Drawing a line under the debt. Take two.

Drawingaline

Been slack again :rotfl:

So went to look at the college. The girl loved it, and now has her third subject well and truly decided. A surprising choice, not one I ever thought she would go for, but she is adamant and just lit up as soon as we walked into the room:j

We will look at the local college in october and compare it to this one and then she can decide. It will possibly come down to facilities.

Had a busy weekend, eve out on Friday, family party on Saturday and swimming on Sunday. Having got holiday dates through from the swim teacher and adding on a date we are away, I freed up some money I had stashed for lessons. Which I have put towards a crash course for the smallest in August.

Just had to write a cv, haven't done one since about 2002 :rotfl: I am hoping to apply to do a course at the local college one eve a week with a look to taking further courses to help facilitate a possible career change. Not sure if it will suit so the first course is very basic, but needed a cv to enrole? Anyway it is done and will go through it again tomorrow and send it off. If I am successful it will start one eve a week in September. I will wither be really good at it, or absolutely awful :rotfl: unfortunately I won't know until I give it a go. It costs £300, so hoping I am good at it

Takig Friday off to go with the smallest on a school trip. Which means I need to make some a up, waiting for the boss to let me know about a possible job the next two evenings, and one Wednesday afternoon. And she needs to pay me, was due in today and nothing yet. Typical as I have two categories in the red in ynab :eek:

Drawingaline

Still waiting on pay, which is somewhat annoying. Had to spend on the cc for food this morning, also annoying. I am going to be carrying a balance this month. Always forget how expensive summer is, I do have money set aside for trips and things, but I just seem to be handing money over to everyone atm.

Anyway busy day tomorrow, doing one of my Friday jobs in the afternoon, the big job fell through, but may be a chance to do another job next Sat which should make up for taking Friday off, so hoping to end up OK.

Drawingaline

Busy busy day today. One more day then Friday off, one more week then some time off!

Anyway financially I booked the course I applied for. I took the £300 from a completed goal for a trip that won't happen for a while. I also cleared out another trip fund and cleared the carpet finance. Decided I have proven that I can save for the trips so will do it again.

Had all the info from the college and now am a little concerned about the parking restrictions. I will have to drive as will need to collect daughter from dancing 15mins before it starts. But it claims that if you live closer than four miles you won't get a permit! So need to give them a quick call tomorrow to clarify if this includes the evening classes or just the full time day students. If I can't park there I might not actually be able to do it which would be very annoying.

Kitten868

I'm in awe of you. I don't know how you do it. I have two non-neurotypical children and I find it so hard I never get half as much as you done. I'm definitely too scared to do london with mine and my eldest has done the great fire of London in school too so I feel guilty.

So refreshing hearing from another mum who has to balance the meltdowns and total inability to do things some days. I feel so alone with it. Other mums even seem to get the easy version of teething and just can't empathise.

I'm very jealous of how well you manage all of your posts and savings goals. I never seem to have anything spare to cover the non essentials. You just take it in your stride and jiggle it. Very impressive. Hope hubby gets the promotion and the end of term went well xxx

Drawingaline

Thanks for stopping by kitten. We have had a very relaxed weekend, small two have two more days of school so have basically done nothing all weekend. The boy went to town with friends to spend his birthday money and the girl is hibernating in her room like any normal 15yr old :rotfl:

I wouldn't dream of taking all four into london alone, I can cope with all of them if hubby comes and we have to plan it quite well. The smallest can't cope with the tube very well and hates walking so we do have to use a lot of bribery and ensure down time happens once we are home again. It is tough, and I do think people sont understand this need for them to decompress once home, but I try to ensure this happens. But it also has to be balenced for the rest of the family, I know the girl especially struggles with not being able to do all she wants to as a family because of the smalls.

Trip to the beach with school didn't happen due to storms on Friday, been postponed to Monday which I can't get off work. So they are having to take him without me. Sure he will be fine. So I had an extremely rare day off alone on Friday. Cleaned my house and went through all the toys and pruned down to one small box. Then met the girl for lunch as she finished at 12.30, ran into town and sorted all the teachers presents.

Had Chinese Fri night as that's what the boy wanted for his birthday, then me and hubby went out last night to friends drinking, so today is a right off, my head is bad. Having to get to the swimming pool for 9.20am was hard :rotfl: having mcd's for tea, then later I am writing a meal plan for the week to get back on the diet. Stupidly busy week ahead, am meeting a potential new client (not one through my boss so more money).

Financially I have rejigged the budget. The mortgage rate goes down on Wed, but I think it won't be reflected until Septembers payment, but not sure. Also cancelled sky, just not watching enough tele to justify it. £41.50 a month saved from September :eek: also done my timesheet for July, as long as I do all my remaining jobs and possibly some extra ones with the boss I should bring home an extra £180 this month, but obviously earning about half my normal wages in August due to taking time off. Oh well I am going to enjoy the summer holidays, lots already planned and been brain storming some free things to do.

Drawingaline

Been playing around with the budget (my favourite pastime :rotfl:) as I am having to accept that we spend more on food than I budget. Every month. So moved things around a bit and have everything sorted from the end of August. Still unsure when the mortgage payments will drop, haven't had any correspondence from them yet, should have something by the weekend or will have to give them another call I think.

Anyway, off to meet a potential new private client tonight, will mean I lose my morning off every other week, but needs must atm.

Drawingaline

Anyone else hate cars? It is booked in for a service on Monday as I am off and sofa being delivered. We'll one of the warning lights came on today. It seems to still be running OK, nothing noticeable and didn't go into limp home mode so am going to have to pray it makes it through the next two days, I don't need it at the weekend. Except for swimming, but worse case we could walk it, just takes about 45mins! So fingers crossed it gets through two days of work.

Today was awful, so so hot. Did two jobs then came home and got the boy and he helped me with the last two, he is happy he earnt £15 as one of the clients gave him an extra £5 as he worked so hard :rotfl:

Husband is wfh tomorrow as he can't face the trains, and I don't blame him, so I can have a little lie in. Also two less trips in the car. I have three jobs tomorrow, taking the boy to two of them, which means I can get home for lunch.

Little two are loving being off school, did nothing today and same planned for the coming days. Possible day out next Tuesday, car dependant of course, and it needs to be OK for the following weekend as I have guide camp and need to transport some of the equipment. Oh well, will see what the garage says. I hate being so car dependent.

Drawingaline

So the car warning light hasn't come on again:cool: no idea what thst was about manual said poss problem, maybe it was just too hot?! Anyway will mention it at the service and they will run diagnostics on it anyway.

Today was my last regular work day for two weeks :eek: I am doing a job with the boss tomorrow morning, and have a long day next wed. But Monday and Tuesday off, one job in Thursday before a two show day in London with the girl, one job on Friday before going off to guide camp for the weekend :T so busy, but in a different way.

The girl and boy have earnt some money this week, and calculating next month they will both earn around £80 :eek: luckily I have it all set aside.

Financially I have received tax credits, child benefit and Dla. All sorted in ynab, rearranged some goals and am hoping to have as many goals done by Jan incase the smallest Dla stops. Receive money for food on Tuesday, probably get shopping delivered on Monday as we are in waiting for the sofa and car is in the garage. From the end of August I have food money arranged differently so we have more budgeted for it. Have been overspending constantly and decided I need to just budget more to it. We are a family of six, I will now budget £530, for food and the milk bill every four weeks. Hopefully this will take the pressure off, I will get online shopping every two weeks which wil be easier, still do lIdl once every four weeks, and hopefully the top up shops will be less. And the milk bill has reduced as am using way less milk atm.

Anyway best go and cook dinner!

Drawingaline

Car went in for service, needs £700 of work done :eek: I have £400 set aside and have taken £400 from a completed goal that isn't needed until next year. Am so annoyed, I trust the garage, but have never had to spend this amount before. I will put it in for the mot next week, hopefully it won't need anything else doing, but will need two new tyres after the summer. Feeling a bit blue.

New sofa is in! Everyone loves it, have had to rearrange the front room slightly, but so worth it.

Am off tomorrow, if I can't get the car back from the garage tonight hubby may work from home which will be incredibly annoying. Am meeting friends at my sisters new house with the kids, she can collect me so no issue there if car not done, but really hoping I can collect it later. But it's a lot of work being done to it so......

Really put a dampener on the start of the summer holidays. Have gone through the diary and taken out a big day out I was planning and replaced it with a more local cheaper idea. Its going to be a super frugal autumn :eek:

Drawingaline

Wow, been absent for a while! Basically I have had the past two weeks off, did a few jobs, but not many. Eaten my body weight in food and put all the weight I had lost back on :eek: :mad: but have two weeks back in routine now so should come off again.

Been super busy, car all fixed, mot booked for end of the month. Also had a letter from vauxhall about a recall for some wire. Will have to look into that, can't take anymore time off work atm though.

This past 10 days I have been to London three times and seen 5 shows :eek: all paid through kids week (bar one). Took the girl to see phantom of the opera (neither of us were fans, but glad we have seen it) 9to5 (both loved it, what fun) took both teens to see The Mousetrap (all enjoyed it, was pleasantly surprised) and SIX (obviously loved it, third time for me and the girl, sorry not sorry :rotfl:) and then the whole family saw the Falcons Maltesers (bonkers and slapstick, the weird one couldn't stop laughing!) three more shows booked before September :eek: kids week is awesome.

Went to a hedgehog hospital for the smallest to meet the hedgehog he adopted. Three hour round trip for a whole hour and a half there, but his face :j he was just so so happy, pleased we could do it.

Also survived guide camp. Loved it, although I need a decent bed, aching when I got home. Anyway I need to get cracking on redoing my leadership, want most of it signed off by Xmas.

Normal two weeks of work coming up now. Have moved some clients around to make sure I can get some time, today is four clients and taking the boy with me, so a full on day. Smallest has swimming every day too, bit of an intensive thing to keep him focused.

Anyway best eat breakfast, sort kit out for work and wake the boy :T