Batting this curveball in a positive direction...

Slothy88

Looks like you've got a good grasp on things! My debt is from a break up (not an amicable one) although luckily we weren't married. Our house has been on the market for over a year now and I'm just so desperate for it to sell. It's dead money

Anyway, I've subscribed and I'm looking forward to your updates

MeandO

Thanks for dropping by Slothy.

Really hope your house sells soon, I know how you feel - ours was on the market for almost a year and despite everyone telling us it would be sold in a flash (as it was priced to sell and almost brand new), it just wouldn't shift. A few sales fell through and we lost a lot of money on prospective new properties and surveys, but I guess it's all working out ok now.
Everything happens for a reason eh.

Good luck with everything
x

Mumoffourkids

Hi MeandO,

It sounds like you have had a productive few days with working out your budget and selling items!

I have had a bad couple of days but have been at work, so have been getting kids ready for school, go to work, come home from work, cook tea and go to bed. Today is manic housework day and try and catch up with the washing the kids have created during the week!

I am inspired by your selling and I really need to get back to my old house to find some things to sell. This month and next month are probably going to be quite tight until I can sort out child benefit and housing benefit claim. Once those are sorted, I should be able to manage and pay off the debts easily.

I have a massive spreadsheet for the rest of the year working out how much I can pay off but I think I need to build in an emergency fund in case I have forgotten anything or have an emergency!

Right better get back to the housework!

Olivia-Louise_2

New follower

MeandO

Hi Mumoffourkids

Sorry to hear you've had a bad couple of days too. My mood hasn't been great and there were tears again yesterday, but I'm trying to keep busy and to be positive (even though it doesn't always work!).

I've put on around a stone this year too, and am feeling sluggish and fat and horrible about myself too, so I'm starting back at the gym tomorrow night as that always makes me feel so much better in all ways and helps the positivity. It's not cheap at £33 a month (and that's local authority!!!), but I figure I don't smoke or drink and rarely go out, so it's 'my' treat.

Hopefully you get some time amongst clearing and cleaning to sort some things from your old house. It's a double success - spaced cleared and money made! When we moved to this house a couple of years ago, I made quite a lot of money selling things we didn't need on a local FB site, so maybe you could have a look at that?

Your spreadsheet sounds very inspiring! I have similar (albeit handwritten) budget sheets, trying to predict my budget. I also have a free app on my phone that I intend to use to record my spends etc., I just need to be strict and remember to update it when my new budget kicks in.

And yes, I totally agree about the emergency fund this year, that's one of my goals too. Eventually I'd like to have a few months worth of bills & mortgage money saved as my job is not the most secure, but that will be savings of around £5000, so that'll have to wait until later in the year when the business kicks off again.

I hope you have a lovely positive day. When I'm feeling down and mourning the loss of the life that I envisaged I would have, I try and remember this quote that I saw recently:

"It's not what it should've been, it's not what it could've been, it is what it is".

If I think about that, it usually makes me buck my ideas up and concentrate on making the future positive. It's cold but sunny and blue sky here, so that is helping my mood a little.

MeandO
X

MeandO

Hi Olivia-Louise :wave:, nice to have you 'aboard'!
x

R2B

:wave: hi MeandO - what a difficult time for you but sounds like you are handling it well. Your little one is lucky to have parents who still work together - I strongly believe two happy parents apart are much better than two miserable parents together.

Good luck in your journey, I'll be following your progress. R2B x

MeandO

Thank you R2B xx

I was doing alright tonight until I stumbled across DS's 'baby box' whilst de cluttering the spare room wardrobe. It contained my baby scans and his first socks, little hat, hospital ID tags etc and all the cards we received when he was born.

Now I can't stop sobbing
How different life was then, full of excitement for the future and overwhelming happiness.

The guilt I feel about DS coming from a broken home is consuming. I feel that maybe we should've tried harder, for him.
He deserves none of this

MeandO

Well it was a rollercoaster of a weekend, up one minute and down the next, but that's pretty much what my life's been like for the past 18 months anyway, so I'm growing accustomed to it.

Moneywise, I had two more sales on ebay, annoying one BIN for £30 has failed to pay as of yet, so I've opened a case. :mad:

The other items sold for just over £20, considering I paid £100 for it 3 months ago and it was unused, I'm disappointed, but you live and learn and all that. It's better than nothing I guess.

I finished 99% of the business work I've been putting off at the weekend too which is a weight lifted, just have to post lots of orders now which, although already paid for by customers, will result in a hit in the bank balance.

Sunday DS and I made some cookies and I made a big batch of soup for lunches. Need to portion and freeze it all tonight (and hope I don't get sick of it!).

I don't have much to do tonight, so I plan on taking it easy, maybe having a bubble bath and trying to de-stress a bit. I feel like a bit of a stress-head at the moment and am aware I'm being snappy which isn't fair on those around me.

MeandO

Well I didn't get to my bubble bath, but I have had quite a relaxing evening and managed to tick a few things off the list.

I've batch-cooked some pasta sauce meat type bases for DS's meals as I need something quick and easy to feed him when weget in from after school club, hopefully he'll eat it...

I had some of the hm soup for dinner, and have portioned the rest. Planned dinner for tomorrow and pre-cut some of the veg.

...and tidied and put away and generally pottered
My house is starting to feel a little more organised now