StressedStephs Fight against debt..Again!

StressedSteph

Thank you Maddiemay for all the gif's :beer:.

Ok, so have finished my stint working. This morning I have a million different things to achieve. I am going to make a list, but got no hope in getting it all done.

Finish 3 x Christmas Buntings and package up.
Sort out and wrap up Daughters Birthday Presents
Check each child has similar quantity of Christmas Presents
Balance bank account against spreadsheet.
Sort out and Prioritise and start making the last craft orders.
Start the big tidy up.
Fold up and pack away washing
change beds

Got to get the house tidied up as soon as possible, It has completely fallen apart the last few weeks because I have been so busy working. Really want to get it all lovely and clean before the Christmas Decorations go up. Nothing worse, adding Chaos to chaos .

I have 8 more wreaths to make on Sunday, so no rest in sight.
Can't wait for Christmas now, if only to have a rest


Got to go into big town next week to sort out Christmas Stocking fillers. I wonder where is the best place to go? Think I will nip in the pound shop and mix a few bits from there with a couple of bits from Hawkins B#zaar.

Hope anyone who is reading is having a good week. Last weekend before Christmas :eek:

maddiemay

It sounds like you will really need that rest, but well done on achieving so much and earning all that extra money.


Do you put everyday useful things in the stocking as well as sweets and chocolate etc.? I did some for OH's parents a few years ago (in their 80's), they were tickled pink as had not had any since they were children. I also did one for OH and made him do one for me (cue much face pulling and worried expression), but after seeing what I was doing for the outlaws he came up trumps in the end. I included things like comb, pen, paper hankies, new face cloth, soap as well as chocolate money, a sugar mouse, orange. He completely misread the price on rather a nice blusher brush for me so I got rather a smart new one, not the cheapie that he thought it was. LOL.

StressedSteph

Morning Diary,


Sorry I have been absent for a while. It has been an incredibly manic time, I worked all last week, then it was my daughters birthday on Saturday, I also fitted in visiting my mum in her residential home and on Sunday I made 15 Christmas Wreaths for order I had. Phew.....


This week I have a lot of crafts still to make for peoples order for Christmas Presents, so probably won't be around too much also.


I got offered abit of a job last night - Booking-keeping for a friend in the village. She asked me to let her know my hourly rate.
I am abit torn as to what to do though......The extra money would be good, but I have to put my hands up to not being the best book-keeper in the world and I feel by brain has slightly gone to sleep after being out of work having the children for so long and also a lack of confidence.
If I make any mistakes, she is a friend and I hate the thought of being moaned about behind my back . Not sure I want to get involved with it......


I have a confession to make - I had an accidental splurge the other day. I took my children to a Christmas display in a garden centre. They visited Father Christmas, but I also got abit carried away and ended up with a receipt for £77 !.... I know how rubbish am I??.


Got to balance the spreadsheet again today and hope I haven't jeopardised me making my Snowball payments this month.
Thankfully I still have around £200 to come in from craft sales so that should bridge the gap.


Still got stocking fillers and the Christmas food shop to afford ....Yikes. I HAVE to be more careful xx

debtfreewannabe321

Great news on all the money from crafting Steph :T you've done a fab job, you should give yourself a pat on the back and be very proud of yourself! I know all too well the torn feeling of having no money but not wanting to leave the kids to go out to work. It's really tricky but I think you've found your niche now to start planning what you can make for Valentine's Day, Easter etc....although after a break obviously I hope you have a lovely christmas and I got our stocking fillers in the range, they were all £1- £1.50 each and I always put in a tangerine, some nibbly foods and a drink Santa knows that mummy's and daddy's need their sleep whilst the kids play quietly for half hour with their stocking toys isn't he thoughtful haha xx

StressedSteph

Hi DFW,


Hmmm The Range....Will have to have a search where my nearest one is....Think it might be Dorchester. Got to be savvy with the stocking fillers as I don't really have a budget left for them.


I forgot to say in my last post, I had a stroke of luck over the weekend. Our nearest theatre has Snow White pantomime this year and really wanted to take the children to see it. I didn't end up booking any tickets as just seemed like an avoidable expense all things considered. Well.....a wonderful friend contacted me over the weekend to say they had been given some complimentary tickets and as they already have some, would I like them. Yay What a fab friend.


So this Sunday afternoon we are off to see Snow White. will be a wonderful start to Christmas Week.


xxx

debtfreewannabe321

That's great! We paid a small fortune for our panto tickets! We're going on Monday

StressedSteph

Grrrr can't beleive B#rclays bank. Logged onto my online banking this morning to see that they have very kindley taken £270 of charges and £56 interest out of my account :eek:. This for for Oct-Nov which was my major LBM when 70% of my direct debits went unpaid.
Aaargh....I know its my fault, but it does'nt make it any easier to see over £300 go out of my account 1 week before Christmas.

So, the coffee I had arranged in town with a friend this morning had to be re-thought. It was my turn to pay this time and just could'nt justify it, so I had to make up a little white lie saying I was waiting for an urgent delivery, could she come to mine instead. . Doing this I have saved £10+ on coffee's and my fuel into town.

Next big worry is we have been invited out on a close friends birthday meal on the 23rd. Trouble is they are pretty well off, and they SPEND alot. I am now worried that they will be ordering bucket loads of expensive wine and then the bill will get split between us all :eek:.. I wonder how I can get round this. I would much rather cancel, but we have cancelled/turned down tonnes of invites lately and this was our one YES that we decided to do. .

I have £100 put aside for the Christmas food/treats shop and that is it. Going to have to be very clever with my shopping.

Oh when it rains, it REALLY pours xx

StressedSteph

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

That's great! We paid a small fortune for our panto tickets! We're going on Monday

HI DFW,


What is on at your local theatre? Ours is Snow White, Ds is not overly impressed as he reckons its a girly one, but tried to convince him about the male dwarves and Prince Charming. Not sure he bought it, but he still wants to come . xx

StressedSteph

Morning Diary,


Well, The expensive meal we are supposed to be going on this weekend has now gotten more expensive. Apparently they have now laid on a minibus to take everyone at £12.50 per person. So with the bus and the baby sitter it's £50 before we even leave the village.


Hubby said over the phone this morning that maybe if we can't afford it we should just cancel. I feel so bad though, because I know he is thinking, that if it wasn't for me being rubbish with the money we could afford to go.


I have worked out that in the very least it will probably cost £150!!!!. Think I will definitely have to cancel, its a ridiculous amount of money for someone else's birthday and we don't really know half the people going, so will probably be an uncomfortable night mixing with the upper classes anyway.


Aaargh its miserable being poor

macpumpkin

Hey Steph, I just wanted to de-lurk and say "hi". I think you make beautiful bunting and I had an idea. I had a baby last March and one of my friends made me some bunting with the letters of my babies name on each of the triangles over the material. I am no good at making bunting or sewing but I would buy some bunting like this if one of my friends had a baby as I think this is a really lovely personal idea and there are lots of people having babies at the moment so would make a good gift for a new baby and wouldn't be that much extra effort and people have babies all through the year and not just at Christmas. Sorry I am not the best at writing but I hope you have a lovely Christmas and good luck with everything x