Financial faux pas and other disasterous decisions

moo2moo

Thanks HB. Had to endure a day full of comments about wet t-shirts, drips, bad hair days and squeezing into confined spaces with the boss. Hopefully they're bored of that now. Managed to pull a muscle (or perhaps only overwork one) in my shoulder on that fateful night so even the most basic of arm movements is a bit niggly which isn't great when the muscle in question is required for work each day.

Managed a NSD though, my first for ages. Seem to be slipping with the housework again though although I was barely here. Once I'd walked the dog and had lunch I was back to work again. Got home late again , ate dinner and went to bed. There really must be more to life than this. On a v. positive note I got another great nights sleep and OH only had two beers which he appeared to enjoy rather than just consume. Still wish it was less but it is a start.

Plans for today involve a quick whoosh around the kitchen, lots of laundry and a spot of tidying. Chucking at least one item a day seems to be working in that the pile of revoltingly manky clothes in my cupboards are depleting, albeit slowly, so I can almost put everything away. Still quite a lot to go through though but I am going through it. Need to persuade OH to do the same. He has far far too many pairs of trousers some of which can't posibly fit round his belly let alone fasten although he is doing a little bit more excercise just not enough to shift his beer gut any time soon. Hopefully the less he drinks the more chance there is of it deflating.

No sign of any free listings days on Flea-bay which is most annoying as I have a huge pile photographed ready to go.

OH booked his flights for his business trip yesterday. Phoned a collegue from home to clarify a couple of things, had a quick chat. Put the phone down and announced that its rather sunny in Italy. Hate to think what the surcharge for calling a UK mobile overseas from a landline is. Not that I can do anything about it. The flight schedule has changed so rather than getting four hours travel time at time and a half he'll be doing it in his usual working hours so no extra wonga there but he should get a lunch alloance. Better than nothing but not quite what he was hoping for. Still its five uninterupted days of thinking space. Need to work out what I'm going to do with it otherwise it'll end up being five days of work, school, food, telly and bed which sounds rather relaxing but doesn't really achieve anything. Will give that some thought.

moo2moo

Forgot to switch the washing machine on before I left. Only realised when I was halfway through emptying the machine. Sometimes my blondness amazes me. Having a quick cuppa before attacking the kitchen then I'm going to do two laps of the WiiFit island, three if I'm still breathing after the first two, and an advanced step routine, all three minutes of it. I'm not yet brave enough to bare my lycra clad derriere to the natives during daylight hours.

moo2moo

Have a hideous jewellery box full of hideous jewellery that I aquired when my mum died. I've never worn any of it. Ghastly just doesn't go far enough to describing it. I'd probably keep the wedding rings but the rest of its meaningless junk. Freakily my step mother wears my mothers engagement ring. Dodn't think my dad thought that one through at the time. A very MSE descision but not an emotionally sound one. Suppose I should have a clear out and sell on anything of value. I've already thrown out tons and tons and tons of really naff lurid plastic clip on earings. She had shoe boxes full of the stuff. Can't see the DDs wanting any of it, its two awful for dressing up purposes. Will see if any of its hallmarked (though I doubt it) and worth selling on whilst OH is away.

moo2moo

Manged two laps in the end, my feet were going numb. Must wear thinner socks in future. But added six minutes of continual hula hooping of which I managed four before my stomach muscles protested. Feeling better for getting a reasonable amount of regular excercise, my posture seems to have improved and I'm developing rather odd stomach muscles. Need to keep an eye on my shoulders though as they are beginning to ripple much like those of a russian shot putter.

First load of laundry on the line. Going to bung the next one in then have lunch and an enormous 100g bag of imitation Frazzles before tackling the ironing *again* it really is an endless task.

makeup

moo2moo wrote: »

Hate to think what the surcharge for calling a UK mobile overseas from a landline is. Not that I can do anything about it.

If you are calling a UK mobile it is the same cost regardless of where the person you are calling is. The surcharge is chargeable to the person with the phone so your OH colleague will have to pay for the overseas part of the call (or his work if they pay the bills).

That is why although I take my phone with me on holiday, I divert all calls as I'm not paying for someone to call me!!!!

moo2moo

Thanks Makeup thats one less thing to worry over.

Februarys pantsness has been revealled in all its glory. Despite recieving an unexpected cheque for £195 from a long forgotten bank account our total overpayments for the month were truly pathetic amounting to £50 give or take a bit. Whats all that about? Would have been more like £250 but OHs friend has yet to cough up so the first of the payments for their toys exited the account too. Not impressed. Will be reminding him again later. Still a £50 overpayment is better than being £50 short but you do wonder whether all the frugality is actually getting you anywhere especially knowing that March will be as bad if not worse as I've slapped £500 of unexpected car repairs on plastic which needs clearing and wipes out the majority of my wage with childcare for the holidays and DDs eating the rest. Roll on April and car insurance. Jeez its never ending really. May sees OHs MOT and service and yet another school holiday requiring childcare. At this rate I'm not going to be able to turn down the extra hours at work when they crop up despite not having enough hours in my week to fit them in. Pants pants pants. Meh.

On a far more positive note BT have finally accepted that we have been overpaying and have given us a months payment holiday and reduced our DD to £14. Still more than line rental but its a start. Will be switching everything to another provider asap anyway.

moo2moo

In other exciting news OH has a shiny new corporate credit card. Ingeniously its paid direct by HQ so no panic over having to pay it despite not having been reimbursed by HQ unfortunately its a US dollar account with the requirement that any personnal payments are cleared asap in US dollars. According to the bank thats a £25 surcharge per transaction. Hope to everything its worth hoping to that he forfits his room discount at the bar and pays in cash rahter than charging food and drinks to his room like normal. Meanwhile will investigate alternatives to see if theres a cheaper way of avoiding the inevitable.

moo2moo

So plans for today:

• Win the lottery (the masterplan hinges on finding the winning ticket in the gutter as I'm too much of a tightwad to waste my cash on a ticket)
• Do lots and lots of surveys
• Find mystery shops - there haven't been any close enough for ages
• Fridge and freezer inventory in the hopes I can reduce our grocery spends this month
• Revisit the SOA and see if there are any other places I can reduce our outgoings
• Bang head against wall lots in the hope that clarity sets in
• Laundry (without using the tumble drier for the third day in a row)
• Empty tumble drier before clothing in it becomes vintage or mouldy or both
• Two hours housework
• One hour decluttering and random tidying
• Two island laps, two 5 min step sessions and 6 minutes hula hooping plus something fun on the WiiFit.
• Eat more to counter the calories burnt doing the extra excercise as I'm looking boney again.
• Check internet banking to see if any of my Nigerian friends with the sick mothers-in-law needing a kidney or three have decided to send me a few grand

moo2moo

Its nonstop pants today. DD2 has blisters on both feet. Either its because the shoes that we bought at the end of November which were barely worn over x-mas and in the snow are completely knackered or shes wearing someone elses really really knackered shoes. Fairly sure we got an E fit and this mornings were an F hopefully her teacher will be able to sort it out today otherwise we'll be buying another pair at the weekend. Doesn't help that she hasn't had PE recently so theres no reason for her to be wearing the wrong shoes.

Off to jiggle my wobbly bits in front of the telly box for an hour.

moo2moo

No sign of DD2s shoes at school although one child has brand new shoes because hers were too tight and gave her blisters. Mummy recycled the old ones at the shoe shop the previous evening. Looks like I'll be buying new shoes at the weekend.

Have worked out what childcare I need to book for Easter. 40 hours is going to set me back £188. Bah. Why are children so expensive? Need to double check my remaining holiday as theres a chance I can shave a half day session off that reducing the bill by a mere £22. Still horrifically expensive though.

DD1s new rifle has arrived. OH is taking her to collect it tonight. Spending is escalating out of control again. Need to give myself another big kick up the bum and remind me (and the rest of them) that theres more to life than material things and childcare bills.

At least its Friday and I have two days that do not involve cleaning toilets (apart from the ones here). I hate cleaning toilets. Especially ones that can't be flushed thanks to plumbers who think its fun to turn the mains off an hour before the children leave. Of course they'll all be able to cross their legs and wait till they get home. Eejots. Suffice to say it was the singlemost disgusting day ever ever ever ever.