Time to sort this mess out

[Deleted User]

My diary is a long and boring read, and quite a lot of cat anecdotes, so I wouldn't recommend it But debt clearing is tough, and especially when you're more of a Type-A personality, that wants to take control You'll get there, and this place is so great for encouragement (and often, a dose of reality) just when you need it most. It took me a year of lurking to pluck up the courage to post a diary, and I should have done it sooner - it made the world of difference to me Good luck!

Lu_thien

Ok, I've put my big girl pants on and stopped wallowing in my misery Listed 5 items on FB and set to make £40 in total if they all sell. Felt quite emotional doing it, thinking back to when baby H was tiny. He's such a whirlwind at the moment, it's crazy to think what a wee baba he was. 

Have got some other bits to sell (chairs/ rugs/ tv stand) but will sort that tomorrow as I'm shattered and no doubt baby will have me up at 5.

We are heading into a bigger town tomorrow to give OH some alone time (the F1 is on so he has requested we make ourselves scarce). It's an hour long bus ride, but baby should hopefully sleep while on the way back. 

My intention is to get some baby clothes in Primark. Bought a few bits in there a month or so ago but lost the receipt so couldn't return them. Am hoping I can take them in and exchange for store credit and get the clothes with the credit. If they won't do it then I won't get the clothes and he will just have to deal with small vests for the next month.

Was going to say I'd take a packed lunch and picnic blanket for us, but just checked the weather and it's to rain. Will take the raincover for the pram and my waterproof and try and get all my steps in anyway!

Lu_thien

BlackCoffeeNoSugar said:

quite a lot of cat anecdotes

I mean, this makes it even more appealing to me! All about the cat anecdotes, me. 

It really is great, it's so nice knowing there are other people in the same boat - it can be hard to remember that when you're just out and about. We live in quite a well off area and I always feel like the odd one out, but I bet behind closed doors a few people are in similar situations. 

Thank you again! Here's hoping I'm as successful at debt busting as you are! 

CRANKY40

We've all been in the doodah at one time or another or we wouldn't be on here. It's a bit of a shocker when you try to put your baby in clothes that fitted last week and the poppers don't meet isn't it? NCT sales used to be good for cheap baby stuff (and selling your own) but I expect that covid has put paid to them for the time being. Don't forget to look on local free to you sites on farcebook though - you won't be the only one whose baby is growing like pondweed. I also found that the cheaper the clothes the less it bothered me seeing pureed sweet potato etc being rubbed into them. 

Get the Olio app on your phone. I've just looked on mine and there's bread, cookies and all sorts going tonight because they've reached the end of the sell by dates but there's also a non-food bit that sometimes has children's things on. 

Lu_thien

CRANKY40 said:

I also found that the cheaper the clothes the less it bothered me seeing pureed sweet potato etc being rubbed into them. 

This is so true! Realising half way through dinner that baby is wearing a lovely outfit (now caked in various food items) is not a good feeling...

I’ll have a look for NCT sales - I hadn’t actually heard of them. There is a baby second hand event going on soon a few towns over which I was considering going to - will need to double check if it’s clothes or just toys (as baby definitely doesn’t need more of them!) 

Downloaded Olio. Nothing near me at the mo (quite a rural location) but have turned on notifications - thank you for the tip! 

Lu_thien

Baby's currently munching breakfast. The last, non mouldy strawberry is very much being enjoyed... little does he know it's the last one for a while!

Interest in one of the items I listed which is great! That should hopefully be £10.00 to add to savings. 

Feeling positive today, despite the torrential rain!

OH took things out the garage for the dump yesterday and sat them in the garden.. I did say it would rain and he should load them in the car. But did he listen? Nope! So now everything's soaking. But it just means he'll get wet when loading them in the car so doesn't affect me I guess  

He has promised he will take things to the dump today, but if I'm being brutally honest I don't think he will. He wants us to go out so he can watch F1,so don't know when he's planning on doing things.

He used to say he'd do things then just sit and drink instead which was really frustrating. If there was no baby I wouldn't mind, because I could do everything... But baby is really clingy and the only time I have to do any housework/ bits is when baby naps. So jobs that could be done in an afternoon (pressure washing our garden wall) take a lot longer (3 weeks at the moment )

At least now we have literally no money he isn't drinking! Hopefully this will be the kick up the butt he needs to stop.

Today:

• Attempt to return Primark clothes and exchange for baby bits
• 10,000 steps 
• List remaining items on FB
     - 4 dining chairs
     - TV stand
     - Bouncy chair
     - Baby swing
     - Steam Mop 
  
• Put away laundry from yesterday 
  
• Try and sort outside drain (notice while I had the washing machine and dishwasher running last night that the outside drain is flooding and smells pretty rank). Am hoping theres just something in it I can fish out and it isn't a more serious problem. Will need to scoop out all the water then see what's happening. 

OH has a fishtank he paid £300+ for but no longer has any fish. It's just been sitting in the garage. Am hoping he will give it a clean and sell it, but don't want to put too much pressure on him today or he won't do anything. 

Will focus on him going to the dump and broach the subject of selling the tank next weekend. 

Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Lu_thien

I keep trying to answer the profile questions on Crowdology but get locked out with the following message: 

Block Reason: Exceeded the maximum number of requests per minute for crawlers. 

Will try on my phone rather than laptop and see if it works. Only made 13p on Prolific yesterday so was hoping to get another couple of survey sites up and running.

CRANKY40

Just had an email from quidco offering £4 cashback if I did my Asda shop online. Excellent timing. I logged on through quidco, amended one item, added 3 others, checked out and my cashback has been tracked. Heavens only knows when it will be paid but it's £4 I didn't have before....just so you know to look. Try Qmee for surveys. I get screened out a lot because I'm old with a teenager but younger with a baby may work better. 

Lu_thien

Thank you @CRANKY40 for the heads up. I will sign up to quidco and see if I can get the cashback offer - we can do a food order for a the week after next! Will also look into Qmee.... Crowdology has been a bit of a faff. Filled out all the profile questions but somehow still keep getting surveys and then getting screened out of them. Have complete a big fat £0.00 today. Think my £30.00 prolific friday was maybe a fluke - we'll see how tomorrow goes considering it's a weekday!

Lu_thien

Today has been a mixed bag. 

• Attempt to return Primark clothes and exchange for baby bits
  
  £1.50 bus to big town, baby fussing most of the way and achy legs from standing for so long. Not the end of the world - feeling optimistic that we will get our store credit and get baby his clothes. Nope  Primark only do returns/exchanges with a receipt. Which is a pain as OH doesn't fit the t shirts he bought. Could maybe try and sell them for £1.00 each or something. 
  
  But anyway, not successful. 
  
  Baby and I had packed lunch in the park which was lovely. He chased pigeons and I chased him. 
  
  Walked around for 50 minutes in the sun while he napped. 
  
  OH then wanted me to get him sausage rolls from Greggs (as we dont have one near us). £3.00 for 4 sausage rolls. Waving goodbye to my plans of a NSD. Sausage rolls in bag. 
  
  Went into boots to buy a diet coke (as NSD is definitely not happening and I feel put out that it's all gone wrong). 
  
  £1.50 bus back home. Baby in lovely mood on this bus ride, but achy legs for me again. 
  
  So, I did not get baby H clothes but we did have a nice time so you win some you lose some. And he will fit his current clothes a bit longer.... Think I was just feeling smug that I had come up with a way of getting him sorted without spending anything. 
  
  
• 10,000 steps 
  
  Done.
  
  
• List remaining items on FB
  
  Not done.... Will do tomorrow. I also have a baby bath and a bath seat to go on too. 
  
  
• Put away laundry from yesterday 
  
  Attempted this one and then the rail in our wardrobe somehow snapped off the wall. All our clothes are now in a pile. Will fix tomorrow. 
  
  
• Try and sort outside drain 
  
  Half done? OH skooshed it with the pressure washer and there were bubbles. But not sure what was under the bubbles. Will investigate further tomorrow. For now there is no using the dishwasher or washing machine. 
  

When we returned from big town OH was in the garage sorting stuff. So he did do things today! I am relieved and happy as I was sure he wouldn't do anything. He did go to the shop when I came home and got himself crisps and fizzy juice but I'm not upset because it isn't booze, so it's a win.