It's a Whopper - need to pay it off!

Grass_Roots_2

As suspected - no dinner plans when I got in at 8.30pm - my eldest collected me and we went straight to Tescos.  I need to batch cook next week when I’m off next week and have things they can shove in freezer on nights like this.  

@greenbee good plan! They would have responded ‘but there’s nothing in to cook’. A bit of learned helplessness.

MFWers with young kids please learn from me how NOT to create self sufficiency in your offspring xxx (they are wonderful kids but we’ve done too much for them) 

QueenJess

You could set up one night a week where they each have to cook. Make a menu plan for at least that day and tell them what it is that they are cooking and ensure they have the ingredients. You can supervise and slowly they will learn the effort it requires and some meals. Hopefully after a while they can cook it without any supervision and it’ll be ready for you when you get back if you are working late.

greenbee

If they’re old enough to drive, they are old enough to cook! Make a meal plan, post it on the fridge with details of where to find the recipe. Either first person home starts prepping and everyone helps, or if that won’t happen you need a rota. 

Aimingforthegoodlife

You are already making great progress, I think one of the issues sometimes is that we want to change everything at once, but it then becomes to overwhelming! Pick a thing to focus on for a month, taking lunches to work, meal planning, food shopping etc, rather than aiming to try all of them. It will all start to come together and hopefully you won't feel burnt out. Setting up OPs is definitely the best idea, its gone before you know it! Just a thought with work, can you buy coke from a local shop (to work) for the week and keep it all at work so you dont need to carry it back and forth? Keep up the great work!

Grass_Roots_2

Thanks @Aimingforthegoodlife and @greenbee for encouragement.  

I am off work this week and planning lots of organising and batch cooking to get ahead for the more tricky days.  Online shop delivered last night. 

Today I’m caring for my Mum to give my Dad who is her main carer a well deserved day off.  She loves painting so if she is well enough  that’s what we’ll do together.  I am not artistic at all but it’s just about doing something together that she enjoys - and I love seeing her enthusiasm when she is engaged.  

Whilst I’m out DH is teaching youngest son to mow the lawn today so that can be a job he takes over (for a price of course 😉) 

Will try and squeeze trip to gym in tonight, and then I’d like to watch CODA have heard great things.  

So a full day planned and hopefully no money spent other than a fiver for the lawn being mown!  Is that the going rate do we reckon? 

QueenJess

Don’t know if it helps, but I got a gardener to come and clear up the millions of leaves in my garden. He charged £20 an hour.

 However, seems a lot for your son to mow the lawn and of course depends on how big your lawn is and how long it takes! £5-10 seems reasonable to me.

South_coast

I'd offer £5 to start and see what his reaction is, he is only a trainee after all! This could be a valuable lesson in the art of negotiation for him 🤣!

greenbee

As you are providing equipment, fuel and training (and quality may be variable!) £5 seems reasonable. When he’s fully trained you can rent him out…

Enjoy painting with your mum.

I need to mow today, and do some vague housework so the house is fit for any viewings that might come up (and doesn’t deteriorate either). 

Grass_Roots_2

South_coast said:

I'd offer £5 to start and see what his reaction is, he is only a trainee after all! This could be a valuable lesson in the art of negotiation for him 🤣!

He’s already claimed that there has been a clear misunderstanding and it’s £5 per lawn (front and back)!  Will take him a while though so perhaps £10 more reasonable.

Grass_Roots_2

@greenbee good luck with housework - blimey remember those days of getting ready for viewings - always had the wierd effect for me of loving my house again and wondering if I should move!