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

Bobarella

Hope you feel better soon. It is awful trying to look after children when you are sick.

Lauralozzle

Yey for the extra funds!!

Treadingonplaymobil

Made it through the day, despite feeling like death warmed up. Having the hearing back in one ear (need to go back next week for the other one) has made all the difference, I feel miles better, even though it’s not that making me ill.

NSD, which is nice.

I guess today is the kind of day that there’s going to be a lot of (minus death-warmed-up feeling, hopefully!); keeping an eye on the budgets, trying not to spend money and waiting for the next payment date to come around.

To do today:
1. Start knitting new socks. Done!
2. Social media while working. Done!
3. Make quinoa burgers for dinner. Done! Despite feeling like I might sack off part way through the day, I managed it in fits and starts, and DH finished them off when he came home.
4. Clear the ironing mountain. Not even started. It’s taken over an entire sofa now.
5. Check valued opinions site for surveys. Done. Up to a groundbreaking FOUR POUNDS in my account there.
6. Spend a little time on my smaller business, as it has been a bit slow lately, with all the work streaming into the main business. I have hopes that the smaller one will grow to create a steady passive income, long term, so I want to make sure it doesn't get neglected. Done! Going to try to keep the momentum going with it, as it’s good for dribs and drabs of income throughout the month, and can generally be relied upon, whereas my other business has much higher single incomes, but they can be very erratic.

To do this week:
1. During our family meeting, focus on ways to save electricity, after the success of last week’s ‘how to save water’ chat. Done!
2. Also during family meeting, try to work out who’s going to need a haircut next month, so we can make sure there is sufficient in the budget. Done!
3. Plan out March working time. Done!
4. Update YNAB for March once we get to the 1st. Done!
5. Sit down with DH once we get into March and chat through current budget situation, so he can see how much positive effect there is from the budget changes we have made. Not done yet

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 3: Day 6

Having a functioning ear is rather strange. I woke myself up a few times last night when I rolled over in bed and the sheets rustled VERY LOUDLY. I wonder if the deafness had been accruing gradually for a few months longer than I thought it had, because even accounting for the fact that it's surprising being able to hear again, there is a lot more noise in the world than I remember there being any time recently.

Lots to do today, even though I'm still feeling a bit rubbish (will probably be dosing up of cold and flu medicine later, even though I dislike taking drugs unless essential). Must remember to do things slowly throughout the day rather than rushing everything this morning, so I don't exhaust myself and end up collapsed in a heap on the sofa. DH is back at 1:30 and can take over childcare, so I can do things gradually from then.

To do today:
1. Tiny bit of gentle yoga to keep me ticking over
2. Social media while working later
3. Remember to send children to school in their world book day costumes (their school always does these sorts of things on the nearest Friday, for some reason)
4. Continue to knit new socks
5. Take batch cooked bolognese sauce out of the freezer for dinner later
6. Clear the ironing Everest. I actually need to do this as I have clients coming to the house tomorrow.
7. With the above client visit in mind, clean the rest of the house.
8. Check valued opinions for surveys
9. Again, spend a little time on my smaller business. Want to get all my stock listed (etsy shop) so I can have a little sale and clear the way for restocking at some stage.
10. Make scented candles - I hit upon this as a Christmas gift idea, but it was so successful (and I bought SO MUCH WAX) that I have been making them intermittently ever since. Even though I use pure essential oils, which aren't cheap, they work out miles and miles cheaper than the gorgeous Neom candles I had a small addiction to before (£40 a pop).
11. Bake biscuits for clients tomorrow (will be attempting a butter/aldi stork combo in an effort to cut costs - I figure I'll cut the butter down 25% this time, then drop it another 10% each time after that and see when the taste is compromised).

To do this week:
1. During our family meeting, focus on ways to save electricity, after the success of last week’s ‘how to save water’ chat. Done!
2. Also during family meeting, try to work out who’s going to need a haircut next month, so we can make sure there is sufficient in the budget. Done!
3. Plan out March working time. Done!
4. Update YNAB for March once we get to the 1st. Done!
5. Sit down with DH once we get into March and chat through current budget situation, so he can see how much positive effect there is from the budget changes we have made. Not done yet

System

Love Neom candles but not in my budget any longer , used to work in a pash shop that sold them. It's good if you can make them for a lot cheaper.

Hope you feel better soon.

boxofpaws

armchairexpert wrote: »

Remember - and I know you know this! - that debt repayment is cumulative. The percentages are always low at the beginning, but as you start to get the overall numbers down, the same payment looks bigger and bigger. I realise I'm not saying anything new, but it sounds like you need a reminder.

Debt busting also gets easier as the habits get ingrained, so if you've done this well in the first month, you get to give yourself an enormous gold star because it is all upwards and onwards from here.

I know this was posted a few days ago but I'm just catching up, but I hadnt really looked at it this way, and I have found it useful. And motivating:T

Also hadnt heard the quote about borrowing from your future self, v good.

Macey1510

I hope you are feeling better and that your To Do List goes well.
Making your own candles is a great idea. I used to love buying handmade soap (which I haven't done since my LBM) i did think about making my own but will need to do some research first.

Treadingonplaymobil

Argh, I think I have killed my computer keyboard by spilling tea on it. It's in a box of rice in a room with a dehumidifier on. Will be so annoying if we have to replace it.

And this is why emergency funds exist. I don't have one, of course.

Lauralozzle

Oh no I hope it can be fixed!!!

angelpye

Fingers crossed TOPM. Hope its not a Mac but figuring it might be given you are in the creative industries. Rice is a remarkable thing though so heres hoping it works for you!