un-hinged!

mary_hinge

Hello and welcome snaggles to this [STRIKE]mad house[/STRIKE] humble aboad :rotfl:

Superman fights school every morning yet appears to enjoy it once there. He does however kick up a stink on the way home about things he isnt happy with during the day at school, this is getting easier now he has a little more speech but headbutting the floor, stripping naked, refusing to budge until he has eaten his packed lunch that he wouldnt touch at lunch time and generally refusing to walk are regular school run encounters! I'm sure you get "it" as many people don't!!

We find out Superman's "label" early next week but have been told it is just a formality as everyone is agreed he has ASD and SPD. He had speech and language delay and abnormal speech development. I'm dreading the meeting but thankful we will finally have some answers/closure and life will just continue on the same daily rollercoaster ride!

Snaggles, Little man and Superman are identical in more ways then I would like! that's another bridge to cross if we get to that point!

i enjoy doing carboot sales when i actually get there but the thought of them

Mrs H x

mary_hinge

so a update of things so far ....

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 3
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 625 (plus enhancements but these vary form month to month)
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 1821
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2446
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 595
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 75? Awaiting new bill will CT Benefit
Electricity............................. 60
Gas..................................... 61
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 41 over 10 payments
Telephone (land line)................... 81 this is the allowance for landline/mobiles/internet I pay £55 in total £26 for the "extras"

Mobile phone............................ 0 included with land line
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0 included with landline
Groceries etc. ......................... 480 struggle with this always good intentions but faddy eaters and several bottomless pits
Clothing................................ 79 this is also way more then I spend but gives alittle breathign space elswhere
Petrol/diesel........................... 150
Road tax................................ 22
Car Insurance........................... 64
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 30
Car parking............................. 50 no more free parking at work but they do pay 50%
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 128 this is only term time so alittle "extra here"
Other child related expenses............ 51 this is more like £150 but superman has DLA that isn't included in my income which pays for his activities
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 38 this is £13 so £25 "extra here"
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 23 this is now £35
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 26 this is £20.53 now so £5.47 "extra" here
Life assurance ......................... 40 this is £16 now so £24 "extra here
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0 this is made up of survey vouchers
Haircuts................................ 32 this is more like 10 as i rarely get my hair cut, i cut clever cloggs' hair myself
Entertainment........................... 34 this is more like £100
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 34
Total monthly expenses.................. 2205 (2129.53 so a small amount of breathing space here)

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1200
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 1200

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
cccs........................22,340.61.....241...... .0
Total unsecured debts.......22,340.61.....241.....-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,446
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,205
Available for debt repayments........... 241
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 241
Amount left after debt repayments....... 0
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 1,200
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -22,340.61 ( Mr H wouldn't enter in to a dmp and as our finances are seperate this is my total debt)
Net Assets.............................. -21,140.61

so this itself will reduce the length of my dmp as i will be paying £87 a month more then the last 12months.

Mrs H

mary_hinge

:waves: kettle is on, grab a pew and get comfortable I think this maybe a epic post! Help yourself to Lemon drrizzle cake that the little hinges [STRIKE]destroyed my kitchen[/STRIKE] lovingly made.:rotfl:

So hectic week last week, Meeting went well, ASD diagnoised for superman now time to move forwards. This week has been about acceptance and feeling very blessed then dwelling. Time for alot more PMA!

Money is very tight for the next 10days, the budget has been battered by a hefty car repair, suprise tax bill and new shoes for Miss Hinge.:eek: Need to be very creative with the food we have in stores and will be shopping from home!

Meal plan looks alittle like this:

Sunday beef stew and dumplings with y.puds and mash (plenty put a side in the freezer for baby Hinge to have as lunches.)
Monday chicken fajita's with some left over rubber chicken
Tuesday Hm pizza and over chips
Wednesday pasta bake with Hm garlic bread
Thursday bottom of the fridge soup and sponge pudding
Friday egg chips and beans
Saturday chillie and rice with Hm naan bread
Sunday left over chillie on jacket potatoes with cheese
Monday freezer jackpot, using up the left over fish fingers, nuggets, hash browns,etc.....
Tuesday sausage casserole with y.puds and roasties
Wednesday.... will have money to go shopping!!

pack ups will be inventive, ham, cheese and jam for sandwiches for the littlies and tuna or sandwich paste for us. Lots of twinks biscuits and home make fairy cakes, banana and sultarna bread and apple and cinnamon muffins!

On the plus side I have switched house insurance and saved £3 a month and got £50 cash back :j renewed the AA and got £45 cash back :jswitched the pet insurance and got £34 cash back :j and £2.85 cash back frrom a online order! I know it will take a while to come through but it will certainly help with christmas and birthday presents :T

2 birthdays this week all sorted from the bargin box filled in the post christmas sales, smellies for my friend and a peppa pig toy for her little princess, all 75% off and just less then £12 in total for both .............reminds me I need to run up some crayon rolls, and kitchen sets (aprons and oven gloves) to have to hand as we enter birthday party session at school Superman wants a party again this year at the same sports hall, £80 room hire and all entertainment/bouncy castle/sports games and toys provided. then food and party bags to find. Not sure it is possible but will wriggle aound the numbers and see what is doable.

have dug out some work in progress projects and have:

a cadigan for Miss Hinge half knitted, horrid repeat pattern with mulitple cables, moss stitch and blackberry stitch, must finish this for her birthday in July. :eek:
a scarrf for Miss Hinge 3/4 finished, this is my take with mr none thinking project
Mittens for Baby Hinge 1 finished another half way there, I hate making mittens!
1 pair of Longies for Baby Hinge next size up to go over his cloth bum at bedtime... saved a small fortune since we stopped buying nappies!

Time to make the pack ups, load the dishwasher and settle down with one of the above!


Mrs H x

mary_hinge

Another day and here I am again! Ever get the feeling your talking to yourself?!

so today...

dinner done and dusted, stretched out the chicken fajitas with some tomato pasta bake packed with frozen veg, filling but cheap!

must look at the figures, have been offered some voer time at work for the next couple of weeks, not sure the affect it will have on benefits so will look in to that before signing up.

Carboot sale planned for sunday, will sell all the baby clothes and bits we no longer use, have 3 childrens bikes and 2 scooters to go aswell. all ££ made will go in the decorating kitty, have decided it is time baby Hinge moves out of my room so will be putting Miss Hinge in to the loft conversion (currently a office space barely used as it is full of [STRIKE]for mentioned junk[/STRIKE] exciting carboot sale treasure :rotfl:
would need 3 tins of paint, a new mattress, a large rug and a chest of drawers to give the children a bedroom each and oodles of clutter clearing and elbow grease on a tiny budget.:eek: would be looking on free cycle and chairty shops for the drawers and shabby chic them hinge style!

I will instore order and organisation on this [STRIKE]madhouse[/STRIKE] delightful household!

time to soak my bones I am frozen solid and stiff as hell!


Mrs H x

Snagggles

I'm considering popping round for dinner. Your meal plan sounds much more well thought out than mine!

It's a pity you're not in Edinburgh, as we currently have a small child's bed in our living room waiting for me to take it to the charity collection place. In the meantime, it is useful as a clothes airer. I will quite miss it when it goes! :rotfl:

I am very envious of your ability to make gifts for people, and also of your foresight, buying things in the sale to give throughout the year. That deserves a round of applause. :T :T :T

mary_hinge

:jHello Snaggle, kettle is boiling and the little horrors are [STRIKE]strangling each other[/STRIKE] playing nicely!:D

Miss H is out to Sib's group I love that she has a place to go to vent about the unfairness of living in this caotic household and for £2 she gets fed and entertained for 2 hours! :T

Bread machine has given up the ghost so it is pizza dough made by hand, I have battered it to a inch of it's life and relieved some much needed tension! my arms will be like Hulk's if I keep this up!
It smells good, I am getting a tinsy bit :eek::eek: about how empty the fridge is but all bases are covered.

Today the planning has been done on "mission bedrooms" and I think it is going to be [STRIKE]hell on earth for 2 days[/STRIKE] a tad confuddled! Looking forwards to the carboot sale though, will rummage around for the entry fee as money is tighter then a ducks behind this week..... weighing up the ethics of selling a £20 gift voucher for a over priced clothes shop that is ment for Miss H as could get her a whole "new to her" wardrobe for that not just 2 pairs of jeans!

Our wedding anniversary today, very MSE we swopped cards we bought for our 1st anniversary and added a new message. How did times get this hard?!

Snaggle the gifts are something I have always been determind to be prepared, as a little girl presents were very scarce and often meaningless. I enjoy making things and seeing the faces when the gifts are opened. crayon rolls are simple and far superior to £shop gifts in the same price range, not all people like handmade my step mum is the snobbiest going but i know she likes posh smells that are in abundance in the 75% of sale at b00ts:money: so pick up enough to cover her birthday and christmas. maybe next year i will pluck up the courage to save my money completely and not buy the snobby c0w anything :rotfl:

I guess I will have to find a new hide hole for all these gifts as the loft will be out of bounds..... suggestions most welcome to kiddie safe hiding places!

Snaggles our clothes horse tends to be anything that stays still long enough to get something put on it :rotfl:i must check out the flylady thread!!

Well the oven buzzer has gone so bed go dish up!

Mrs H x

Snagggles

I hide Christmas presents in the boot of my car...or the airing cupboard, as I can absolutely guarantee that no-one will go in there for fresh bedding, clean towels, or to put anything away (other than me)!!

mary_hinge

Pull up a pew, we don't stand on ceremony here... what a pig of day!!

Chillie, rice and hm bread for tea, switched the plan around, Mr H thought it would be helpful to get "something out for tea" not paying attention to the huge meal plan drawn on the white board!

have decided to go through my wool [STRIKE]fit for bursting, takes up enough room to house a small family[/STRIKE] stash and list the good stuff on ebay and the rest to the car boot sale sunday. still making lists of things to route out for ebay or bootie, I'm hoping things sell well as I'm short on money and space!:rotfl:

Have found 2 tops to return to Asda no receipt but should get a gift voucher £19 would give some wriggle room and fill the fridge and cupboards a little until payday. More cakes baked today but no eggs left now and the fresh fruit is all gone.

:money:£20 claimed in survey vouchers today, they will do nicely for the presents budget! and a inbox full waiting for me to do after once the horrors are in bed.

Mrs H x

HeadAboveWater

Hello :wave:
Just found your diary and gonna subscribe Don't have time to read everything and get caught up tonight, but will be back tomorrow

mary_hinge

Hello HaW :wave:welcome to the madhouse!

2 of the 3 horrors tucked up and fast asleep, master H has other ideas! time to snuggle up on the sofa with the quilt (saves on heating! :money:) and crack on with some knitting. Eanie-meanie-minie-mo which work in progress shall I pick tonight! :rotfl:

:DVery proud mummy moment:T
So parents evening for Miss H tonight and she is a little clever clogs! she has the maths ability of a child at the end of year 6 ready for secondary school and she is only 8! :T she doesn't get that from me :rotfl::rotfl:She is smashing all her targets and doing awesome! I suppose this lets her off with the lip service she gave me earlier!

I have been looking at ways to "make do and mend" to see how I can stretch our budget further, will post some ideas tomorrow when I don't need some match sticks to focus!

Night All

Mrs H x