Budget Wars - A New Hope (with apologies to George Lucas)

MeandO

Thinking of you Bob and hoping things have improved xx

Siebrie

A normal day for me can be get up at 7, walk to the business anytime between then and mid day, viewings, home to do shopping, then out on the school run which takes ages out of my day because of how far it is and the fact we don't drive. Home. Sort out the house for a bit then either out again for viewings cycling there and back or cycle to let someone in and then cycle home and do that again later at night when they are finished.
My DD is still not off the boob (21 months and counting) which means nighttimes are still interrupted.

All of this leads to my goals for the summer holidays
- Get DD off the boob and into her own bed properly
- Decide what I want to happen about childcare.
- Major declutter again
- Set family goals in all areas of our life
[Bobarella]

Hi Bob,

I've highlighted some parts of the routine you shared. You cycle some parts and walk others, is there any way you can cycle all? Maybe with a secondhand electric bike with your company name plastered all over it, so that it is a deductible expense? Child seat on the luggage carrier? Internet search for 'elektrische bakfiets', which is a mode of transport that may help you very much.

What do you do between getting up and going to your place of business? Getting children ready for school and dropping them off? Is there any way you can do your shopping right after you have dropped him/them off? It would save you one trip. I do my shopping on Wednesdays at 8.45, right after dropping dds off at school, and I'm back home after 30 minutes, because I know what I want and the store is relatively empty. That's my shopping for the week in a local supermarket, which is slightly more expensive, but because I know what I want, I can skip about 2/3 of the store . Can DH do the shopping?

Sort out the house for a bit - can you set a timer for 15 minutes and then stop? Make it a habit and persuade the other inhabitants to clear up after themselves. 'Everything has its place, and everything in its place' (yeah, my family are still struggling with that, too).

So, that would be:

7.00 get up / get ready / get child(ren) ready for school/childcare/day
7.45 leave for school run, bring shopping trolley
8.30 drop child(ren) at school
8.45 shopping
10.00 home / put away shopping / break
10.30 viewings (can you fix a time for this? Persuade the clients to come only during this time? Pretend your place of business is really busy and you can only allow them to come during this time to not interfere with all your fabulous other appointments? Put it in your ad 'viewings by appointment between 10.30 and 12.00 daily')
12.30 lunch
13.00 out for school run (?)
14.00 home / break
14.30 clearing home
14.45 business admin / strategy / advertising / website maintenance
18.00 dinner
19.30 smalls' bedtime
20.00 relax / business admin
22.00 bedtime

chanie

I agree with Sibrie having set times for viewings and other activities. I think potential clients will get used to it - many other companies have set times for such things and if you try to be to accommodating, people will take advantage.

crazy_cat_lady

Morning Bob
Just popping in to say hello and let you know that I'm still thinking about you. I hope that you're doing ok and managing to get a bit of a break somehow.
Lots of love to you.

Hiddenidenity

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

Morning Bob
Just popping in to say hello and let you know that I'm still thinking about you. I hope that you're doing ok and managing to get a bit of a break somehow.
Lots of love to you.

Ditto from me too x

[Deleted User]

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

Ditto from me too x

And me too xx

Bobarella

Morning

Another chaotic no time really post, the main issue with the suggestion about clients doing things at times to suit me rather than them is I have tried to get people to only do things when I want them to, but its just too hard. Some peoples time keeping is utterly shocking. I've been kept waiting hours before when people saunter in and think they've done nothing wrong. I suppose think of it this way, if you wanted to view a house and were serious about buying, would you take kindly to being told you could only view on the estate agents time scales? Its the same thing really.

Plus at the moment Im so desperate for cash, its a matter of doing everything the client wants.

The cycling/walking thing is done because we have to be in different parts of the area during the day, and I have to account for my daughter taking a nap, which she still does sometimes. She couldnt nap on the back of a bike.

Business generally, has gone nuts again after a super long dead period. But I am still chasing my tail as Im now behind on some things which means any new money that comes in has to be allocated immediately to pay off the backlog. If I could have a sustained period of cash coming in, all would be well. But who knows.

Have a good day!

Bob

[Deleted User]

Hey Bob :wave:

Good news that the business is picking up again, that's great

Hope that the backlog isn't too big and that you are able to keep some of the money?

Boo to people that can't time keep! That annoys me. xx

Toni'sfriend

Hello Bob. It's just lovely to hear from you. Glad the business is picking up a bit.

crazy_cat_lady

Pleased to hear that business is better Bob. Happy days - although I do wish you could get a bit of a break somewhere...