets for next week are:
1) Cancel the magazine subscription.
2) Get CD's onto Music Magpie.
3) Finish outfit for friend's baby then start on with small projects again.
4) 15 mins decluttering every day (I live in hope!)

I have three tutoring sessions booked, with a possibility of another for a student with A level exams coming up. And no birthday presents to buy!