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

Treadingonplaymobil

Courgette thanks for your comment - it had me heading over to your diary to see what you're up to, and I'm really interested that when it comes down to it the 'problem' for both of us is that we're self employed and could do with earning a bit more.

I'd love to sell ebooks/downloads - it's why I set up my website last year, and I hope to spend a big chunk of time on it in the coming months as the income from my main source drops (as it always does in the summer months). You have invigorated me to get back on this.

I have always taken any earnings over and above my basic £250 as a 'bonus', but it occurs to me that with the savings goals we have for the extension I could do with setting some clear earnings goals, and then tracking them through each month.

Honeysucklelou2

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Treadingonplaymobil

I have come to the conclusion that I needed to get ill to have some free time for planning. :rotfl:

Being stuck on the sofa all day because of feeling too grotty to move is very good for my financial planning. I have set myself a goal so ambitious that I am too embarrassed to even write it here, but I am tracking it and will let you all know how it's going at some stage if I look like getting even close to meeting it. Basically I have decided to try to earn more.

In other news, I have made a teeny weeny adjustment to my clothing budgets - I had set my clothing allocation (in percentage terms) higher for some sources of income than others, but have reduced them all down to the bare minimum that I think I can get away with (8%), bearing in mind I have a couple of hundred quid in the pot already, so if something actually gets holes in I can afford to replace it, and the rest is just sitting there waiting for me to lose weight anyway. If I find it gets down to £0 and I'm struggling to meet my basic clothing needs, I'll reconsider, but that seems realistic for now.

Courgette

I really think you should name it, TOPM I'd like to make £50,000 a year by end of next year. The most I've ever made in my life was £22k pa and that was working 60 hour weeks as a teacher. Not doing that again! Not much of a clue how I'm supposed to earn that much but it's the figure that keeps coming back to me when I think about what I'd like to earn.

If you're charging top rate for your industry then you're obviously good at what you do and have a good reputation. Affiliate marketing seems to bring a lot in when done well. Just saying Actually, motivating myself here! :rotfl:

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 63: Day 1

A new week! I have decided I have had enough of being ill, so I am laughing in the face of a persistent cough and declaring that this week things are going to get done.

I began our weekly budget update at family meeting last night. In fact we are using it to resolve a whole load of issues, from cooking and cleaning to budget stuff, which is what we originally intended it for. Not sure if anyone else has family meetings, but in case you are or want to, here's what we cover now, and note down on a big piece of paper which gets pinned up on a the wall for the week, so any jobs can be ticked off it as we go:
1. Quick run through of the week, noted own on paper too - anything unusual like me being away, playdates, weekend plans etc.
2. Any particular DC jobs to be done that week - one DC nominated to change their bed as a minimum (with help, for the smaller ones), any major cleaning focus for the week.
3. Supplies check - check levels of bulk purchases such as toilet roll, washing up liquid, toilet cleaner, laundry powder etc.
4. Ask DC whether all shoes/coats etc still fit, any haircuts needed etc. We help them check every now and again to be sure. DC3 always claims her shoes don't fit as she likes new shoes :rotfl: .
5. Update on entertainment kitty and extensions savings levels.
6. Any unusual/extra chores for DH or I to do during the week assigned (for instance he has a challenge to come up with 6 new budget seasonal meal ideas, I need to order new trainers for DC2).
7. If behaviour has been notably bad or good, or we want to try a new family experiment (we have done things like electricity free days, no shouting weeks etc) we'll bring it up here.
8. Give the DC their pocket money
9. Any batch cooking/packed lunch cooking that needs to be done before the following monday, so if one of us has a free evening we can get started, or do it on the weekend.

Hope that helps, just thought some people might like a flavour of the sorts of things we talk about.

Had a chat with DH last night about whether we focus on me earning more, cutting expenses more (noooooooo) or postponing the extension for 12 months. He is happy to give me working more a go, and understands that it relies on me dropping my 'housekeeping' day, so we'll need to do more big chores on the weekend. If it doesn't work we'll reassess, but I'm really hoping it's successful, as we have established that neither of us want to postpone the extension a moment longer than necessary.

Courgette maybe I will, next week . It's just so ludicrous and ambitious, I think I need to prove I can make some headway before I start claiming huge income goals. I love your £50k aim, that's a great one. You have definitely inspired me to get back on it with my own website/blogging/ebooks etc.

Three things to do today:
1. Post orders for smaller business
2. Check stock levels before clients on the weekend.
3. Read through all my GDPR info and take action as necessary. <dies of boredom>
4. Food shopping (sorry, couldn't keep it to three!)

I have lots more I'd like to be doing today, but need to get those out of the way first.

Debt repayment:
- £47.19/30 April rounding down pot.
- £1,938.70/£5,000 2018 debt repayment goal.

enthusiasticsaver

Earning more is the key I think to you progressing with this extension.

Love the family meetings idea.

XSpender

I love the idea of the family meeting but know my two would glaze over an DH would just say ‘whatever you think’ when asked to make a decision :rotfl:

Treadingonplaymobil

I have a question. I keep seeing AFD pop up as an abbreviation on other diaries. What is it short for? Please help an ignoramus, kind MSEers.

XSpender our family meetings are still rather a lot of me talking and everyone else staring blankly or eating pudding (we only have a 'proper' pudding on family meeting night), but it's improved over time - we've probably been doing them for a couple of years now. DC1 in particular gets involved.

Have done everything on my list bar reading GDPR info. Off I go to read tedious and difficult to understand fact sheets. :wall:

arsenalbarnie

Afd - alcohol free day. I think something I don't manage often lol.

WannabeFree

I love family meetings and I do it with mine, I wish my parents had done it with me growing up

x