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

AlexLK

shangaijimmy wrote: »

Beavers gets my thumbs up, DS1 loves it! Highly recommend.

What age did he start? Their website says from age 5 3/4 but my son was 5 in November. However, he's used to being with older children, so wonder if there's any flexibility.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Nearly a NSD spent about £3 on treats for BF for his journey tomorrow.

No other month news yet. Got my £50 back from VM, just need to pay the cheque in. Will be going into savings or perhaps an op.

Have recieved loads of stuff to review which is fantastic. Nowt extra to report as yet

What are you reviewing?

ourcornercottage

Miniocc was almost 6, a lot of the clubs start aged 6, I think it's due to insurance. There are also regulations about number of adults to kids with the younger ones so it could be that too.

I'm reviewing loads of stuff, mostly from amzreview I always write reviews on Amazon anyway so I have a good history so I suppose I've been offered a lot.
I got a wireless speaker, a spiraliser, some leather conditioner, a dog lead, a head torch, beauty products, led light bulbs amongst other stuff. All things I would find useful, I am using then giving a 100% honest review warts and all. In fact I have a few to do tomorrow.

I am in fact having a hideous day. Everything going very very wrong at work, I have to drive to Glasgow on Tuesday and back in Wednesday. I feel sick which could be stress but I have a feeling might be a touch of food poisoning. BF paid for hotel on wrong card so need to sort out getting funds now in right place and its a weekend. Will be getting s £300 fine as our van was slightly heavy and got weighed. We had no idea we would be over as it wasn't even half full. BF is very cross and I'm on receiving end although there's nothing I can do. We're not speaking. Miniocc doesn't want me to go to Glasgow but I have no choice we need to get the stuff home. Oh what a day, honestly some times I think id be better off in a 9-5 in an office probably earning more money.

hiddenshadow

Hope your weekend improves upon today, all sounds very stressful!

ourcornercottage

Miniocc was almost 6, a lot of the clubs start aged 6, I think it's due to insurance. There are also regulations about number of adults to kids with the younger ones so it could be that too.

I'm reviewing loads of stuff, mostly from amzreview I always write reviews on Amazon anyway so I have a good history so I suppose I've been offered a lot.
I got a wireless speaker, a spiraliser, some leather conditioner, a dog lead, a head torch, beauty products, led light bulbs amongst other stuff. All things I would find useful, I am using then giving a 100% honest review warts and all. In fact I have a few to do tomorrow.

I am in fact having a hideous day. Everything going very very wrong at work, I have to drive to Glasgow on Tuesday and back in Wednesday. I feel sick which could be stress but I have a feeling might be a touch of food poisoning. BF paid for hotel on wrong card so need to sort out getting funds now in right place and its a weekend. Will be getting s £300 fine as our van was slightly heavy and got weighed. We had no idea we would be over as it wasn't even half full. BF is very cross and I'm on receiving end although there's nothing I can do. We're not speaking. Miniocc doesn't want me to go to Glasgow but I have no choice we need to get the stuff home. Oh what a day, honestly some times I think id be better off in a 9-5 in an office probably earning more money.

AlexLK

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Noah was almost 6, a lot of the clubs start aged 6, I think it's due to insurance. There are also regulations about number of adults to kids with the younger ones so it could be that too.

Been looking into it this evening and it seems the flexibility is 5 3/4. So, looks like my son could start in the new school year. Did you have to put your son's name on a waiting list? Quite a few are saying they had to but there are quite a few groups local to us, one of which has a website and there's no mention of waiting lists.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

I'm reviewing loads of stuff, mostly from amzreview I always write reviews on Amazon anyway so I have a good history so I suppose I've been offered a lot.
I got a wireless speaker, a spiraliser, some leather conditioner, a dog lead, a head torch, beauty products, led light bulbs amongst other stuff. All things I would find useful, I am using then giving a 100% honest review warts and all. In fact I have a few to do tomorrow.

Being offered free stuff sounds good! Had to look up what a "spiraliser" is, though.

Can't say I leave reviews for anything I buy online. Struggle to leave ebay feedback even.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

I am in fact having a hideous day. Everything going very very wrong at work, I have to drive to Glasgow on Tuesday and back in Wednesday. I feel sick which could be stress but I have a feeling might be a touch of food poisoning. BF paid for hotel on wrong card so need to sort out getting funds now in right place and its a weekend. Will be getting s £300 fine as our van was slightly heavy and got weighed. We had no idea we would be over as it wasn't even half full. BF is very cross and I'm on receiving end although there's nothing I can do. We're not speaking. Miniocc doesn't want me to go to Glasgow but I have no choice we need to get the stuff home. Oh what a day, honestly some times I think id be better off in a 9-5 in an office probably earning more money.

Sounds like a complete nightmare.

Can't say I've had a good day either but for different reasons. Always difficult when you're working with your spouse (no personal experience but I remember the only arguments my parents ever had being over business).

ourcornercottage

Thanks Alex kind words it's been a tough day. I am really seriously thinking I can't really keep it up ongoing with the business how it is. The stress of money is huge and ongoing. We have a profitable business but cash flow seems permanently tight. BF is very difficult to work with at best of times if I'm honest but just lately a nightmare. We have very different styles. Life is too short to go on like this, I realise I am totally unqualified for any decent job despite a degree and years of experience! All my IT skills are out of date from my previous job. so need to struggle on and get mortgage free asap.

Re Beavers, get his name down. Some packs will be full come September. Miniocc pack is always full and there's a waiting list. He will go to Cubs in September. Time flies.

AlexLK

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Thanks Alex kind words it's been a tough day. I am really seriously thinking I can't really keep it up ongoing with the business how it is. The stress of money is huge and ongoing. We have a profitable business but cash flow seems permanently tight. BF is very difficult to work with at best of times if I'm honest but just lately a nightmare. We have very different styles. Life is too short to go on like this, I realise I am totally unqualified for any decent job despite a degree and years of experience! All my IT skills are out of date from my previous job. so need to struggle on and get mortgage free asap.

I had different problems with my business, namely the ex-business partner and also the fact it never made much money. Though I take the blame for that because my head wasn't in the right place to focus on making much. Definitely regret not trying harder but right now I can't do it, even if the business still exists on paper. At the moment I'm focusing on my parents' property / investments, which I think I'll always refer to as being theirs despite now being a Director myself. Anyway, enough of me rambling on.

Do you enjoy running the business and are you and partner both Directors or does one of you work for the other? (Sorry, boyfriend seems a bit weird to say when I know you've got a child together, I know I'm embarrassingly old fashioned at times )

Regarding cash flow, is there any way to get some help from your bank? Can't say it was ever a problem for my business (Bank of Mum and Dad, dare I say ), so can't really offer much in the way of advice.

I do know where you're coming from regarding not being able to move into a different job. I'm good at the getting pieces of paper part but haven't had a "proper job" in almost 8 years. In my case, I couldn't cope with the corporate world and lost a lot of people I considered friends at the time. I believe I'm too old to pursue my goal of becoming an academic too but would like to do something that isn't basically collecting money for my parents.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Re Beavers, get his name down. Some packs will be full come September. Miniocc pack is always full and there's a waiting list. He will go to Cubs in September. Time flies.

Thanks. Will definitely call a few groups. Not sure whether to call the one closest to my house or parents' house though. There aren't many children around here, all schools are very small, so I hope there won't be too much trouble with long waiting lists.

Time does indeed fly, almost everyday I see my son is learning something new and I realise before I know it he'll be at university. Don't know what I'll do then, even now I consider whether it's worth living when he's gone to bed.

ourcornercottage

That is useful advise, we need to get sorted really. Cash flow is permanently tight but we do get it all paid and have no business debt at all which I am very proud of. We are both directors of the company so it is really both our responsibility but it's a mindset thing. BF has no concept of costs and doesn't 'play by the rules' the rules of business that is. There's no planning, checking, organising and this causes us to waste money and time. Obviously it means we are more dynamic which creates income but it also creates stress. He takes on projects with no planning, Budgeting, timescales or organisation. Often I have to tidy things up as things don't go well with no planning in my experience. Also BF is too stubborn to change. You may tell I'm annoyed.

We BF vs partner, I had a member of staff who was so very horrid, the only really horrid one we've ever had and her favourite saying was partner. I never use it as it reminds me of her and to be quite honest she is not the sort of person you want to be reminded of! I know BF is s bit silly for a 50 year old but that's why!

Littlelk will be needing you for a long time yet, few teens are independent any more. You will be required as a dad til you are an old man. It's the job you signed up for

Ali-OK

Sorry to read the business frustrations, no advice but hope things improve. Is your plan to go into the counselling as a career move?

AlexLK

ourcornercottage wrote: »

That is useful advise, we need to get sorted really. Cash flow is permanently tight but we do get it all paid and have no business debt at all which I am very proud of.

Could be worth looking into getting an overdraft on your business account as a "just in case"? Not to find yourselves in debt but as a safety net and to make things a little less stressful when things are tight.

ourcornercottage wrote: »

We are both directors of the company so it is really both our responsibility but it's a mindset thing. BF has no concept of costs and doesn't 'play by the rules' the rules of business that is. There's no planning, checking, organising and this causes us to waste money and time. Obviously it means we are more dynamic which creates income but it also creates stress. He takes on projects with no planning, Budgeting, timescales or organisation. Often I have to tidy things up as things don't go well with no planning in my experience. Also BF is too stubborn to change. You may tell I'm annoyed.

Can completely understand that. The advice I was always given by my parents was to play the long game so far as business is concerned. Which usually requires more planning. Funny that I can deal with it in a business situation but not in life.

You're right that things don't go well with no planning in business. Have either of you had a business before the current one?

ourcornercottage wrote: »

We BF vs partner, I had a member of staff who was so very horrid, the only really horrid one we've ever had and her favourite saying was partner. I never use it as it reminds me of her and to be quite honest she is not the sort of person you want to be reminded of! I know BF is s bit silly for a 50 year old but that's why!

Littlelk will be needing you for a long time yet, few teens are independent any more. You will be required as a dad til you are an old man. It's the job you signed up for

I'm sorry re. partner and the member of staff. No wedding bells planned? Also thought you were about the same age as me (35)!

I do hope you're right about my son. Whilst I want him to have a life of his own when he's older, I dread the thought of him moving away. Read something once about never knowing when is the "last time" with kids and remember wondering when will be the last time he holds my hand as a child and if he'll hold my hand when I'm old and frail. A bit pathetic, I know.