LBM in 2003.. What have I been doing since??!

milasavesmoney

That is just wonderful news for your daughter! You have a couple of gems there ya know!

Fortune_Smiles

Well done Brizzles!

Fortune x

brizzledfw

Thanks all - appreciated

Proud Mum aka Brizzle

NoOneAround

Just had a quick catch up - Fab news
Well done to both DD1 and 2 :j (and Mrs B :T for bringing them up so good:))

Well done to everyone else who have had results too:T
xx
NOA

please-let-me-be-lucky

Well done to the mini brizzles :j Xx

Sun_Addict

Well done to the Brizlettes - a real credit to you xx

brizzledfw

Thanks all.

Had a lovely weekend, possibly a bit too much socialising. Which meant spends and feeling shattered but the sunny weather helped my mood!

Budget looking ravaged for August and school shoes and necessaries still to buy for DD2.. Thank goodness DD1 now has a uniform free life!

The latest is:

- OH will be away a huge amount over the next 6-9 months. But I am determined to focus on the additional pay and fact that he's trying to keep the holidays free. It may mean some tweaks but currently think we can manage to keep to what we want to do
- my additional work being a host family for our new lodger is hard, but I am trying to adjust, be optimistic and again think it's all for a good cause and it's good to have others to interact with. I will also ask DD1 to do some housekeeping for me to take the pressure off and load up the freezer with lasagnes etc so I don't have to cook every day
- no new work clothes until end February. I looked through my wardrobe yesterday and I simply have loads. It's crazy. I am wearing shoes today for the first time and I bought them in March. Bonkers. Has to stop. No new leisure clothes either.
- go back to 5:2 which I quite liked - need to drop my diabetes risk!
-and whilst I am on the health angle - need to book that smear :eek: - already been sent one reminder!!
- try and find more work.. At least hustle for it. Try to do 2 hrs p.w on it (but do need to give myself a pat on the back for managing the host family piece - it is another responsibility that's for sure )
- stick more rigidly to YNAB budget.. seems like OH and I have been treating it as 'advisory' and the OD is creeping up again Food is another weakness so planning to meal plan to the freezer and larder more consciously than before
- sell some more items and declutter every month. Slower now but still could be better - particularly in the kitchen!
- switch off screens at 9:30pm and start reading books again instead of always reading magazines,newspapers and the tinternet!

Think that's the goals for now. Will report back to let you know how it's going

Love to all and have a great week

Brizzle x

Moneyfordreams

Sounds a lot when it's written down... We've had a pricey couple of months too... I'm hoping to be a bit more focused in the next month.. 2 trips away and lots of so spending required though... aiming to be tight in other areas.

I'm kind of basking in the no uniforms, no bus fares, no school dinners at a fiver a day.... however, on balance, deposit for uni accom (still half of my money ) petrol, bnb stay, spends ..... think I'd rather the school

OH being away sounds tough.. You can do it

Roll on October....

Igamogam

brizzledfw wrote: »

Think that's the goals for now. Will report back to let you know how it's going

Sounds like you do the Academic New Year re focus too:rotfl: DD2 signed up for FE college today to re do A2 - she is upbeat and positive about it but maybe that has something to do with the fact she off to a music festival for 5 days tomorrow - working, but gets to experience the festival too for free!

We were looking at the £500ish pcm for university accommodation and with that on hold means I can hammer at the debt again - has gone down but not as much as I had hoped:( and I have taken a drop in wages of about £200 per month - council cut backs.....will be excepted to have same level of responsibility though, without the remuneration:mad: I havent touched the Child Benefit for over a year and will be able to claim for this year too so my plan is to leave it and then there will be a bit of a buffer 12 months hence..........well that's the plan:D

Loving the no uniform, regulation shoes thing too - DD2s sixth form was very strict regarding uniform - now have regulation trousers with school emblem on - gone down like a lead balloon!!

doingitanyway

I agree Brizzled. Get the family to help where you can and stock the freezer up too. In the long run hosting is an excellent idea for your family.
You seem to have got your week off to an organised start. Go Brizzled!