Living within my means-the challenge

beckseven

Had a fantastic meal out on Thursday-I ate lots and lots! Felt shattered the next day though and am glad that we have had all our big Christmas nights out now. We are going round to SIL next Saturday but hoping that it won't be a late one. The problem with DH if i am driving and he is drinking is that he never wants to leave early despite agreeing with me beforehand that we don't want to be too late-it's so annoying. Have had to resort to my CC for the last part of this month I'm afraid as some money I am waiting for-expenses-has not been paid in. Am going to have to get a few days shopping with it which i'm not happy about. Will do a real OS shop to keep costs down and hopefully will be able to pay off v soon. DH got a letter from his employers saying that they have enough money to pay the wages this month which has sent me into a tiz as am now worrying that this means they woD
n't next month-with the baby due next month this is the last thing we need. DH has a way of putting things in the worst way which really stresses me out-he makes everything at work sound like a massive crisis and is such as pessimist-I've lost count of the times he's said that he thinks that he will be sacked because something has gone wrong. In fact he is really good at his job and has got bonuses in the past to thank him for his good work but is such a perfectionist that any little glitch is enough to send him into gloom and doom. Dont need this at the moment though as am having problems sleeping due to my racing mind.

beckseven

Had more problems sleeping last night-got to sleep at 12.30 and then woke up again at 3.45am and could sleep until around 5.30ish so very groggy today. Again my mind was racing and worrying and then crying when I got very tired! mentioned to dh about my debts last night and he had no idea i had so much-he thought i had £2000-I didn't lie to him at all-just think he kept not taking me seriously when I kept saying how broke it was. He made me feel really guilty and said that I was jeapardising our financial future etc and why was I only making minimum payments etc and how was I going to get through my maternity leave. He earns almost double that I do and I pay out almost the same on bills etc and this leaves me with very little money. I don't spend on myself really anymore-whereas I often look enviously at him as he buys clothes, toiletries, aftershave etc. Money is a tricky situation with us-very prickly subject and I do feel sometimes as if I am the poor relation! Anyway I think he realises now my situation and why I am being 'tight' as he calls it. I was panicking how I was going to get through my mat leave but I have money saved for this and my debts are going to have to sort of go on hold with minimum payments only for 9months while i scrimp and save. I WILL get through this though and then I can concentrate on clearing my debt when I go back to work.I am doing a mystery shop tonight so this can be saved towards my maternity fund. i'm probably rambling now so will sign off and hopefully will make more sense tomorrow.

lucielle

Hi Becks, sorry you are feeling down. Will your OH be more supportive now he is aware of the situation? Try not to stress (easier said than done))
L

beckseven

Thanks Lucielle-feeling so much better after 10 hours sleep last night. I'm terrible without sleep and get in a right state so yesterday I felt at the end of my tether and that it was the end of the world! Today I feel much more positive and had an unexpectedly small nursery bill as you pay a month ahead so now I have an extra £303 pounds in my savings which is great. DS was a sheep in his nativity play which was very funny this morning! my mum bless her gave me £200 for bits for the new baby which is an absolute godsend. Hopefully DH will be much more understanding now-although he still seems to see it as my responsibilty to save up for maternity leave while he carries on as normal-ho hum.

lucielle

Men! Funny things aren't they?
L

beckseven

You're telling me-I've never met a straightforward one-maybe it's just me-sorry to any men reading this-not male bashing just struggling to understand the male psyche-I know men struggle to understand women as well! Felt really really tired today-think it was after a morning on my feet yesterday folding raffle tickets at the preschool nativity! Had the morning off so cleaned the upstairs and bathroom and then settled down to watch the best of This Morning and Loose Women christmas on the sofa. DS was at preschool party this morning and has nursery party this afternoon-I made him go and have a little rest in his room this afternoon so that he is not too tired and crochety tonight!

beckseven

Had a great weekend-we took DS to a local farm park where he saw Father Christmas and real live reindeers-really cute fluffy ones as well and had fun on the indoor soft play and went on a fire engine, a train and a tractor ride. My nanna sent him £20 for Christmas so I made the decision to spend it on a family day out-it was £17.50 all in all and I put the remainder in his piggy bank. It was just what we needed as me and Dh had had a bit of a row about nothing really on the Saturday and it was nice to have fun as a family. We came home and watched Wall-E and Ds went to bed at 6.50 exhausted! Had the Christmas shop delivered from Sainsburys last night-£104 eeek!-but what can you do when you have family over etc-will just have to cut back on later shops. Went to the midwife today and there is a possibility that the baby may be breech so I'm going for a scan next week. Will have to wait and see if I need to have a caesarean-would prefer not to but with a breech there's not much choice and a healthy baby is my main concern. can't believe it is so close now. I'm really looking forward to having a baby in the house again-very exciting! Got lots of shift payments this month from extra shifts in November so managed to put £800 in my maternity savings which really chuffed me.

lucielle

That sounds a lovely day. Really fancy taking my brood to see Inkheart. DD1 has read the book but we'll have to see how the funds are.
L

beckseven

I love going to the cinema but daren't take DS yet as think he is still a bit unpredictable! Got £5 deposit back from my work meal yesterday which gave me a bit extra. Bought my mum a secret santa present of £1.99 wooden christmas deccies yesterday in the cancer research shop so have £3 left to spend on her in Tescos today and £5 to get a gift for my dad-thinking alcohol aisle! Although my dh is involved of course it is moi who is doing the shopping for both! Must pay off £10 today from my next account as well before I forget. Last day at work today until after Christmas-yay! Want to get everything done today so I can have a lovely day with my DS tomorrow. We've got a Christingle service tomorrow at 4pm which will probably reduce me to tears as all the children sing Away in a Manger and a pre-Christingle drinks party (orange juice for me!) beforehand and then I've got a very non MSE dinner of Sainsburys ready meal curry with onion bhajas and stirfry rice-need a break from cooking before the big day. Me and DS will go and pick up our turkey and our bacon etc from the butchers tomorrow which should be hassle free as it's all preordered and organised like a military campaign. need to get some petrol tonight so that I am all set for the festive period. I'm really excited about Christmas now apart from having a terrible night's sleep last night!

beckseven

Had a lovely Christmas and all went smoothly without a hitch. I made smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for my mum and dad and brother and auntie, me Oh and ds and the Christmas dinner was lovely and had loads left over which I diligently froze along with left over sprouts and red cabbage. Watched lots of telly and read books which is all I can about manage at the moment being 36 weeks pregnant! Went for a scan today and the new baby is indeed breech so will be having a planned c section. Don't know when yet as have to go to see the midwife on Friday so will know then. Feels very surreal as will know the date and time that we have the baby. Not pleased at having to be in hospital for three days and then having to rest afterwards as I am the most awful patient in the world and I know I will hate having to rest up and not drive for the first 6 weeks. Never mind-all out of my control now and looking for the positives in that I won't have sore lady bits, I can plan the care of DS because we won't have to do a middle of the night dash and I won't go into labour. Do feel a little bit cheated of the excitement of a natural birth (but perhaps I am looking at the last birth through rosy spectacles!)