From debt to freedom...

Spendless

Yes I agree with @Kitten868 lockdown we've also had issues with lockdown (and teens) though not in the same way. Amongst daughter's friendship group, one of the girls Mums has complained every step of the way about anything at all being lifted, going  right back to summer last year. That created issues when say one of the girls was having a birthday and they wanted to eat out (when restrictions were in place, totally within the guidelines) and daughter of said Mum would object unless they would do x, y, z instead.

Some months later during the latest lockdown she fetched it up with my daughter about how unfair it had all been on her when the others wouldn't stick to the rules. Daughter by then had had enough and told friend they had stuck to exactly what the rules were at that point, what they hadn't done is stuck to the extra layer of rules friend's Mum had put on top and that  they weren't obliged to, that was up to her to either take up with her Mum, refuse the invite or put the dilemma to the girls and see if a compromise could be made not dictate what was to happen. Think it was a bit frosty between them for a few days. I managed the situation better for me, I just blocked myself from seeing the friend's Mum's facebook rants -lol

Talk of colouring squares has inspired me. Today I've made a spreadsheet and listed our mortgage and credit card payments for the next 2 years with a running sub total of what's left every few months.. 

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments😊.

It is interesting to read about other people’s dealings with family and the various restrictions we’ve faced over the last year. Kitten868- I hope it gets easier for you in the coming weeks and months with your parents and in laws.

Spendless - I bought some more paper today to be able to print out colouring charts for main goals and mini goals🙂. I like the idea of your spreadsheet showing how much is left to go.

Buffy & Parkyp - Thank you for your kind words and suggestion about writing. 

Kitten868 - the older children are paying a contribution to some degree. It was such a battle with DS1...when the older DDs finished their courses and could no longer be counted as students, I said that since I had been paying 75% of the council tax as a single adult and had now lost the 25% single adult discount, they could each pay 1/3 of the 25% if that makes sense. They each do that. I pay for the other household bills and food, although if they want something else not on the menu, then they tend to buy what they would prefer and cook for themselves. In practice this is perhaps once a week max. DD1 is very good at pitching in and will pick up things if she sees we’re getting low, but she is more understanding having lived away at uni. DD2 does pitch in, in a different way by doing 3/10 of the school runs for DS3. It helps me to be able to get to work earlier and I do appreciate this contribution too. DS1 is DS1 and I still have to battle some months for his council tax contribution. 

Honeysucklelou2

Today has been busy and productive to some extent. After dropping DD1 into work, I came back and went for a run before breakfast. It was easier than last week, but I’ve still some way to  go to get back to last year’s fitness levels.

I’ve done some prep for the new term but will still need to do more tomorrow. At least it’s a start.
I had an email from the solicitor...I had a couple of months of statements that were missing so I’ve spent the afternoon grappling with technology and have learned how to print statements from the Internet banking site. This is all ready to be delivered tomorrow.

That took longer than I’d intended, so the allotment will have to wait for another day 😕 . I thought it was more important to get the paperwork sorted today.

Spaghetti and meatballs for tea, one of the few meals that the whole household will eat😋!

Honeysucklelou2

Paid £125 off a debt this morning...off to print the colouring squares and get colouring 🙂!

It is a beautiful sunny day so hope to get a lot done.

Have a good day everyone.

Honeysucklelou2

Woken up to a beautiful day outside 🙂.

Yesterday was busy but not in the ways I had thought! I delivered what I hope is the last batch of paperwork to the solicitors. The only downside to having savings accounts as budgeting pots is when you have to provide 12 months worth of statements for each one....it’s a lot of paperwork😉. I’ve had to ring my pension provider to get an updated valuation as the one I got previously ( and took months to obtain) is out of date 😣. Hopefully that will come within the timeframe they said so should be in time for the court paper filing date.

I came off the phone from the pension provider, rounded the corner and found DD2’s dog ( currently on heat) in somewhat of a compromising position with another dog 😮😵😫😤. DD2 has been careful to keep her dog around her at all times but she had an appointment to go to yesterday and the other dog got into the room. Hoping that puppies will not be on the agenda. Having survived puppies in the past ( different dog, planned litter)  I know who will be left to deal with the mess.

I spent the afternoon at work trying to get ahead for the new term. I got a fair amount done but need to factor in more time later in the week.

DD1 and I managed a dusk walk, just locally around the lanes. The bluebells are starting to come into flower and the first Campion was spotted in the hedgerow. I love this next 2 or 3 weeks when the bluebells, campion and stitchwort combine to make the hedgerows looks so vibrant and full of colour. 

Off to make some more Simnel muffins...it’s still the Easter holidays for us so stretching out the time I make them as I tend to bake these as a strictly seasonal treat!

Have a good Wednesday everyone 🙂.

Sun_Addict

Fingers crossed for no puppies 😱 What a faff with all the paperwork for the solicitor 😩

A lot of us have said you should write a book but you would be brilliant at writing a blog with recipes, photos, tales of the hedgerows, bit of budgeting, etc. It would be fabulous.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SA.

DD1 keeps trying to get me to do a photo  journal type thing on Instagram but my brain can’t seem to fathom how to work that! I do like the idea of combining walking tales with recipes and a splash of gardening. 

Spendless

HSL - Ring the vets. Explain the situation. I'm not sure if this is a figment of my imagination or I've genuinely read there's such a thing as a morning after pill for dogs.

If puppies are too come, yes it will be hard work but it would work out. I'm the owner of a 2 year old accident between household pets and him and his 7 siblings all found homes. It's made for a rather unusual mix of a cockapoo Mum and a Yorkshire terrier Dad. He has the colouring and height of his Daddy, whilst his looks including ears and  his coat come from his Mum. Consequently many people ask me what he is but the last one didn't believe my standard response of 'a mongrel' and believed it was some expensive dog I had - which unnerved me a bit considering the increase in dog thefts. 

savingholmes

I think you have to take the increase in dog thefts with a pinch of salt - as in one area I looked at it had gone from 14  a year to 19 - which while still sad wasn't the huge numbers you'd think with some of the stories.

Glad the solicitor bit is moving along. 

Glad the coloured squares idea is helping... I'm now off to colour some in on my net worth spreadsheet.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Spendless and SH. I had no idea about any options with unplanned and unwanted couplings for dogs.

The last couple of days have flown by in a blur of getting  ready for work next week in terms of getting the classroom ready and time spent walking. I went to my friend’s for a garden visit this week and she took me on a walk local to her, that I had never been on before. It was a riverside walk surrounded by woodland with lots of bluebells starting to flower. In a couple of weeks it will be magnificent...but for now seeing greater patches of blue is wonderful. Walking beside the river was restful, listening to the water flowing as we strolled by.

I’m struggling more with the mid week evening when the ex cooks for the children. Now that the evenings are getting lighter, I’m going to try and get out and do something positive.

Life is returning to more of a normality this week as DD3 resumed her  driving lessons and passed her postponed theory test. DD2 returns to work today albeit on a part time basis as only the drinking side of her work has reopened. The food side won’t reopen until May 17th. In some ways I’m glad that she has a staggered start back. She’s  only been able to work for 3 weeks, between lockdowns, since the beginning of November.

Hoping to get the last of the prep done for next week and get out for a decent length walk this afternoon. After wondering what to do about the rear garden ( looks like a building site with the ex’s stuff in various parts ) I’ve thought of a way of digging up all the grass/moss/ nettles and raking the earth around and starting again. If I plan it right, in terms of maximising light, I should be able to put in a couple of small raised beds and grow salad foods and herbs. If it’s at the allotment, I can’t always nip out for a sprig of something or an extra lettuce, so may be a good way of improving the rear garden, maximising growing space and reducing food waste, particularly during term time.

Have a good day everyone.