Debt, debt and more debt.

Primrose

Sounds as if you and the doctor both need your own spaces to cope with your schedules and well-being needs Emma.

The tutoring sounds an income godsend and while schooling had been so disrupted it will be good to stick with it while you can even if you don,t particularly enjoy it. So many people are out of work or losing their jobs at the moment I guess it will help to keep focusing on trying to get that debt figure slowly declining. 

You genuinely sound as if you're in a much better place than a few months ago.  Getting your house back to yourselves and your parents relocated  has obviously massively reduced domestic tension and friction. .  Makes you realise just how important it is to have some mental space every day.

AntoMac

Emma,
Do it, reach out to your friend. Don’t put it off. 

As for your tutoring work, who knows you might unearth another little bit of magic where you make a real difference to someone’s life, and of course it helps pays the bills! 

On the subject of being older and wiser you might well relate to this one…… After more hugely frustrating conversations with my teenager I asked her if she might consider that perhaps I’m a bit older and wiser than she is.  Her huffy reply was “Well, you’re definitely older!”  She makes I proper laff. 

Primrose

Emma - it's a pain that you and your daughter have to share a laptop.
Is there any way you can put a request out on Facebook or through your local charities for somebody who has a spare older one to gift it to a home schooling tutor who needs one for educational purposes?

We ran a local campaign for a charity I was connected with for spare laptops for educational purposes at the beginning of the pandemic and it was surprising how many were released into the system.  Contacting big local companies for their older laptops can also produce results too.

Suffolk_lass

I know you said you try to make your treat spending cost neutral and obv I don't know how much you have coming in and going out but I just wanted to mention that one of the people I follow on here, puts half of what he receives (outside his regular salary) towards his future. I think most of his goes towards savings in some form or another, but I wondered if you might think about a three-way split so that you put a set %age of your incomings towards paying down that debt you want rid of (later you could work towards saving for your future, combined with treats being covered, rather than the treats becoming a bigger part).

Just a thought. Have a great day!

Primrose

Emma. Apart from your children could you ask the rest your family to agree a mutual moratorium on birthday presents and a maximum fixed amount  at Christmas.?  A good time to do it when Christmas isn't upon us and the pressure could get a bit more emotive.
I don't know whether they're aware of your debt level but it seems to me that given your determination to reduce them as quickly as possible they should be supporting you in your  efforts.  Maybe you have to be a bit assertive on this issue and tell them what's going to happen?   I'm sure if any member of my family were in this position I'd be only too anxious to encourage them to reduce their spending in this area. 

AntoMac

Emma, It’s a shame that your family wouldn’t support you. It could happen to anyone, and it happens a lot worse for many.
Don’t lose sight of how much you’ve paid back so far. There’s plenty of support for you on here. Keep chipping away at it.
Your daughter being football mad like mine, hopefully she enjoyed last night. So uplifting.
By the way your eye for a bargain is second to none! 

Suffolk_lass

Not sure if any of your stock would take it but have you considered a garden shed (if you know any builders they often have off-cuts of thermal insulation that they have to pay to dispose of), which you could keep some stock in?

Primrose

Everything always feels worse when your tired Emma .  It happens to all of us when we're like that  so don,t punish yourself.
if you can't change the size of your house  then maybe making a strategic decision only to deal in small size items for your business and eBay trading will make it easier.  It may eliminate certain larger items which might be profitable  but will also eliminate the daily stress of not being able to accommodate them.  There has to be a trade off somewhere!  Do you do the home tutoring in your house or at the childrens' homes.

dawnybabes

The unit will help you get away from the house too for a break 😀

Suffolk_lass

Blimey - good for DS - it takes a lot to admit you need help from a parent. I was asked the evening before my Son's photography (AS) deadline. He had some beautiful photos but had not put any into any presentation. I made him mount them and I typed while he talked about his approach, what he was trying to show, and what he thought he was conveying. It was too last minute to hope for much but he got a B. We finished at 01.45 the night before it was handed in (no e-presentations back then).

He must be two terms from his A-level exams. He can do it with your support. It is a huge advantage to have a parent who can interpret what the curriculum requires. If he's lazy (as mine was) I think it is easier for them if you set out what effort he needs to put in for what level of return so he understands the framework to get the grades he needs - and set it in context of his friends and their ambitions