MollyMischief's Money Muddles

Emmala

Evening all! :wave:

Well. This is it. After being a long time lurker I am starting my own diary. I hope it helps......there is a lot going in round here at the moment so this might help keep me sane!

I am married to a lovely man who has very recently lost his (very well paid) job. I've been a SAHM for nine years so things are changing very quickly here as we're facing an incredibly scary time in our lives. I am well aware that we have been very lucky, in that I've been able to stay at home with the children, but as our youngest is at school now I've been thinking about going back to work anyway, this has just brought it forward. DHs job (well, his old job!) used to take him out of the country regularly which is one of the reasons I stayed at home, essentially me giving up my job meant that he could do his.

So, having only been self employed in his job for six months, the shock of being let go was pretty huge. You always know it could happen, but you don't really expect it either. It means that although they paid him for work done, there was no redundancy and in fact he's owed money for expenses which we won't see (it's complicated). This we have stuck onto a 0% credit card and will chip away at it until we can clear it.

Thankfully I have the most amazing and incredibly generous parents who are prepared to help us out for a year, I don't know where we'd be without them. We have some money, but also some debt. This has been a MASSIVE wake up call for both of us though, and we have realised that we seriously need to reassess our attitude towards money, spend less, reign things in somewhat, and try not to lose sight of each other and the family in among the stress!

People keep saying that it will all work out in the end, and that redundancy can often turn up bigger and better things. I hope they're right.:o I have got a job at the kids school starting after half term, and although it's not paid very well, it means that life for the children can carry on as normal, i.e. they don't have to stop doing clubs, brownies and so on, but also there won't be any travel costs as we walk to school, and most importantly no childcare costs!! Five days of before and after school care is £178 a week!!! :eek::eek::eek:

So, big changes ahead. We are in a muddle there's no doubt, but with help from you lovely people I'm hoping to stay on top of things and not go under. In the early days when I thought of what we were going to do I stopped breathing with fright, but unfortunately my husband is the most laid back chap ever, so the only one worrying round here is me, not good at all as I've found out this week with chest pains on and off (doc says stress related, funny that.......)

Anyway, enough rambling. Onwards and upwards........wish us luck!

Emmala

Well, it's been a busy couple of days! What with packing for brownie camp and then a school residential, my house looked like a laundry! Luckily, both kids have plenty of old clothes for such things and the only buys were wellies for DD and a new coat for DS1.

Slightly relieved to have sorted out pay for my job when it starts as they had given me a figure which came in considerably under what I know my friend was paid when she started last year. Thankfully it was a mistake on their part, as I was getting really worried that I'd messed up and agreed to a job which wasn't paying enough (ie as much as I thought it would).

Sold a couple of things on ebay today, letting sales build up slowly in the paypal account to cover the xmas presents for the kids. We give them a stocking each from FC, and I pick up bits for those each week from August so these are underway. Nothing expensive, but with three kids to buy for if I left it and did it in one go it would cost a lot!

DH still hasn't told his parents he's lost his job. Of his siblings, he is the least favourite/favoured child and his parents seem to be rather disappointed with everything he does. I can't stand either of them, they are not very nice people and I swear if she was in a padded cell his mother would start an argument with herself. Still, he needs to tell them as we won't be going visiting this xmas (they're a five hour journey from us......;)) and we will only be buying them presents from the children this year. (whatever we do will be wrong in their eyes anyway.....)

Did the shopping this week in Lidl and spent £60. I have been trying to buy something to put towards Dec/xmas each week and also been building up the store cupboard for the winter and also in case things get even tighter.

Job for this evening is checking the gas/electric to see if we need to switch, as the bill came today and we are in credit for each (for a change!)

Got a bargain Next fleece for DS1 in the charity shop this morning, and also a WW cookery book which looks brand new for 99p! One of the charity shops near us sells everything for 99p and is always worth a look....last week I picked up a Principles jumper and M&S cardigan, 99p each, and also a Shrek costume for DS2 for 99p. Bargain.

Anyway, enough rambling. Tomorrow is another day, as the Peter Rabbit song went!

Ali-OK

Hi MM,

Lots of changes for you and congratulations on the new job too - glad you got the salary sorted.

Look forward to following your diary and very envious of a 99p charity shop, they all seem to be expensive in our area. You got some great bargains there.

You sound very savvy and resourceful, I'm sure you'll succeed.

Good luck.

Emmala

Thanks Ali, we must have crossed paths as I was just reading and subscribing to your diary!!

Yes, our charity shop is fab, a bit jumble saley at times but always worth a rummage! I've had some fab finds in there, for me and the kids! It's very rare that I don't get something in there, and as they're next to a car park and open on a Sunday I tend to take our stuff there too.

We have the similar issue as you, as we also have an interest only mortgage - it was the best way to make it affordable when we moved south from the midlands and had to buy a smaller house for more money!! Once we are straight (and cleared the CCs) we want to re-mortgage to repayment and also start overpaying when we do.

First things first though, DH needs to find a job, preferably one which will pay for everything we need it to a month, so that my wage becomes surplus and can be used to overpay debts then mortgage. I just hope it doesn't take too long for him to find one!!!

Ali-OK

That sounds like the perfect charity shop both for donating to and buying.

The mortgage terrifies me on I/O and I've left it longer than I should to pay off some capital. Luckily my 5 year fixed rate is low so at least capital repayments should be possible for me within roughly 6 months I think (and 4 yrs left on this rate). Fingers crossed I can make headway and catch up on where I should be with it.

Good luck with hubby getting another job. I hope the growth that's reported holds true and your plan is a good one. Your salary will be a nice surplus with working at the school. Childcare is extortionate now - I cringed in 2001 when I paid £600 a month nursery fees (and £240 a month mortgage). Then moving house seemed like a good idea in 2002. With hindsight and all that!!

Emmala

Afternoon!

Not much to report here today. DH has left for a second interview with a company which sells into Europe, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for him!! Nearly two months since he lost his job, which I know isn't very long in the grand scheme of things, but it seems like a lifetime of worry already.

Just about to do the on line banking and see how things stand at the moment. I have £90 left till the end of the month for 'housekeeping' as my mum would call it, which is plenty (I hope) barring disaster! What a difference having number one son away this week.....the cupboards still have food in them! He is a growing lad and eats constantly (he's also very sporty so to be fair he needs the energy!). We still have cereal in the boxes and fruit in the fridge so the good news is that I don't need to do a mid-week dash as he's eaten the last of something!! :rotfl:

Went for a walk on the beach with DH yesterday, in the pouring rain!! Was nice to have a bit of time to re-connect as the pressure of our situation has strained things between us a bit recently. I love being by the sea....not in it, as I'm scared of seaweed and think I'll drown.....but I feel like I'm at home somehow, just beach combing and listening to the waves.

We all had haircuts yesterday but as I have a friend who's a hairdresser, we have it done at home and it costs less than £30 for the five of us, and that includes a cut and blow dry for me. A few years ago I challenged myself to make a new money saving habit each month that we could stick to....that was May 2008s!!!

Right, hope everyone is having a good day. We have a lovely day here so I have the windows open letting the fresh air blow through!:)

brizzledfw

Hi Molly

Just popping in. You seem like you're coping very well. What a shock for you and your OH. Well done on your getting a suitable job, that's great news.

Keep on posting. The guys and gals on here are really supportive. I know
I couldn't do without them..:D

Have a good week.

Ali-OK

Fingers crossed for good news from your DHs interview.

We were by the sea this weekend for a wedding, trust it to be such a blustery one that I didn't make it to walking on the beach. Hope your walk helped to bring you and DH closer again.

My mum has 'housekeeping' too, pre-debit card days when my Dad would give her cash and she would have pots for various things. I really should have followed her example

Aha, I have one of those boys too - though not so sporty or energetic, unless finger speed with PC game playing uses alot up :rotfl: Where do they put it all?

Hope you had a good weekend.

Emmala

Ali-OK wrote: »

Fingers crossed for good news from your DHs interview.

We were by the sea this weekend for a wedding, trust it to be such a blustery one that I didn't make it to walking on the beach. Hope your walk helped to bring you and DH closer again.

My mum has 'housekeeping' too, pre-debit card days when my Dad would give her cash and she would have pots for various things. I really should have followed her example

Aha, I have one of those boys too - though not so sporty or energetic, unless finger speed with PC game playing uses alot up :rotfl: Where do they put it all?

Hope you had a good weekend.

Hi Ali, yes, my mum used to have two purses in her handbag! I wish I'd done the same, but I suppose it's 'better late than never!' I was thinking about you today, I've got my mum coming on Weds - the Weds of half term is our little traditional bake the xmas cake and pudding day - and so I will type up the xmas pudding recipe (I mean to do it every year!) so if you pm me your email I can mail it to you x

Busy few days here. DS1 came home from his residential exhausted, grubby, but he had such an amazing time!!! I feel like I've done nothing but washing for days! Managed to get some dry on the line today, but unfortunately the dry weather didn't last and I had to dash and get the washing in. So annoying!

I am feeling pleased with myself today though - I cleaned the fridge when I got back from Mr Ts this morning and instead of throwing bits out, made the following:

manky courgette and opened sour cream got used in a courgette and maple syrup cake

ropey looking butternut squash and opened single cream were made into roasted butternut squash soup

out of date but unopened greek yogurt was made into caramel mousse (with a tin of the carnation caramel stuff)

half a green pepper, half an onion and an open jar of pasta sauce made their way into a batch of bolognase sauce, split into two and put in the freezer.

I did well in Tesco this morning, came in on budget (last of the month's housekeeping) and arrived just as the fruit and veg reductions were being put out, so got plenty of fruit for the boys for the week and it was all half price. My boys are like locusts with fruit....last weekend a bag of grapes lasted a whole two hours!!:rotfl:

It's raining hard outside here. Good for the garden, as my Dad would say! Here's hoping it brightens a little for half term week! Swimming with the kids tomorrow, which is free for them as it's at the pool they have lessons at, then meeting with friends at a country park later in the week if the weather holds! Will plan on cheap cinema Tuesday, if we take our own snacks we can go for a tenner which isn't too bad.

Here's to a frugal half term!!

Ali-OK

PM sent, thank you so much and have a brilliant time baking with your Mum.

Wow, you've been mega-busy and creative cooking too, I'm very impressed :A

I picked up Satsumas from the Aldi Super-6 (10 for 69p) and our usual mini apples. DS doesn't like fruit at all (won't go in same room as it, part of his SN unfortunately), but he loves his veg - when cooked :rotfl: Doesn't make healthy snacks very easy!

Can I steal your onion and green pepper added to pasta sauce please? It'll bulk up a bolognese and make more in a batch - I found a green pepper lurking so a perfect way to use it. Will do that instead of batch chilli this week.

Country Park reminds me we should take the opportunity to go out to one we don't normally and give the dogs different scenery - mind you, as long as anywhere has mud they are happy :rotfl:

Fingers crossed the weather improves after the storms due and definitely to a frugal half term! :beer:

Emmala

For my bolognase I use onion and garlic, plus whatever I have in the fridge.....courgette, green pepper, celery....just chop/dice it all finely and it will cook fine. I dice a carrot or two and cook these in the microwave while I cook the rest in a pan. Add the mince, chuck in some mixed herbs, an oxo cube and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and the carrots when cooked. I use passata, or Lidl pasta sauce (76p a jar). This is then ready as bolognase, or the bottom of a shepherd's pie, or just add chilli powder and kidney beans for chilli. Always worth taking a portion off to freeze as topping for a baked potato too!