Family of 4, paying back £50k in 4 years whilst trying to live eco friendly

missymoo81

Hey!

Sorry I’ve been quiet, two super busy days at work! But progress has been made!

So on the eco fight challenge, I have found that some plastics, you know the thinner clear ones, carrots etc are packed in, can be recycled. Unfortunately not in your normal recycle bin, but at Sainsbury’s (and possibly other supermarkets) they have a carrier bag recycle bin, you can put these bags in there too! So I will be saving mine up!

Also I emailed Yep valley about their yoghurt pots and they are recyclable, so at least that’s an option. Jury is still out on whether to get a yoghurt maker! Still on my quest to use up what is in the cupboard, so it’s nice to see those get emptier. I’ve also made my very first scrunchy. Me and May made it out of an old dress! It took a while as my sewing isn’t amazing but we did it and she wore it in her hair to school! I’m going to help her make some for her friends at school for Xmas presents. So I’m going to get a mini sewing machine, I’ve found one on FB just waiting for them to reply!

Ok on the declutter got front I have also done ok. I have sorted through some very old paper work and got two huge carrier bags of recycling! I’ve been doing ten minutes here and ten minutes there which is helping me get on top of things. I’d like to have everything decluttered by Christmas. So the spare room, is almost done, that’s where most of my stuff is, the children’s play room is the worst! It’s hard to do in bits as the children just mess it all up again. I’m currently sat on the sofa after a very busy day. HAppy and comfy!

brizzlegirl

Best of luck with your journey...also tempted by the yoghurt maker, may have it as a family present x

missymoo81

Thanks Brizzle.

Ok so today has been another sorting day. I have 3 bin bags in the back of the truck ready to go to the charity shop tomorrow. I’ve gone through the whole kitchen and got rid of anything I haven’t used in a year. Feels weird getting rid of stuff that I used to love or feel I definitely needed. Like salad tongs and 4 wooden spoons, 50 teaspoons, 8 baking trays etc. So it feels good to get them out of the house. Things feel a lot more organised. The children’s bedroom and playroom are still not finished. Although the bedroom isn’t far off, I had to stop as they came back from their grandmas and would start wanting all the stuff I was giving away! I’ve got a bit overwhelmed with it today as I’ve done so much. I even cleaned the oven!

I’m going to try and do a few more bits done today, I’ve put aside a bag to eBay. I’m going to sort through and see what’s not really worth it and put it in the charity bag, I’m going to list the 5 things I have for Facebook selling. And I really should list the named gym stuff I have been meaning to sell for over a year!!!! It’s ridiculous. Either I want the money from selling it or not! I’ve got tomorrow off so I’m meeting my friend for a quick coffee after the school run (hopefully it’s free as I should have a voucher). Then I’m going to try and finish both of the children’s rooms. Oh another thing I need to do tonight is hang the washing up and load the dishwasher, might do a second load of washing actually. Anyway I’m rambling, if I think of anything else I will post again. Hope you’re all ok.

missymoo81

Ok, soooooo, I didn’t get much done, I managed to hang up another load of washing. Clean the dishwasher and load it, sort out the naughty elves, go through May’s toy box and bag up stuff she doesn’t use. She has about 8 barbie sized dolls and a car. She doesn’t play with them at all. But I don’t know if she will ask for them if I get rid of them..... I’ve put them in my wardrobe for now, but I really want to get rid of them.....

I’ve chucked some old slime and squishies away that we’re way past their best. I’ve sorted the medicine cabinet with some baskets and it is so much more organised it’s amazing!

I also did something I’m rather pleased about. I got rid of loads of May’s pyjamas the other week as they were far too small, and I thought 4 would be enough, but I’ve obviously not done a coloured wash for a while as there was none clean at all!!! Then I remembered I’d put a pair of Roo’s old pyjamas in a bag waiting to go to the bin as they were full of holes. Having no choice as no dry pyjamas I could Roo’s old pyjamas out of the bin, sewed up the holes, and May is sleeping in them as we speak!!! V happy with that!

I’m not very happy about, through lack of planning, I had to go to the CO-OP as it’s Past 4pm and we needed some stuff for the morning, but I ended up spending £17!!! That’s ludicrous! I desperately need to go shopping but I’ll go get a big shop on Tuesday. Also need to get fuel in both cars 🤦🏻!♀️.

I need to get everything done by Saturday, as we were going to go away for the weekend as we don’t have the kids, but we have decided to save the £200 but still have a relaxing weekend, playing scrabble and going for walks and cooking nice dinners, so that’s a bonus.

Feel a bit lazy like I’ve haven’t done enough today!

jwil

You've done so much! Well done :T

missymoo81

I’ve hit a bit of a brick wall as far as decluttering goes. I think I’ve sorted most things out, but it’s the tidying aftermath. The huge amounts of paperwork and eBaying that still needs going. I’m at that stuff everywhere stAge.

Struggling with life and mum life etc at the moment. I got a new Xmas tree from amazon, and wow, it looked lovely, it was a snow flocked tree. But OMG, the ‘snow’ just came off, EVERYWHERE! All over the rug, cushion, curtains and my jumper, it was so bad OH spent over an hour trying to get it out of the rug!!!!! I ended up putting the tree outside and not having the big tree decorating party I had planned, I was devastated!!! I’d bought special party food, I’d picked the kids up early from school, and wanted to make it so special for them and for OH as he hasn’t really done our sort of family christmas before. He got very grumpy having to hoover for over an hour, and I was in tears because the evening was ruined!!!!! Suffice to say I’m sending the tree back!!!!

Today hasn’t been all that much better! You know days where you seem to try really hard but nothing seems to go your way or recognition for all your hard work is few and far between makes you just wonder why you bother! I’ve had to run around doing a million things and I’m so super tired. Ex is being a d@ck, OH Is super busy and stressy, children are over tired and grumpy.

So I’ve kind of lost my way a bit. I’ve just paid my half of the bills and the rent, I’m going to try and make it so that I don’t dip into the house money and actually pay the £400 I need to pay off my debt this month. Am waiting for OH to come home. HAve made chilli, but I’ve eaten a load of crap so I’m not hungry. Really just not Feeling happy at the minute. Sorry for the whinge x

jwil

Hope today is a bit better for you xx

CJRyder

Good luck on your journey, hope today is better for you.

With regards to veg box schemes, you can always get one every fortnight. Although more expensive than supermarket, the challenge of cooking a !!!!!! is this? and the sizes you can get, means that my meat spend has decreased drastically. I won't go out for a pack of sausages or chicken portions because I need to find something to do with a kohlrabi and a bag of sprouts!

missymoo81

Hi guys! Thanks for posting! Sorry I’ve been quiet work was busy last week and I’ve been trying to use my phone less over the weekend.

Feeling a lot more positive this week! We’ve taken a little bit of time out this weekend, and the children have been at their dads and although we were supposed to be relaxing, we have started to get stuff done!

The Xmas tree disaster continued, with a second tree being bought but being just as bad as the first, so have taken that back and got a different one! Still need go send tree number one back actually. Will sort that tomorrow!!

Have been to the bank and finally changed my name and have sent off my driving licence today. Which makes me feel so good to have my ex’s name gone!!! Have my passport and a couple of other things to change but I’m getting there. I have a big long list of important things to do, like apply for our marriage certificate. I can’t remember If I told you me and OH got married in Aug? Anyway we did lol, just a very small private affair, just us and a £150 dress!

I’m still sorting through the house and decluttering and I am getting there. Very slowly! But getting there! I want it all done by NYE that is the goal! Also need to do my tax return which I’m having a tiny panic about.

So, I have managed to Ebay 40 things yesterday, most of it good make stuff so v much hoping it will sell. This is a huuuuge achievement as some stuff has been sitting there for years I have 5 more bags for the charity shop!

The play room and small ones bedrooms just need tidying I WILL get round to that soon. One mammoth thing I have done is I have phoned HMRC and told them about my name change and have set up a payment plan for my overpayment, so I’m going to be £66 a month worse off for a while but at least it’s getting paid.

I’m also having a bit of a money cleanse, I’ve gone through my purse and ditched all old cards, I’m going to pay off the few £’s that seem to be sitting on 2 of my CC’s then close them down. I’m hoping as I said in my last post that this will be the first month where I can hopefully break even! I still Need to speak to the bank about some outgoings I can’t cancel.

Right now I have some stew cooking in the slow cooker and am about to sort my mountain, and I mean mountain of paperwork! Might just finish my tea first! Still have my summer clothes to sort but that’ll be fun. Going to try and build my unit later too, that’s only been waiting 2 months to be put up!!! I’m hoping with the money I hopefully make from my eBay sales that I can redecorate the bedroom! Well that’s enough of me rambling on! Speak soon x

missymoo81

Ok so have gone through all of my paperwork from years ago, was rather emotional but it is done now, just making another bag for the charity shop. Have just had stew and a mince pie. Yummy! OH is still in the loft! At least he’s out of my hair whilst I get all emotional lol. Did find some old photos of me and my sister when we were little, melted my heart how happy we were! Have ordered a couple of storage boxes, have managed to repurpose a lot of old ones too which is great. I’m going to go through my summer clothes in a second and see what can go! The spare room is so close to being done!