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

Bobarella

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Managed to start today by allocating an extra £50 profit from yesterday's sales, so that's nice. I've mentioned already that I already have April's 'salary' in my business account ready to go, and now I've almost made enough to cover May's business costs (this is for regular stock expenses, insurance, professional development and saving for accountant's fee) and will start putting by May's salary too. Even if I don't do any more business this month, my end of month invoices will cover all of the remainder of May's costs and salary and almost all of June's costs. Honestly, I haven't had such a handle on my business expenses and profit for years, so it's a total revelation to have money in the bank to cover future expenses and salary, takes such a weight off my mind. I'm very slightly further ahead than I was this time last month, which means I am inching my way towards being three months ahead with my expenses/salary.

That is so impressive TOP. Well done!!!:T:T

angelpye

As Bob says, very impressive indeed!

Glad you managed to have some 'present' time with the kids and had such a productive day

I have emailed company to ask for some advice about which products to try for my shrivelled face...I always allow a present for myself in the present budget as I only really get a token gift or two at birthday and xmas which are usually really practical. Thinking for my birthday I might treat myself to a product or two. Could go really mad with that brand...all the ethics etc but luckily they are in Spitalfields and I don't go there often anymore. Will make a considered purchase after much consideration. Like an adult and not a child in a sweet shop

JoJoC

Progress is definitely being made on all fronts! Glad you managed some quality time with your kids, that's what I plan for the weekend aside from my sister's wedding dress fitting. Lots of time doing whatever takes our fancy with the kids

Treadingonplaymobil

Slightly spendy day today -visited a friend, so had train fare to get there and coffee and cake in a cafe. Did take a packed lunch for DD and me though, so it could have been worse. Also picked up DD some new leggings for preschool, but gave into demands for a tutu as well, so a £12 spend became a £20 spend. Room for all of these spends in the clothing/entertainment kitties, but it wasn't my finest frugal hour. Hopefully DH will manage better than me over the weekend - I'm working so he's flying solo with the DC.

Loulou4321

Thank you, I'll do that!

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 5: Day 7

Morning all! Busy work day ahead, but I'm hoping to find some time to do a couple of things as I'm really behind on all fronts - party planning, eb@y listing, laundry mountain, surveys, candle making. Everything.

To do today:
1. put a laundry on this morning and get it out on airers - might get the airers outside for a couple of hours this afternoon.
2. NSD.
3. Check valued opinions for surveys.
4. Don't comfort eat - instead aim for plenty of veg and a good walk to keep my head clear. Managed this (mostly) yesterday and it does help.
5. Social media during work
6. Start next week's menu plan/food shopping.

To do this week:
1. List old unloved handbag on eb@y.
2. Order birthday presents for child 2 and child 3.
3. Order any party supplies needed.
4. Make more candles when oils arrive.
5. Finish current socks and start knitting a new pair for my dad's birthday.
6. Pay preschool bill (there should only be one more, smallish, bill after this one, then free hours kick in. Hurrah!).

boxofpaws

Ooh my soya wax flakes arrived this week. I have no idea what to do with them and no other supplies, but I am very excited anyway:D

I hope you got all your jobs done after your massive lie-in on Saturday

Treadingonplaymobil

boxofpaws wrote: »

Ooh my soya wax flakes arrived this week. I have no idea what to do with them and no other supplies, but I am very excited anyway:D

I hope you got all your jobs done after your massive lie-in on Saturday

:rotfl: at my massive lie in.

Let me know if you have any candle making questions! Not that I'll know the answers, but we can be bewildered together. I have discovered Pinterest is a good resource for scent combination ideas.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 6: Day 2

Monday again! Regular readers will know I like Mondays for the 'fresh start' feel .

I have been SO FREAKING BUSY recently. Partly necessity, partly, I suspect, a subconscious effort to keep my mind off next week's hospital appointment.

Good and bad financial things over the last couple of days.

The good:
- we have been ordering birthday presents for the children and I think will come in under budget (we did, I confess, top up the budget with £40 from the Christmas 'pot' which will need repaying, but no immediate family birthdays until September now and can buy smaller gifts for anyone outside the family, so should be able to top it up again quickly).
- we're actually enough under budget (£30 left at the moment) to let DS1 choose a present for each of his siblings too, which I wasn't sure if we would be able to allow this year and would have been a real shame.
- I've ordered pretty much all the party decorations etc on eb@y, mainly in the form of themed 'kits', which has meant I haven't had to buy 30 balloons and 12 paper plates etc, so even though i'm spending more per item, I'm getting what i need for less, with less waste. Got all the decorations and activities for £30 per child (two parties at the same time, so £60 total, but this is at least a 60% reduction per child on previous years). I still need a couple of bits like pass the parcel prize, but hoping to pick something up in the supermarket tonight fairly cheaply.
- we still have £28 left in the family entertainment kitty to get through one last weekend of the month, which will mainly be taken up with parties, so we should end the month on budget in this area - this was one of the biggest budget cuts we made, so I'm pleased we've managed it two months running.
- I had a booking yesterday for April which, assuming they pay (current client, so I am expecting them to, and they have promised payment within a couple of days), will mean I have all of April's AND all of May's money already in my business account before sending out my end of month invoices. The invoicing will then cover perhaps 50% of June's salary, which again is significantly further ahead than I was at the same time last month.

The bad:
- I think we're going to end up over our food budget this month. Partly due to party food - this week's food shop is set to come in closer to £110 than £75, which will leave us only £45 for the following week's shop, so I expect we'll end up a tenner or more over. Technically half of the following week will fall in April, but I'll be shopping (and budgeting) in March! Shortage of money allso partly due to being too ambitious last week and basically running out of food, so I've had to top up from more expensive local supermarket a couple of times (c.£10, would have been about £5 in Aldi if I'd bought it during the weekly shop).
- I think we'll also go over on fuel, thanks to a weekend family visit that I forgot to account for in the fuel budget (basically a full tank extra). We normally come in £25 under budget, I suspect we'll be £20-30 over.
- I'm not sure where these over-budget spends are going to come from. I can steal from next month's budget when DH gets paid on Thursday, or from savings pots, but obviously wherever it comes from it has to be paid back eventually, so it will remove next month's wiggle room. Emergency fund currently only £5, so no help there. Will have to sit down and look at the numbers.

Back in a bit with lists for today and this week...

Treadingonplaymobil

Another mega busy week ahead...

To do today:
1. Eat healthily and walk 10,000 steps. I gained about 2lb last week in comfort eating, and was at the top end of my happy weight before that! Really need to get on top of this - feeling unhealthy and inactive really affects my mood.
2. Put a laundry on and hang it out on airers. The weather is horrible now, but set to clear this afternoon, so might be able to stick the airers outside for an hour or two. Already done! Will stick the airers outside this morning, as it's still nice, but be ready to grab them in as the forecast is very changeable.
3. Food shopping, including last shopping for party bits.
4. Valued opinions for surveys.
5. Social media for work.
6. Make two meals while cooking this evening, so there is something ready for a lazy night this week.
7. Help DC1 choose presents for DC2 and 3. Not sure whether to go to toy shop (perhaps nicer for him) or order online (cheaper and can get cashback, which would interest him, but harder to find ideas if he doesn't have something in mind).

To do this week:
1. List old unloved handbag on eb@y - this didn't get done last week, annoyingly.
2. List old nursing chair on eb@y too, unless my mum wants it back (we 'borrowed' it 9 years ago, she had said before we can sell it when we no longer need it, but I will double check)
3. Make more candles - essential oils are here and I am running low again! (I spent a fortune on scented candles before starting to make them!)
4. Finish sock knitting and cast on socks for my dad's birthday.
5. Pay preschool bill (they didn't give me an invoice last week, hoping it will be there this morning for me when I drop off DC3).

On top of all the party prep (party food, printable decorations, excessively elaborate cake baking etc), I think all of that should just about wipe me out this week! I'm going to try to get as much done as possible over the next couple of days so I've got plenty of time for cake baking and construction on Friday.