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

missymoo81

Met the new childminder last night, all went well, she’s lovely and the children liked her. OH actually cooked dinner last night and we managed to make it to swimming just on time! Have bits and pieces to do today, really need to go and pick the tiles up that I ordered forever ago. I hope they’re still there.

The house is in such a state I really need to find some time to sort it all. But it will take aaaaaaages. I’m going to try not to get overwhelmed, and try and do small bits at a time, after the weekend though as I’m working 11 hour days thur-Saturday. I will try and do one small thing today. 

Picked up the shopping last night but I will need some more bread. Still in budget though.

RelievedSheff

With the house cleaning break it down into smaller manageable chunks rather than try and do it all at once.

Little and often is the key.

jwil

My house is a state too, and it's so hard to get started when it's like that as it just seems overwhelming.  I find that just committing to do 15 minutes gets me moving, and it's surprising how much can be achieved in that short amount of time!

Bluegreen143

Hi @missymoo81! Sorry I missed you posting - I was taking a bit of an internet break earlier this month.

For housekeeping I break it down into a priority list so it’s not overwhelming:

1. First priority is getting food on the table. So cooking dinner is more important than cleaning, and keeping the kitchen/dishes done beats any other housework.

2. Second priority is laundry so we all have clean socks and pants and school uniform etc 😂

3. Only when the above are done - my next priority is tidying downstairs and my room. The kids’ bedroom and playroom isn’t top priority but I like a tidy place to sit, and I work in my bedroom. 

4. If I have more time after the top three are done I hoover/sweep downstairs. On an average day I get down to number 3 or 4 on this list. 

5. On at least a weekly basis I find the extra time to to clean the bathrooms (they get gone more frequently if we have people coming over), hoover upstairs and mop downstairs, change bedding (ok this last is usually fortnightly…)

6. Only when I have time booked aside for it do I tackle deep cleaning, decluttering projects etc. So I don’t stress if my oven is dirty or windows need cleaned etc, on an average week I’m happy to have clean kitchen & clothes! When I do put time aside for deep cleaning I just do what jumps out as most dirty at the time rather than having a system 😂 last week I managed to do the glass windows in the living room door, skirting downstairs and hoover under the sofas and the cushions. If I have an hour this weekend I want to deep clean the bathroom cupboards. 

Dunno if that helps at all but whenever I feel overwhelmed with the house being a state I just think of the next level on my list and only focus on doing that, nothing else. 

Re finances, I would not overpay a mortgage unless you are debt free, have a decent emergency fund and are contributing to a pension. Otherwise you’re doing things a bit backwards IMO… paying your mortgage off early is a nice to have but a good emergency fund is much more important.

Also important that you’re able to make your monthly budget work without running out of money first, no sense overpaying with cash you actually need for something else. 

missymoo81

Thanks @Bluegreen143 really appreciate your post and help.
i will have a more thorough read shortly, been v busy with children, work and life. Happy though. Just off to an assembly. Speak soon

missymoo81

Hi, I'm so sorry I have been MIA again, i seem to be peaks or troughs! So I have the possibility of a full time job, its at the place where I do my seasonal ad hoc work, but permanent and working some long days but hopefully mostly school hours. Pays really well and is something I want to do and has a pension, but I won't know until next week if it is even a job as it needs to be passed by finance first, then eventhough I've been doing the job for the last year all be it seasonally and through an agency, i will have to apply and go for interview which will all take about 8 weeks. So I'm not holding my breath, but I'm a little bit excited as well as more than a bit apprehensive about the possible change. It's what we need financially as a family, but my life would change dramatically, as I just work adhoc random hours at the moment. But time will tell and we shall see.

In other news my spending has got so far out of hand. OH has really struggled to make ends meet and I have had to bail him out with savings, and then i've had to pay for everything else, fuel and shopping and I had to get a new phone as mine is on its last legs but will do for Roo for when he needs a phone for high school in September. so I am having to take £600 out of savings / emergency fund to cover this months bills!!! I'm going to write my budgets shortly and see what I can do. Food is so expensive now.

dawnybabes

I never ever buy a new phone / either buy one off music magpie or FB friends 

missymoo81

Ah @dawnybabes it wasn’t a new phone it was just a new to me phone that I bought off of a friend, still £200 but my last one lasted me 5 years so I’m hoping for the same out of this one, so £40 a year isn’t bad!

dawnybabes

Fab I don’t need the ‘latest’ phone either - takes me long enough to learn how to use the new features !


fingers crossed for the job x

missymoo81

So need to go to work today for a few hours. Hopefully home by 2.30 if not before. Roo was poorly yesterday which put paid to any plans. He seems a bit better today so I’m going to drop them both off at their dads. Managed to get some niggely jobs done yesterday. And OH sorted tbr hot tub, we haven’t used it in about 5 months but he’s cleaned it all up and put it on. Obv it’s v expensive to run, but once up and running we put it on maybe once a week which costs about £10 over 2 days ish. And we barely drink and don’t have many vices so don’t mind spending that bit extra every so often. 

Need to remain at least a little productive after work. Will do some washing and unload the dishwasher and do the litter tray but these are daily things. Hopefully it will stay dry enough for us to cut the grass. I really need to tile the kitchen, it’s not even that big a job as the tiles are massive and I have all of the stuff, I just haven’t done it much before, I did it when I was a lot younger with my dad but it’s a bit tricky, I just need to get my big girl pants on and do it. As the kitchen will be done then apart from the blind. Although I quite like not having a blind a the hedge pretty much covers the window, the cats broke the last one anyway and will no doubt do the same to another one. Oh we need switch covers too when money allows. 

Love the fact that the days are brightening up, really does make me happy. 

Money wise, I’m going to try and make today a No spend day. We have things in the freezer like pork steaks and potatoes. Or hot dogs and potato salad or chicken curry. Will see what OH wants. Just need to get through to 2.30 when I can come home. Not that I hate work, but just love being at home!