7 kids and counting.......the debt!

ViolaLass

tiny_courageous wrote: »

The OP answered in post number 27.

OP, sounds like you're managing things well. Diaries don't usually turn into bunfights, so please don't get disheartened.

"Only if I have money in my pocket" needs to be allowed for in the SOA.

themarsbargirl

dingaling- you do what you need to for christmas and presents, everyone has their own values and as long as you are not increasing your debt to fund it then it is your own personal choice.
My favourite gift this year was from my mum, she had seen an owl cushion she thought i'd like but wasn't willing to pay the amount wanted for it, so she found a pillowcase, some fabric and buttons and made me my own owl cushion. I opened it and just squealed 'owlie!' and my mum's expression and joy at giving me something i valued so much was priceless...owlie is still in my room there and hasn't made it home yet but i still love my owlie.

How did you get on looking at slow cooker recipes? Find any good ones?

dingaling

beanielou wrote: »

This is just getting out of hand.
Enough.

Thanks Beanie.

I'm not going to justify my existence or why I am now a single parent. Not what I set out to be but sometimes life throws curve balls. I give us Christmas and I will make other sacrifices to do so. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, how it is expressed needn't be offensive.

Also I'm not sure how you add 'only if there's money in my pocket' to the soa, because if it's not in my pocket, we don't do it.

dingaling

themarsbargirl wrote: »

dingaling- you do what you need to for christmas and presents, everyone has their own values and as long as you are not increasing your debt to fund it then it is your own personal choice.
My favourite gift this year was from my mum, she had seen an owl cushion she thought i'd like but wasn't willing to pay the amount wanted for it, so she found a pillowcase, some fabric and buttons and made me my own owl cushion. I opened it and just squealed 'owlie!' and my mum's expression and joy at giving me something i valued so much was priceless...owlie is still in my room there and hasn't made it home yet but i still love my owlie.

How did you get on looking at slow cooker recipes? Find any good ones?

Thank you:) and no the debt doesn't get increased.

Your owl sounds wonderful, just the sort of thing I would treasure.

My two eldest girls gave me amazing presents too:) my birthday is next to Christmas, DD1 finger crocheted a gorgeous throw and the DD2 took me to Egypt on holiday! First holiday in years, it was wonderful! Both very different presents, both vastly different in cost but both as valuable to me! I am a very lucky and loved mummy!

I've had a look at recipes, there were cakes and all sorts! I got side tracked by the cakes, much as I'm sure the kids would love to live off cake, (wouldn't we all!) it really needs to contain something that looks like veg or so my mum says:rotfl:

themarsbargirl

Wait...did you just say CAKE in a slowcooker?! omg...will def have to befriend google now!!! Though it makes sense i guess, a slowcooker is essentially a dutch oven, i just thought it would be too variable for temps.
Yes, part of the reason owlie hasn't made it home is because i treasure it too much-i don't want it subjected to my housekeeping and smelling of smoke.
My mum still has the needlebook i made her for mothers day when i was 7. My brother is getting married at the end of july and i wanted to make him and his wife a quilt for their wedding present-bought the material a year ago and still haven't started it! better get a shifty on that one.

themarsbargirl

y'know...you could make a carrot cake or a beetroot and chocolate cake and then that would be veg...right?

ViolaLass

dingaling wrote: »

Also I'm not sure how you add 'only if there's money in my pocket' to the soa, because if it's not in my pocket, we don't do it.

My concern with that is that it implies that you may not really know how much you're spending each month. Might it be worth doing a spending diary?

I'm not criticising your method per se but if the point of this SOA is to help you pay your debts off (which I assume it is) then money needs to be consciously allocated.

silverwhistle

You seem to be doing pretty well: nobody is asking you to justify your existence etc. but if you ask people for advice on an open forum you get the advantage of different perspectives, and they all have their value.

Now I did see the amount of benefits you get and did think that was a substantial amount, and I wouldn't normally comment if it hadn't become some bone of contention, but it's significantly more than what I live on. Fortunately, as Immaculate Conception has gone out of favour for the last 2000 years it's only me to support. No triplets, although I am a great aunt.:D

But commenting on spend on presents is a perfectly legitimate point to make in the circumstances, (and I love Christmas) as is the query about "money in my pocket". These boards are full of people with a very loose conception of what a budget is, so if there is the odd calling to account for this vagueness you have to understand why! (Silverwhistle has a very vague budget herself..).

To finish on a practical note, I manage (after buying the phone) on £7.50 a month on giff gaff. In my budget (yes, I do have one..) the mobile is £20 a month including capital cost of (not top of line) phone, so if I manage more than 2 years for one (and I normally do - accident/breakdown excepted) I'm ahead and er... have "money in my pocket". :-)

dingaling

ViolaLass wrote: »

My concern with that is that it implies that you may not really know how much you're spending each month. Might it be worth doing a spending diary?

I'm not criticising your method per se but if the point of this SOA is to help you pay your debts off (which I assume it is) then money needs to be consciously allocated.

I get your point, I need to do a spending diary as money seems to pour through my fingers at times. It the triplets prom next week and I'm doing my best to kit them out as I best I can on a shoe string.

dingaling

silverwhistle wrote: »

You seem to be doing pretty well: nobody is asking you to justify your existence etc. but if you ask people for advice on an open forum you get the advantage of different perspectives, and they all have their value.

Now I did see the amount of benefits you get and did think that was a substantial amount, and I wouldn't normally comment if it hadn't become some bone of contention, but it's significantly more than what I live on. Fortunately, as Immaculate Conception has gone out of favour for the last 2000 years it's only me to support. No triplets, although I am a great aunt.:D

But commenting on spend on presents is a perfectly legitimate point to make in the circumstances, (and I love Christmas) as is the query about "money in my pocket". These boards are full of people with a very loose conception of what a budget is, so if there is the odd calling to account for this vagueness you have to understand why! (Silverwhistle has a very vague budget herself..).

To finish on a practical note, I manage (after buying the phone) on £7.50 a month on giff gaff. In my budget (yes, I do have one..) the mobile is £20 a month including capital cost of (not top of line) phone, so if I manage more than 2 years for one (and I normally do - accident/breakdown excepted) I'm ahead and er... have "money in my pocket". :-)

I appreciate it's an open forum etc and different opinions are the way of the world.

Yes it is a significant amount of money, there are also a significant amount of children. It is supporting me and five of the children that are under 18. We don't go on holiday, I don't drink, I don't smoke and the debt on the credit cards is from a failed business. Thank goodness for the help I receive, thank goodness we have these things available.

As for the mobiles, they will be sim only as soon as they are out of contract.

I need to get a grip of the budget and maybe I'm only playing at this dfw. I would indeed love to be very precise with my budget but currently my brain just can't deal with it so I'll pay my bills, not increase my debt and allow life to get a little less complicated for a while.