From debt to freedom...

Spendless

Honeysucklelou2 wrote: »

The Mr T card continues to be a great idea because I can help her whenever I can.

I love the Mr T card too, but my DD needs training on spending on that card for food and leave her actual bank card for emercency spends. She keeps mixing this up! :wall:

Good luck with finding a new sixth form option for the next one. That's a lot of 'finals' for one year. Do you get a break for a bit the year after that?

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Spendless. No I have another school leaver in the following academic year so no let up on changes just yet .

I'm glad we went today...DD3 isn't sure what she wants to do so I was pleasantly surprised by the International Baccalaureate option. It seems the best one to keep her options open although I wasn't quite clued up as to how students prioritise their choices as DS3 was losing patience fast at that point:o. The tutors were all keen to share their subjects. I'd never realised how fascinating psychology A level sounded before. Lots of subjects to choose from if she goes down the A-level route.

DS2 came as well to get a head start on thinking ahead:D. It was quite a tough journey as the wind was buffeting the car. We did see the sea in the distance and there were some huge waves crashing onto the headland. After viewing the college DS complained that he was hungry. I pulled out a box with 20 vanilla mini muffins in, that had been made earlier this morning. I'd packed my grandmother's flask as well. He demolished several muffins and said he was still hungry. I spent half of the journey home figuring out if or how I could afford to pay for a MaccyD meal for the 5 children I had with me and came to the conclusion that I could only do it if I put it on the cc which seems a backward step. I turned off at the MaccyD place with a heavy heart only to find that it was absolutely full. There were no spaces in the car park and no spaces in the ample overflow car park. I have never been so happy to see a full carpark :rotfl:. There was no option but to drive home and have lunch there . A NSD :T.

On our return, I made a tray of sticky gingerbread and a couple of lemon drizzle cakes . The rest of the day has been spent primarily on work tasks. Tonight is the first night I've put a heater on but only for a while!

crazy_cat_lady

Fantastic effort in avoiding MaccyD. I am impressed and inspired.

Cherryfudge

I love the full car park.

Sometimes thirst masquerades as hunger so if you have to go to MD's, you could try getting drinks to go?

lucielle

Wow! I started your diary last night and have been glued to it.

I love the descriptions, gardening and baking posts. I have 4 chaps (mostly grown and fledged) so take my hat off to you for raising your brood single handily.

Just some thoughts going forwards. Regarding your plant sales, can one of the children help you with planting and potting on etc and get a % of the sales?

I'm not sure if you're in a tourist area but if you are, what about going round the cafes, pubs or restaurants and offering to make cakes for them? You could even take some samples with you.

I wish you'd contacted the CAB as they are so helpful and could offer advice regarding debt and maybe how to handle your ex.

I'm a bit worried (sorry if this is out of line) that your children are seeing the way he treats you and think this is normal/acceptable behaviour in a relationship. It's all very well to try to behave in a decent way (I couldn't have done it) but I think they should see that you aren't the bad cop and explain to them as much as you think they're able to understand how he makes you feel.

I also agree you should write a book, that includes recipes and timelines for planting things.

L

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you CCL and Cherryfudge - that is a thought about thirst / hunger being confused. The interesting thing was that when we got home, he suddenly wasn't hungry after all...well for about half an hour before he devoured some oven chips!

Hi Lucielle :wave: - Thank you for your kind words. You are right about the ex's behaviour. It has been ( and still is ) a concern, that the children will think the ex's behaviour is normal relationship behaviour. DD1 knows very well that it isn't and DS2 is certainly starting to understand but the others are not so aware. I think when DD1 and DS2, being the most sociable, see other families interact, the realisation grows if that makes sense.

I am hoping to get some plant sales up and going again. It will take me time over winter to get the beds and greenhouse sorted at the allotment so that I can get things started. I'm pleased to say the camellia cuttings that I took earlier in the year appear to have taken. Although still small I can see new leaf buds forming .

Today has been quite busy. DS3 was invited to his first " proper" birthday party. He was very excited all morning and we went this afternoon. It was a bizarre feeling...the party was in a small local venue but I haven't been for about 10 years, probably when DS2 was at that stage! I'm definitely an older mum when with DS3's friends' mums :cool:. DS3 didn't stop for the whole time, he had great fun and I think it did him good to have a fun afternoon with children of his own age.

I used some of the frozen blackberries to make a crumble for tonight's pudding and got another batch of vanilla mini muffins made. I've run out of standard size cases so am making mini ones in order to use the cases I do have. Not sure if they last any longer though....! I've tried to think ahead and have made a batch of pastry ready for egg and bacon pie which is tomorrow night's meal. I'm hoping that maybe DD2 might feel like assembling the pie, if not it should be easy to do if the pastry is made and ready chilled . Toffee apples will need to be made tomorrow evening in readiness for Bonfire night . The sticky gingerbread was a great success. The recipe I found was quite large proportions. 8oz of sugar, 8oz butter or margarine, 8oz black treacle, 8oz golden syrup, 2 eggs, 10 floz milk and 1 lb self raising flour. The quantities are sufficient to make a rectangular roasting tin full! It's a cake that has been eaten enthusiastically but there is enough of it to have lasted for more than a day:T.

Honeysucklelou2

It's been a frantically busy day at work. Stress is starting to mount at work . Thankfully, having made the pastry yesterday, I've been able to come home and just assemble an egg and bacon pie for tea. I also found the timer button on the bread machine so was able to set it so the dough would be mixed by the time I got home. It's a bit rushed but the Chelsea buns are now proving, ready to go into the oven when the pie comes out.

Lots of work tasks to do tonight . Good news is another NSD .

Honeysucklelou2

Didn't leave work until nearly 7 tonight so am feeling somewhat tired tonight. The last 2 weeks have been late finishes so will be glad when we even out to more normal hours!

It's been a NSD today and I had a statement from an account provider which showed I had £6 more saved than I'd thought . Every little helps!

Cherryfudge

Well done on the NSDs. And the extra £6.

I hope work soon calms down.

savingholmes

Sorry you've been having it tough. I remain in awe of all you manage to do and especially all that tasting sounding food on a budget. Home made toffee apples sound awesome.