The Mental Debt Struggle...

Keedie

Thanks @Makingabobor2, you're so kind and your words do mean a lot to me. I am definitely proud of the man that he is becoming and he got knocked off course a year ago, but he has fought exceptionally hard to forge a new path for himself, and that is all I have ever wanted for him. He keeps telling me how much he appreciates me and he's even been taking the bins out without me needing to remind him 😂. He's so excited about the holiday and he was posing with his little mirrored sunglasses that we picked up in Poundland. 

I think a monthly review of a budget makes all the difference, well it has for me, as it holds me accountable and is flexible enough to acknowledge that life changes. Having an overall target, but being realistic about life and making little changes each month towards it, has meant that even when times have been very tough, I've been able to keep momentum.

I've been working on the design for my own budget planner as well, so that I can break the month down into weekly sections and budget from a set monthly amount, but for variable expenses, divide that monthly figure into 4 or 5 weeks. When I was trying to things weekly, the amount I needed each month changed and it just confused me. I'm all about the (organised, but) simple life these days. So definitely going for a balance.

@~FlowerPot~ thank you very much, we're very excited. Best of luck to your daughter for next year, and if you want to ask me anything about the online schooling or just homeschooling in terms of GCSE resources etc just send me a private message and I'll give you everything I know of. There's a lot out there, and many ways to do things cheaper. My son absolutely hated online learning, but it was a necessary evil for him and I think, had he not been so resistant until the last minute, he would have got a lot more out of it. He kind of admitted the other day, that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was and he admitted that he had a lot available to him that he didn't make the most of.

But I don't regret doing it, and I'd do it all again, but with the benefit of hindsight, I would made use of other resources too. There's also some online ones that can be funded by the local authority depending on the reason why she hasn't been in mainstream school. And there's lots and lots of stuff that can make it easier for you both. But don't forget, there's no right or one way to do things and if she is doing them online, it does take a bit more independent learning (which my son struggled with at first), so don't do too many subjects at once. And a lot of colleges have a 14-16 provision, like my son did, that offers the core GCSEs of maths, science and english as one year programmes, so if she wants to do them face to face she can try one of those and they'd be doing assessments for enrolment in September. That way, she doesn't have to worry about going to mainstream school in Year 11, halfway through the syllabus (but she can get into a school in Year 11 if that's what you do want). Depending on whereabouts you are, you might find a 14-16 provision on this list (not sure how current it is), and you might be able to combine an online programme with face to face, https://edyourself.org/articles/14-16collegeFAQ.php. The hybrid approach for difficult for my son, but the 14-16 didn't do enough face to face GCSEs and all online was just too overwhelming for him. 

I'm going to pack now. Although I've been saying that for hours now and ended up on YouTube instead... 😬.

Keedie

I've finally sorted out the flat and printed boarding passes and travel insurance documents and now need to run errands and get deodorant for my son as I completely forgot about the liquid limit 🤦🏾‍♀️. Also need to get petrol and do the tyres so that they have the correct air in them. I'll then be able to pack my case (and repack his), and then move onto doing our hair. He wants small plaits and I need to put in extensions, so all of that hand movement will mean that I fly with some puffy swollen and stiff hands. But at least our hair will look good 😂.

The £100 to my mum came out today, as well as the £50 for Help to Save, £25 to my son's savings and I've rounded down my accounts and had a topped up the Mobile Madness account by £12.81. It's nearly at the £100 mark now, as it's £99.64. I'm still waiting on some cashback from Chase for the things that I brought for myself yesterday in Marks & Spencer, so once that £1.17 clears I'll be over £100. 

I must admit, I'm very tired as I tried to do too much before we travelled, but I'm glad that I did. As everything is now organised chaos, as I haven't fully decluttered stuff, but things are in a much better order and put into bags so that I can tackle one bag a day when I return and recover from flying. We're getting rid of everything we don't need and my son is selling some of his branded clothes that no longer fit and he's going to save half the money for uni. Whatever I sell of my items will go into the Freely Debt Savings pot. 

~FlowerPot~

HI Keedie ~ not long to go now!! very excited for you.

Thank you for your kind words regarding DD and online schooling. I have looked at the list you linked. Unfortunately nothing is anywhere near us (Hampshire) except one 14 to 16 provision in Totton, which isnt that near and in only 3 hours a week. So vocational not academic . Still, might see if she will engage!

Debsnewbudget

Have a wonderful break, you deserve it x

badmemory

~FlowerPot~ said:

HI Keedie ~ not long to go now!! very excited for you.

Thank you for your kind words regarding DD and online schooling. I have looked at the list you linked. Unfortunately nothing is anywhere near us (Hampshire) except one 14 to 16 provision in Totton, which isnt that near and in only 3 hours a week. So vocational not academic . Still, might see if she will engage!

Better to engage for something than for nothing - hope it works.

Keedie

My son hated the whole of year 11 as he was out of his elements and kept pining for his old life, but when he settled in and realised that education comes in many forms and he had the freedom to do more and be more, he adjusted.

Whatever you do decide with the online learning @~FlowerPot~, just make sure that you're doing a one year course if she's going to sit her GCSEs next year. My son went to Kings InterHigh as his online school and the resources and teaching were of a high standard, but they teach GCSEs over Year 10 and 11. And I underestimated what I was asking of him, for him to join at the end of Year 10 and to catch up and adjust to a new learning format and he was incredibly overwhelmed. If he had started at the beginning of Year 10 or was Year 9 going into Year 11, then it would have been okay. But the timeframe was just too short. So in hindsight, I would have opted for an entire GCSE packaged course like some of the others that I'd looked at, like Cloud Learn, or Open Study College or Ed's Place, where it's self paced but has all the material to complete the GCSE within the year. Seneca Learning is free and has good revision content for every GCSE and exam board too. And Cognito is good for maths or science.

Thanks for the holiday wishes @Debsnewbudget, I'm getting excited about tomorrow, but I think we've both over packed 😂. I'd never normally wear the amount of clothes in 10 days that I've packed, so I'm not really sure what that is all about lol. But some of it is nicer clothes for the evenings. And I managed to find a small collapsible fishing stool that I can whip out when I get tired of walking and need a sit down, as I decided against bringing the rollator as it's just too bulky.

I gave up on doing my hair in extensions, it was just too much effort and my hands are still swollen from doing my son's hair. But now I regret not coming to this conclusion earlier as I don't have a swimming hat and my afro is gonna shrink unless I twist or plait it each time. So that will need to get sorted when I'm out there. I've packed one of the face masks that my friend sent me in my care package a while ago as I was saving it for when all of the GCSE stress was over and I could just mentally and physically relax. I've also been saving up so that I could get a massage or Turkish bath as the hotel has a spa. So hopefully it won't be too pricey, or I'll find an excursion to a Turkish bath.

My final payment to Creation came out today! I am now officially down to 3 creditors - yippee! I've paid off 45.83% of my debt in just under a year and gone from 8 to 3 creditors. But I won't be able to sustain that momentum moving forward as I'll be on half pay soon and my monthly outgoings are going up, but I'll be okay. I'll have paid off 56.75% by 31 December.

The snowball method really does work in terms of psychological motivation. I've also paid things in relation to my mood and emotional peace and concentrated on those debts that would help me to feel less anxious. Once the phones are paid off, I can then put all my focus on repaying my mum, and use any survey money etc to accumulate surplus money and pay off an extra £25 once it's accrued. 

But I'm done with debt and finances for now. Not gonna do much else aside from relax and have fun and I'll fiddle with my budget spreadsheets when I get home lol.

Sun_Addict

Have an amazing time 🏖️

LittleMissDetermined

Have a wonderful holiday, you both deserve it!
LMD x

AntoMac

Have the best time Keedie.

~FlowerPot~

Keedie said:

My son hated the whole of year 11 as he was out of his elements and kept pining for his old life, but when he settled in and realised that education comes in many forms and he had the freedom to do more and be more, he adjusted.

Whatever you do decide with the online learning @~FlowerPot~, just make sure that you're doing a one year course if she's going to sit her GCSEs next year. My son went to Kings InterHigh as his online school and the resources and teaching were of a high standard, but they teach GCSEs over Year 10 and 11. And I underestimated what I was asking of him, for him to join at the end of Year 10 and to catch up and adjust to a new learning format and he was incredibly overwhelmed. If he had started at the beginning of Year 10 or was Year 9 going into Year 11, then it would have been okay. But the timeframe was just too short. So in hindsight, I would have opted for an entire GCSE packaged course like some of the others that I'd looked at, like Cloud Learn, or Open Study College or Ed's Place, where it's self paced but has all the material to complete the GCSE within the year. Seneca Learning is free and has good revision content for every GCSE and exam board too. And Cognito is good for maths or science.

Thank you Keedie ~ I will take a look at those options. I have already seen kings inter high and open study coll but not the others. Trouble is with DD shes been adamant that she wont learn at home and is wiating for a school place to suddenly turn up. Which hasnt happend in the lat 18 months and I cant see it happening now. SO much wasted time!!! and so little time left to try and get up to speed with her learning!

HAve an amazing holiday and enjoy the time with your son. ANd well done and getting rid of another debt, thats fabulous news

Flowers x