New Habits Needed...

BalanceBy50

WinterWarrior said:

Oh the cinema, how lovely! Or in Yorkshire speak ‘the pictures ’ 😬 What are you going to see? 

Taking snacks is so much more sensible, you can get a huge bag of popcorn and sharing sweets at the supermarket for a fraction of the price. 

Definitely the pictures @WinterWarrior 😁. We went to see Space Jam. I saw the beginning & the end but missed about an hour in the middle😂😂 I am not a great sleeper but take me to the cinema & I always fall asleep 🤦🏻‍♀️. I compromised with the boys and we went to the corner shop for sweets. A big bag each for a pound avbag rather than the £3plus at the cinema so I am taking that as a win! 

teafor2 said:

Hi BB50 £20 a week is a lot of money to spend but on the plus side it's now a lot of money you'll be saving 

I get in a pickle with my pots sometimes. I used to take money from each of them when I went shopping but find it easier now to just pay myself back when I get home, unless it's a big purchase.

I think we can all relate to being soft with our children can't we. I always took snacks and drinks with me to the cinema but when they hit their teens they wanted things like nachos or hot dogs and weird drinks from behind the counter so it got harder. 

I'd practically forgotten that Christmas was all but cancelled at the last minute, probably because we'd not planned to have anybody here anyway with Mum being ill. Enjoy the film and the roast beef  sandwich x

I also get in a pickle too Tea - I would love to get to a stage where I could trust myself with a credit card with rewards that I paid off every month from the right pots. Not sure I will ever be there! 

My sandwich was lovely with a bit of red onion! THIS is what I need to do more of. Add appetising food to my weekly shop & make time to make a pack up for me. Does anyone ever look in their fridge after a big shop & not fancy anything they have bought or is it just me? Xx

BalanceBy50

Well we did the cinema not a cheap trip at £7 per person but so nice to be back to normal! I took a bottle of water with me to my oldest’s football rather than buying a coffee but contributed £5 to the collection to buy gifts for the coach. They do a great job so really don’t begrudge them! Made a coffee before work and took it in my thermal cup - thanks @WinterWarrior for suggesting that 😁. My 9yr old has gone for his first sleep over at a friends tonight - his friends mum must be mad as had another friend staying over & is having them all day tomorrow. Dreading having to reciprocate - will do it at a weekend when DH is around 😂. My youngest wasn’t happy so suggested he had a sleepover in his big brothers bedroom! He was happy with that 😁

loving the olympics but staying up far too late! Xx

teafor2

Hi BB50 I don't think £7 is too bad and as you say, after everything that's happened the past 18 months, it's nice to be able to do something normal with children. Plus you made a saving on the drinks which is better than buying them and also having to donate £5 for the gift. I don't know where people find the emojis or I'd give you a big thumbs up for that! 

Oh crikey, I've done my fair share of the dreaded reciprocation protocol with sleepovers! Children don't just seem to just go round to friends houses and play for an hour anymore like we used to. Everything seems to have to be an event. Having said that, I hope DS enjoys himself and your youngest enjoys his sleepover as well xx

WinterWarrior

I love the sleepover in his brothers room idea…I can imagine the uproar later when he’s touched something/moved something/breathed on something he shouldn’t have 😬

BalanceBy50

teafor2 said:

Hi BB50 I don't think £7 is too bad and as you say, after everything that's happened the past 18 months, it's nice to be able to do something normal with children. Plus you made a saving on the drinks which is better than buying them and also having to donate £5 for the gift. I don't know where people find the emojis or I'd give you a big thumbs up for that! 

Oh crikey, I've done my fair share of the dreaded reciprocation protocol with sleepovers! Children don't just seem to just go round to friends houses and play for an hour anymore like we used to. Everything seems to have to be an event. Having said that, I hope DS enjoys himself and your youngest enjoys his sleepover as well xx

Thanks tea it was great to do the cinema with the boys.  You are right about stuff being an event these days we have a busy couple of weeks coming up so am not going to think about having friends over for a sleepover 😂

WinterWarrior said:

I love the sleepover in his brothers room idea…I can imagine the uproar later when he’s touched something/moved something/breathed on something he shouldn’t have 😬

Sleepover in brothers bedroom went down well with the little on especially as the cat sleeps next to the oldest so little one loved that 😁. And he managed not to break or move stuff so a bonus! X

BalanceBy50

Had a very quiet week with lots of NSD as a very close contact tested positive for COVID so we are all self isolating.  Feel really sorry for the boys as it will have affected nearly 2 weeks of the school hols. It’s been quite tough as I am trying to work from home but the kitchen table is not an ideal place. DH can’t work from home so he is in charge of refereeing the boys and is doin an amazing job on taking some trees down at the bottom of the garden 😁😁. Thankfully we can go out from tomorrow but I have no childcare now so will be trying to work & entertain the boys 😬. I have Friday off so going to try & meet up with some friends & really burn some energy off.  Just had a big piece of work confirmed so I can’t even slack off a bit 🤦🏻‍♀️

Before that we had a few days in the northeast at my parents caravan - it was lovely to get away.  I was planning on eating out a bit but for a family of 4 it’s not cheap so we went back to picnics & easy teas in the van 😂

I was supposed to be visiting my brother in the big smoke this weekend & I am so disappointed with a west end theatre. I had booked for the 4 of us to go the theatre (first time treat for the boys) and had booked tickets through kids week. However as we are self isolating we couldn’t go.  I emailed and sent proof that we couldn’t go & that we couldn’t go on an alternative date as we lived hundreds of miles away & the show run finishes on the 28th August & we couldn’t get there before it ended. They emailed me & told me to book another showing (& pay for it!) & they would refund my original booking 😡😡😡 which part of my original email did they not understand.  I emailed again but they haven’t responded. £55 was a bargain but I am so cheesed off and feel that it’s another north south divide again! I was happy to accept a credit note but I really don’t feel like supporting London theatres anymore 😢

Money still seems to be running away with me & my pots are still getting raided for the wrong things. Payday this week & determined to set a realistic budget x

WinterWarrior

Oh no, so sorry about the isolating and the cancelled trip. Keep arguing about the ticket refund, there must be someone you can complain to. Tell them you’ll write to the papers or something…no one will ever risk booking again if they can’t guarantee they won’t need to self isolate ☹️

It has taken me a good 6 months to stop raiding most of my pots…it takes time to learn a new behaviour. 

jwil

Sorry to hear about the isolation and the theatre tickets.  That stinks, and I hope you manage to get a refund.

I feel your pain with working from home and entertaining the children.  Mine are pretty much on screens while I'm at work.  I try to get them out for a walk or in the garden when I can, but otherwise we just try and get them active at the weekend.  There's not a lot of choice otherwise at the moment.

BalanceBy50

Thank you @jwil & @WinterWarrior I really want to support those industries most affected and a credit note would have more than likely resulted in me spending more than the I originally did but alas no response to my email.

it has been tough today trying to get some work done with the boys around.  They are so noisy!! Screens are getting a lot of hammer here @jwil too.

Xx

BalanceBy50

Another nsd here 😁 however I am desperately craving a pizza takeaway. It was supposed to be enchilada’s & spicy rice for tea - everything is prepped ready to cook but DH says he isn’t hungry & the boys begged for pizza so they have had the last of the freezer pizza & everything’s in the fridge ready for tomorrow’s tea - suppose that will be an easy one tomorrow. I either crave or have a cheese sandwich for my tea.

I have set August’s budget and worked out what I owe to various savings pots that I have borrowed from - nearly a thousand pounds 😔. I intend to pay this back. Tomorrow I am doing some target setting x