Lilt and Jellytots most excellent adventure...

liltdiddylilt

:eek::eek: Peaty that sounds horrific! I'm so sorry, although if it is making you better in other ways it is about striking a balance isn't it? Nowhere even vaguely near your standards, but I am on two different sets of anti-histamines to counter an Artichoke allergy that leaves me looking like the elephant man in short order after entering Pizza Express each time for one, and unexplained reactions to everything I touch for another following the Pizza Express incidents.The anti-histamines have good sides, such as making my psoriasis all but disappear, and bad sides - making my permanently super clear face clog up like nobodies business and leaving my face all blotchy SO my choices are somewhat limited. And worse, I am not allowed to take any anti-inflammatories whilst on them, so my painkillers for my back are hardcore 60mg codeine/1000mg paracetamol 4 times a day. We won't discuss the side effects of those:eek: Yay for peeing without pain though!

HAW I had a lovely holiday and until today I have to say I was definitely still in holiday mode. Jelly & I had a great time, although I didn't actually get that much 'rest' really. We were spoiled by my parents as always.

Her birthday list consists of an Iggle Piggle talking doll (Iggle Coggle she calls him) for the princely sum of £15 and a £10 playtent/tunnel combo. My mum in law will no doubt be stocking up on all manner of things to give her... clothes/toys/books/dvd's etc. I's hard to dampen her enthusiasm for buying anything she sees and likes. Whilst I am always grateful for everything people do for us/Jellytot... I only have a small flat and it is getting hard to move with all her toys. Storage boxes are taking over!

So yes, a mini bank account. I think I could divert her child benefit into there, definitely put some money in to start her off saving, and also having had discussions with Him regarding her nursery fees, he has agreed to pay half of what I have to pay towards them after taking the tax credits into account. Knowing that he is on a far lower income, but also that he wants desperately to contribute to her welfare, I think this money would be well spent on 'savings' for her. He's also mentioned putting in half towards nappies and wipes etc. I think it is EXTREMELY important for her to learn about finances. When I was growing up, the sharpest lessons I had in life were the contrast between my family and my best friends family when it came to times like birthdays and Christmas. Their house, with two non-working parents and 5 kids, had huge overflowing bin bags full of toys covering the living room at Christmas. And I am not talking low value items; I'm talking skateboards and playstations and dozens of games. Meanwhile, my mum childminded half a dozen kids just to keep us in shoes whilst my dad worked away 5 nights a week all over the country. What I didn't know then was that their parents were borrowing on top of borrowing, and that particular house of cards crashed around the time I was 17-18. They filed for bankruptcy, lost their house and have never gotten back on their feet since. I've learned. I think Jellytots combined Christmas and birthday presents up until now (2 xmas, 1 bday) have cost under £200 for me. And she hasn't known any different, nor has she gone without!

Ramble ramble today!!

Jellytot has been to nursery twice this week, beaming and smiling, kissing and cuddling everyone in sight. She has also napped both days there... hmmm. I guess it is wearing her out! That, or they drug the kids? Haha:rotfl::rotfl: Anyhow, handing over two weeks deposit and 1 weeks fees was PAINFUL yesterday. £160 later :eek: Still, £104 of it will come back to me when I have long forgotten about it, so there's more money for Jellytot's bank account!:T

Me and my minnie the mouse onesie are off to snuggle my electric blanket in bed (I'm very nesh!) in preparation for another rubbish days work tomorrow. Talk about taking major steps backwards in life.... *sigh* - Still, they pay me practically full time wages of most folks there to go three days a week.

Work to LIVE, not LIVE to work

Night all x

HeadAboveWater

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

HAW I had a lovely holiday and until today I have to say I was definitely still in holiday mode. Jelly & I had a great time, although I didn't actually get that much 'rest' really. We were spoiled by my parents as always.

Interesting story ref the money. Just goes to show not everything may be as it seems

Sooooo pleased jelly is enjoying nursery! You'll be finding it hard to drag her away before long! At least you know she's happy. That's the main thing.

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Work to LIVE, not LIVE to work

Precisely!!

liltdiddylilt

Oh my goodness I feel the need to write this down in here and make it true...

Thanks to Him moving out, as you know, certain facts and figures in my life have changed. I'm monetarily better off than ever and boy does it show this month. Tax credits are sorting themselves out following Jellytots nursery changes last week & I've had a lot extra in this month.

I think, for the first time in a few spendy spendy months, I should have the opportunity to leave every penny of tax credits money for the next 8 days, thus tying in with my wages from work and meaning I have a whole month ahead with all of my money from the start.

I've got £105 left for this next week and a day. I need some food and to pay Jellytots £55.70 nursery fees on Tuesday morning. Food can be done for £40 on Mr A's online. Has to be this much to get me free delivery with my £15 3 months delivery saver. Will also be enough to cover more than a weeks worth of food if I am heavy on the veggies and careful with my choices. I've got 3 packs of mince and 3 packs of pigs in blankets in the freezer as well as a lot of sausages. Bought a dozen eggs today from the local farm. Extra large £2. Reckon I could do this and still have money spare!

I downloaded a spreadsheets app for my phone, which is casually placed in the folder with my half a dozen banking apps, and 'OnTrees'. Look it up if you have a smart phone and a lot of banks/credit cards. It's amazing I wrote everything into a budget spreadsheet but I may resort to another app I used to use to log every penny in and out of every bank, my purse and even my paypal. Boy did it work. I could use it to maximise savings until April when my TC will go down.

HAW we still need to run away together. Right now, a yawny bunny is off to sleep though!

Night all

please-let-me-be-lucky

I'm sure you can manage the next 8 days. Well done you Xx

HeadAboveWater

Agreed! You're managing really, really well financially! Long may it continue!

Looked for the app on Google but it must be an iTunes one?? I figure I may just stick to good ole Excel! lol Lots of tabs for me to avail of! It goes back quite a while and I like to have all the history available too. Although considering it's excel it may be able to be imported...

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

HAW we still need to run away together

Deal!

liltdiddylilt

The best laid plans of mice and men....

So, I still haven't done any shopping. I have been a very good girl and got a vomiting bug (I won't elaborate) that Jellytot brought back from nursery this week. So having not eaten, there was no need for food. Fridge-freezer and cupboards well stocked. Reckon I could cut the shopping down to 'veg' only. I'm sure the mounds of couscous, rice and pasta in the cupboard have a million ideas just begging for some veg. And the freezer has plenty of meat to add to the mix.

Why do I need to cut it to just veg you may ask? Because I forgot my £107 had £20 cash removed to cover my 'eggs' money at work. The rest is still in my purse but it cannot be counted towards the 2 direct debits that have come out of my account (or will do in the next 2 days)... Totalling £60.60. So I have £26 left in my account to pay Jellytots £55.70 nursery fees

Off to count the shrapnel in my purse and 'tin' and see if I can't cover the rest somehow magically without dipping into future funds.

liltdiddylilt

I could throw the hugest wobbler right now.

Money seems to be leaking from every possible angle. I am trying to halt this as best I might by moving all but bill money out of my account. Sometimes a little piece of plastic and a pin number is so easy to use I become a complete idiot with it. Im going to start counting NSD's again and if that doesn't work I will join NSK challenge for April.

My next door neighbour wasnt amused with me banging my metal bin on my skirting board to wake him at 7am after 6 weeks of keeping me awake half the night and so left me a delightful note threatening my personal safety. I'm in a flat, on my own, with a small child. My worry is that he will drop some petrol and a match through my letterbox because he really is that stupid judging by the 5 year olds handwriting and the 'WATCH' 'mug' at the bottom of the note. I could show the police but since my banging he seems to have gone quiet apart from the odd occasion at reasonable times. I have complained to the environmental health team at my council as they deal with noise complaints. Still waiting to hear back from them. Meanwhile Him is staying over and I am blocking my letterbox up with a glasses case each night and after the post is delivered. Hate not feeling safe in my own home thanks to an uneducated imbecile. Metal box for the door to be bought and installed asap for peace of mind.

Work is always stressful and especially so as I have sole responsibility over the company end of year accounts (our year end is 28th Feb) but made more so by me being marginalised at work, getting abuse from a rude colleague & another colleague then telling boss it was me being rude to him when in actual fact I fought to keep control, nearly ended up in tears and had to leave the room. Cue boss, who wasnt there or I would have complained immediately, chewing me a new one the second she walked in to the office. The colleague who told boss sees herself as my rival which gets old fast. By the time I had asked what the heck boss was on about and given my side, she immediately backed off but not before I had cried. Now my lovely colleague has been let go at the end of his training by these stupid vicious people because he wasnt trained properly (at ALL in fact) and now I am worried for him and his stay at home wife and 2 kids under three. I do not want to go in to work on weds.

Things are actually looking up in some aspects. Him asked to give things another go. Call me an idiot but after I grilled him long and hard, explained my future plans to him and told him to fit in or disappear, I seem to have found the person I thought I had all those long months ago when I felt like life was good. Still things are rocky to say the least. My choice, he isnt moving back in (save for this week with imminent threat to us) and he is providing a small amount of cash towards jellytots welfare/nursery. The 2 nights he is here to look after jelly, he is the cook and potwasher. I do everything usually. The one thing that is bugging me right now is he is playing online with the girl who started our issues in the first place. Only for the last couple of nights but enough to make me jumpy. Am sat here listening to him talk, not knowing what is to her and what is to his other friends. He did ask if it was ok yesterday which it wasnt really but what reasonable response do I have? Today I wasnt even asked...

Jellytot is teething. She only has the top 4 and bottom 4 front teeth. Got her first tooth at 14 months and 1 day old :eek: and is 2 next month. I think a canine made an appearance this morning but it is like feeding a lion; do not put your hand in there! She keeps waking and crying tonight poor baby!

Am quite proud of my epic entry tonight. Ive got a new tablet to replace the laptop jellytot sat on and smashed. It still works, barely but the screen has lines down it and is literally hingeless on one side, so holding on by a tiny wire I think makes the screen work. Ive backed everything up. 13k photos in under 2 years. My daughters first years will be well represented in the future eh! Anyways back to the tablet, im really struggling with the new keyboard, used to other makes and models *cough* iPhone *cough* so this post has taken an hour practically!!!

Off I run, still happy I and jelly are healthy, and theres money in the bank and food on the table. Hope youre all in the same boat!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Gosh, lots going on with you lilt!

Fingers crossed neighbour is all mouth and no trousers, but yes, for peace of mind get a box fitted. Keep the letter as evidence and should anything 'weird' start happening, get the police involved.

I hope HIM knows how lucky he is. Perhaps not if he is online. Perhaps another conversation may be needed there?!

Poor Jelly. Teething is cruel.

Big hugs Xx

HeadAboveWater

*Friday hugs* :D

BIG update to catch up on Agree with lucky on both points:

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

Fingers crossed neighbour is all mouth and no trousers, but yes, for peace of mind get a box fitted. Keep the letter as evidence and should anything 'weird' start happening, get the police involved.

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

I hope HIM knows how lucky he is.

Ref the fact Him is online to the girl who started this off?? Uh..... where's the respect in that? There's no way I'd have stood for that! You said yourself, 'my choice', so I think 'your choice' again, something in ref to Her needs sorted asap, for your own sanity as much as anything!

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Off I run, still happy I and jelly are healthy, and theres money in the bank and food on the table. Hope youre all in the same boat!

:D:D

elfy1807

Hey.
Finally got round to finding you.
Sorry it took me so long.

Few things - sorry to hear about Him being a douche before Christmas, but so pleased you were so positive about it.
And now to hear you're giving it another go - if you believe that's the best thing for your little family, then I'm sure we're all here to support you
I personally think not letting him move back in is the best idea - you're better off financially with him not being there for now. Then, when the time is right and you want him to move back in, you'll probably have a lovely little cash fund set up.

My dad left my my mum in 2007, and we believe he's had several girlfriends in this time, but throws a fit if anything is slightly hinted out about my mum having a new partner - she hasn't that I know of, but it's such a male thing - do as they say, not as they do.
He's also run up ridiculous amounts of debt for my mum, which is the real reason I'm lurking on these boards. Not for my situation, I believe I've got a good grip on it, but like to update on what I'm up to. And then, next time mum mentions something about his debts, I'll speak to her about getting together an SOA, sorting a budget, figuring out what debts are, and the best way to tackle them. She's not buried in the sand, but it's hard to communicate to her about things unless she's in the mood to talk about it, if that makes sense. The biggest challenge would be talking to him -.-

Jellytot is gorgeous =D
She reminds me of my boyfriend's 3 year old niece who has also got lovely curls.
My hair is pants. It's wavy.
It doesn't curl nicely, it doesn't straighten nicely, it just turns out in all stupid directions that I don't want it to. But hey ho.

And a savings account for Jellytots is defo a good idea. Starting now would set her up with a really good future - the opportunity to go to college or university, or a starter for a business idea, a house deposit - so many things that so many people on these boards would probably have loved when they hit adulthood. I know I'd love a nice tidy sum of money.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your diary (except when reading about your down days - work sounds horrible. Not nice when you don't want to go to work. I was like that in November - a girl I worked with on customer services moved from part time to full time so we ended up working together more often - except we really didn't get on. She had a stinking attitude, which eventually caused her dismissal from the business a few weeks ago, but I was dreading going to work then because of the constant snide remarks. I was actually feeling sick driving to work. I've only ever had one day off sick in my 5 years of working, which was in january due to being able to get out of my dad's car with a bad back, who took me because I was in too much pain to drive myself, but most days I thought about calling in "sick" Thankfully I was able to move from customer services and onto the arts & crafts department which I am loving) and am now subscribed.

Hope you are well