Right, get ready for self-indulgent whinge... Skip now if you're not interested - and I don't blame you!
This is, I'm sure, the same story for countless people, so am no different to anyone else, but have had horrid row with DH this morning. He has 2 ironed shirts in his cupboard, but he doesn't like them. Ahem. Spoilt anyone? So he had to iron another one for himself this morning because he's filming a podcast today, so wanted one he liked on. Fine. But then asked me if I could iron some shirts today. I said yes, of course. Then he started going on about how he needs to have more shirts available at all times etc. He only owns 5 shirts, so it's quite hard to do them in advance. Anyway, he was bleating on at me, so I said "Fine, if you're that bothered about me doing them, let's get a cleaner". Oops, totally wrong thing to say. He totally went off at me about money and how all I do is spend spend spend and I don't budget and he's always made out to be the bad guy in the situations. All he does is work and fund my lifestyle etc. Now, not being funny, but I don't exactly spank the cash on expensive clothes and nights out etc. I buy food and drink and sometimes I buy myself a couple of books and I get the DDs clothes when they need them, but mostly have lived off hand-me-downs for months now. I have, this summer, after wearing the same t-shirts for 8 years, bought myself four new t-shirts from Asda, which were £6 for two. And 3 vest tops from New Look, where I really went wild and they were £6.99 each!!! I spend all money on food, drink and petrol. And living is EXPENSIVE. I don't think I spend more than I should. Although DH insists we have free range chicken, which I agree with, but it's a lot more expensive. Plus, we are feeding a family of four, not just the two of us any more.
Honestly, I just don't know how to make things cheaper. We are trying to move out of London and spend less on rent out of town, but it's bloody expensive if we want to live within an hour of London and DH isn't willing to bend on the commute time, so it's going to end up being the same out of town. We are eating into our savings every month. I have £300 for myself from DH every month, which is meant to be stuff for me, but without fail, it goes on food or petrol, rarely on stuff for me or the girls. And I live off an overdraft. I don't know what to do really. I keep trying to spend less, but we end up still spending loads. I hate rowing about it, but by the same token, I feel I get the brunt of it. I know DH resents me not working, but if I did, I'd earn less than we spent on childcare. We've done the maths and it doesn't make sense until they're at school. Ho hum.
Sorry, whine whine, when there's more important stuff going on. But am just v tired of defending myself against the money onslaught the whole time. He seems to think I do feck all, while he's slaving away. So we're talking about saving money, and he's off out for dinner tonight! I don't want him not to go, but honestly, he goes out so much more than me - I'd like him to point at what I've spanked loads of cash on frivolously recently!!!! It wouldn't be possible.
Dreading the winter shoe debacle, which is to come!