Nearly time.

It’s nearly home time. Nearly time to step out of the other worldly quiet of our chalet (disregarding the fly overs from the local RAF base) and walk away from the four hours a day in a swimming pool. And when we get back all the things I’ve been putting off because there was Christmas, then New year, then our holiday will suddenly become real and urgent and something that has to be achieved before the next major milestone, March.

I’m still in denial about March. Still in denial that our not really all that small family is suddenly going to be a large family, that we won’t fit in our comfortable family saloon any more, that our house is straining at the seams already and is soon going to be trembling.

Humph. One step at a time. Bedroom rearranging is on the cards. Furniture shopping. Probably just as well there isn’t an IKEA anywhere handy as I’d be there with my credit card, beating it up again. I fancy something nice this time, although probably what’s going to happen is our non existent budget will have to be spent on bunk beds for the kids in order to fit three of them into one room until we work out a way to finance the extension we’re going to have to have. Somehow I don’t think the credit card will cover that one!

Oh, I have such plans. I never intended to have four children, but I’m happy with the way things are working out. As the eldest of four myself I know how tough it can be, but mine are going to be so spread out that we should be able to cushion most of the blows. So it’s going to be tough for a couple of years, yeah, but we’ll get through that, and then I’ll have this perfect family, home, life… 😉

I’ve a feeling I’m going to be spending even more time than usual on Money Saving Expert forum. I’m already squeezing the pounds and the pennies – hand me downs, real nappies, charity shops, homemade food from real ingredients. All these things make money go much further, and also make you value your time and effort much more. It helps that I’m at home with the kids – they are involved in day to day life. Home education is a budget life style for us, although we splash out on a couple of things – National Trust and English Heritage memberships are great ways of running cost effective trips out. Holidays (like this one) are off peak and self catering – I’ve got some great ideas for blog articles around them actually, I hope you’ll bear with me.

Turns out that spending your hours watching a toddler splash around the pool can be pretty good for your creativity, as well as your poor abused pregnant back!