I knew when I decided not to return to work that our lifestyle would be very different to how it was before I had Dexter. There would be no more nights of drunken debauchery or shopping sprees, and we’d have to work doubly hard if we wanted any treats.

There’s no denying that money is tight here at Chez Mills at the moment. Lots of bills have gone out this month leaving precious little for Craig and I to play with. Given we’re dead set on the Australia move, we’re having to save every penny we have for legal fees. Couple this with the fact we’ll have to sell everything here in the UK and have to furnish a home from scratch over there, and it’s truly headache-inducing.

With all this going on, our kitchen is a bit ‘Old Mother Hubbarb’ (as in nothing in the cupboard). Breakfast and lunch is now toast and a cup a soup, I’m mending old clothes, and I’ve dusted down old cleansers and make-up that are at least 7 years old in a bid to save the pennies! Don’t get me wrong, Craig works hard and earns good money. We have a roof over our heads, and we still manage the odd treat, but tightening your belt is never much fun and we don’t appear to be getting anywhere quickly. With our holiday budget dissipating, I’m dreading something breaking that will need replacing.

I think the next thing to go will be our washing machine. It’s one of those with a digital display that counts down to the end of a cycle, and it seems to get stuck on 47 minutes every time we do a load. A good kick usually sorts it out, but it’s only a matter of time before it gets fed up of being abused and packs in completely.

Craig’s work van will also need upgrading soon. As he’s a courier he does approximately 35,000 miles a year and likes replacing them every 3 years. With no money put aside we’ll have to use a car financing company to fund the upgrade and it’ll be just another loan to add to a growing list.

Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. When Dexter isn’t destroying our home, he’s actually incredibly cute. We’ve become incredibly close and it’s lovely being there to see every milestone. We’re also saving on nursery fees, and I have lots of great activities lined up for him when he’s old enough to be trusted with scissors, paint and glue. I’m also able to write this blog which will be such a great scrapbook of our days spent together when he’s older.

So weighing it all up, having to downgrade my wardrobe and shop for supermarket own brands, is a very small price to pay for getting to spend my days at home with Dex. I mean, who wouldn’t want to wake up to this every morning!? But if anyone does know next week’s lottery numbers, feel free to leave me a comment!