Stopping the backsliding… a family of four no longer living beyond their means

fionaandphil

@Bluegreen143 there is a programme on AI tonight on channel 5, thought you might be interested 

Bluegreen143

Thanks @fionaandphil - didn’t have the chance to watch tonight but I’ll maybe get it on catch up. 

@debtfreewannabe321 hearing about your experience is useful too, thank you!

It’s back to school tomorrow. I’m content that we’ve been organised today. The children bathed/washed their hair yesterday. The downstairs is fairly tidy and hoovered, ready to start the week. They set out their uniform tonight, and I’ve looked out water bottles and school bags etc. I also logged into my work laptop for half an hour tonight to get organised for tomorrow, as I’ve not felt satisfied with what I got through on Friday and slightly had the Sunday night fear! So feel better for sorting through my email and making a list of stuff to do tomorrow, plus I drafted a couple of emails and scheduled to send tomorrow. 

I really enjoyed Mufasa today, but then I am a big Disney fan! The kids loved it too. We did also get to the library beforehand so all have nice shiny new books for this week. 

Today I’m grateful for a lovely family afternoon out; the chance to cuddle up and read to my children; and for having a home which is homey and comfortable now it’s fairly clean and tidy. 

zcrat41

Sounds like a perfect Sunday! We were at the one with the Knock - if that is where you are I am very jealous of being close to such amazing spaces. I’d love to live in Scotland. People are so friendly and the scenery is beautiful. The hotel was pricey and it needs to be careful it doesn’t go from faded grandeur to plain dirty but my granny stayed there as a child, as did my Mum and I and I love that my kids are enjoying roaming those beautiful wide corridors! 

Bluegreen143

Beautiful zcrat! It’s just over an hour drive from us. Alas we live in a far less scenic big city location! But I love that you can easily access beautiful rural places within a 20 minute drive so it really doesn’t take long to get out of the city (plus we do have a lot of beautiful parks nearby). 

teapot2

I was impressed that you have Sunday opening at your library, I guess if your in a city though thats why?  I'm in a small town on the east coast and libraries seem to be an easy target for cutbacks 😢

beanielou

teapot2 said:

I was impressed that you have Sunday opening at your library, I guess if your in a city though thats why?  I'm in a small town on the east coast and libraries seem to be an easy target for cutbacks 😢

Same here. Big cutbacks to come in April. 

Bluegreen143

Our local libraries don’t open on a Sunday but we were in the west end and that particular branch does, along with the city centre libraries. We can use any library in the city and have about four branches we rotate between depending where else we are going.

(If you don’t know Glasgow, the west end is a busy eating out/shopping district so the library there is a bigger and busier one. There were loads of families there when we were!).

teapot2

Good to hear the library is well used, they are an important resource.  Our local one is also a designated 'warm space' and theres a hot drinks machine and a pay it forward scheme available for anyone who can't afford a cuppa.  

Sarahwithlove

Personally I would go all inclusive somewhere warm with kids. Drinks and ice cream etc ends up costing loads. Especially if you think they will spend most of their day on the resort rather than planning day trips. Though when I did all inclusive if you tell them you have a day trip planned they used to do a lunch box to take. Really depends what resort you go to. 

Bluegreen143

Feeling very tired today. For some reason I have not slept at all well for three nights - hoping I get back into my usual good sleep tonight! 

However I’m pleased as I had a productive day at work and did much of what I’d set out to do. 

Also did an annoying errand after school pick up, posting a parcel at the post office which I’ve been meaning to send for ages. 

Tonight’s dinner looks to be some kind of fried rice as I have a tub of cooked rice in the fridge leftover from last night. Think I will do chicken thighs in the air fryer to accompany it and some stir fried veg or something. 

Going into the office tomorrow, so I need to make overnight oats and something to take in for lunch. Probably tuna pasta as I’m not feeling imaginative or salady 😅. 

My manager hasn’t replied to my annual leave request I sent today (probably inundated with email after being off) so I can corner her tomorrow and hopefully get that approved. If so we are going to book the Rhodes deal which we are happy with (thanks for your thoughts on AI Sarahwithlove!). We will be being a tiny bit naughty as will need to fly on the last day of term, so the kids will miss it. But they only have a half day anyway and as it saves about £500, it seems daft to go the next week for £500 more for the sake of a 1/2 day at school which is all games anyway.