The Ultimate Incentive muddles along

Quiet day today, only spends were a loaf of bread, a box of eggs and two bars of dark chocolate. Very skint at the moment so Grace and I just made NIMs favourite cookies for fathers day, as well as homemade cards and I've done a little engraving on a rectangle of wood to look like a postcard from the 3 of us. I owe two birthday presents, one I needed for today so that's gone sailing by, the other for tomorrow for brother's girlfriend, usual spend is £20, I've found a groupon for a restaurant near them that's 50% off and it's really well rated on tripadvisor and is £15.90 for two courses, then a 15% discount voucher as well so I think I'll go with that, as giving them one of the 6 bottles of champagne I have stood in my cupboard was deemed 'impersonal and uninspired' by mum - it is what I gave her at Christmas after all - I even draped a bracelet on it then too. So that just leaves my friend who was over today, we do have a bit of a history of always being six months late with gifts, she likes doing things, but I kind of already lied and said I had something upstairs but not wrapped so I may be tied into buying a 'stuff'.

Not had as much time to money make today, kids woke at 7am and Ben still isn't asleep at 22.20, and with having both of them off all day I spend much more time playing and less on the computer. Another etsy order though. Nothing out or into the bank account. Arranged to borrow dad's car on Monday so NIM can get to the not very near us or a train station hospital with Grace for an appointment as I need mine for work and his is just merrily bleeding oil all over the drive until we can get it in for a most likely terminal MOT.

Did manage to get claims letters in for two packaged bank accounts which were DEFINITELY mis-sold to us years ago, so that's something on the money front. Need to wrap two Amazon parcels and a facebook sling sale tomorrow and book couriers as well as make dad a bread and butter pudding (thrilled his favourite desert is so cheap to make) and we're having a fathers day/Ben and brother's gf BBQ tomorrow. Also need to plan my lessons for Monday, luckily I think I'm doing lessons I've already taught, so should just be a case of printing them and charging the speaker and tablet computer and packing the mats into the car.... although I don't even know where the speaker is right now.

Thinking of your dad tonight Tete x

clearmydebts wrote: »

Lovely to see everyone coming back! Life sounds very stressful for you at the moment Dinah. Just throwing a curveball here but if NIM is suffering from depression might it be better for you to look for work in your old area so that you have a regular, steady income coming in rather than bits and pieces here and there?

It's been discussed but no, NIM does not want to do any more childcare than he currently does, and he does no housework so when I work that's all on me and I hate that I come home and do housework and spend no time with the kids and he's been with them all day and doesn't appreciate that fact. He doesn't feel he could cope with the kids 5 days a week, and he really does want to work. I looked today actually at jobs in my former area, but the nearest one is 47 miles away as it's a sector that has retracted massively with the government cuts, and given the job up there is private sector it means late nights as it's a very client pleasing industry. It's just not where I want to be with a family and I have very strong beliefs on the kids needing a parent to be there for them as it's what they're used to, NIMs issues should impact on them as little as possible rather than them paying the price. It's a discussion my mother in law has brought up time and time again, and she will not hear of how much childcare costs, but without a minute's hesitation I would sell the house and live off the equity for a few years until Ben was in school before I put my children in full time childcare, no judgement on those who do but it's not what I chose to do.

Still can't work out that final balance for NIM, and it's the one I need as the 0% finished about a week ago on the 14th, and we do have some money in the account to put towards clearing it, although not enough.