diary of strugglin working mum

BartGirl

Pavlov: good idea, but my own parents are abroad relying on me, and the in-laws are on the dole so...
We'll manage..we always do..

chevalier

not sure if I have mentioned this to you but do look on www.freecycle.org for a bed for your little one. The things offered on there are free, all you have to do is go and pick it up.

There have been several beds offered on my local branch, so I am sure there will be some on your local one too. And if you OH complains then tell him to hand over some cash if he wants new, cos you can't afford it!
chev

pavlovs_dog

no probs bartgirl, just throwing ideas into the pot.

hope things are picking up with you and your OH :beer:

BartGirl

Thanks everyone for all your support - things are much the same regarding the OH.
Am in process of clearing out DSs room-to-be and taking pics of stuff for ebay as i go along. Once the room's sorted, i shall be in a position to tell OH what we need for it ie.bed,curtain pole,bedding,etc
That'll be this weekend or even tonight perhaps...

Unfort'ly i didnt end up having a nsd yesterday or today either. Yesterday i spent 40p on the newsp for the book coupon. Then i was naughty and bought us £1 worth of chips for lunch..laziness :rolleyes:

This a.m.we needed bread,milk,butter and the newsp again for coupon. I went to Aldi for some of it, and the butter was 'MSE' butter: i bought the ones that are wrapped in paper - not in a container - i think its called Willow. Soft butter. I had an empty flora container that's gone into. My local superm sells it for just under 60p.

So i still have some change from the tenner i withdrew on Tue..which is unheard of for me..So am still focusing on what's in the freezer before buying extra.
I wont have a choice but to go to the market on Sat+Sun. Sat=fruit,Sun=veg. So that'll mean another tenner withdrawn,but i dont mind, cos the food'll go a long way..

Ebay: I have only had 1 bid - 8 items on there - ending on Sun.But many watchers,and many questions too.So i'm hoping for the best - regardless.

Quidco, Pigsback - I'll do final count this p.m.

Sky: I called yesterday to see if they'd knock something off. I pay £36 monthly. The 4 mix is costing me £19 and the rest is his blimmin Sports. I've been with them since Aug 06 and told them that I'd like to cancel and they said 'fine!' i told them there's cheaper deals out there - they agreed and said i should shop around then confirm with them on Mon a.m.!!
Think I'll post that elsewhere and see what people think.

My bonus for the day is that my free samples from CHristina Aguilera and Ecover have finally arrived!!

(Land_of)_Maz

It's frustrating when Sky won't back down isn't it? The same thign happenned to me when i phone to cancel ages ago... I'm going to give it another bash for a cheaper deal or a free upgrade to Sky+......... Don't hold out much hope!

You are doing so well with the food shopping, you're lucky to have a market and Aldi/Lidl's nearby where you can do a half decent shop on a budget.... all we have budget wise is Farmfoods, and although it is cheaper than othes for brand names, a lot of what they sell is carp too!

Freecycle is great and you only need to invest in a mattress cover to give yourself peace of mind once you get a bed, be honest will your OH notice if it's new or not, don't lie to him, just don't let on. Put nice new covers on it and he'll not notice.....

Stay focused and check freecycle every day, as things move quickly. Even if you don't think you can arrange delivery/collection take the item anyway, remember you have budgeted £50, so maybe the "giver" would help by delivering for a small payment. No more than a tenner for a mattress cover and voila!

Here is scotland we have a voluntary services place that does provide bigger furniture items, sometimes they are ex stock from shops, hotels etc where you can get a really good bargain.

Also maybe ask you Health visitor if you DS still has one, if they can help you source a bed.... they can get help from Social Services etc on your behalf without you becoming directly involved with them. I'm sure if you explain your situation to HV, she would be able to help. i know you are working but these things aren't means tested per se, they are on each case needs basis.

Ellidee

Hiya hon, good to hear you sounding more optimistic. Keep up the good work. Have you heard of Maya Angelou's poem ' Still I Rise' ? It's one of my favourites. It's a bit too long to post here but you could Google it. XX

BartGirl

Maz: yes i do check freecycle everyday. Luckily i know someone who can sort out delivery/collection for a small fee. However, you've just reminded me of a local coucil-run place that may have some available. You're right - i could buy a separate mattress if needs be..I have 'sneaked in' furniture before and not told him where its come from..

Ellie: i'll google it..;)

Ellidee

Hiya hon how are you doing ? Did you get bed sorted ? Hope you are OK. XX

skintscotslass

Hi luv, how's things? xx

BartGirl

Hi everyone
Thanks for your support and concern.
I got paid bit of overtime, so am pleased with that.
Am on a hunt for bed, buggy and coat for DS. My digi cam's also dying which is critical, cos am an avid ebayer, and have joined the £10/day Nov challenge on here - so its important i have a decent camera.
The bed i've scoured for on freecycle, went to my local Council shop, local paper etc but decided the 1 I've spotted is the best option, cos they'll deliver for a fiver, and the bed and mattress have only reached a fiver on the bids, and 1 day left!!:shocked: so i'm really really banking on that. I'd budgeted £50 max so that's be fab if end up paying less.
I've also budgeted £50 for the buggy - which is coming out of my overtime, and I budgeted £20 for DSs new winter coat. I went to H&M yesterday and we got 25% off with a coupon so i'm v.pleased with that.
Other than that I've only spent £5 in aldi. Not done the monthly shop yet, but have decided that since I'm going to Costco on Sun,I'll do the monthly shop on Mon / Tue instead.
I've also stuck to using what we've already got in the freezer before buying extra, so not needed to do any extra shopping!!
Other than that I've got loads on ebay - I made £55 from there on Sunday and banked it immed. I realised that since i have diddly-squat savings, I'll need something to sort me and DS out once OH goes..whenever thats gonna be..he's behaving himself at the mo, but i know it aint gonna last...