If you had £200/300 per month extra

[Dragontooth]

I'm finally going up a couple of pay grades and I'm looking forward to being able to do more than just pay bills for the first time!
Single parent of two, full time working out of the house, commute is up to an hour and a half each way per day. I'm overweight (size 16) and exhausted. Diet is terrible.
New job will make me shorter of time and so I'm looking for ways to improve my life using the extra ££.
What do you think will help most? Not all obvs!

• cleaner
• gardener (we have a huge garden which I can't keep on top off) all grass and borders
• overpay mortgage? Shorten length
• weight loss injections
• personal trainer
• meal plan boxes
• nice gym membership with pool
• add extra to savings account
• cut one day a week at work
• declutterring service (house is messy!)

Any other suggestions welcome!

Cleaner 1000%

Our cleaner makes my house look nice and prevents so many arguments between DH and I

The gym is great, but I've signed up before only to use it like twice in a month

If you're keen on getting fit why not do some runs or at home workouts first, and if you stick to them, maybe then splurge on the gym?

Cleaner definitely.
Ours makes a huge difference to all of us and keeps our house in check. No clutter builds up ever because it all has to be cleared anyway before she comes. She helps make our house feel like a home and I’d give up a lot before I had to give her up.

Mortgage. After 10 years, imagine the opportunities and freedom it will give you. It feels like forever away now, nut the time will pass anyway and future uou will thank you. Be flexible. Maybe pop away 75% for 75% of the year. Congrats! X

Personal trainer #1, will provide the inspiration for the others

And cleaner, PT and cleaner

I’d pop some in savings first, then pay for someone to declutter the house so it’s easier to tidy and clean and then a personal trainer as they will hold you accountable and you have to go.

For anyone saying drop a day at work, realistically that's probably going to cost more than £200-300 month.

Definitely a cleaner, I get 2hrs a fortnight and it's amazing. There's lots I would cut now before I cut the cleaner and it is an absolute luxury.

I'd overpay the mortgage too, I'm doing this and will have cut almost 15yrs off mine.

I also prioritise holidays because I love to travel! I sacrifice in other areas to do this. So budget for something that you see as important, whether it's meals out or quality clothes or theatre or whatever you love. Life is too short not to spend on the things you love - if you possibly can.

Savings, always.

Believe me you will feel better as the balances mount.

Savings, cleaner and just enjoy life.
Hopefully you'll have less stress so can manage your health better.
Go out more, save towards holidays, eat healthy meals, give up snacking.
And I agree with others - look for a job closer to home, aim to reduce your days at work.

Get a garden tidy before winter. Then it won't need done again until spring. Dont bother with a gym.

I think my worry is that I need something to make life easier. It's not sustainable otherwise. No chance of working closer as my current employer paid for my training in order for me to get the promotion so I'm tied to them for two years.
If I keep going as I am I won't make it.
My life is wake up, work, come home at 7pm, do bedtime routine, sleep. Five days a week. Then I have no time at the weekends, which I also have to use to catch up on work.
My diet is
Morning; toast whilst making kids lunchboxes
Daytime: snickers bar, Diet Coke
Teatime; more toast, maybe an egg
Everything is just things I can eat whilst standing up which requires zero prep or food shopping. I just don't have the time.
I don't watch any TV or sit down in the evenings apart from when my children read to me.
I just need one part or more of my life to be easier and now I have the money to make that happen.

Cleaner then. It’s the only item on your list that really buys you time. Ignore the garden and just pay for a big tidy up in late spring.

And maybe some protein shakes to replace the endless toast.

Well done on your promotion. Watching thread with interest as in a similar situation (ps your diet and rush to eat is so similar to mine, I likewise have gained a lot of weight recently through this - and also got promoted 🙂, so getting ideas). I think I would:

1. get a bit of savings (regular savings accounts). This may help you feel more relaxed.
2. mortgage if it looks like yours may increase or if it is at a high rate just now. Do you have a mortgage that allows overpayments without early repayment charges etc.
3. cleaner or gardener. Which one do you think will give you most satisfaction? For me gardener, my house is long work in progress (I've pretty near given up 😔). Just seeing the lawn mown etc. helps me (I can look out the window and feel better). For other people a cleaner would be better .

You'll be undernourished with that diet. And it won't be good for your future.

Change your breakfast to yoghurt, blueberries and a few nuts.
Change your snickers bar and Diet Coke to banana/fruit and sparkling water.
Get a proper lunch or have a sandwich made with wholemeal bread, protein and salad.
Dinner - make an omelette, roast a chicken over the weekend and have that with some veg or salad (buy some ready prepped or prep night before), or put a potato in the microwave and have it with tuna and salad.
If you like slow cooker meals, find some "dump" recipes that you'll like.
There are some that you can prep and freeze over the weekend then just dump into the slow cooker in the morning.

Do your dc eat at home? What do they have?

Cleaner
Weight loss injections

Then next spring get a gardener, hopefully you Will no longer require the injections.

Use commute time to place food order, make sure you have plenty of easy lunch options.

Use cleaning time to make some lunches/dinner options.

Remember, you're no food to anyone if you're running on empt, so look after yourself.

@GalacticalFarce I don't eat meat and my slow cooker makes vegetables very mushy.

Cut one day a week

@Dragontooth ah ok. I'm not a fan of the slow cooker myself though some rave about it. Do you like lentils and pulses?
You're so short of time and it seems your personal health is right down at the bottom of the priority list, which happens to many women.
I hope you can find a way to look after yourself too.

Cleaner

Get a cleaner so you are less exhausted and have more free time.

Put something in an ISA saving account every month, so you can overpay the mortgage each year.

Initially save or treats - ie towards a holiday. See how the routine goes for three months then decide what would help most.

Going against most others here but as a size 16 full time working single parent (of adults though) I would do:

weight loss injections for a year.
It sounds as though your weight affects your general quality of life. I have been on them for a few months and it has boosted my self esteem and energy to feel I am tackling that area of my life I was personally unhappy with.

After the year is up I would drop the hours at work. I can do 0.9 in my work. So 4.5 days per week which can be compressed into 4 days. Then you’ll lose half the money. Worth asking if it’s possible in your place.

Then slimmer and more confident new you has time to do the other stuff. Might still do the gardener though. Just for lawns and hedges.

Congrats on the job - you sound so positive I’m very happy for you.

Ps. Massively agree with the posters saying do something for YOU. NOW
Savings can wait until the DC are older and you’re less frazzled.
Sort your diet out. Weight loss injections and small amounts of high nutrition food. Eggs every day. Nuts. No more bread.

Cleaner
Gardner
Food box

then anything after that

I would save it. I know that’s boring but you will feel better.

Personal trainer and the like are vanities and probably won’t work long term until your head is in the right place and you sort out your diet.

I’d find a cleaner but that might eat up all/most of your pay rise. We pay £30 for 2hrs a week and that’s £150/month when there are five weeks.

I’d prioritise savings, pensions and mortgage payments for a year or two to give yourselves a nice cushion, and then fun stuff.