Second time lucky... debt free diary.

Cherryfudge

Something's not right when work reduces you to tears! Hope your boss is supportive. (They should be).

If whatever the GP gives you is helpful, perhaps you need to ask them for a follow-up appointment so you will get the next lot of tablets... Hope you are feeling better now xx

charlies_tribe

Thank you Cherry, we've had a new manager recently and i've never really spoke to her. Team leaders are fantastic though and look after us.

Just a quick post as DH off now until the 9th. 38 spent on food yesterday and £9 on DD some books for college. Done a bigger shop for the weekend and cleaning things today and spent £45.

charlies_tribe

New dryer arrived yesterday and was tested out with 5 loads of washing. I've left the £400 in the emergency fund as i think the boiler really needs fixing and borrowed it from the yearly funds account. That was at £1500 and i will get 2 lots of tax credits in March that i haven't accounted for so will put it back if i haven't managed too before from the end of month rollovers, ready for the council tax bill, that's come round quick!

Yesterday was some spending. Little 3 all had some thing with their christmas money that i need to get back. Then spent £30.15, £15.30 was on house things, 2 new baking trays and a shower curtain as ours has gone mouldy. £14.85 on food shop and DH had a box of beer in that too.

Today was £2.50 on chocolate for tonight after swimming lessons as a treat for DD getting star of the week.

Been at work all morning. Just got home and had a cup of tea. I have a £5 voucher come in the post as a sorry for the deliveries over christmas, reminded me i have a triple points voucher too, will use them both next week. Checked the bank and nothings changed today, want to check what payments are left to come out so that i can pay the rest of the jan money off a CC so it clears before my 1st of month check in.

charlies_tribe

I've also asked about changing my shifts at work but doesn't look like i will be able too, We have been talking about me dropping a midnight finish shift as it's affecting us all (5.5 hours). I think i'd have to pick up any overtime i could on the days i'm in and then store any extra overtime to cover the lost shifts on weeks there isn't any overtime.

Just trying to work out if we could manage a £50 a week drop if there isn't any overtime available, but i'm struggling with just 5 hours sleep, DH doesn't actually get any sleep on his days off as he has to stay up until midnight to fetch me and the children, dd2 especially, are struggling with me only being home 2 evenings a week, DD wont sleep as she wants to see me and then wants to sleep with me too. My current hours are all afternoons (3-8pm or 6-midnight) and all day Saturday, meaning i only see them on a Thursday afternoon and a Sunday.

charlies_tribe

Little ones have been swimming. They asked to go shopping but we came straight home. Their annual fees are due Monday (about £70), they only joined in June (we paid it then) so I wasn't expecting it for a while.

I've sat for ages going through different wage scenarios. If I drop a shift, I'll lose £42 a week. Through the summer there is a massive amount of overtime to top it up. I'll give it a few weeks to see if they do change them and then decide.

A couple of months ago we swapped rooms with the girls but think we are going to have to swap back to them having the bigger room, there just isn't any room for storage in there. They had all greys which suits me fine, would just need a large rug as I hate wood floor. This time they want girly pastels and drapes and dressing tables!

Cherryfudge

That sounds like a tough shift pattern for someone with young children. I hope you can sort something out. It's always worth asking your boss if they have any ideas (they may know of someone who could swap).

charlies_tribe

Thank you. I asked a week ago, she did mention someone wanting to swap a Friday shift but I've heard nothing since. A team leader did comment about it and asked what I would do if I couldn't change them, so I think they've all been talking. Another lady has just left after not being able to get her shifts changed.

I feel like it's failing the little ones, it's rare we manage to read school books, practice spellings/ do homework projects.

Caught bus to work this morning, £1.90. DH picked me up and I spent £15 on pies for tea tonight. Chops for dinner tomorrow, they were 3 for £10 so will do a meal next week too, and a tub of ice cream. This week's grocery money seems to have disappeared into thin air.

Off tomorrow, lots of cleaning and washing to do, DH tax return to do and the little ones want to go swimming while daddy has a rare Sunday off.

Cherryfudge

What a shame they are losing staff due to their shift pattern. It may be worth you looking elsewhere too - or see if you can do back to back shifts and thus get an evening off. Would only work if the other shifts are free of course...

Apart from it being unsociable hours (I sympathise - I work mostly evenings too, though not as late as you), you must really miss the time with the children. Is there any option to do overnights instead?

charlies_tribe

Thank you Cherryfudge. Hopefully they'll come back and say they've managed to change them. We had looked at nights as it's more money but i would have to work the 3 nights DH doesn't.

Banks checked this morning. DD for CC has come out and a DD for an educational site for DS. I took out the £1 trial and completely forgot to cancel it!

I think all our goals may be changing. There is talks of making another bedroom! We have a utility on the end of the living room (currently 9ftx5ft) and if we move washer etc to kitchen, add a shed outside for all the tools/paint all the camping equipmnet etc.. and then move the wall 3 feet into the living room (living room/diner but dining room now in conservatory) we could make another bedroom. Separating DD1 (16) from the younger 2 (8 and 9) as they are staying up until all hours and she's also complaining that i wont let her play/watch age appropriate games/tv as the younger 2 are in there. The room would eventually become a dining room.

If the plans go ahead, for this year, minimum payments would be paid and any extra saved for the work to be done in parts. First we need to fix the boiler, fix the leaky roof and fix the fence as the dogs could get out if they really wanted too, luckily they wont go over the 1ft plinth but this may change in the spring when they want fusses from the neighbours!

I think i need another SOA to see how much surplus it would give us each month.

£30 spent on shopping for nappies and school food yesterday. Need to do a full food shop today. It may include a cake for my birthday today but so far none of the kids have any idea so might manage to avoid it.

charlies_tribe

Didn't manage shopping so just called in for milk at a pound.

They didn't remember my birthday so didn't have to buy cake but just treated myself to a bar of chocolate and a bottle of orange juice. A whole £2.50!!!

Just on my break, better get back.