The Future's Feeling Fresh 'n' Fruity!

f0nz

Aloofdragon wrote: »

Morning x It is so so hard to leave the security of a paying job that works around the family for the unknown isn't it, I have done similar to yourself I have upped and lowered my hours to suit over the years with the kids growing up I have now got to the point that I want my weekends home with the family so although we are £50 down a week as I dropped a shift I have no claims on my time other than family life and that has changed my mood immensely. My youngest son is 8 eldest 2 28 and 26, and I worked right through fulltime with my eldest two and missed out on so much that my mental health has been bashed over the years through guilt with not being there alongside the debts. Luckily my hubby had promotion in work that makes up for my loss in pay so we have the same coming in but I still feel guilty in the way you do that we could be £200 better off a month. Could you pick a shift back up maybe after lowering your hours if you felt you needed too or couldn't find another job?? My job is quite informal so there is always overtime and shifts going so I would be able to if need be, but skint or not I am determined I am going to enjoy the summer with my youngest with no weekends !!!


As for the franchise type the company into the search forum on here no doubt there will be honest comments whatever the company x


Have a good day, sometimes we can't accept help from the people closest to us no matter how well meant it is eh. x

Oh poo! :mad: just wrote a big long reply and my pad froze and restored on me. Blooming technology! I'll come back and reply properly after, I'm being heckled by teeny to play trains with him just now

f0nz

WOOO payday :j got paid more than expected too which is always a bonus

Have decided that I am going to treat myself with the extra money and buy a dishwasher. I've put it off for two years and still want one so I think it's time to give in! I despise doing the dishes with every ounce of my being and stupidly it causes a few niggles with the hubby as I try to avoid doing them at all costs and he gets fed up of having to do them all the time. Trying to do it the MSE way and looking on gumtree etc to get a second hand one so I'm not going too crazy!

Have bought a bday prezzy today for a birthday mid March. It was reduced from £80 to £19 and the person will absolutely love it so I'm very chuffed :T

After big convo's with the husband we've decided on what the 2 eldest will be getting for birthdays and Christmas this year. I know, I know I swore and said the C word but if we have a plan we can keep an eye out for deals and hopefully grab ourselves a bargain! Birthday's will be new tablets as middley's is knackered (first gen iPad that was handed to us from the inlaws and then we gave to her when we got a new one) and eldest's is one of the first kindles, again handed down to us and then her which has seen better days. They've proven they can look after them and be trusted so getting new ones will be very exciting for them. Not planning on spending a huge amount and will look at refurbed ones so that will keep spends down. Christmas will be new bikes as they're growing out of the ones they have now. They'll get one more summer out of them and then it'll be time to move up to the next size. Might try and grab them in the summer when all the sales and deals on outdoor stuff are on.

Just trying to decide how much to overpay the loan by. Hubby gets paid next Friday so I don't want to spend all my wages on an overpayment and leave us poorer than a poor thing until then but I also want to pay something asap as interest is calculated daily. I think I'll whack £250 on it today and then when hubby gets paid I'm hoping to put another £600-£650 on it as he's getting his bonus and overtime. If we can manage that then i will be very excited :j

f0nz

just paid £275 off the loan, I had a sneaky wee £25 paid in this morning from someone I forgot I lent money to. Hadn't included that in any budgets so I won't miss it and it will save a little on interest :money:

Will update sig after March's monthly payments come out.

Scottishmummy

I would love a dishwasher but we just don't have the space for it. We did have a tabletop one but when it went tits up we looked around for another but they had trebled in price. Thankfully DH keeps on top of the dishes here too because they are my top hate.

Woohoo on the extra payments

SM

f0nz

We don't really have the space for it but I made space! The tumble drier is now an eyesore just randomly standing against a wall but I care not hubby's plumbing it in at the moment so it will be getting a test run after tea! Picked it up on gumtree for £95 and its immaculate. The couple I bougt it from washed their dishes before putting them in it?! Hey ho, all the better for me

f0nz

So I'm pretty disappointed on myself . I went a bit spend happy and bought clothes for the kids and food we didn't really need I wish I could control the spending but if I see a bargain I feel like I have to buy it or I'll miss out. It's ridiculous! When hubby gets paid I'm definitely taking out cash and using that instead of whipping out the debit card all the time.

Have ordered a fruit n veg box from a local farm to be delivered when we get back from the weekend away and if it's as good as it seems I'll put in a weekly order. That should save us pennies on the groceries and will hopefully stop the going to the shops for bananas and coming home with 40 quids worth of crap habbit!

Hubby gets paid Friday and I'm planning on using £800 to overpay the loan. I was only going to put £600 across and leave the rest as a buffer "just in case" but it will get spent on rubbish so if it's not there we can't spend it and we'll just have to make do with the budgets set which should be more than adequate. I NEED to change my mindset and stick to the budgets I've set!!

Anyone else find it hard to resist a bargain?

f0nz

Weekend away was lovely, managed to come in under budget yay!

Kind of, erm, got sidetracked on paying the loan off well to be fair we've over paid by £410 this month. Not quite as much as anticipated but at least it's an overpayment! The rest of the spare cash went on a deposit for a holiday. It's my dad's 80th and the whole family rarely get all together so with time ticking on and as dismal as it may sound it may be one of the last times where we can all be together and enjoy it. Life is for living so trying to strike a balance between getting things paid off and making the time count. It shouldn't cost a huge amount once there as we're paying for the accomodation and everyone else should be covering the food etc. The place has playgrounds a swimming pool and a games room so there will be plenty to keep us occupied.

Setting £250 a month aside for the next 6 months to pay off the holiday. Any overtime or bonuses will be going straight to the car, HMRC will be paid off by August so that £ will also go towards the car.

Tried out a local fruit and veg delivery service and I am very Impressed! A weeks worth for £23 and there is LOADS. I think I'm going to carry that on and continue buying meat from muscle foods so the only things needed from the supermarkets will be brad, milk, eggs, cheese, yoghurt etc and cleaning stuff. If I can do that online I should be able to stop all the impulse buying and keep the grocery budget down. That's the plan anyway who knows if it will work

f0nz

Kiddos parties galore! I never know what to buy or what's "normal" to spend. It was twins too :eek: ended up buying a jewellery set and hair band set each for them from Asda. They were reduced to £1 each so feel a bit of a cheapskate but if they were full price it would have been £8.50 per twin is that acceptable? Another party in a couple weeks and I spotted a nerf gun reduced from £10 to £4.98 so grabbed that. I get so blooming stressed at these kinds of things, it's so silly!

f0nz

Not much new to report really. Have signed up to field agent and swag bucks to try and earn a few extra pennies. I know it's not going to make me a millionaire but every little helps a they say. So far I have £15 sitting in field agent waiting to be verified with a potential to earn another £10 if I get off my butt. I'm 29 points away from being able to get a £15 Amazon voucher on SB too. Not huge amounts but will be good to use for presents and use the present fund to pay into the car

stepuptothepl8

I have a maximum budget for DDs classmates of £5. She gets invited to so many parties it would be complete madness to spend any more. You're doing well, keep it up!