Little by little

Emthemist

Thanks Greent and Watty. No luck on the interview front unfortunately, he came a close second apparently. Not much else on the horizon either

I really hope it's not for as long as your DH was off, that muxt have been tough for all of you. I'm aiming to keep LO in childcare as she loves it and we would never get a place again as the CM is so popular. Have warned CM that we may strip her hours down and maybe cut a day, but the minimum we need to send her is 18 hours a week to hold her place. I'll still receive my childcare vouchers but we'll have to pay the difference. I could go back to work full time but I feel I already miss out on so much of LO growing up. So much to think about.....

WhiteSnowdrop

My OH is a contractor too and it is hard when they are out of work, we had a 4 month period last year which because of when it fell could have quite easily have been at least 6 months over the christmas period. The depressing part is when you have to use all of your savings because there is no work but I guess the benefits when they are working make up for it. I'm sure the right job is just around the corner for him, another positive about contracting work is how quick the recruitment process can be so this time next week he may have something else lined up.

Keep going

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Also meant to say about your wedding gift problem I did a cookie mix in a jar for a teachers gift this year. Pinterest is full of recipes etc, brownie in a jar is another one. They only have to add butter eggs etc. You could theme the basket: 1.romantic night in, a hot chocolate with marshmallows, small chocolates (3 in a pack things) and a candle? 2. wine and cheese date night, chutney, crackers, small wine, cheese. 3. breakfast in bed, the jam, coffee or specialist tea and something else that I can't think of!

well you get the idea!

WS

Emthemist

Thanks WhiteSnowDrop. I don't think there is much call for gardeners starting in September But hey ho, we'll see, and what happens happens. We've managed to build a good buffer, and when he gets a job again we'll just have to set about replenishing it.

I LOVE your idea with the themed food. I think I'm going to steal those for my mummy friends for Christmas pressies!:T

Emthemist

End of month report - TERRIBLE MONTH :eek:

The total overpayment set aside for this month......considering target £250.......£13.20 :rotfl:

Totally rubbish. Anyway, not sure August will be much better. We have a wedding on Tuesday, yes Tuesday, what a ridiculous day for a wedding! Got 3 sets of visitors coming this month. Will have to take lots of picnics. Already know we have lights and wipers to replace on one of the cars, will do the full check on both tomorrow.

I'm going to redo my spreadsheet a little to have a description for what our "other" budget spending goes on, to see if we are being frivolous. Hopefully justifying it will work where just documenting didn't.

Oh well. That's the end of July. Roll on a better month!

newgirly

Hi just wanted to pop in and say a belated welcome try not to get too disheartened with making smaller ops , it's keeping up a routine and not giving up that's the important part. I spent the whole of last year making ops of literally pennies every day, we will get there In The end

Emthemist

Thanks Newgirly. I guess I knew we weren't going to make great strides, hence the Little by Little title to my diary. It just is a little bit disheartening. Must try harder!

Only a week into August and already 3/4 of our way through our "other items" budget. We were at a wedding on Tuesday and had to travel 200 miles each way. We stayed with my aunt and uncle and they looked after us really well (cooked breakfast at 7.30am three days in a row!). We have loads of visitors this month but will try to curb eating out (only lunches because we always cook a nice dinner - I think that's the only reason people visit us!) but it's difficult because we don't live in an easy to get to place so our sightseeing or whatever is always about an hour from home.

I sound really down, I'm not really, I've just written the reality of the situation and I'm not too bothered, it's just how it is this month. And next month? Not thinking about it yet.....

Emthemist

Aaaargh!! We just had a really spendy weekend :mad:

It was nice, catching up with my BIL and his girlfriend. They made a fuss of LO and she took to them really well considering she hasn't seen them since Christmas. However, lunch out two days in a row, coffees, entrance to a stately home and a football ticket for DH really have taken their toll on our budget. I'm just grateful it is during a month when DH is still working, next month it would have been so hard to see our savings disappear.

Anyway, it's like a budget airline in our house at the mo. No sooner did they leave than I stripped the bed and got the sheets in the machine, towels next and then to remake the bed ready for our next lot of visitors. People don't visit you for a whole year and then turn up within a week of each other!

WhiteSnowdrop

I both love and hate visitors. It's lovely to see people but it is quite hard work both in effort and budget.
Well done on the op. I know it wasn't much but that fact that you are thinking in that way is what matters (well in my head it does). Keeping chipping away.

WS

black_taxi_2

I remember starting MF journey,5 years ago,single


what I experienced


1.many unknowns out there,loss of overtime/fulltime employment/sickness/bills


2.better not to o/p a couple of months then to take on new debt(any loan/over draft.


3.have your holiday--1 week instead of 2,or a nice city break,when u hit a target


4.at first I thought no progress,but as balance gets lower,snowball effect works,less interest


5.if I never started my MF journey id still have 49k outstanding.,What I use to do is take on a 2k bank loan each year never paying my capital down.


6.now im below 5k and on target april 2015


7.your best decision was deciding to become MF,time passes quicker than you think.real support from mse site.


good luck on MF journey