Earthgirl's Final Battle

Karmacat

Great set of posts, earthie - and the issue of short term goals supporting the long term goals is really, really important - once you see it, its kind of common sense, but its so hard to see! Good for you!

earthgirl

Thanks Karma! Merry Christmas everyone!

I am quite motivated and I have time off work so I am doing more than one thing per day, so things are going really quickly! I am at the research stage atm. I am going to try to reach my goals without additional spending on anything.

Health
To get the whole family to reduce sugar I am going to show the kids a couple of videos about it (they always believe videos over what I tell them!) Sugar for kids:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFVn3kuZ4Dc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UewfeRZlwMI

I have a few recipies for healthy sugar free snacks, and have a book on order at the library. To buy in as emergencies =
Snacks - popcorn, hippeas, nkd bars. Juice replaced by water/smoothie. I'm not sure what to do with all the left over choclates from Christmas - I guess I can keep them and make into things as gifts? Really not sure!

I will download the kids headspace app for ds1, and I will do the adults bit in my lunch hour for a while to see if it works better. I have found cosmic kids yoga on youtube and the kids and I did this the other day - now to make it regular.

My beach walks I am now going to do a bit of litter picking too - plastics I can recycle.

Joy

Every tuesday the boys can have a few friends back to play after school -alternative choices. I will make sure that they get to see relatives when things are organised and invite grandma once a week. Visit other grandma every 2 -3 months. Experiment with train travel if cheaper than £50 return.

Games nights will be tuesday and sunday afternoons, film night saturday with a veg curry and popcorn.

Responsible

Iv'e done some research and to have the biggest impact on the environment we will
- reduce red meat - just bacon once per week, reduce dairy
- sort and recyle more incl food waste - need to get more boxes sorted and tell lodger
- pick up plastics on beach - need gloves
- reduce car usage
- reduce paper usage

I would like to do more for my local community and charities but I am time poor at the moment - when the kids are older we will foster children and help out more at the local charities. I will try to get a lot more of the things we need from charity shops though. and can look on my lunch time walks to get my steps up! I will donate more items too as I declutter.

I will make a proforma for the kids pocket money which includes things that I'd like them to do to be more responsible for themselves. I will up their pocket money and they can give some of it to charity and save some each week. I'd like them to manahe this by the end of the year so that they tick off what they have done and show me to get their pocket money and I don't have to chase them for anything.

We will have a walk up and collect the missing items policy if they forget their things at school.

I have done some work tasks, so really need to crack on with

- decluttering, banking and budget setting

earthgirl

We are all feeling rotten today, cold/flu type symptoms. I have worked at lunch club so £30 in, which I then spent at the dentist. The rest of the day I decided to relax and recover. The kids had lots of new toys which kept them busy. I have decluttered my laptop and installed a new free anti virus software.

Hoping for a lot more energy tomorrow so that I do lunch club for a few hours and then I will hopefully get more decluttering and budgeting done.

Karmacat

Hope you're feeling better today

Downshifterella

Hope you're feeling better earthgirl!! Great 2019 goals!

beanielou

Hope you are feeling a wee bit better now.

WannabeFree

Hope you're feeling better EG
x

earthgirl

Thanks everyone, yes feeling much better and the kids are recovering too. Yesterday I did my third shift at lunch club and then welcomed a bnb guest in the afternoon, so £150 extra in this week. I haven't found many surveys available but have done one just now.

I have sorted out our recycling and decluttered a little yesterday. More today, plus banking whilst the kids are happy playing. I want to make a chickpea curry for later, followed by a film night.

Frugal weekend on the cards

WannabeFree

Have a lovely weekend EG
x

earthgirl

Had a good weekend. Lovely family bike ride today and then lunch and then I was so exhausted that I fell asleep

Little bit concerned that the default with kids and OH is that if I'm not there bothering them into doing something (i.e. I'm ill or busy) they just immediately go for technology. I suppose its their age and the age that we live in, but I am not giving up and giving in on this - too much is very bad.

Budget done, and I'd like to earn at least £100 extra per month from tutoring and surveys, having students in summer. We can happily survive on my wage alone.
A load more decluttering done, and all prepped for achieving my goals in 2019