Taking it slowly, but doing it well. 13 July 2017 at 6:39PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Mortgage-Free Wannabe 1.1K replies 106K views

Hettyhound

Potty training, I remember it well (boy is now 6). Many a pulling into lay bys to use the potty. Did keep him in nappies overnight though for about 6 months. Stopped that when I was asking him if he needed the toilet when I got him up and he was saying no it’s ok I’ve got a nappy on!

Good luck with it.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Hettyhound wrote: »

Potty training, I remember it well (boy is now 6). Many a pulling into lay bys to use the potty. Did keep him in nappies overnight though for about 6 months. Stopped that when I was asking him if he needed the toilet when I got him up and he was saying no it’s ok I’ve got a nappy on!

Good luck with it.

Thanks Hetty, following a meltdown (by me) yesterday. Things have picked up. Tips on dealing with number 2s required though please. I know it's early days and 2's take longer than 1's but it's grim cleaning them up!

I got shouted at 6:20 this morning 'Mummy I need a wee' dry bed & dry pjs though.

Will see what tonight holds.

wishingthemortgaheaway

A full day of work with no crises today. It was amazing. I got some of my 'strategic jobs done. Bliss!
Also:
A nsd

Courier came to collect the box of books/DVDs etc. Not sure I'm going to get the amount they say, but we shall see if I get £20 then I think I'll be happy.

Filled in most of my tax return today. I just need one more p60. The only info I'm missing is the employer's paye reference. I can't find it on line either (any one work for Blackpool council education department??) so I should get £180 returned to me. I was about £1000 under the tax threshold last year, even with the married couples tax allowance swap thing. Not sure where I will stand with that next year (or rather this tax year)

Tomorrow I have a todo list as long as my arm. I would like to do some clothes shopping - maybe even buy a new work bag, but not sure I'll actually have time. Will see what I get done.

Have a good evening.
Wish

Mse May Goals

Mop pot
1) nice round number following standard payment £29.26/£29.26 :j
2) £400 capital reduction £100/£100 :j
3) interest added £53.41/£53.41 :j
4) £500 capital reduction £22.91/£100

NSDs
3/15

Hettyhound

I moved on from the potty to a toilet seat insert quite early on. He wanted to go on the big toilet and all in all it’s was easier (no getting off half way through!). “Aftercare” was a bit easier too. Just continued with the potty when we went out, it will be over soon I promise

PS sorry to those reading this who maybe eating!!!!!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Hettyhound wrote: »

I moved on from the potty to a toilet seat insert quite early on. He wanted to go on the big toilet and all in all it’s was easier (no getting off half way through!). “Aftercare” was a bit easier too. Just continued with the potty when we went out, it will be over soon I promise

PS sorry to those reading this who maybe eating!!!!!

Thanks Hetty,
Pickle is still at the 'number 2 in his pants' stage. Although he did get very upset yesterday about it. So I think that's progress (I was very kind to him, we plopped it down the toilet etc etc, I think it may have hurt too, poor little thing)

Anyway - first night away at grandma's and bed dry this morning - I thought it may go to pot him being in a different environment, but he's done really well. So that's 7 dry nights and no wee accidents since last Sunday. I think we may be getting there.

Thanks for your insights.
(The mse of this particular thread will be the reduction to 0 in pennies spent on nappies...)

wishingthemortgaheaway

Morning, so, in my absence:
2 NSDs (Thursday & Friday)
1/2 day supply Thursday pm - paid next friday.
Box of books etc sent off ALLLLL accepted - I was shocked to save the least £41+ in the mop pot.
Tilly tidied done.

Now: let's talk about Wednesday.
I started packing for my week away - which includes 3 days at a work conference (currently at my parents who are going to be looking after Pickle while I work)

Due to: length of time away
Pants weather meaning washing isn't drying
An issue to do with AF
I just didn't have enough clothes to pack. I knew it was right. But I didn't realise it was actually impossible. I also noticed my work shoes may just have got away with a day 'at the chalk face' but we're not in a state for 'working with adults at a posh conference' so, I went shopping!

£260 later (I know!!) I think I'm ok.
I bought:
- new bras - the ones I was wearing I bought when I found out I was pregnant (Pickle 3 next week)
- 'gym' clothes - 1 set. Work Hotel next week has a gym, they will also be good
If I have to do PE in a school and will count as 'lounge wear' when I can't be bothered.
-new pair of pjs (what happens if there is a fire alarm in the hotel when I'm at the work conference?)
- new work boots
-new jeans (didn't have enough)
- new 'everyday' tops.

I then went through my wardrobe: found a bag of feeding clothes I'd tried to sell previously but got offered ridiculously low amounts for - so given to a friend of a friend.
2 bags of too small/not liked anymore for the ca
Some stuff just binned.

I've sorted my clothes into 2 'capsule' wardrobes - work and not work. I would benefit from a couple of additional to this (shoes & bags mainly) but I have enough for now. I also probably won't have time for such an epic shop again. But, taking some advice from DSL I can now look out for some classic pieces to go with my capsules. Trousers not in black would be good for work for example...

Anyway. Need to move my bum! Have a good weekend.

Wish

Mse May Goals

Mop pot
1) nice round number following standard payment £29.26/£29.26 :j
2) £400 capital reduction £100/£100 :j
3) interest added £53.41/£53.41 :j
4) £500 capital reduction £70.53/£100

NSDs
5/15

wishingthemortgaheaway

Today:
Nsd
That is all...

Wish

Mse May Goals

Mop pot
1) nice round number following standard payment £29.26/£29.26 :j
2) £400 capital reduction £100/£100 :j
3) interest added £53.41/£53.41 :j
4) £500 capital reduction £70.53/£100

NSDs
6/15

wishingthemortgaheaway

Another nsd, but a Tilly tidy from an auto payment made.

Tomorrow is haircuts for Pickle and I (I have cash, so it shouldn't affect the bank accounts) we'll take the bus into town I need to pick a few bits up to keep me going through the work conference. It that should be it.

I've also decided that I need to treat my diet like my financial management. Let's see if I can have 'no treat days' like I have no spend days, need to do a bit of planning for this though. Leave it with me.

Wish

Mse May Goals

Mop pot
1) nice round number following standard payment £29.26/£29.26 :j
2) £400 capital reduction £100/£100 :j
3) interest added £53.41/£53.41 :j
4) £500 capital reduction £71.54/£100

NSDs
7/15

DrSpendLittle

I love the idea of no treat days! I need them too - I've been really quite lax with my diet over the past few months and I'm eating far too much sugar!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Morning all - I have made a decision I'm going to treat my weight like a debt and apply
The same principles to weight busting as is required for debt busting. I've heard of this approach before, but it's taken me a while to work out how to do it. After some reading and thinking I have a plan:

1) know the numbers:
I've never owned weighing scales for my body and I'm not going to start now. My gp surgery has a weighing machine so I will use that when I visit. I do know my current weight as we had to be weighed to go on the Alpine Roller coaster. It's a round number, even if it isn't a nice one. I've looked online for my ideal weight range for my height so now I know the numbers.
I am 'in debt' to my body of between 39 & 50 kgs.

2) keep a spending diary:
Or, in this case a food diary. Not as easy to go back through statements as you would for a debt free approach, but I can do this going forward.
Page set up in my bullet journal and breakfast for today added.

3) recognise your good habits:
We cook from scratch and eat very little processed food as part of our main meals.

4) make small changes.
My first change is going to be to dramatically reduce the amount of bread and cheese I consume. As well as increase my fluid intake (I'm generally pretty good at this, but it can always be improved)
Others will need to be to up my fruit and veg intake and to reduce crisps and Snacks.

5) produce a statement of affairs:
I guess this is a meal plan type approach and a list of staple 'debt busting' dishes. This needs more work.

6) up the income
This is exercise. I do very little actual exercise, so I need to start by upping my activity levels. My hotel for two nights this week has a gym, so I'm going to see if I can use that.

7) no spend days or, in this case: no treat days.
So a ntd counts if I don't consume the following:
-cake, biscuits and pastries
- chocolate or any chocolate flavoured products
- a pudding that doesn't count as 'free' on a major weight loss programme.

I'm not including crisps in my ntds yet as I will completely fall off the wagon.

All that is very easy to say. But much much harder to do... I'm going to need some support and def some accountability.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Wish.