Ok, so I have had a somewhat financial overhaul this week
I have been through my bills, most of which I can't not pay as I only really have basics!
So
Rent - £360 - my partner pays this
Council tax - £107
Water - £40
Gas - £49 (direct debit)
Electric - £40
NTL - £55 for tv, Internet, phone (Internet is needed as I have a child in middle school and a child in comp for their homeworks)
Debt - £40
Dentist - £32 (this is myself, partner and kids and they have taken on my step son too, there are only two NHS dentists in our area now and we are in a benefit claiming main town do I pay for te dentist as we are guaranteed to be seen quickly and our dentist is lovely)
Food Shopping - £200
The last few months I have also had to find money for school uniform and catch up on my debt bills so I have neglected to pay my Tv license which I know is now at £97 and passed to a collection agency, as well as owing £49.50 on our old flat which again I haven't paid
My income is £300 wages from my work ( I do 2 nights a week at 12hrs a week so I'm
Home to care for my daughter in the day and whilst my son is in school, I have no family around me - and all the lcal childminders are full because we are in a small village, so I can't work any extra hours)
I get child benefit of £130 but this is for my children and divided between their bank accounts incase they need anything.
Tax Credits, I and my partner get £300 to top up our income.
Our outgoings are £563 so from the £600 I am left with £37.
I am so fed up of this situation I can't begin to tell you. There is no work local to me and I don't drive so getting anywhere is really very hard. I'm even wondering if I can start to do something from home as I have textile A levels etc so maybe I could make something to sell.
I've also sold off most of my possessions to make ends meet.
So I've been looking at some solutions.
I've managed to haggle my NtL down to the £55 - it was originally on £65 so at least that's a £10 saving.
Also my food shopping - thanks to some of Froogs meal plans and ideas - I'm pretty sure I can get that down too. Each year my wok gives us shares of the profits and we got £150 last year so I brought a chest freezer with it when we moved home as we are in an inaccessible area now when the weather is bad, so it was multipurpose but I'm hoping I can fill it with Tesco Value vegetables and meat as well as discounted or reduced products and that it will help me stretch our shopping budget.
Im on the cheapest I can get our as and electric but I will be researching ways to heat proof the house this winter so we don't have to rely on the central Heating and gas so much. We only have an electric shower (no bath) so the only gas we use is for heating water so if I can minimise that then it will be good. I think that may be my next plan of action with a room by room list of what I can improve.
Right I'm off to put the kids to bed and ponder just that.
Night all
Xxxxx
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Financial Hardship and Time Of Reflection
Recently myself and my partner have had a few financially tough months.
Last month we literally made it to my pay day with pence in my pocket, and by then we had run out of bread, milk and butter and I was utterly miserable and to the point I was having to bake to make sure my son had a lunch box full. I don't want to be like that again any time soon but sadly its not the first time and I have just about sold everything in my house I had, that I could sell to make ends meet.
We were meant to go on a camping holiday for our 10 year anniversary, but after we'd brought the tent and sleeping bags we couldn't afford to go away any longer so we decided to leave it and we'd go away another time.
Today presently, after money check ups etc I now have £22 in my Wages bank account and in my Benefits account I think I have nothing - I will double check this tomorrow morning though as my bank are utterly useless on the phones after 6pm. Should also reiterate that by benefits account I mean the account my tax credits and child benefit are paid into - this is money for my children and their well being etc.
I cant pick up any extra hours in work as I cant fit the shifts around my children.
The two shifts I am able to do are Thursday 5 - 10pm and a Sunday 3 - 10pm. My partner works what hes told which is 8.30am - 6pm (Mon to sat) and 10am - 4pm (Sunday) but he works 5 days a week but he is on a rota and not set days off. So if he is working the days I have my shifts then my mother in law has the kids for the hour that we cross over.
The rest of the time I am at home with the children - my daughter is only 2 years old and not in education yet and her childcare would take up any wages I did mange to earn.
My son is in full time school from 9am until 3.20pm.
I am wondering if there is any work I can do from home that means I can be here for my children but I can still boost my income
May have to look into varying sources of income.
Friday, 7 September 2012
Its time to 'Ber'......
Right,
The 'BER' months (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER ~ see what happened there? ) so I have and will officially get started. That means my household kicks up a gear to get ready for winter and subsequently Christmas.
The house needs heat proofing and after a winter in the house last year I have somewhat figured out where the cold spots are and what needs to be tackled.
The hallway is a main one. You come in the front door and are immediately met by the stairs, through the door to the right is my living room, then up the first half of the stairs is a small landing with a window, then up the second part are the three doors to the bedrooms. There is no heating in the hallway which basically means on a cold morning you have to walk out into a fridge which is not pleasant. I need to find some way to warm this room.
Last year I put a curtain over the front door and there is a blind on the small window, but apart from that I'm somewhat confused. There are two plug sockets at the bottom of the stairs though which means I could plug in a small heater to let the heat rise if I could find a plug timer for the mornings.
Also our central heating is VERY noisy. It makes one hell of a racket so if I can not turn this on in the night then that would be good. We have just brought the kids sleeping bags for camping but Im thinking these might be worth using in winter to keep them warm. Our double sleeping bag can be unzipped and put over our duvet, plus my partner who tends to hog the duvet means I would actually get a blanket. Ben's is more a cocoon style bag which he is loving sleeping in , and Holly's can be unzipped to a big blanket as well.
Other cold spots are the bathroom and back door, which similar to the front door in that the back door opens and directly in front is the bathroom. Thus making this very cold and unpleasant so that needs a door curtain too I think.
Other than that I need to find or make the dog a new bed.
Then make a stock list for the freezer, because we live on top of a hill and its is horrid, absolutely horrid walking to the nearest shop which is a 15 minute downhill walk away, and then about 20 minutes back up depending on what you are carrying! So needless to say with an 8 year old and a 2 year old in cold weather it can get very unpleasant indeed and my partner is not home until 6pm so in those hours Id need to be prepared.
I think I need to get list making.
Righto Im off to do just that
The 'BER' months (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER ~ see what happened there? ) so I have and will officially get started. That means my household kicks up a gear to get ready for winter and subsequently Christmas.
The house needs heat proofing and after a winter in the house last year I have somewhat figured out where the cold spots are and what needs to be tackled.
The hallway is a main one. You come in the front door and are immediately met by the stairs, through the door to the right is my living room, then up the first half of the stairs is a small landing with a window, then up the second part are the three doors to the bedrooms. There is no heating in the hallway which basically means on a cold morning you have to walk out into a fridge which is not pleasant. I need to find some way to warm this room.
Last year I put a curtain over the front door and there is a blind on the small window, but apart from that I'm somewhat confused. There are two plug sockets at the bottom of the stairs though which means I could plug in a small heater to let the heat rise if I could find a plug timer for the mornings.
Also our central heating is VERY noisy. It makes one hell of a racket so if I can not turn this on in the night then that would be good. We have just brought the kids sleeping bags for camping but Im thinking these might be worth using in winter to keep them warm. Our double sleeping bag can be unzipped and put over our duvet, plus my partner who tends to hog the duvet means I would actually get a blanket. Ben's is more a cocoon style bag which he is loving sleeping in , and Holly's can be unzipped to a big blanket as well.
Other cold spots are the bathroom and back door, which similar to the front door in that the back door opens and directly in front is the bathroom. Thus making this very cold and unpleasant so that needs a door curtain too I think.
Other than that I need to find or make the dog a new bed.
Then make a stock list for the freezer, because we live on top of a hill and its is horrid, absolutely horrid walking to the nearest shop which is a 15 minute downhill walk away, and then about 20 minutes back up depending on what you are carrying! So needless to say with an 8 year old and a 2 year old in cold weather it can get very unpleasant indeed and my partner is not home until 6pm so in those hours Id need to be prepared.
I think I need to get list making.
Righto Im off to do just that
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Let the nightmare commence.....
Morning all
Well I woke up Tuesday with a dental abscess hence the lack of posting - thankfully it has given me no pain as apparently its draining (I bet you really wanted to know that) and still hasn't but they have told me I will need the tooth removing and a dose of antibiotics.
Now for any normal person this is fine, but when you are straight edge, medication phobic and have severe anxiety this can be an absolute nightmare of immense proportions! I have been psyching myself up for the last few days to take them and was all ready to yesterday when my partner got delayed at work so I couldn't and as a result I ended up making myself sick with worry and dread.
So this morning after reading horror stories of dental abscess' I had to do it. I broke out in a hot flushes, dry mouth, shakes and this was before I even had the pill out of the packet - and yes it is one 250mg pill I have to take - hardly a horse tranquilliser. As soon as I took it I promptly burst into tears and had to remove myself to the garden for fear of the kids seeing me in such a state.
I bizarrely too have this weird thing about 5 minutes....... so I'll tell you the story. My mum (should reiterate the reason I never mention her is we haven't spoken in 9 months) anyway.........she is exactly the same as me - hates taking pills or medication in any form and I clearly remember my dad when they were together having to force her to take medication, to the point of having to pin her down - it was obviously something she absolutely needed to take because my dad isn't a bully or a forceful person etc. - but I think mentally that has scarred me and worsened my own phobia.
Anyway I remember her telling me that if anything was going to happen, like a severe allergic reaction - you'd know within 5 minutes.....or there would be tell tale signs something wasn't right. So I take myself away for 5 minutes.....strange but it works for me.....I sit and focus on my breathing to bring myself out of a panic attack etc too.
Although in fairness I have been put on Amoxycillin, and it really doesn't help that my younger sister is allergic to penicillin and amoxycillin so my worry isn't completely unacceptable!
Anyway so since I seem to be ok - I took it at 9.33 and here I still am at 11.27 - my time before work today will mostly be taken up with reading this fab new blog that I have found
It has already given me loads of ideas and is exactly the type of blog I like to read so I hope some of you will stop in and have a read too.
xAn Olympian In The Midst....
I am so proud of my friend Helen.
I have known her since school and the last few years I have done nothing but support her efforts in the Triathlon and now I sit proudly here writing this as she is about to compete in the Olympics as part of Team GB.
Good Luck Helen! I will be watching for you on August 4th
x x x
Sunday, 22 July 2012
SUMMER HOLIDAYS! .................. Oh No!
Hi guys
As anyone else in the UK knows summer holidays are upon us and the welsh schools have mostly all broken up so I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas of things to do with small children, I have a considerable age gap between my two children - my son Benjamin is 8 years old and my daughter Holly is 2. Most of the holidays will be me with them by myself so I am looking for ideas to keep them amused.
If anyone has any then please feel free to add them in the messages below, there are no stupid suggestions.......
many thanks in advance and I will make sure to keep you up to date with anything we have planned as well as including pictures
x
As anyone else in the UK knows summer holidays are upon us and the welsh schools have mostly all broken up so I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas of things to do with small children, I have a considerable age gap between my two children - my son Benjamin is 8 years old and my daughter Holly is 2. Most of the holidays will be me with them by myself so I am looking for ideas to keep them amused.
If anyone has any then please feel free to add them in the messages below, there are no stupid suggestions.......
many thanks in advance and I will make sure to keep you up to date with anything we have planned as well as including pictures
x
Fly Lady ~ Day Four
Right,
so far this morning I have
- gotten up at 5.30am (I suffer from insomnia I am not Sunday morning sadistic!)
- Washed
- Wiped over bathroom
- Wiped over the kitchen
- Read Emails
- Had Breakfast
- Made A plan of action for Ben's bedroom tomorrow
- Listed 5 things on Ebay (one already has a watcher! yey!)
- updated my blog
So now that Owen is awake I will be able to go and get on with the rest of the morning. Its currently 9.20 as I write that line so I can go and make all the beds soon and then finish Holly's Bedroom which I got distracted from yesterday (by cleaning my own)
This is what awaits me...............................yey :-S
although in fairness her room is only small so it shouldn't take me too long to sort through.
I'm also going to put a load of washing in before I make a start on this which I think will be all of Owen's work shirts so I can hang them outside on the airers to dry being that its such a nice day today
I also want to get all the bags of rubbish outside too so that they are not in the house or likely to be reopened whilst me or anyone else goes looking for things in the,
I have also set myself the time limit today of finishing at 12, because I work today (yes I know on a Sunday - someone has to I guess!) from 3 - 10pm so I think if I finish at 12, then it gives me plenty of time to chill out and get showered etc before I have to leave at 2.30 to go and start my shift.
Right better crack on otherwise I will never get started............
Enjoy your day
x
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