Bugger! Misjudged my finances and now broke for half term.

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

I’m self employed and waiting for a few invoices to be paid. They’re usually pretty prompt but for some reason not this month and I literally have £12.

I’m not asking for money, we have food and bills are paid. Hopefully I will get some money at least towards the second half of the week but I’m annoyed I have this week off with my dc and the plans I had I can’t fulfill.

My mental health has taken a bit of a battering in recent weeks and I was really looking forward to this week.

Sorry for such a boring Sunday morning thread. It’s kept me up in the night so I just wanted to get it off my chest. I’m so annoyed with myself.

Weather is looking good, so lots of visits to the park with picnics? If weather turns, movies on the couch under the duvet with carpet picnics. Don't think that yo need to spend money to entertain your kids!

Overdraft?

I'm always happy to do that while I'm waiting for invoices to be paid as I know I'm definitely getting paid

With regards to unpaid invoices, a poster recently advices that they have put in on the invoice a charge of 5% is added to the bill after 21 days for late payment. This won’t help now but may in the future

Do you have any Direct debits for electric or gas coming out this week? If you’re in credit, cancel the direct debit and set up again in a week, this will give you some money for next week

Thank you. Parks are a good idea but my dc are too old for parks now. They don’t need lots of money spent on them but I think it’s easier with little ones. I’m struggling to think of anything that is completely free. I don’t have a massive amount of diesel either.

Could you invite some friends round for a play? Or arrange to meet in a park. I hugely sympathise but stay positive. I am a dreadful one for planning lots of activities but our best holiday was the one where their dad decided not to pay maintenance for a few months and so we just did free stuff and played at home.
Other tip would be to see if you have any Tesco points: nectar points or similar that you could use to get vouchers for an activity/ cinema?

The invoices aren’t overdue yet, I just stupidly relied on the fact that I usually have some really prompt payers.

No direct debits, everything comes out on the 1st. I don’t have an overdraft, are they easy to arrange? I don’t really like being in debt.

Just seen yours are older. Letting them have their friends round could be a good solution?
Or how about allowing them to have friends for a sleepover?

local museums
long walks in country parks
pumkins are about 75p in asda so pumpkin carving
Make halloween costumes with old clothes

I have nectar points - will have a look.

ring the bank and ask for one its that easy they will either say yes or no.

You have money coming in the second half of the week so you only have a couple if days to get through.

If they are older let them sleep later. Use one day as a pre Christmas clear out/spring clean maybe let them list their old stuff on eBay so they can make some cash.

A bike ride with a picnic? A movie night? Let them have friends round. If they are teens then they can organise their own social life and will be off out to see friends on their own.

This has been a long half term don't worry about doing too much let them chill out.

Hiya,

I sympathise - I am self employed too and late payers who usually pay quickly are really frustrating! I find myself obsessively checking my online banking.

I have older kids preteens and if I had no cash and little diesel I'd

• invite friends round for a play/sleepover - just need popcorn/snacks & Wi-Fi
• go for a massive long walk
• use Nectar or Tesco points to go to the cinema
• Bake biscuit/brownies/flapjacks/whatever you have the ingredients for

Or do you have any savings you can borrow from if you know 100% you'll get paid soon?

Any museums? Or movie nights with friends at home? Board games? Or would they be the kind of kids who would like things like going for walks and foraging in the woods?

I often run out of money before the month is up, too much month for my money!
How old are dc?
Play station tournament?
Movie night (find something on tv or rediscover one of your dvds), have tea on the sofa with blankets.
Geocaching?
Any old craft kits? Old loom bands? You’ll be surprised what they’ll get into when they haven’t seen it for a while and especially when you’re joining in too.
Collage from old magazines or catalogues (one of mine liked doing this with stuff they liked out of an Argos catalogue!).
Get them involved on cooking and pretend to make a cafe / restaurant and they can makes signs.

Thank you all, some good ideas. I’ll speak to them when they’re up.

They are 14,12 and 8. They have some birthday money which I think we can use for the cinema or something.

You can normally arrange an overdraft online. I have had to a couple of times recently. I am with Santander but maybe other banks let you as well.

Do you have any bits you can sell? People are keen to buy with Christmas fast approaching.

Meet up with friends at a big park/green space & pool any sporty stuff - cricket/football/rugby stuff, boules, roller skates/skateboards

Have friends over & ask them to bring any games console games your DC don't have

Board games tournament

Check out your local library, especially if it's quite big. Ours has lots of free sessions for older DC e.g. block builders, coding etc

Get your DC to cook dinner (with help if necessary)

Don't rush to spend your nectar points as the double up offer is back in mid November (can't remember exact date).

We are having a few days clearing out and putting things on eBay.aybe something like that? Or put some things on buy sell swap? That way the kids earn their treats, you get some stuff rid of and they learn the value of things??

Even older kids like a walk on the beach to fly a kite (depends how much diesel you have!)

Mine also like skateparks.

Younger one might like painting rocks and hiding them/finding others. Quite a big thing in some areas!

Baking. Even just bread!

My 7 year old asked me to make some play dough - haven't made it for years and he's having such fun.

Geocaching? Pokemon hunting?

We’ve gathered a few things that I will try and sell, won’t be a lot but even if I can get some diesel that will make things easier.

Some cool ideas here, we’re going to make pizzas tonight and tomorrow will do some jobs around the house including gardening tomorrow so that if I do get paid, we can get out and about for the rest of the week.

They’re also going to start their Christmas lists tomorrow!