Mooloo's Joining up the dots in 2017

ivyleaf

You sound much more optimistic now Mooloo :j Glad the shop's doing nicely. Your seamstress sounds just right

Savvy_sewing

Well we didn't hit target in the end, as with the sun coming out, the people stayed away, and we only took £3 on Friday a yellow ribbon and a packet of pins! That's the lowest money ever! I had to draw out cash to pay the seamstress for Friday, so I am fingers crossed that the bank card transactions hit the account before the 1st when I need to pay rent. I need to look at the figures and see what I can do to increase the income while reducing or keeping the costs lower. I will have to miss taking the drawings again this week until the account is more stable.
We have already discussed the need to look at our prices for some things and try not to underestimate the time that it takes to do some things that are not part of our normal remit.
I will have to reconsider a job sheet for each of us, and make notes of the time we actually do spend on a job. I lost out big time sewing poppers onto a garment. I charged £10 and then realised that actually it wasn't a simple set of poppers, but a complicated set all requiring over stitching to hide them, and in the end it took me 3 hours or so.
So I lost the ability to earn my usual £25 an hour, so £65 lost on one job. Of course I couldn't charge that for sewing on poppers but I should have said no to the job as not cost effective for the woman or and especially me!
You live and learn!
Saturday I spent teaching.
Sunday we are in Oxford and went for a walk by the river, had a couple of drinks in a riverside pub, and walked back and BBQ'd our ribs and sausages in the garden.
I am not sure what we will do today. The sun is not out here yet.
I am going to have to do the wages and accounts etc for one thing, and I am not sure if I am going home today or tomorrow yet.

Savvy_sewing

Well we came home.
I did the wages and work on the accounts etc. We had lunch, and mostly then I was just reading. Dgd was bored and BF was busy doing his chores, so about 3pm we came home, dgd went out to play, and got soaking wet playing when the rain started.
I did start to do housework but sat down for a cup of tea and got engrossed in my book, and didn't really do much more.
Dgd was sick twice just before 2.45 and 3.10 am!
She had eaten too much junk food as she had scoffed a large bag of chilli doritos!! And a packet of sweets I hadn't seen her get. On top of milk and black current squash. Not a good mix.
I don't think that it is anything else but scoffing her ill gotten gains. But we will both be tired today and she will be a struggle to get moving this morning.
I have to go to work as staff is on holiday and I am not expecting the seamstress today. My Saturday girl is coming in, but can't stay after 1.15
I will just have to make the best of it today.
Dgd is going to have to go to holiday club whether she wants to or not.

Here goes, into battle!

Savvy_sewing

We just scraped past £100 takings today, and I only managed to sew about the same. My Saturday girl came in until 1.15 which was supposed to be going to give me time to sew, but I ended up with a lot of fittings, and after she went and I was on my own, then I was kept busy with phone calls, more fittings and collections etc.
I have 3 jobs to go and get tomorrow that need doing before I open on Thursday but I was running late for colllecting dgd so I dropped everything and came home without it.
Dgd was fine at holiday club thankfully.
Mum is fine and I am going to take her out to the bank etc tomorrow.
After I attack the ironing.
I plan an early night tonight as interrupted tomuch last night.
Hope everyone is well, that you can practice living your dreams and enjoy life as I am doing.

beanielou

Living dreams & enjoying life seems good to me

Savvy_sewing

I chatted on Skype with my brother yesterday. He lives in rural France, and very Frugally. They have about €5,000 a year to live on, as they spend their life renovating the house. He recalls stories of our life, and his memories of life in Africa, he is 6 years older than me so has better memories than I do, and we are trying to get him to publish a book. He is a great story teller.
I told him that he needs to visualise the book, believe it, and it will happen. He has been helping a local stables delivering feed etc, transportation, mucking out etc, and has an idea that he will possibly become a carrot trader. Biting tonnes of carrots that are rejected for shape etc, and distribution for animals, in 10kg bags etc. A little profit would really help the budget. He told me that he was proud of me, and wasn't worried about me reaching my goals anymore. I hope he is right.

As we move into June, the money for the campervan covers cleared today and it means that I can pay the rent tomorrow and decided to pay myself £100, which has been split into Emergency Fund, Holiday Fund and spending accounts.
Dgd has been allowed to download a video and a game on her gadget.
The girls (dgd and her friend), slept in the tent in the garden last night and are playing out there at the moment.
My plan is to potter in the kitchen, sitting room and then, go to my Mums.
I am also going to have to start monitoring my diet and try to work out some exercises (yuk), because I have been rapidly putting on weight since Christmas and especially since I stopped taking the HRT.
I am not sure of my exact weight as my scales have broken but I was 10st 3 last time I used it, but it was measuring my waistline yesterday that shocked me, as I have gone from a 30" to a 37" !!!
I am horrified. I will have to cut out the wine, and reduce the size of my meals etc. I have never ever been on a diet, I was always a fairly slim woman but I am not anymore!!
I don't really know where to begin. I think I am still in shock.
First things I need to get another set of scales, and see what exercise will suit me. It will have to be a gentle start because I have to consider my joint problems and my weak side.
I think I am going to need some moral support with this.
My daughter's wedding is in 29 days. So I would like to aim to be certainly showing signs of an improvement in my waistline!
Then my Birthday holiday is another 3 weeks or so after that and I would like to feel happy in a bikini. Eeeeek

beanielou

I wouldent go by the scales. It is only a number.
Much better to go on your measurements, how your clothes fit & how you feel.

Savvy_sewing

Day 1 of diet and exercise done.
A good day at work although I did more customer service than sewing, but my seamstress powered her way through lots of the simple jobs while I wasn't looking! I am really pleased with her work and it enabled me to do fittings and do extra jobs that needed a quick turnaround.
My Saturday girl worked until 2pm, and she covered reception, did unpicking and even did one of the simple Repairs that came in.
My daughter popped by to Collect one of the bridesmaids dresses for a fitting and discussed the bow ties.
My friend who used to help in the early days of the shop also popped in to see me, and she's been car booting again and has some bits and pieces for me.
Bf collected dgd from holiday club, and they were in the garden when I got home. While I sorted out dinner, I watered the veg patch, and had a cup of tea. Then BF went afterwards as his son is coming home today for a few days, so I will have to stay home this weekend as no room for dgd when his family comes home.
I am going to read a bit, then hopefully I will sleep better tonight.
Feeling happy and tired. I can not only see my dreams I can almost touch them they are so close.

Savvy_sewing

Focusing on the bottom line for the rest of the month (especially).
My personal SOA since January has shifted from a small worth to a greater amount of debt. ( well that's easily explained by all the bailouts to the family earlier this year!)
But I am still keen to work on the debt levels and the savings levels. The savings will soon be just the Emergency Funds left, as the final dentistry work will be done and our holidays have been paid for etc.
I am glad that I woke early and looked at the SOA this morning because it gives me time to step back up to the mark, and put my effort in to the whole picture of life and not just the shop.
Being aware of my slips means that I can tackle them anew and bring myself back to the point I need to be.
I have to raise my game again and tweek my spending and savings again.
My paypal account needs to be sorted as I have too much work related things actually coming out of the personal funds especially when I am in a hurry.
So now I am aware of that I better log in and sort it out.

Savvy_sewing

Post today brings a letter from Housing telling me my Housing Benefits have changed and I need to pay another £51 this month. I have already lost £26 odd a week income and now it looks like I am being reassessed and change is afoot. I have yet to hear from the council how they have come to their conclusion as they asked for my account by 10th June, and I have yet to produce that too them?
I am about to be overhauled financially again then.
Glad all my upcoming breaks away are already paid for and the spending money is there for the next one at least.
I am not going to panic - yet
I had to send my Saturday girl home today as she was sick. I then had to cancel all the sewing lessons to mind the shop. But I did manage to take in more work and do unscheduled fittings too. We have at least a full week of work in to do.
Dgd is away for the day and night, and I will not see her until tomorrow evening now.
Tonight there is a change of plans and BF is coming here, so we will get to go out for a change.
I am hoping that we go out to eat. But if not it's ham salad as I have not defrosted anything.