Teetering on the brink

EatingBeans

So dd2 had her nap, dusted herself off and got on Vinted to secure three top (one base layer, one tee and one fleece with the appropriately sized zip) all for just £3! 🎉Very proud.  Meanwhile, me being the grown up, I seethed a bit longer over her tutors dismissal of my beloved sleeping bag! 🤣 I want a specific reason as to why it is not suitable, a bit old does not cut it in my book. They are going in July so if anything I would say the one I am sending her in is a bit too warm but I have a cooler one if he would prefer that! Perhaps the colour just didn’t speak to him or something hey?! It’s not fair! Stomp, stomp. 🤔 Ok, I REALLY must just let it go now. Maybe I should have also gone for a nap. 😆

Anyways, I finally made a sale! … I sold a 50p for 99p. 🤣 I won’t give up the day job just yet.

I sat down this evening and pondered over my budget a bit longer. I am really not where I hoped to be by this point in the month so lots more listing required. And I REALLY want to get some more stuff from Olio, I just know I will regret it while my face is still playing up. No worries I just get to practice patience. Hell, if I can live without tv for this long over a determination to not pay postage, I am sure I can stretch to waiting a bit longer for free food! Haha

Did I mention that a have a teeny tiny tendency to be a little stubborn sometimes.😬

It’s all good though. 

For literally no reason at all dd2 and I just randomly both broke into a song and dance about walking 500miles as we were saying goodnight. Da da da der, da da da der… (if in doubt just hum the tune and ignore the fact that some of the words have been forgotten)… da da da der, da da da der…
Two things struck me as I clicked the light off. 1, moments like that prove you don’t need money to be happy, and 2, I really am going to miss them both once they both leave for uni. 🥹 

ellenvan

Well done to your daughter for finding bargains on Vinted. You really are teaching them life skills.

EatingBeans

I can’t believe it is 6pm!

I had every intention of spending the full day dedicated to listing today. So far, zero items listed! 😩

I got up so full of enthusiasm, quickly fed puppies and tucked them back up in their crates for their morning nap so I could get everything out. I was properly on it. I made a coffee ready to drink as I go, and just as I was pouring it, dd1 potters down the stairs then looks around in horror… “you do remember my boyfriend is coming to visit today, right?!” Er, no, I had completely forgotten. “When is he coming?” “In about an hour?!” Her voice got more panicked sounding the more she spoke. Clearly, the house being a mess and me standing there in my pj’s casually pouring coffee was not ‘ready’ enough for any kind of company, let alone her boyfriend! Tbf, I wouldn’t have invited anyone over either given the puppy induced chaos that lay before us, (mainly shredded cardboard and lots of dog hair), but the standards for a day listing stuff on eBay are where I was aiming, so I was, until that moment at least, totally fine with it. Now though, dog toys needed rounding up, lots of hoovering required, there was a bathroom that needed cleaning, washing up to do, clothes that needed sorting, a shower that needed to be had… all within the next hour! Argh. So much for the listing! 

So, after a mad dash around making the house and myself presentable (she managed to delay him by sending him a shopping list of stuff to pick up en route - clever thinking!), I finally stopped to have breakfast. Ah I thought, I’ll just eat this and then I will get back to my plan for the day, and finally get listing…

A few mouthfuls in, dd2 potters down the stairs... “Mum, mum, I REALLY need your help!” “The deadline has been brought forward for my research project and I now have 6 weeks to do a literature review, plan, prepare and complete my primary research, and then write up a 2000 word report on it!” She is normally super good at organising her work but clearly she had reached the point of being paralysed with stress, so again, the listing had to wait. Many hours have now been spent trying to unlock her brain bless her. “What is your title?” “Do you know what your aim is?” “How will success be measured?” “Have you got any sources?” “Have you got a plan?” “Right, just start typing what you do know under each of your planned headings one step at a time” So now we have a structure, 1000words written, references and an outline for at least who will be surveyed and the kind of survey it will be. I haven’t written a single word, just asked questions - probably for the best as I don’t know anything about the subject area! 🤣 But I am now exhausted, and still not listed a thing. 

Oh the joy of parenting. 😁

ellenvan

Hope you still have the energy to reach the mjnimum listing of 5 items per day,

Tomorrows target can be higher

stymied

You could make it a cumulative 5 items per day target and take off any overage from previous days. That would still be an impressive 150 items per month.

ellenvan

Hoping you are having a successful listing day today.

EatingBeans

Ok, so the past few days has not been good. I definitely fell off the no-takeaway wagon (we had another one last night 😞) but I am trying to scramble back on. I realised yesterday that the only reason I even wanted a takeaway is because I hadn’t got a plan for dinner and, what with being stuck back in the house again, I hadn’t really done any shopping or Olio pickups so I was back to asking what’s for dinner. Spotting this connection, I instantly put together a Morrisons shopping order and that is coming tomorrow. No excuses then. 

Listing wise, I have at least started again! 🎉 I have spent a couple of hours sorting through bags of clothes, separating out items to keep, items to sell and items to just bin. I now have a healthy pile on my eBay station which just require listing, no further thought process required. If I can’t pick up 5 things a day, take a photo and list on Vinted then it really is a poor show. I cannot have made it easier for myself. I made a start and listed 9 items before dd2 came downstairs and started discussing shopping for today’s roast. Now I have stopped be because I am just hungry. But I’ve already had a few views and likes so 🤞

BadBookkeeper

Would it be better to allow yourselves a takeaway as a treat every other week? Work it into your budget We all need treats along the way otherwise we crash & burn and it makes the debt free journey miserable and unsustainable and risks a ‘sod it’ moment more often and then the guilt ruins the treat! Allow yourself these simple pleasures if you can just not too often and not too much. 

EatingBeans

It’s a good idea @BadBookkeeper and I am totally up for giving myself a treat every now and again, it’s why I allocate myself £20 pw week ‘spending’ money. The problem with takeaways is it becomes the easy option, one becomes two, and then three…etc. I tend to find it much easier to have none than to have the occasional one. The stupid thing is I don’t even enjoy them. I just hate having to decide what to have for dinner when I am tired. Meal planning is my friend! 😁

ellen_vannin

Yep a meal plan pinned up in the kitchen on the fridge or elsewhere.
Done at the weekend - everyone knows what to help prepare or get started.
Substitute in any Olio goodies or 2good2go bags 
Batch cooking when you have time.
Basically as you already know you are trying to avoid the temptation.
We rarely have takeaway as live rurally so not much choice. Plus I don't really like them. But we do have the odd ready meal in the freezer for emergencies.
You can do it.