Missy’s Surviving the storm so we can dance in the rain.

peb

The point is that you tried. You won't be wondering if only....

missymoo81

So I went to Lidl today, OH paid.
i ended up spending £66. Which was more than I wanted, but I’ve got shopping for the whole week. Including stuff for the summer holidays and I got some vanish powder which is sorely needed as so many clothes have got stains on them. Many of Roo’s School T-shirts. 

I haven’t bought new school uniform yet which is late for me. I’m hoping I won’t have to spend too much but it’s always around £200 if I have to get shoes as well.

Have meal planned for the week.

fajitas
chicken and pasta 
chilli 
chilli
omelette
Chicken tonight thing 

have spent so much money this week for one thing and another, buying stuff for the business etc. still don’t know how much my tax bill is….. everything is so up in the air and just so uncertain right now.

missymoo81

Well I’ve just applied for 3 part time jobs. None of them Pay particularly well, but are less than 20 hours a week, so 2-3 days which I can just about do. 

Would have to look at it though as don’t want to lose my PTs. Don’t have many at the moment though although will pick up again to about 9 come September, will up my prices slightly too. So that’s around £250 a month in Sep from PTs. I’ve got 2 days work this week which will be £400 before tax. Although I have had to shut small business for the summer holidays as it’s always so quiet I’m working at a loss. 

Money will be tight over the summer that’s for sure. Need to make a list of free things for me and the children to do.

we put the paddling pool up today and they had so much fun. Makes me so happy to see them play outside.

In other news, I managed 3 loads of washing, shopping, cats litter tray, unload the dishwasher, sort out the paddling pool and have a little tidy, so I feel like I’ve done lots but also not achieved much!

Need To go through money again and see where we’re actually at. I need to organise and I need to have a clear out. So my aim is to sort everything  out by the end of the summer holidays.

jwil

Good luck with the job applications.  Having a part time job for a fixed income along with doing your PT work will be the best of both worlds and help you get through the leaner times.

If you look at the tourism page for your area, you might find a list of good things to do in the holidays.  I got ours and there's quite a lot on there that I wasn't aware of, so it's given me some great options.

Sarahwithlove

At least with a fixed income you know regular income so part time may be best of both worlds if you can make it work round your PT sessions. 

missymoo81

Thank you, unfortunately I’ve dug a bit deeper and with childcare and fuel the numbers just don’t add up. I need to make £1500 a month. If we get rid of big business but is a possibility, I am only able to do 3 PTs a week on zoom so just £75 a week. I need a 9-2.45 job at £20 an hour, they don’t usually exist! But also only 3 days a week. I am so caught between a rock and a hard place like so many others.

RelievedSheff

I'm sure you will find a solution that works for you.

Loads of employers are now more flexible with working out hours around childcare and school. 

There will be something out there for you.

Bluegreen143

I agree that more employers are flexible now. Breakfast club at school is also usually really cheap compared to after school so could buy you an extra bit of time to start earlier in the morning. 

I work 8.30-3 four days a week which I wouldn’t have thought was possible (in my case I am lucky we use the school bus which gains me an extra hour of childcare each day) but I just asked when offered the job (they asked me to do four full days and I wanted three so I counter offered I could do 3.5 days spread over four to finish at 3pm and they accepted. I work from home 3/4 of the time too. 

Not saying all employers are so flexible but I also have a friend who since covid has been allowed to work her hours any time she likes over the week (taking into account meetings but she schedules these for certain days she always works on). She works two days a week/14 hours and can do it in two full days or two hours a day across the week or whatever she likes. So definitely worth keeping an eye out for flexible jobs.

There are also plenty of people in my company who work full time but mainly from home now and nip out at 3pm to pick up kids rather than taking a break at lunch. Then just finish up work while they are back and the kids are playing/doing homework. 

missymoo81

Thank you @Bluegreen143 I am expanding my horizons a lot and looking at things I wouldn’t have before and looking at things slightly differently, I did some at hoc work this week, 2 days have earned me £400, I love it, I wish I could do it all of the time! But it’s very seasonal and they have other staff so I wouldn’t get that all of the time.

we’re away for 2 weeks tomorrow, some time away  that has been booked, paid for and cancelled so many times we pretty much forgot about it. So now it’s a last minute scramble to get everything sorted. But it was paid for so long ago when money was better, it almost feels free. We of course need spending money, I’m going to set a budget to try not to spend too much on food etc. and I won’t be tempted to buy anything else. It will just be nice to have some time to plan, and read.

tax bill is due today, just waiting on the accountant to tell me how much. I’m hoping it won’t be more than £1000, as that’s all I’ve got for that really, but I overpaid last time and earned less this year so I’m hoping it will even itself out. 

Just hung some washing on the line, have a list as long as my arm to get through today! 

RelievedSheff

Enjoy your holiday. It is well deserved.