The single track road - life on a different path

MeandO

Not much to report today, spent more than estimated yesterday, but bought a few easter eggs as they were half price, and picked up a sandwich for lunch as really didn't fancy what I'd brought in with me, I'll have that today though so not gone to waste.

I had to hurrily bake cakes with DS when I got home last night, forgot he needed to take cakes into school today, unfortunately it created a whole lot of stress and a lengthy time out on the step for DS who was probably too tired to be doing it after school and before bedtime. The usual daily 'dinner' battle didn't really help either.
I'm feeling like a rubbish, stressy Mummy at the moment and I'm hating it. I'm not sleeping well either, I think we are all struggling presently.

Today I need to buy stamps to post Mum's Mother's day card, also some flowers for a friend's birthday so it won't be a NSD unfortunately.

Hugs to all those who need them today. xx

MeandO

Ooh, another £30 has been paid into my bank from Quidco. :j

Now, I'm in a bit of a quandry...

A couple of years ago I bought in some materials to make some of the products in my shop much quicker to produce and more cost-effective. These were around £2000, but saved me so much time and money it was unreal. They cut down the price of each item to about a third of the cost and cut the production time to around a 20th of the time it takes me to make them from scratch. I've run out of them now and could really do with ordering more, but obviously don't want to be forking out £1000's at the moment as it would have to go on the credit card, but I know it would re-coup me more money and I'd make the cash back by September/October.

What to do

liltdiddylilt

Hello poppet!

I am sorry to hear you're feeling stressy. Please be assured that you are anything BUT a rubbish mummy. You are a fantastic mummy who could have picked up ready made cakes on the school run like dozens of others but instead took into account all the negative factors and still went ahead with the time consuming effort of making them with DS.

If it was me, this weekend I would be taking a bit of time out to bake some more with him at a leisurely pace when you both have the energy and time to dedicate to it. Make a positive experience to cover the bad one which you know was down to stress, tiredness and a long day for both of you.

Woohoo to Quidco!! am still waiting for over £50 across 4 transactions. It is winding me up now.

I would say on the materials. Cut costs/time... increase your profit margins and you know you are going to recoup this money... Seems a no brainer. So next; is the credit card 0% for purchases? Or what is the likely interest prior to you being able to pay it off? Can you get a separate card for this purchase, just as you have with the current account or has your credit file taken a bit of a battering between the remortgage and new account? 6-7 months... that is all. Could you afford the minimum payments if anything happened with day job? You can't expand your business if you are taking so much time to do each thing that your profit margin is eaten away to nothing. That is why you stopped the sewing, which you are undoubtedly incredibly talented at..

I hope you are okay hun. You are there, cheering me on, and looking a bit down yourself. I don't like this! *pulls you up by the bootstraps and drags you into a complex tango* Dance with me P.S I have no idea what the tango is. You will have to lead. :rotfl: xxx

System

Just wanted to agree with everything Lilt said If you can get a 0% CC and can afford the minimum payments then I'd go for it. Hope you have a lovely weekend!!! xxx

Levi-

As Lilt & Becs said.. total no brainer on the purchase if you have a 0% purchases deal on your new credit card (I'm sure you will have, most do!).. go for it, pay it off in small chunks month by month, and you will barely notice and have the money back in no time. This makes so much sense so definitely go for it and getting that extra money you can make from having it will make you feel more motivated too so its a win-win :j

Thanks for all your kindness at the same time of your own case of the "blahs"... you're doing an amazing job as always with everything on your plate and being a wonderful mum to the Little O Monster. So never ever think anything of the sort about you being rubbish. You aren't and the top of the list of people who know that you aren't are that little guy.
Hope your ex has remembered to treat you on behalf of O for Mothers Day tomorrow
Hope you are feeling a bit better - thanks for being so thoughtful, loving and giving in everything :heart2: Levi..x

lubava

Happy Mothers Day MeandO!!. I hope you don't mind me posting. I'm lurker on Levi's and Lilt threads and just read through yours and subscribed. You are doing great, you are amazing mummy and I will promise things will get better!!! All the best and I will be deluding from time to time if you don't mind!!!

Levi-

Happy Mothers Day superstar! xx

MeandO

Levi- wrote: »

Happy Mothers Day superstar! xx

This ^^ just made me cry happy-tears at my desk Levi... :o:o
I guess I'm more tired and emotional than I thought this morning!:rotfl:

You lot are awesome, you really are.

I've been AWOL from here again this weekend so just caught up.
Saturday was a stinker of a day for reasons I won't go into, but yesterday was a nice (mostly) relaxing day.

Ds spoilt me, with the help of his Dad, and I was presented with a minion cake at 6am (Ds's choice - he likes to buy cake for every event!) and a card which he proceeded to open for me :rotfl:
He'd made some cards at his after school club for me too and handed me some flowers and a single daffodil which made me fill up on Friday when I picked him up.
He'd also drawn a picture of me on a little gift tag (he'd made me ginger, time to get the dye out...) and written (with help) on the back that he loves me because 'I give him lovely cuddles'.

Oh cr&p, I've gone again...

The ex made me breakfast and bought us lunch, so yes, I was thoroughly spoilt.

:question: I was going to post some pictures but it looks like they have to have a URL is that right? I have them on my desktop, I was hoping to attach them but it won't work.

Lubava, lovely to have you on board, thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely words.

Lilty, loopybecs & Levi Thanks for the advice lovelies, it was kind of what I was thinking, but just needed to hear it from someone else to conclude I wasn't doing crazy things.
My credit file seems to be fine as have just been accepted for the new 0% card, so could use that when it arrives, depending on the credit limit.
And Lilty, we don't need the Tango, I have a unique, dancing style ALL of my own - many try to copy, none 'have it' like I do. :D:D

Joking aside, I'm ok though hun, just super-tired, not sleeping well and really would like to see a little light at the end of the tunnel soon, that's all. I'll be fine

Off to catch up with some diaries for a bit.

Have a good day everyone xx

Levi-

I'm glad that O and his daddy spoiled you - cake at 6am, sounds like the ideal day start to every to me

There will be light at the end of the tunnel.. you'll start to see it soon enough I promise but in the meantime, remember it's all just a journey and you can enjoy the ride as best you can til you get there. That is one thing I've definitely changed my 'ways' on since all this began, I used to try and look at life in great big chunks and easily beat myself up for lack of progress and not meeting goals etc but I've come to see that what we have is just the day we're living in and it really helps to enjoy it in any small ways possible.. it kinda lessens the 'life is passing me by' feelings and gives you feelings of actually making the most of the present day. Hard to explain really but hope that made some sense and it did take my financial wake-up call to change lots of other things in my mindset (for the better) so that ultimately has to be good!

Are you due to see your Dr again soon? Maybe you could mention the feelings lately and the problems sleeping? There may be something they could give you to take the edge off... but you're dealing with a lot and loads of transition so it's bound to have its overwhelming moments- and don't forget what you told me, it's all about the little dude who makes every part of it worth while

Anyway ginge, I've rambled on more than enough so hope you're having a good evening and that you start to feel better still as the week moves on.
bbfn, Levi..x :heart2:

PS: Just remembered what I wanted to ask - any news on the work situation at all?

MeandO

Oi, it's Miss Ginge to you

Thanks Levi, I like your philosophy about 'today's all we have'... might steal it and try that one for size

Not due to see the doc for a while (had to cancel an appointment last week ), besides, I don't like her...:p She's very 'pointy' and young and a bit condescending. Unfortunately the poor sleep has been an issue since Ds was born. The sleep deprivation kind of created a new pathway in my brain I think, and now I am stuck in it. I am now a very light sleeper, so the slightest noise from Ds or elsewhere and I'm sat bolt upright. I think it's down to anxiety to be honest - the condition he had as a baby made him poorly at night, so that's kinda ingrained in my head now.
I'm nervous about taking any 'sleep better' supplements or medication in case I don't hear him at night, so I really do need to make a big effort to try and get this sleeping thing cracked again in a natural way. I'm hoping once everything is settled and I'm in some sort of routine with life, it may be a little easier.

As for work, no news honey, except that we have a couple of months before any big decisions are made, so we're all just trying to forget about it for a while until we know more, it only makes for a tense atmosphere and lots of stress otherwise and lots of my colleagues have had a pretty awful year in their personal lives too, one dear friend lost his son suddenly, as well as coping with having two heart attacks himself, the death of his mother, brother, sister in law, and two friends within the space of a year which really puts my life into perspective. Two other colleague have had severe depression and mental health issues (we are starting to think the place is cursed!), so we decided to cross the redundancy bridge when we come to it, for the sake of everyone's health.

Not a very exciting evening tonight, but a productive one.

I've made and packed 4 orders for delivery tomorrow; done the washing, packed lunches for tomorrow, cleaned the kitchen and have just applied and been accepted for another 0% card to transfer the balance to.
The first card came today with a £3500 credit limit, which I need to transfer some of the Barclaycard balance to, the Halifax one I've just applied for will enable me to transfer £2850 to, so there will be under £1k left on the Barclaycard which will be the only debt that is not at 0%. I'll see if I can get another 0% card in a few weeks, but for now I think my credit rating has taken enough of a battering!

Now off to bed for me, I'm shattered. Again.

xx