Edinburgher's balancing act

InaPickle

edinburgher wrote: »

First things first, this is compliment of the week!

Shurrup Ed!

Have a great time on holiday and enjoy the food (:eek:). (Gimme French cuisine anytime!)

edinburgher

I got back like a week ago Pickle

Fairly busy week in edinburgher towers as things progress re. our move back to Glasgow. We've now set a date (start of June) and we'll be opting for a simple move, with couriers shipping our stuff home and our few pieces of furniture being given away to charity/scrapped. It seemed too much hassle to arrange a van or removal firm for 5-6 pieces of cheap furniture.

Next week is my last week as a librarian (not that my current job seems much like library work) and I'll be handing over to the temp who is to replace me until my employer can find a permanent replacement. My new post starts on the 17th, which is a bit crap as I'll be doing it remotely for 3 weeks. I don't know about anyone else, but having an induction week when your line manager and colleagues are 500 miles away isn't my idea of fun? :mad: Never mind - greater good and all that.

I have reigned in the credit card use and currently have a relatively small balance on it (about £50, will be paid off in a fortnight). I've also started making small payments to all my savings accounts and closed down some old accounts this week (old ISA and my A&L basic account). I'm also thinking about getting rid of my prepaid credit card. Granted, the CreditBuilder facility gives me a green '0' once a month on my credit report, but is this really worth a fiver? The sensible part of me thinks that I'd be just as well closing the account, saving the fiver and relying on my real credit card to help me improve my credit rating

GF hasn't had any luck finding a job yet, but it's early days and she did have a positive interview last week (even if she didn't get it!) I'm trying my best to keep her chipper and pointing out all the positives of our move back home.

Right - off to find some lunch. I'm making rillettes du porc for my lunch next week in the SC at the moment and it smells phenomenal - big chunks of pork marinaded in thyme, crushed coriander seeds and juniper berries, salt and pepper, poached in stock and duck fat :beer:

InaPickle

edinburgher wrote: »

I got back like a week ago Pickle

:rotfl:

Sorry that GF is having probs finding a job, but I'm sure that she will find something soon. It's just that horrible 'inbetween' bit, isn't it?

edinburgher wrote: »

Right - off to find some lunch. I'm making rillettes du porc for my lunch next week in the SC at the moment and it smells phenomenal - big chunks of pork marinaded in thyme, crushed coriander seeds and juniper berries, salt and pepper, poached in stock and duck fat :beer:

That's just showing off! *Sniffs appreciatively* I'm expecting my portion hand-delivered to my thread, mind!

Well done on reigning in the CC spends, but how much longer would you need to use that CC in order for it to remedy your credit file?

edinburgher

Well done on reigning in the CC spends, but how much longer would you need to use that CC in order for it to remedy your credit file?

Well, my default doesn't fall off my credit record until 2012, so until then I'd imagine. I'm confused tho - do you mean the prepaid card or my real card?

beanielou

All sounding good.
Positive vibes to your GF.

edinburgher

Another boring weekend - roll on payday

Both my GF and I have been complaining about our laptops of late. They've got a little old and very slow and we started discussing buying an iMac to replace them. I took a look at the Apple website and before you know it, the green eyed 'specification monster' kicked in and the build I fancied would have cost at least £1,000.

Don't get me wrong - that's roughly 75% of what we spent to purchase our current laptops, but a) there's two of them and b) we were students then and the grant paid for them more than our bank balances!

It would have taken us a good six months to save up for one and luckily I came to my senses and realised that it would be a waste of money for something we don't really need I'm vaguely tech-savvy - why can't I speed up the bloomin' thing myself?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I bought 2GB of faster RAM to replace the current 1GB I'm using, a new battery and some compressed air and isopropyl alcohol to clean the case with - grand total £80 or thereabouts. Not only is this £900 cheaper than an iMac, but I don't have to migrate any files or buy any new software *and* it gives me a project for next weekend :beer:

I start my new post on Monday and thanks to the wonder of compressed working and bank holidays, I only have 10 days of work left in the London office, ever. I'm looking forward to our move back North, but am also feeling 'in between lives' and not quite sure what to do with myself.

The savings and investments continue to grow slowly but surely, have updated my sig.

edinburgher

First day of the new job today and I'm not nervous for the first time ever. Maybe it's because my new boss is 500 miles away and appears to be completely chilled out?

Pleased to see that I'm now making a profit on a pair of theatre tickets that I stuck on eBay as we move back to Glasgow the day of the play. It all goes in the moving pot!

Ordered up a huge amount of delicious food from Forman and Field (fancy food supplier) for a picnic next weekend that's intended to be our last hurrah in London. Not cheap, but everything looks delicious and I used a £50 voucher that the GF got me for my birthday, so I'm only £13 down.

Right - off to start thinking about work (or coffee and granola if I'm honest)!

InaPickle

Hey Ed! :wave:

I'm back! The move sounds as though it is going quite well, so carry on carrying on in that regard!

I'm impressed that you can repair/upgrade laptops: if only you lived nearer to Manchester I would have you sorted out forever with an extra income earner!

What's the accomodation plan when you hit back oop very north?

edinburgher

What's the accomodation plan when you hit back oop very north?

In the short term we'll be staying with the inlaws until GF can find a new job. Not really a problem, as they have a big house, we get on well with them and her dad's a chef

InaPickle

edinburgher wrote: »

In the short term we'll be staying with the inlaws until GF can find a new job. Not really a problem, as they have a big house, we get on well with them and her dad's a chef

:rotfl: I see why you get on with him. I remember hearing that you marry someone like your dad...seems true in your GF's case!