From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH, Jan, Kitten868, Lucielle and Jak. 

Lucielle - I used to sell some plants at “ garden gate “ which went quite well. I need to get back into it!

Jak - will pm you,thank you.

Its been a busy couple of days at work . I was home ridiculously late today, so am slumping somewhat!  Yesterday I had a lovely surprise...I came home to find that DD2 had cooked a meal for everyone, meatballs with spaghetti followed by profiteroles that she had made. It was such a treat to eat a meal I hadn’t had to cook!!

The direct debits went out yesterday with some going out today and a couple more tomorrow. Not quite sure why they are straddled over 3 days rather than all coming out on the first working day of the month. Perhaps a shorter Feb has something to do with it?!

Todays direct debits mean I’m £30 less in debt, than I was 🙂.

lucielle

You're £30 nearer to debt freedom!
L

savingholmes

Every £30 adds up. Have a good day. The rain seems to have dried up here - hope it does for you too.

janb5

DD2 is a star and making profiteroles is no mean feat.  How lovely!

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Lucielle, SH and Janb5. 

I seem to have a week of really poor sleep as you can tell by my 3am posts on some diaries. Combination of worry about finances and the elderly lurcher’s bladder not being as it was. Still I’d rather he asked to go out than find a mess in the morning.

Gardening wise, the Ponderosa pink tomatoes  have grown their first set of true leaves.
so I’m hoping to pot those on today. There is a whole seed tray of Gardener’s Delight tomatoes, that I thought we’re too old to germinate🙂. I did do a small seed order yesterday and was careful to get seeds that I knew I hadn’t got.  DS3 was with me when I was looking online and was very keen to get carrots and sweet Corn! Hope to be able to get to the allotment today.

Finances remain very tight. I did a menu plan this week, as I usually do, but I need to be more savvy with the food. I’m so used to cooking 8 or 9 portions for each meal, but I realised this week, that it’s not always necessary. On the evenings that DD2 works, she eats at work or brings food home, so often eats that. Now that DS1 has passed his test, he is out and about more. Although I ask if he’s here for a meal before cooking it, he will change his plans at the last minute so I end up cooking more than I need to.  Where I need to be savvy, is making sure I freeze whatever is left over, for another meal, or even if I eat it when the children are eating with the ex.  One DD has her GCSE DT food practical this week, so that has pushed the food bill up this week, but thankfully it’s only one week!

janb5

Is it possible that the older children could take it in turns to cook once a week? Maybe on that night they choose a meal and cook- the other clean and put away.  Would that work for you? Please send your profiterole making daughter to me!

Honeysucklelou2

I did ask DS1 what he was cooking for us the next night, his response is not repeatable😳. When DD1 is home from uni, she always cooks once a week and provides the ingredients as her contribution. I’ve never asked her to, but she is more understanding about cooking and working, so has chosen to. Hopefully when GCSEs are done, DD3 will have a go tho to be fair to her, she is often left to do the cooking on the night the ex sees them.

Honeysucklelou2

I didn’t get to the allotment at all yesterday but instead spent rather a long time on work tasks. Hopefully next week will be a little easier.

I did have a good chat with DD1, which reminded me that a health EF is still necessary and I need to divert some money even if it’s just £5 a time. She also told me when her graduation will be so I need to be factoring that in too. Unbelievable that she is graduating in a few months. When I started this diary we were looking at universities for her  to apply to!

Yesterday was a NSD, the third this month.

savingholmes

Hi HSL - you are continuing to do an amazing job balancing everything you do. Personally I would stop cooking for DS1 until he contributes. I really hope he does his own washing too. Hope you have a better week

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH.

Got to the allotment today for a short while, long enough to deliver the potted up tomatoes. Now that the greenhouse is repaired, I’m hoping it will be a sheltered environment for them to grow on. Just waiting on the next seeds to be delivered and I can get into the full swing of sowing 🙂.

The weather has been a real mixture today. At some points we could see blue sky and sunshine. I had hoped we’d get to the beach but it clouded over and started to rain. DS3 and I donned our wellies and went for a walk anyway! We just did a local circular walk that was mainly fields and lanes. If I’m with DS3, we don’t go very fast but then sometimes I think it’s good to go at a slower pace and see the world through the eyes of a pre-schooler! I try not to rush him because I know that such time is very precious and will pass soon enough.
Today we saw hedges studded with clumps of primroses, absolutely beautiful in a delicate kind of way. The very first stitchwort were  out, tiny white flowers standing out against the flush of fresh green growth in the hedgerow.  At some points we saw the bigger leaves of the foxglove plants. I showed DS3 the rabbit holes in the hedge and the path/tunnel in the hedge between holes. Some were covered with ivy but once he’d got the idea, DS3 spent the rest of the walk spotting rabbit holes and making up stories about the rabbits that live there! It was lovely to get out and feel the breeze on our faces🌬.

I had an opportunity today to have a go at a musical hobby I used to do years ago. I was invited to join a group and give it a go again and I thought I would do that. This is going to sound weird but the realisation that its ok to do something that doesn’t involve family or work and could be a way of helping me move forward and do things for myself. 

NSD today 🙂