From debt to freedom...

Cherryfudge

Two very different children.

Lovely to hear you have had a good day. And you are quite right about the government not being able to stop spring.

lucielle

Lovely photos
L

Spendless

Long story to why to do with a windfall hitting our bank account but then not being able to do anything about it, whilst going overdrawn in our current account, but we've had 3 separate letters from the same bank in a week to tell us, we have too much money (savings balance exceeding our offset mortgage), not enough money (current account overdrawn) and would we like to borrow some money (advertising credit card/loan) - lol


I suppose it depending on why DS1 was interested in another car. If it's because he's a young lad and this is more flashy that's one thing. If it's because he needs something more reliable to seek work further afield due to opportunities or higher wages or if he feels his current car is going to start costing more in repairs than it's current worth that's another. 

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

here is the recipe.
8 oz self raising flour
4 oz butter
3oz sugar
4 oz marzipan cut into small cubes
2 eggs
7 oz mincemeat.

Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and the marzipan cubes. Beat the eggs together and add to the dry ingredients along with the mincemeat. Mix together and spoon into a loaf tin. Bake at 160c / Gas Mark 4 for 50-60 minutes. Warning, it is very moreish! 

This is officially delicious. Dh had some with baked apple, I had some on its own. Pleased to report I still have marzipan and mincemeat so I can make it again whenever I want.

savingholmes

Good you can talk to kids about money

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Cherryfudge, Lucielle, Spendless & SH.

Cherryfudge - I’m glad you like the mincemeat loaf!

DS has a vehicle that is fine. He can walk to work quite easily ( 10 minutes) but prefers to drive and when not in lockdown, a vehicle helps him to meet up with his friends. He has simply seen one he likes more. Hopefully the conversation the other day will be an impetus for him to save more. 

Yesterday went by in a flash! I found an app that I can have a months free trial for phonics and reading. It has had a wonderful effect on DS3, who is most reluctant at reading. He has gone from resistance to asking to read 3 times yesterday! Long may it continue!!

DD2 & 3 were very keen to show me the walk that they had discovered on Tuesday, so DS3 and I went along with them. DD1 kept an eye on the younger DDs at home. It was a lovely walk, a longer 5 mile which DS3 amazed me by doing without the need to resort to a piggy back! It’s a walk I’d done a very long time ago when DD3 was  a baby in a pushchair and DD2 was a bit younger than DS3. (Goodness I did used to walk my children a lot when they were little!). The walk was memorable then because the pushchair, which was a double, got a puncture so we ended up pushing it while keeping one end more upended, in order to get home. I’m glad that the DDs have that exploring mindset and had discovered the walk for themselves and despite the rain, we had a refreshing time. At one point we were quite high up and could see the rain moving as clouds of mizzle  in the vale below.

I confess I did spend £5 quite frivolously yesterday on some music. I have £5 left over from last week’s money from job 2 so that was used.

Kitten868

Looks like it's all moving forward. I do think it's disgraceful that the British legal system can allow someone to manipulate another like this. Surely there should be different steps in circumstances exactly like yours. I think you are having the longest divorce I've ever heard of. I really hope this latest form makes a big difference. Starts forcing through the last steps. 
Thats brilliant news about the window loan and it looks as if you are going to hit your target. You amaze me on that as you have so little wiggle room to carve out your goal and with so many dependents it's so easily eaten up and you've still achieved it. It's not as if you just need to go without a coffee for a few months, it really is about having such strict discipline with yourself to be totally on every expense planning it all out and sticking to it. Just amazing. 
Keep going. I hope the sleep improves with every ugly milestone you get past xxxx

Spendless

When my eldest went to school, a friend came up with an idea to help with reading that was later implemented by the Infant school our kids went to. She took each of the words they needed to learn, and printed them out onto a piece of card which she cut into an oblong size and laminated and hole punched. These words was then threaded onto a key ring. It meant wherever you went eg travelling, waiting etc child could have their keyring with them to look at. When my friend first made them she put them on a 'cute' keyring she had in, so as to attract her child to it. When infant school implemented her idea, they used just standard ones with the school logo (understandable due to costs) and would add so many words each time, when child knew their previous lot,  whereas friend had put al the ones she had together. Either way this was really successful. AFAIK the school still use this to this day and my friend came up with the idea when our eldest ones were in reception and they are 21 this year. Thought I'd mention it, if you want to give it a go when the app stops being free.

It was probably helpful for DS to be listening about savings if he has a desire but no need for a more expensive car. 

Walk sounds lovely and glad to hear you treated yourself. You so rarely do so. 

Parkyp

Morning, I think that’s why you children love walking and outdoors it’s due to how often you took them when they were younger. Fantastic that ds3 loved his reading yesterday, it’s always half the battle if they enjoy it.

Spendless idea about the words is a great idea, Probably not in the curriculum but he could learn some great words from what he sees on your walks. Enjoy your day 

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Kitten868, Spendless & Parkyp.

Great idea about the words on a key ring, thank you. DS3 has worked his way through 10 lessons today. It’s lovely to see him so excited to read😀.

Parkyp - that is a thought. Writing about yesterday’s walk did make me stop and think about how often I used to get them all walking. I used  to joke that if I hadn’t got DS1 out for a walk by 10am, I would pay for it with much more boisterous behaviour - walking really helped his energy levels😉.

Today’s  walk was one to see the sea. Although we are only 2 miles from the coast as the crow flies,  we are in more of an inland valley so can’t see the sea without walking  about a mile. To get to a beach would be about 4 miles but I’m not sure if that’s allowed or not at the moment,  so I have erred on the side of caution and not gone during this lockdown but have sorely missed seeing the sea, so today’s walk was to remedy this! We walked up the lane and across several fields and then reached a point at which we could see the coast going further down. It was lovely, to spot the favourite parts of the coastal path that we usually walk, to see the island out to sea and to just breathe in lungfuls of sea air. We saw a big cloud out to sea and  the subsequent rain shower falling into the sea. The cloud did move and we got a little wet but saw a beautiful rainbow 🌈.