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

missymoo81

Ah @dawnybabes thank you. I will have a look.

Not sleeping at the moment. Well I went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 3am. Which is about the amount of sleep I get, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open to stay up any later. I’ll stay up a while and then hopefully go back to sleep in a while. Had to make a cup of tea in the dark so the cats didn’t wake up and beg to be fed 🙄. Really fancy some chocolate but don’t think we’ve got any.

Met my friend for coffee yesterday, I managed to keep cost to under £5 by having a cake which was 50% off, and I’ve stopped having plant milk and syrup in my coffee which also Helped save money.

Went to lidl and got a few bits for the next few days. Spent £29 but over £10 was on school t-shirts. 

So plan for today. I have work 2-10, so I need to dye my hair, pack for the next 4 days. Go shopping for food whilst away. Have managed to find out there’s food ish for lunch whilst we’re away. Sounded like they were trying to stop so many people having them. But I’m having them if we’re entitled! Breakfast we’ll get porridge pots and banana and some cereal bars, maybe a multi pack of crisps and some chocolate bars and that way we should only have to get dinner out each day.

missymoo81

Ok so sat down for 40 minutes with OH and tried to sort out the next 6 weeks of work. I’ve been offered 13 days of ad hoc work. £200 a day, but obv I’ll be taxed and here’s the kicker, I need to pay someone to do my other work about 4-5 days so that’s £30 a time, and the same 4-5 days of after school club at £20, so some days will only be worth £150, but it’s money I wouldn’t have had. OH is covering some of my normal work and I’m covering some of his. Not ideal as I’ll have the children for the summer holidays for some of it. So I’ll have to pay a babysitter £50 a day for those 2 days. 

But it’s all much needed money for both me and OH and it actually felt like team work sorting it out together, which was really nice. 

I’m at work until 10, just went to Tesco and bought some bits for the next few days. I also got some cat biscuits as not sure how often I can get someone in to feed the cats. It’s likely to be once a day instead of twice so they can just lump it for the time being with biscuits. Didn’t plan too well today so me and OH have had very little to eat, so I went to get meal deals and ready meals for tonight. Usually I would buy 3 ready meals between us (OH eats a lot) and a meal deal each and a big choc bar each. Those alone would have come to £16!!! Which is far too much. Of course I should have planned better, but I’m so tired my head isn’t working right and I just didn’t have the energy. But I did try and do it as cheaply as possible, I got OH a meal deal, but one with 3 sandwiches in it, I got fizzy pop he would like and poured half in a cup for me, a big bag of crisps and 4 Mars bars, I also got OH a big fish pie for dinner at £3.50 and I got myself a pot of soup for £1.50. I prob could have got a tin cheaper but as I said my tired brain isn’t working properly. So on that part of the shopping I only spent £9.75. Which of course is expensive for lunch and dinner but way better than £16. I did spend money on a note book, as I have used all of my others up. So that was £1, and I managed to get a whiteboard! I nearly ordered one on Amazon for £15 but Tesco had it for £4!!!! Very happy with that. Can’t wait to write on it

Such a late evening to be working when we have to get up at 6. We’re leaving at 7, I’m getting up at 6 to dye my hair and shave my legs, as I’m event coordinating all weekend so need to look my best 🙄. Need to do some washing and packing when I get home too! 

So that’s my little update. Things will get back to normal next week and I can write out my budget and see where we are with things. Prob won’t get much chance to post much at the weekend. 

Elisheba

Sounds crazy hectic @missymoo81. I hope it all pans out, both the thing you are helping with, and your extra work. 

missymoo81

Well I’m home, it was a VERY stressful, hectic weekend. OH is very run down and worse for wear, Days were 6am-7pm. I didn’t actually sit down once on the Friday and I’m not even exaggerating. I did 31000 steps! Thank goodness for comfy trainers! I ended up spending about £80 over the weekend on food and drink. Which considering it was 4 days isn’t that bad, a lot was on food for OH as he was really struggling through the day with energy etc. But as he paid for dinner every night I can’t complain.

I have also just spent £70 on food for the week at Lidl!!!! Forgetting OH is away from Thursday, and that I’d already bought a few things before we went away, I will end up freezing at least a packet of mince and maybe some chicken. £10 was on 2 bottles of wine for neighbour who looked after the cats. 

But a money saving thing I did manage today is to go to the cinema completely free! My friend happened to give me some vouchers but only 2 and they wouldn’t work, he just printed out 3 tickets and gave them to me! Result! We also went to lidl and bought the popcorn, and they took their own water bottles. 

I have £15 in cash so that will do for tomorrow. We’re visiting my sister then going to the arcades. Pretty sure she won’t think of lunch so I’m sure that will be a Donald’s meal 🙄🙄.

OH has been reading the news and told me that there is supposed to be more energy hikes in April next year too. I just feel sick, I honestly don’t know how we’re going to pay for everything each month. 

I’m trying to think of ways we can cut back. I do need to get a hold of the shopping, and also Try and stretch food even more. This all comes back to being organised again. 

RelievedSheff

Try and take one day at a time.

No point worrying about what might or might not happen in the future. Cross that bridge when you come too it.

Bluegreen143

@missymoo81 just read back over this month’s diary entries! Sounds like your holiday was good. Sending hugs now though, you do sound so frazzled and busy and I don’t know how you manage it all. I’m not surprised you end up overwhelmed.

I’ve recently read All Your Worth which suggests no more than 50% of your income on needs (fixed bills like mortgage, childcare, insurance or car loan, anything you’re legally obligated to pay eg contract phone or child maintenance, a set low amount for basic groceries (you’re supposed to top up this with money from your “wants” budget for buying extra treats or healthier food etc). 

The book is really good and it struck me as a really good way to make financial decisions. Eg if you took the new job, would 50% of the net salary (after tax but you’re meant to calculate it before pension contributions come off) allow you to cover your part of your needs (I know you and OH have separate finances so not sure what % you pay for)? If not, it’s a good indication you’ll feel pinched as won’t have enough leftover for wants spending and saving. It’s a good rule of thumb to evaluate life changes I think. Obviously there are other considerations like the fact it would have a pension but it’s a good way to roughly check if any job will earn you enough.

(re the other 50%, you’re supposed to allocate 20% to savings/debt payment which includes your pension contributions, and 30% to wants which is anything you spend money on outside your basic needs).

missymoo81

Thanks @RelievedSheff and @Bluegreen143 so lovely to see you back. I’ve just quickly read your post but will read more when I get back. The book sounds perfect. I will have a look for it. Just off to my sisters, post more later.

missymoo81

Hi, hope you’re all ok. I just want to hide from myself, I have spent so much money already this summer holidays! We’ve been to the arcades we’ve been to the cinema, we’ve been to the wild life park, we’re going to trampolining and rock climbing today then I’ve got to go to work and take them with me. We’re going to the beach and uniform and stationery shopping at the weekend. But next week I’m working 4 of the days. And the only spending is swimming, so I guess it evens out. 

I’ve also spent a lot of money on room makeover stuff as the children are changing bedrooms I also need to sort out the bathroom 🤦🏻‍♀️. I’ve also had to buy school shoes 🤦🏻‍♀️.  I did buy May new trainers she didn’t actually need. But she hasn’t had new ones for years as constantly has hand me downs. 

Trying to look at positives. I’ve stopped myself buying a latte on 3 different occasions, which is a big thing for me. I have so far stuck to the meal plan. I did a Pt last night eventhough I didn’t want to. 

I’m so far away from being organised, I want to be ready for when everyone goes to school but it’s not looking likely. I need to not do anything one day and just get everything sorted.

Will be back with a plan!

missymoo81

We’re having a bbq for OH’s belated birthday, just BIL and his wife and our 2 best friends and their babies. I’ve been shopping this morning and spent a small fortune on food. I’m gobsmacked again at the food price increase. I tend to shop in lidl where it’s not as noticeable. But I actually felt anxious walking around Tesco. Worrying about the cost of everything.  Came home gave OH his presents, which was lovely. But then me and OH ended up talking about money and the cost of things, and we just don’t have an answer…… we’re really worried about the business and what happens when the cost of living goes up again in October….. we had 2 people cancel yesterday. It seems to be one in two out at the moment…..

we’re going to sit down and see how much money we actually take from the business as a wage, for fuel etc etc and how much we pay in VAT and tax and see where the numbers lay….. I don’t think it’s going to come out very favourably. We are so stuck between a rock and a hard place. We have to turn down paid work to work a shift at the business for what seems to be very little money. We don’t have enough staff to get cover so at a complete loss.for example OH has been offered work on Tuesday for £250. But he’s down to be on shift at the business. I can’t do it as it’s a 6am start. I have the children, it’s the first day of school and I have a 9am PT. But we are going to have a VAT bill this month……. Which needs paying. I don’t know what to do.

am Meant to be preparing for bbq but have come upstairs as feel super stressed and anxious about everything. 

joedenise

Would it be possible for your OH to move the shift at the business to another day so that he can do the paid work on the Tuesday?