Hidden costs of keeping house

Anyone with a home and family will know that even the most careful budgeting can be hijacked by an unexpected expense.
Something as simple as a child's growth spurt requiring new shoes, uniform etc, means re-jigging your priorities to allow for them, if you can.
And when the family car breaks down or need unscheduled repairs that can throw a budget into chaos.
On top of these there are all the general maintenance tasks required to keep a home in good order to rack up the bills.
So just imagine trying to manage the budget and balance the books for the Happy House and its family.
It takes a very clever Mama indeed.
Luckily that is what we have. Mama is meticulous in way she manages the money, every penny is accounted for and the best deal negotiated with every supplier or contractor. She is ever aware that we are entirely dependent on others, the generosity of each one of you who support our work. With your generosity comes a responsibility which is never taken lightly.

Recently we have had a growth spurt in our family with extra mouths to feed, more health costs to meet,  plus we have had niggling extras  -replacing two tyres on one of our vehicles at the cost of £53 each, plus a new battery for another at £54.
These have come just as Lanson, our excellent maintenance man, has finished painting the exterior of the Happy House and started  the equally enormous task of repainting the interior.
The outside paintwork suffers from the effects of the intense heat, high humidity and  the heavy rains, whilst the inside walls get lots of wear and tear with 69 pairs of little, and often grubby, pairs of hands, around the place.

The walls are washed down regularly, but repainting is a vital part of our maintenance schedule.
 We have a beautiful building and want to keep it that way  and by doing so  we are  engendering in our children  a real pride in their home and surroundings.
Painting the Happy House is a bit like keeping up with the Forth Bridge, ... luckily for us Lanson hasn't heard the expression for a never-ending-task and we are not going to tell him!
Charity night...
The clock is ticking .... it's only a week and a half until our Happy House birthday party and charity night at the Hotel Sheraton, Blackpool, on Saturday, March 16, starting from 7pm.  Tickets are selling fast so please get what you need as soon as possible - they are £15 each (inc light buffet) from sue@childrenofwatamu.net
We's like a major prize for our raffle, so if anyone has anything they could offer please email Sue or  Elizabeth,  elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net
Thank you ...