A pound stretching maternity

MrsSave

I applied for a 0% balance transfer card last night and was approved. :j I just need to wait for everything to come through now and it'll make things easier.

I am going to change my supermarket delivery saver today from any day to midweek. It's half the price, and also click and collect is then free any day (I think). I have 1 more month at the full price before the contract ends. I am also going to get back into 100% meal planning. It's a half hearted attempt at the moment. I've joined the August grocery shop thread.

We're going out this afternoon to a local fete. Will have to set a budget before going.

MrsSave

Mini victory.......we have spent most of the weekend out and about, and haven't bought a single ice cream :rotfl: We took a picnic out with us today which included plenty of drinks. We need to keep this up for the rest of the holidays. With my last food delivery I had a pack of 4 value pizzas for £1.60. I cooked one this morning then sliced it up to go in our picnic bag. My eldest loved it! I also bought a pack of 8 fruit shoots for £1.44 and ds can have 1 of them with his picnic and then he can share our bottle of squash. He was so excited and thought the picnic was amazing (we did have more than a slice of pizza and drinks!!).

I am trying to plan this week. The activities I'm planning are:

Trip to the library (free activities on there and we can choose some books,
Park,
Possibly swimming (depends if I can find someone to come with me......you can't take 2 children under 6 into the pool alone).
Theme park (paid for with Tesco vouchers and taking a picnic)
Playing in the garden
One science activity (I've bought the book that Chris Evans was talking about in radio 2 on Tuesday)
Scavenger hunt walk (need to prep a sheet first!!).

Other than that it will be the usual playing with toys, reading, tv time, colouring, etc, etc. That should keep us busy this week! I've also got my interview to prepare for and I need to do some more studying for my next exam.

MrsSave

It's Thursday, we've had a busy start to the week and now I'm full of cold! This week we've been to the park (twice), been on our scavenger hunt, had a bbq, played in the paddling pool, been to a theme park (cost just over £6 for ice creams!) and we've been colouring and practising writing. I'm trying to slightly control what is being played with instead of everything being pulled out every day, getting bored and there being toys everywhere. We've made a castle out of duplo and now we've got cars everywhere! Today we're having a lazy pj day with far too much screen time! I'm also in the middle of sorting out the boys' wardrobes, they're both moving into the next clothes size.

I have sat today and gone through finances, and budgeted for August. It took a couple of hours as things had started to get a little messy. The balance transfer has come through so everything is in one place.

My interview next week has turned into 2 interviews next week. Scary!! Hopefully by the end of next week I'll be employed and waiting for my maternity leave to finish so that I can start. Out of the 2 interviews, I've been trying to work out which I'd prefer. They both sound like I'd love them (as much as anyone loves work :rotfl: ). 1 is part time, which means I'd be able to be home with my youngest 2 days per week and would be able to take/collect my eldest from school on those 2 days. It would mean we'd need to pay out 1 day per week of nursery. The other is full time. I'm guessing the salary (it depends on experience, and I don't have much), but by putting my youngest in nursery 3 days we'd actually be quite a bit worse off than me working part time, and would be spending more than we were earning every month. If we were to put him in 2 days we would have a little more left over each month than the part time work, but it would mean hubby being home 1 day per week.

Job wise, they both sound fab, but I think the full time would give me more options for progression. I don't want to regret not being home with the boys though if I have the chance and I figure that once both boys are in school full time, I could then look for something different if I wanted to move on. Aaaargh!! Obviously I could not be offered anything, so won't have a decision to make, or will be offered 1 so that's the decision made there and then!

Right, I'm on my mission of the day.........sneaking to the fridge to grab a bit of the toblerone that hubby bought because I wasn't feeling well without the boys noticing! So far, so good :rotfl:

MrsSave

Yesterday's spends were £40. I ordered a playhouse for my youngest for Christmas. This was one reduced and the reviews are brilliant. It's arriving Monday, and I'm wondering how I'm going to sort it without my eldest seeing so that Father Christmas can bring it.....otherwise it will have to be from us :rotfl:

Today I am child free and home alone. This never happens! Still full of cold and now my throat has started hurting. Typical! I'm hoping a quiet day today will sort me out because I've got a busy weekend followed by my 2 interviews next week. Eeeeek! Will have to do some interview prep this afternoon.

I paid the Tesco credit card yesterday (all our spends go on it for the points) and overpaid by 26p. I have no idea how, but I'll just blame the cold! :rotfl:

I think I'm going to go back for a nap! Haven't done this for a long while!

MrsSave

Well it was 69p I'd overpaid by! I'm just going to take that off the grocery shop that's coming today. I've just checked online banking, and this week's food shop is just under £45. £44.71 to be precise, but will mark it down as £44.02 to use my 69p!! That's coming between 9 and 10 today.

I've got a busy weekend coming up (are there any that aren't!!!). I want to do some more interview prep (reading and reading over the questions they may ask!!), it's my son's birthday party tomorrow so need to get the last few bits ready for that (I've put money aside for it) such as collect the cake, blow up the balloons, prep the food, etc. He is so excited, and I can't wait to see his face, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to sitting down afterwards!!

I was given £25 as an Anniversary gift yesterday, so may treat ourselves to a curry tonight with it.

I'm still sniffing, but definitely feeling better than yesterday. I napped after being on here, then spent the afternoon prepping for these interviews. I haven't picked up my study material all week, and I don't think I will next week either. I knew I wouldn't be able to do as much over the holidays!

I've just received a message saying that the playhouse will be arriving Monday between 7 and 9am. That's pretty early so I may try to persuade hubby to stay home until it does so that he can take it straight to his parents (without the eldest one seeing it!!!).

MrsSave

Haha, my brain definitely wasn't thinking straight when I paid the Tesco card the other day. I'd paid for 2 transactions and then re entered them. It means I now have £70 more than I thought I did.

This is my third diary and I have just read through my first and I've started reading the second. I'd love to say I've come along well, but the debt level is pretty much the same and I'm still wanting a career change! I suppose the positives are that the debt isn't higher (especially after maternity leave) and I am working on that career change and hope I'll be celebrating a new job soon (even if I don't get either of next week's jobs!). It's interesting to read back over them though, and I've decided that once I've officially finished my maternity leave I'll start my fourth diary. 3 weeks today that happens.

We've had a lovely, quiet Saturday night. We had a takeaway which was paid for with the money we were given (there's enough left over to be reheated tomorrow), we've watched Saturday night tv for the first time in a long time, and we've had a couple of real ales that were in the fridge. I've just headed up to be doing now because tomorrow is going to be a busy day!

MrsSave

I now know why I always make my way up to bed before dh! My husband, who never snores - oh not ever according to him :rotfl: , is snoring flat out! I'm sure he's getting worse with age, though still doesn't believe me.

I've finished reading through the second diary. A few things stand out,
1. I am either 100% focused or spending every last penny,
2. I don't sleep brilliantly (though not doing too badly at the moment, I just struggle to get back to sleep after the baby has his 5am feed),
3. I am ill a lot! Always the same old things. A heavy cold, sinusitis, headaches or a sore throat!
4. I'm always worrying about losing weight, but eventually regain everything I've lost.

I have noticed that at the start of diary 1 I was really focused on making extra money, selling things and trying to reach added income goals. That doesn't seem to happen anymore. I may have a look around the house for things I can sell, though we need to discuss what is going to happen with the littlest one's things (will there ever be number 3??). I also have clothes that can be returned. Bought recently for new office job before even getting an office job. Will sort through them tomorrow, and if I'm not 100% happy with something then I'll return it.

Right, I really need to try sleep. Dh has just turned and stopped snoring! I should sleep before he starts again :rotfl:

MrsSave

As my maternity is coming to an end, I'm job hunting and sorted out budget for the next few months, I've decided it's time to finish the maternity diary.

I have started a new one:

Mrs S, family life and debt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/72912386#Comment_72912386

Time to get debt busting!

MrsSave

Sorry, one last post.......I really wanted to reach 500 posts!! :rotfl: