AimeeMum's Debt-free challenge

aimeemum

Today is the day I get myself back into a routine. Since half term I've been chasing my tail and I think that's why I've not been as good with the money. Granted I've also had ill health to deal with which is probably why it's been such a bad couple of weeks. So, last night I wrote myself a 'to-do' list for the next 3 days with the aim of getting as much as I can done today while the kids are at school. I'm going to stop worrying about getting the kids to help and start worrying about making sure I have time for me and my writing. My to-do list is pretty scary, but I'm determined that on Monday I'll have nothing left of it and I can start back on my normal daily FLY routine.

To-do:

Kitchen - Dishes, clear tops, Oven hob clean, Sweep floors
Empty all bins
Tidy porch and hallway
Laundry - 2 loads washed, dry all folded and put away
Clean out snake
Clean both bathrooms and downstairs toilet
Master - clear floors, dust and polish,, clear cluttered surfaces, vacuum
Living room - D&P, Vacuum, tidy and declutter
Kids rooms - Tidy toys, vacuum, D&P
Vacuum stairs and landing
Clean small fish tank
Clean out hamster
METER READINGS!!!
Call Council
Call Dentist

aimeemum

Day so far:

Cleaned hob, worktops, set dishwasher going
Cleared some of the clutter off the dining table
Hung 1 load of washing, set another going
Cleared my desk
Emptied every single bin in the house!

Went to clean out the hamster and he's passed away - he was a Russian dwarf and we'd had him 19months so he'd done very well. He had suddenly gotten old in the last 8 weeks or so, so it's not unexpected but I think I will have a very upset 9yo as Gary was his hamster. He was the best hamster ever so I think we will need to get a replacement in the Easter hols. RIP Gary - enjoy all the biscuits hamster-heaven can provide! :A

Plan for the afternoon:
Tidy and vacuum living room
Sweep floors in kitchen and hallway
Hang washing when done
Clean at least 1 bathroom
Decide what's for dinner....I think I know for the kids but I don't know for us.

aimeemum

Called the council to set up rolling some of my bill over and they've already done it, for the whole amount I owe.

Arrears from 2018/19 - £414
New Bill - £1,653
Total - £2,067 for 2019/20

Assistance applied - £184
New sub-total - £1,883
Monthly bill - £157 from 1st April

I am happy with that - so very happy. It means 2 things. 1 I don't have to pay a massive chunk and then immediately go into arrears again and pay my instalments late as they're due the 1st and payday for me isn't until the 27th, and 2 it means that the big chunk I was going to pay off (equivalent of £140 over 2 weeks) will now go onto my water arrears and CC to bring them down sooner too...

Yes, the CT bill is about £17 a month higher than I had budgeted originally, but looking at the budget, it is definitely doable and it feels like I have made progress this month after a couple of lack-lustre weeks money wise. :beer: Just need to go and adjust everything to reflect these new payments and make sure everything will work Happy days x

abba1772

Aww so sorry to hear about the hamster that's such a shame xx

aimeemum

Thanks - he was a brilliant hamster. Never bit anyone, so tame and so easy to handle. Totally recommend Russian dwarfs! Eldest was a bit teary.. Made me teary as a result. We have put Gary in a little cardboard box and will put him out in the garden in the morning under the daffodils. Our last hamster (dougal - a Syrian) is buried out there too so he said they can keep each other company.

aimeemum

Happy Saturday!!!

After yesterday turned out to be a bit tumultuous, I'm hoping for an easier day all round today.

Already got my washer going with a load and my dishes are in the dishwasher being done (love my dishwasher!).Need to get myself up and moving, get my list of jobs shortened or gone and then get the dog out for her walk.

Last night I was putting the kids to bed and left her unattended with the cheese.....an entire block went into the Labrador! I could have been angry but it was my fault for leaving it on the worktop - only issue when looking after other people's dogs I suppose!

aimeemum

Happy Sunday! - and it's sunny!!

So far it's been a good day - all my daily chores have been done, dog has been walked and there's a sausage and veg casserole in the slow cooker making us all hungry Kids didn't really want to go for a walk but once we were out they were running about like loons. We now have an assortment of sticks in the porch that we will take back to the woods tomorrow.

Back from the walk and we had lunch and the kids then played and that has continued until now...nearly and hour and no arguments. I'm amazed! I do love it when they get along and I'm pretty certain that they miss each other at school all day - it just takes a bit of sleep to stop them being over-tired and grumpy to really get along. We've had an 'at home' weekend so they've had a really restful time and even slept in until after 7.30 this morning which for youngest is more or less unheard of! Only issue is tomorrow morning may be a struggle but still, only 4 weeks at school! 20 days....I think we can make it!

Not a lot to report money-wise. I need to plan meals and weekends for up to/including the Easter hols...may do those this afternoon. Looking forward to the rest of this month and next month....I love the spring weather and the prospect of lots of things to look forward to.

aimeemum

Yesterday ended well apart from when I did the weekly nit check (which has turned into a full on combing of everyone's hair!) I found big adult head lice in eldest. No eggs or babies once again - and no sign of anything on anyone else in the house - so one can only assume that they've crawled onto him at school. He has shoulder length hair and I think that we need to chop it off in order to stop the reinfestations happening. I can't cope with continuing to find lice every flippin' week! At least everyone else was nit-free....so that's something.

I managed to make 6 weeks of meal plans last night - that's a job that I really hate, but now it's done I can just write shopping lists off it. I need to start keeping my meal plans so I can re-use them really.

POA for today -
- Ironing
- Daily jobs
- Walk dog
- Dusting (the whole house really needs a once over before I start opening windows lol)
-Vacuuming (again, whole house really needs a good doing!)

Money wise - hubby has offered to go and get some supplies after work tonight. After the dog ate our cheese I'm struggling to see how we can get to the end of the week without more. We're also completely out of biscuits/cakes/puddings of any sort and while I'm not particularly bothered, the kids are starting to get withdrawals! :rotfl: Only have £5 left in the budget so he's going to have to be frugal with it...I'm sure he'll manage.

enthusiasticsaver

You are doing well with getting the debt down. Getting there.

aimeemum

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

You are doing well with getting the debt down. Getting there.

Thank you, it feels good to be over a third of the way there, but there's still a long way to go and a lot of money to find :eek: