£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

I think you might be going a pessimism bridge too far on the income/work front! I don’t think I’m at risk of dipping in in the same way as a year or so ago (although no guarantees!). I have also never failed to fulfil a booking in eight years of doing my job so it would have to be something fairly major to stop me. Also the fact that the money for, say, a booking in March is now assigned to income for March and beyond means that for me, it balances out - the money should still be there if something went wrong. To my mind, what I am doing is using the boost of January to ensure there is available money in Feb, March, April etc, rather than going ‘ooh, bonus month!’ and spending it all. It’s a massive step forward from where I was.

Childcare: if my clients are far away or need a longer session, I need childcare before/after school. My mum provides this about once a month for a few days. She is absolutely clear that she wouldn’t provide weekly childcare for a regular job, but is happy to do a few days every 3-5 weeks. Likewise I need her or DH around in order to work in holiday time. Otherwise I am limited to short days in term time only (I still have plenty of availability for short days in Feb, for instance, but not longer sessions). My weekend spaces always fill up fast, which is why they aren’t available for Feb already - that is often the case even in quiet months.

System

Morning TOPM , thank you for the recommendations on National Trust properties. For some reason I though you were in the South East , but you are South West even nicer.

You are getting lots of work , is this coming via your website or repeat business . You did say website would take a while to be fully worth its while.

With the childcare I think you do marvellously well arranging it all so the DC are looked by grandma and DH. Just don’t burn yourself out . I am beginning to sound like your mother !

Have a good day.

Treadingonplaymobil

Cumbria_lass wrote: »

Morning TOPM , thank you for the recommendations on National Trust properties. For some reason I though you were in the South East , but you are South West even nicer.

You are getting lots of work , is this coming via your website or repeat business . You did say website would take a while to be fully worth its while.

With the childcare I think you do marvellously well arranging it all so the DC are looked by grandma and DH. Just don’t burn yourself out . I am beginning to sound like your mother !

Have a good day.

The work coming in at the moment is mostly word of mouth referrals. It's largely from the side of the business that I don't enjoy so much and would like to wind down as the website grows, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth!

warby68

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

I think you might be going a pessimism bridge too far on the income/work front! I don’t think I’m at risk of dipping in in the same way as a year or so ago (although no guarantees!). I have also never failed to fulfil a booking in eight years of doing my job so it would have to be something fairly major to stop me. Also the fact that the money for, say, a booking in March is now assigned to income for March and beyond means that for me, it balances out - the money should still be there if something went wrong. To my mind, what I am doing is using the boost of January to ensure there is available money in Feb, March, April etc, rather than going ‘ooh, bonus month!’ and spending it all. It’s a massive step forward from where I was.

Childcare: if my clients are far away or need a longer session, I need childcare before/after school. My mum provides this about once a month for a few days. She is absolutely clear that she wouldn’t provide weekly childcare for a regular job, but is happy to do a few days every 3-5 weeks. Likewise I need her or DH around in order to work in holiday time. Otherwise I am limited to short days in term time only (I still have plenty of availability for short days in Feb, for instance, but not longer sessions). My weekend spaces always fill up fast, which is why they aren’t available for Feb already - that is often the case even in quiet months.

Sorry, not meaning to be pessimistic , just trying to help the 'mindset' you've mentioned where you 'feel' better off than you are and spend. Brilliant if that's over and done with though I work in a financial area and use very prudent accounting methods - so I guess that's why I feel quite strongly that its wrong and a bit risky to count income before you've done the work. Until you have its a liability not an asset in accounting terms. I'm not an accountant by the way although you might think I am as boring as the stereotype

Treadingonplaymobil

warby68 wrote: »

Sorry, not meaning to be pessimistic , just trying to help the 'mindset' you've mentioned where you 'feel' better off than you are and spend. Brilliant if that's over and done with though I work in a financial area and use very prudent accounting methods - so I guess that's why I feel quite strongly that its wrong and a bit risky to count income before you've done the work. Until you have its a liability not an asset in accounting terms. I'm not an accountant by the way although you might think I am as boring as the stereotype

Want to know something really alarming? I used to work in finance. :rotfl:

PositiveBalance

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Want to know something really alarming? I used to work in finance. :rotfl:

On the back of these comments I'm not telling any of you what my job is! :rotfl: :eek:

XSpender

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Want to know something really alarming? I used to work in finance. :rotfl:

So did I! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Treadingonplaymobil

Yesterday’s lists, before I go do my yoga, then I’ll start on today...

Savings/Spends:
- January 'rounding down' overpayment pot = £3.79/£8 (£30 per month pro rata for the rest of Jan )
- 2018 debt repayment goal = £656.48/£5,000
- £12.50 on egg cups in the sale - I have been using tea light holders recently because we only have three egg cups between five of us, and we have eggs once a week or so, so they are in regular use :rotfl: . Not sure what budget pot that’s coming from, but they were nice and in the sale and I am bored of being the family too poor to buy egg cups. <eye roll>

To do today
1. Laundry. Done.
2. Clear work emails - another couple of booking enquiries. Done.
3. Pack orders for smaller business. Done.
4. Try to schedule in time to make candles next week some time - I have run out! Might need to order oils/wax. Not done.
5. Make something for packed lunches for next week - we are away over the weekend. Done.
6. Try to schedule in marmalade making - I’m thinking about breakfast hampers for Christmas ‘18, with marmalade, jam, hm granola etc. Done.
7. Find some work to take to DC1’s swim club, as it’s 45 mins and I can’t take my phone to do emails or anything as they aren’t allowed poolside. Done.

To do this week
1. Mega decluttering - stuff needs to leave the house, as it's at the stage it's hard to get tidy.
2. Start brainstorming ideas for the architect - I want to be really clear what we want by the time he next comes in March, as each revision once the initial drawings are done after that will cost about £300.
3. Plan any handmade gifts for birthdays/Christmas 2018 so I can ensure they are done well in advance. Made a start.
4. Plan and book some campsites for summer hols.
5. Check the un-allocated spends with DH and find out what they were. Done.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Done.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 50: Day 6

Lots to do today before we go to stay with friends for the weekend. Hoping to make some picnic bits as the DHs are taking the DCs out for the day and I’d like to minimise the cafe-spending potential of it.

Savings/Spends:
- January 'rounding down' overpayment pot = £4.19/£8 (£30 per month pro rata for the rest of Jan )
- 2018 debt repayment goal = £656.48/£5,000
- £9.60 on DH’s train fare - unavoidable when I am working away as we only have one car.

To do today
1. Laundry/ironing.
2. Clear work emails AGAIN - few more that need attention came in last night.
3. Pack for weekend at friends’ house.
4. Menu plan/shopping list for next week so we can do the food shopping on the way home on sunday.
5. Make flapjacks/brownies or something.
6. Make quiche/pasties or something else savoury.
7. finish contract work for the week.

To do this week
1. Mega decluttering - stuff needs to leave the house, as it's at the stage it's hard to get tidy.
2. Start brainstorming ideas for the architect - I want to be really clear what we want by the time he next comes in March, as each revision once the initial drawings are done after that will cost about £300. Sat down and did this with DH and DC1 yesterday, but plenty more to do.
3. Plan any handmade gifts for birthdays/Christmas 2018 so I can ensure they are done well in advance. Made a start.
4. Plan and book some campsites for summer hols.
5. Check the un-allocated spends with DH and find out what they were. Done.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Done.

Treadingonplaymobil

Hmmm, have just received a fairly pessimistic reply from the planners (we are in the midst of a pre-application process regarding our extension). Basically saying we can extend, but far smaller than we had hoped. We're going to need to have some tricky conversations about whether it's actually worthwhile with the limitations they're putting on us, and what the options are if it's not - do the smaller extension (grr, as some costs will be fixed/similar, so the price per sqm will be higher), move (sooooo expensive, and we'd need to save before doing so, and possibly still need to spend on another house) or make the space we have work (almost impossible, but doable for a few years. We would need a longer term plan though). It's frustrating, as I felt we had a really clear path ahead and this has thrown up a few questions. Will have to talk to DH about it and have a conversation with the architect.