SOA - please help!! I want to start today!

meer53

It's your OH who needs the lightbulb moment. I think until he has that you are really going to struggle. Trying to do it all will make you ill, i know you didn't want to get cross as it's not fair on the children but it's not fair on you either.

Forward_thinking

Been thinking in the bath. I need to somehow take over the shopping. I have a wonderful husband (even though he's frustrating me terribly at the moment. He loves cooking so he likes to do the shopping. It also saves me taking the little one so it works. I suggested we did an Internet shop once a week but he wasn't keen as he said you don't see the bargains. No comment. I'm going to try again and ask him to write a list. Then we can do a shop in Lidl as well : 0. I suspect he's going to resist but I need to convince him. Also going to talk cars this weekend. I'll be gentle.

Forward_thinking

Step two. Move to the diary section - I'm here for the long haul. Don't leave me though - I need as much help as I can get until I have husband on my side. M4rc, Getmore4less, Meer.....just to name a few - stay with me!!!!!

Siouxsie32

...and the silent lurkers who are cheering you on :beer:

katsu

Good luck. Look for the diaries of Hypno who cleared massive debt. I think she had a good income too. Also Tolip (reverse his name and guess what his job was ). Being a Tolip is well paid too.

Maybe that will help you normalise the issues with your DH.

The feeling of being df and having savings so you can sleep at night is just amazing. I promise it will be worth the long haul.

getmore4less

Shopping

How often does he get bargains?
Apart from reduced for quick sale stuff the way to find bargains is on-line as you can shop around from a chair or do what I do and let others do the work and use hotukdeals and MSE shopping boards.

Things like dishwasher tabs for £8 how many?

these are things you bulk buy when cheap not part of a monthly/weekly shop because they are not allways on offer.

Lidl/Aldi do adequate ones for 10p each but you get offers(7.8p) on these as well.

I check Sainsbury on-line and the best £8 pack was
Fairy Tablets Platinum Lemon x42 - 19p each(normaly £12).

thats OK but what did he actualy buy?

now looking on my fav site for deals
http://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/dishwasher-tablets
you will see that people aim for 10p branded tabs and are still finding them

same fairy tabs at Tesco(on-line) 2*20 £6. (15p each)
B&M do 55 platinum for £7.99 (14.5p each)

With your family the dishwasher must be on more than once a day maybe twice but lets say 10 a week, 500 times a year.

swapping a 20p+ tab to a 10p saves £50 a year and if you bulk then one less thing to shop for just look out for the next bargain.

Do this for a lot of stuff you get and the savings mount up.

(I found Tesco Daisy powder on clearance £1.15/3kg/75w and now under 2p a load for the next year+).

getmore4less

Forward_thinking wrote: »

I just need to work harder. And be more productive.

productivity is about working smarter not harder.
(some may think it's a cliche but it's true)

You can't add hours to a day but you can get back the ones you do have, there will be people around that help better then I can but I think a time audit may be in order as well as this financial one.

Think about your current weeks and what you do when, include your rest, relaxation and sleep.

then look at where you can optimise and get some time back to dedicate to the business.

I guess you get the £60ph when doing "work" but the business will need other time that is not paid, finance management, marketing updates etc so to start with your real hourly rate will be less. what about costs when working will it fit in with other commitments, will it need childcare will it clash with hubby/kids time, lots to think about.
Are you logging the expenses and hours worked so far?.
Have you done the HMRC stuff yet, what about your insurances etc.

getmore4less

One think I will add, having been doing this for many years is it is very refreshing to have someone that is taking on board comments in a positive way, we know not every thing can be fixed at the same time, great progress and an open mind gives you the best chance of making the right choices for your family.

It can get very frustrating when the feedback just gets a list of excuses as to why that bit can't be changed and in the end there is a stalemate and no progress.

I would suggest, when the thread moves to diary or you start a new one, thatyou post an updated SOA with the progress so far.
(maybe add side notes to say what you are working on)

getmore4less

Just thought, since hubby is so keen for you to be earning tell him that you are going to focus on this today and tomorrow for 6hrs each days..... thanks for looking after the kids etc.

then go hide in you new office and get on with earning money

Pepperoni

Could you tackle the food shop by food planning as a family? Inc the kids. All pick a meal and then write your shopping list accordingly? You might be able to get the whole family onboard that way and you'll get a list / week of meals from it.