Debt support thread #2

[Nerfmother]

Here we are! Can't be bothered to think of an exciting title, sorry

Pooh hello Burma

Pooh? Oooh!!

Congratulations Possibly! Hope you are both well and getting a bit of sleep. We seem to be taking two steps forward, one step back on that score. And I keep ordering bits and pieces from Amazon in the wee small hours. Bad.

Congratulations Orange

Lots of babies!

Tiredness definitely crushes resolve pixie - it's why I'm so fat. I'm tired and give in and eat stuff. I also buy more too.

Nerf am at your pay rise but really pleased for you - that is a decent hike!

I think teachers might get 1% this year, but my pension contribution is rising now by 0.7%, so cancels that out. I'm sulking as all my bills have shot up during the pay freeze. This is another reason why I seemed to have more extra money a few years ago to throw at debt; I keep forgetting that our outgoings are much more expensive.

Now DD's health seems to be settling (touch wood), I will probably start to seek out a promotion next year. I already work vast hours (60-70 a week), so would be nice to get paid more for doing them.

I'm also working more where I can. I'm doing 3 days during the hols.

Anyway, early finish today and Easter starts here so I am very .

grrrr budget has gone out the window. I've not been paid pissed off now! wages should have gone in today.

Thanks Kinky - and this time I have a plan, rather than it just being frittered.
YY to outgoings going up - it sucks.
Winter - who can you call?

Yay to babies, newcomers and pay rises
Boo to work not paying - hope you can get it sorted Winter

I have a $6 discount code for ynab (not a huge amount but every little helps). First person to PM gets it (will offer on austerity thread if everyone here who wants it has the paid version already).

Thanks for the congrats . DC3 and I are seeing plenty of one another at 3am (and 1am, 2am, 4am and 5am), but TBH with it being DC3 I'd rather feed all night than all day and miss out on time with the other two. How times have changed since DC1! Pixie have resisted the 3am shopping temptation thus far, but I need a new sling and spent half of last night's feeds as research time

Winter what a nightmare. Are you chasing up the pay?

Possibly what sort of sling do you need?

Start of a new week here, and it's going to be a tough few weeks - we have my nephew for a week next week, up from Weymouth. We have friends up the following week, and then we are heading south for Easter - and I haven't budgeted for any of it... Arghhh.. At least £50 will go on the old dog going to kennels, and she needs a haircut to so that's bye bye another £50

A woven wrap puffy. I have two (a didymos and a storchenwiege) but I can't find the didymos anywhere and I need a spare really - I need to be able to wash them occasionally! Contemplating either a lightweight gauzy one for summer or another storchenwiege I think.

Another wrapper!

I have a didy sat in my linen cupboard, I really would love to get it out every now and again - I really miss my wrapping days...
Storches are good, I had a blue Leo for a while, but if I had to choose another I'd probably get a Zara.

Sheesh you're makin me all broody again squishy yummy newborns in a wrap

Congratulations possibly
There are lots on the frugal thread awaiting your news too, do pop over soon!

dh and I both working this weekend which will be good for the bank balance but tricky getting childcare sorted. Have managed to get a friend to help today and my aunty tomorrow so payment in chocs and wine will be fine!

We're going away next weekend. Staying with dh's family for 4 nights but 1 night in a hotel as a real treat. Managed to get a great deal on dinner b&b so not too much of a hit.

Had an interesting time with Ds last night. He went to high school in Sept and we started a monthly allowance for him to get him more used to managing money and budgetting. Anyway it turns out , since Christmas he's been frittering money away without realising it so got quite a shock last night when there wasn't much left! One long chat later and I think he has a much better idea about spending and saving. For now he wants to go back to weekly allowance as he feels he can manage that better.

Well I got the job...whoop whoop!

Woohoo great news MummyBeans...well done you!!

Hello All,

It's good to hear all you news! Babies - Pay Rises etc! Very exciting

I'm just about sticking to my budget but it's tight. I've only spent £10 since last Sunday which is good. Went to London last weekend and stayed in budget - had a lovely time visiting a fiend, having cake and tea in a lovely cake in Bloomsbury (The London Review?) and visiting The National Portrait Gallery. First night away without children and DH in three years.

Like puffylovett I have lots of April plans. I have budgeted for them and I hope I've been realistic.

Can I ask for your help? DD needs some new clothes really due to general ware and tear and a bit of growing (she is 21 months) although I could make do till next month when I could afford them. She does have just about enough really. But with a wedding coming up (which includes a four night stay in London with family) and going on holiday with friends I keep looking on next and putting together virtual baskets. I think - I want her to look nice and have some new clothes - fresh pyjamas etc. I tell myself she 'needs' new T-shits. So far I haven't done it. Give me the strength not to!

Well done mummybeans! Great news

Puffy have a stretchy wrap and a Manduca carrier too, but I find the woven wraps by far the comfiest to use. Will look at the Zara.

Golden - she doesn't need them. Take her on holiday and let her pack her favourite clothes. They are going to get ruined - sun cream, sea salt, food stains, left unwashed for a few days.
Mummy beans - hooray!

MyGolden
At 21 months she needs second hand clothes - charity shops, NCT sales and the like
there is stuff all point buying new clothes for kids who will grow out of them or trash them in no time at all

have a few favourites - kids DO NOT NEED all the hundreds of outfits they have nowadays

Golden - there are some lovely bundles of girls clothes on ebay - have a look there

Good advice. I will make do this month and check out eBay / NCT sales next month. When I was on maternity leave and had awful PND I spent a fortune on expensive baby clothes from mamas and papas and the like. I felt like such a terrible mother and it led to me spending a fortune on all sorts of things she didn't need as a way to diffuse the guilt even temporarily - it's been a hard habit to get out of.

On the plus side I feel that I may be ready to start coming off the ADs soon.

MyGolden
When DS was a baby he had a pair of OshKoshBGosh dungarees
he was the tenth child to wear them and four more did afterwards to my knowledge

kids clothes marketing is foul because those who can least afford it spend the most

second hand is better - as at least then you know how it will look after a few washes

PS sell the posh stuff on ebay to improve your finances

I've donated all the posh stuff to friends will new babies (they were very pleased!). But I will certainly try to be more sensible.

Yes I agree that people who are vulnerable are often more likely to spend on silly things. It's a sign of insecurity really. Of course if you have lots of money you don't need to think about it but I know lots of folk on average or low incomes who buy their children expensive clothes (myself included of course).

On another point - we're all obviously here because we over spend. I wonder what all our reasons are. Because this is anonymous I'll be completely honest.

My working class parents had a lot of money worries when I was little. My dad lost his car business and had a nervous breakdown and my mum had to leave her nursing course and take on two minimum wage jobs. All the arguments in our house were about money.

I was at a private school (I had a scholarship) where most of the girls came from wealthy, cultured middle class homes with seemingly no money worries (I'm sure they had their own problems!). I've always been desperate to catch up. It's pathetic I know but I try to keep up with the Jones's

It's got me into a lot of bother - dealing with this will help me stop repeating the behaviour.

For me Notebook, I lived the life I had preDS/mortgage after I has DS/mortgage! I'm on a reasonable wage and because my credit history was good, it enable me access to money I didn't have...I'm not struggling financially in as much as I just want to clearly feet and be in a position to be free to spend my money on things that matter as opposed to repaying historic debt...