I really really want to be........mortgage free!

shangaijimmy

I'm similar in that I put all off pay raises towards pension.

ourcornercottage

I am currently 1 hour into a dance class with a gaggle of screaming girls and a couple of boys.

I honestly don't know how parents of kids cope with girls I really don't!

ourcornercottage

Well lasted out the class, next week I will drop and leave. Really loud, I mean really loud girls! MiniOCC loves it and at end the dance teacher came over to say he has a natural talent. She is the second person to say that. The first said he should go to proper dance school he is so good.

What with dance, gym, football, beavers and guitar we can't really fit in dance school as well. Not to mention the cost. I'm hoping secretly that gym will run its course although the next 4 weeks are paid for anyway. I'm not so keen on the people who run the gym class, to be honest i find them a little strange.

Money wise not great, had to take £60 from my personal spends for groceries but should last two weeks. No other spends though so that's good. Hoping this month will be back to normal money wise as Jan has felt a little tight to say the least!

shangaijimmy

My niece has been in dance groups since 4 (now 11), and at one point my sister lost the will to breathe with all the outfits, sequins, glitter and full days! I'm praying/adamant little miss SJ will play tennis instead!

bunty109

ourcornercottage wrote: »

I am currently 1 hour into a dance class with a gaggle of screaming girls and a couple of boys.

I honestly don't know how parents of kids cope with girls I really don't!

You cope by avoiding dance classes and such like!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ourcornercottage

Have been this morning to the football tournament that started last week and they only went and came second!!!! There is one team that is affiliated with a semi pro senior team. They have subs, new kits, years of practice and they only beat minioccs team 1-0 in the final.

They did proper free kicks and really got stuck in tackling. Our team were a little too polite which isn't a bad thing!!! Miniocc played every minute of every game despite there being rolling subs as he was playing well. One of the kids in minioccs teams dad is very well known in the footballing world especially locally so I don't know what the other teams thought with them doing so well in the first tournament. Maybe thought they were getting some top tips or secret training!!!

Managed to spend little today

ourcornercottage

End to a long weekend, I'm slowly starting to feel less stiff from my fall on Thursday night and I have a massive bruise on my leg.

Am going to have a little look at the spreadsheet later and see where I can make the OP up from. This has been a really really tough month money wise with annuals bills and a heating oil top up. I have managed to keep the annual bills account intact but its been a struggle. Hopefully the next month will be slightly easier.

Personal spends payday tomorrow and I have £130 left. £40 last month and £130 this month. Yay. Dont have much to spend next month (hopefully) so will be able to make my OP and should also be able to save some too so this is better! Long story short, I have £170 in my uni fund (this is what I am saving it for). To update : £170/£2330

AlexLK

My brother-in-law's children (2 girls ... you're the opposite to Mrs K, she really, really wanted a girl) are quite into dancing, go to classes and gymnastics, ice skating and one plays piano and saxophone. Honestly don't know how they keep up with it all and the cost is quite an astonishing amount for what is, for the most part, messing about and not particularly educational.

My son does his violin and piano, horseriding and plays violin in a children's orchestra. That's quite enough for us.

Are you saving towards a postgrad course?

ourcornercottage

Education is more than just about academic achievement, in the various non educational classes they learn the ability to be confident around new people, teamwork, learning to win and of course learning to lose too. Learning about things I'd never think of teaching him. It also encourages stick-with-it-ness which is valuable skill in adulthood.

For example his squash classes he used to go to (given up for football) as well as being great exercise gave him great hand to eye coordination and strong hands and wrists which have really helped with his writing and strength holding the pencil.

Also there is the factor of expressing yourself which in my opinion is one of the most important factors in avoiding emotional issues developing. Learning the ways to positively express yourself.

I think a good mix is important. Miniocc does football, dance, gym, guitar and beavers (although I'm hoping gym falls by the wayside as the teacher is very odd) and it costs a lot but if he enjoys it them I'm happy to pay. At his school they work them very hard and get lots of homework (6 things to do most weeksin year 2) which he does without complaint every week so I think he earns this fun time.

Yes the saving is towards the first part of the post grad course. The whole thing costs about £9000. I might do another short course in between too in cbt as its an area I'm interested in to see if I'd rather go more down this route.

PrincessLou

OCC, I completely agree. Children are learning new skills all the time in all areas of their life, not just at school. I think mini occ's activities sound wonderful and I can't wait until my boys are old enough to start doing such activities. A varied and full (but not too full) schedule leads to an interesting and productive life. :j