£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....
Comments
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Good to hear that.
I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)
Fashion on the Ration challenge, 2024: Trainers 5 coupons. 5/68
20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/220 -
Week 36: Day 4
Bleurgh, my body has obviously been in such a state of stress that now it's finally relaxed it's got totally ill - have woken up with a streaming cold and can't stop sneezing!
Not only did I get reassured about my work stress, but the people I contract for have asked if I would be interested in upping my work for them next year. Not sure how I'll work out the childcare etc, but have decided I'll cross that bridge if they offer it and have said I would definitely be interested. If it comes off it would be a good couple of hundred extra a month.
Need to catch up on loads of jobs and bits of work today, particularly sending off things like bank statements to the mortgage broker and final bits of information to the accountant so she can submit my tax return and give me the info so I can give that to the mortgage broker.
To do today
1. pack orders for smaller business.
2. info to mortgage broker.
3. info to accountant.
4. make parsnip and apple soup for dinner.
5. catch up on all the work bits and bobs that have fallen by the wayside this week.
To do this week
1. Continue to plan Christmas gifts.
2. Plant hyacinth bulbs. Done.
3. Charity shop trawl for stocking fillers and hyacinth planters. Done.
4. Library ebooks. Done. workds on DC1's mp3 player and my phone, hurrah!
To do this month
1. keep the total spend for the month below £3,500. Currently budgeted at £3,439.
2. work a sensible number of hours, even if it means slower progress on the work and debt front. September was rubbish. This is going well so far.
3. make any homemade Christmas gifts.Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.0 -
Hope the cold goes quickly. Will your dc3 have more hours at nursery next year?CCs @0% £24k Dec 05 £19,621.41 Au £13400 S 12600 Oct £11,981 £9481 £7500 Nov £7250 D £7100 Jan 6950 F £5800 Mar£5400 May £4830 June £4660 July £4460 Aug £3200, S £900, £0 18/9/07 DFW Nerd 0420
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The issue is opening times (it's a preschool rather than a nursery) and before/after school care for all three DC. I'm sure we can figure something out - DH's work can be flexible on an ad hoc basis, and my mum is happy to commit to a bit, so hopefully it will work itself out without needing to spend a fortune.Hope the cold goes quickly. Will your dc3 have more hours at nursery next year?Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.0 -
Ah I see.Flexibility and willing hands is a great help. Perhaps your hours could be flexible too, or is the nature of the work such that it has to be done at fixed times? All good news anyway.CCs @0% £24k Dec 05 £19,621.41 Au £13400 S 12600 Oct £11,981 £9481 £7500 Nov £7250 D £7100 Jan 6950 F £5800 Mar£5400 May £4830 June £4660 July £4460 Aug £3200, S £900, £0 18/9/07 DFW Nerd 0420
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Week 36: Day 5
Gosh, it's half term in a couple of days. I'm feeling totally disorganised at the moment! Going to visit my dad for the first few days, so no need to plan expensive entertainment, and already have a playdate planned for the tail end of the week.
Back to today. Hoping to clear all the remaining jobs on my work list for this week so I can relax and prepare for the weekend. DH has been away with work for a couple of days so it's been a little challenging, especially since last night was The Night Where All Children Woke Up. I swear I was up every hour! That's meant to stop once they're not babies! And the worst one was the eldest (cramp/growing pains).
Made parsnip and apple soup for dinner last night which was a total flop with the DC. They were not keen at all. Have to say it wasn't one of my finest efforts.
To do today
1. clear work list.
2. check accountant info and press the green button on submitting it.
3. info to mortgage broker.
4. plant the last couple of hyacinth bulbs - I've planted all the gift ones, but there's a couple of bulbs leftover and it seems a shame to waste them.
5. spend some time on smaller business.
To do this week
1. Continue to plan Christmas gifts.
2. Plant hyacinth bulbs. Done.
3. Charity shop trawl for stocking fillers and hyacinth planters. Done.
4. Library ebooks. Done. workds on DC1's mp3 player and my phone, hurrah!
To do this month
1. keep the total spend for the month below £3,500. Currently budgeted at £3,439.
2. work a sensible number of hours, even if it means slower progress on the work and debt front. September was rubbish. This is going well so far.
3. make any homemade Christmas gifts.Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.0 -
Just wanted to say hi, and how much I'm enjoying your diary. My jaw may have dropped a few times when certain costs were mentioned but that makes for an interesting read
plus it's good to hear different opinions on these forums which take us out of our echo chambers...
Having had a child who was also gifted and talented, am pleased to hear you're not paying for the extra activities. To be honest I'm not sure how helpful a label it is. If you're looking to stretch your kids a lot of the bigger museums do free workshops which can be fun/challenging for children so if you're near a big city maybe keep an eye on those. The British Museum does some excellent animation ones for example which my daughter loved.
I'm on a free audible trial so would be interested to hear your favourite audio books. I just downloaded Freedom Seeker by Beth Kempton which I am loving, mostly I listen to podcasts though.
The other thought I had was whether you need an architect at all for your extension. We did a loft conversion and the company we used do hundreds a year so were more than capable of designing the space, and they paid an architect a tiny fee to do the drawings. Could save you hundreds, maybe get a few loft specialist companies round to quote and suggest what they would do with the place?
Anyway, hi, and I'm subscribing.
MW xMortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.200 -
Just wondered if your children could plant the remaining bulbs so they can follow their progress until they flower - we used to love it - one in each pot!Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman0 -
Week 36: Day 6
Aaaaaand it's Friday! This month has gone in such a blur, I feel like I've lost all track of it.
DH back home, was nice to have some help with the DC last night. He's at work until 2 though, and then we're leaving to drive up to my dad's straight after school. My mission is to make the house semi-acceptable, pack and make veggie sausage rolls for a picnic car dinner. Homemade picnic has the double advantage of being cheap and meaning we don't need to stop for long - t's a long drive and I'm hoping to do it with minimal stopping so we don't get there at midnight.
Batch cooking update: It's been so great not doing so much cooking during the week. Our freezer is insanely full at the moment - my batch cooking efforts combined with my mother bringing down loads and loads of fruit with her when she last came. It's going to be fruit crumble and fruit and yoghurt for every pudding for the next month or two! It's great actually, as all the DC love stewed fruit, so it's moderately healthy and FREE. The red pepper quiche was not a lunch box success - too floppy and breakable, back to normal quiche next time. The vegetarian nuggets were surprisingly OK - DC3 more impressed than DC1, but even he ate them. I feel like I'm building up a little repertoire of nice lunch ideas which can be alternated, and all are really pretty darn cheap.
On the subject of food, have only spent £249.22 on food shopping so far this month. Am I getting better at the food shopping thing or what?! Slightly cheating by going away from today until Tuesday, but as long as we can keep the final shopping for the month under the £100 mark (should be doable, still have milk, butter, etc, a gammon joint and lots of leftovers in the freezer, as well as aforementioned packed lunch batch cooking) we'll be coming in well under our £350 budget.
To do today
1. clear work list.
2. make veggie sausage rolls
3. make picnic dinner.
4. plant the last couple of hyacinth bulbs
5. pack for my dad's.
6. attempt to bring the house to some kind of order before we leave.
7. get some laundry washed and drying (on the airers if the weather is horrible still).
To do this week
1. Continue to plan Christmas gifts. Done.
2. Plant hyacinth bulbs. Done.
3. Charity shop trawl for stocking fillers and hyacinth planters. Done.
4. Library ebooks. Done. workds on DC1's mp3 player and my phone, hurrah!
To do this month
1. keep the total spend for the month below £3,500. Currently budgeted at £3,439.
2. work a sensible number of hours, even if it means slower progress on the work and debt front. September was rubbish. This is going well so far.
3. make any homemade Christmas gifts.Trying to figure out a whole new life. Trying to figure out a whole new budget.
Divorcing, unclear on final debt total right now, but focusing on building a financial buffer zone.0 -
Well done on getting the shopping bill down. Of course, if you spend another £100 you won't be well under budget, you'll be on budget. I think you've been aiming for around £75 each week (sorry if that's someone else
) can you achieve that again? That would be an incredible achievement! SPC 11, No. 062 DFD November 2020
Aug 2017 B'card £5006.83 BoS £1086.59 MBNA £0 Total: £6093.42
Aug 2018 B'Card £995.06 BoS £863.43 MBNA £3,644.98 Total: £5503.47
9.68% paid off0
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