greent's mfw journey

greent

Karmacat said:

It's a great piece of work to get accounts like that straightened out  

Well, it's the first step made to hopefully getting them sorted and gone - they've been bugging me for years, and I've gently nagged DH about them on and off for years now - so the online tool (mylostaccount.org.uk - I found the address form Ll0yds Banking Group website, so am pretty sure it's ok!) was great - I completed it with DH's details and I can log in and check progress at any time (he also gets email updates) I suspect c0vid will delay it compared to usual timescales, but am hopeful that because we have all details/ dates of opening and deposits plus the original passbooks still in our possession that it will be less complicated than some requests they receive  

Not much else achieved here today - I washed the mat from our bathroom which still fluffs despite being several years old, so I can only wash it with similar items (that'll be the matching towels from our bathroom, then!) so have since put the WM on a cleaning cycle and given the drawer a good scrub out (when using HM laundry gloop I never had a problem - I've been using up some Tesc0 own laundry powder tablets bought for silly bargain price from the clearance shelf in there and they leave deposits in the drawer - most disappointing) (I bought them for the student offspring - but 1 has obviously now finished uni and the other is still here from Xmas break, so there is no way he will get through the supply I had bought) (I figure that student housemates will find the concept of HM laundry gloop somewhat weird - and the fact that I decant it into empty plastic milk bottles and it is white in colour could lead to some nasty surprises!!! - so have always provided them with 'normal' laundry supplies   - and I tend to provide them with it as I have had the opportunity to pick up some absolute bargains at times - they then buy any more if they run out whilst away)   The now clean WM is now doing a 'normal' load that I've just collected from 3 out of the 4 washbaskets around the house... that should then dry this evening/ overnight, ready for ironing tomorrow Such excitement!!

killerpeaty

I love that you have provided your kids with washing things, let alone normal! When I went to uni, my mum used to sneak playdoh in my stuff, she clearly didn't care whether my peers thought I was normal

Suffolk_lass

killerpeaty said:

I love that you have provided your kids with washing things, let alone normal! When I went to uni, my mum used to sneak playdoh in my stuff, she clearly didn't care whether my peers thought I was normal

 @killerpeaty well that has made me really giggle this morning - what was she thinking?

greent

Whoops - absent for a week. Ah well, my return coincides nicely with the month end so time for a few figures

Extra money: £23.67 from survey sites and a wee bit of cashback. Have earned some more on other things, but not cashed out - and only counting money in my hand (well, bank account ) I do have a decent flebay sale this weekend (£50 ish) but the money isn't arriving from flebay until tomorrow (new pymt system) so that will be included in Feb's total (should I remember to do it.... )

Savings - £3275 to savings accounts/ investments that aren't already assigned a purpose (so not holidays, annual bills account, uni accounts, slush fund etc) Very pleased with this! - only possible due to a bonus that DH had.  Also doesn't include OPs (only £110, but they are not our focus now) 

On the subject of the BTL, we finally had some progress with the sale.  Would have expected it to have been all done and dusted by now but the buyers and their solicitors have been a total pain. Will be glad to see the end of it - it's costing me money now! (although when the sale is finalised we will have to find room for a fridge and freezer in the garage -  not included in the sale and I'm not inclined to be nice and leave them (they are 3.5yo) as the buyers have been a pain -plus our original thinking was in case DD got a job that meant moving out and may have needed them. I'm still inclined to keep them for that purpose for now.)

On the subject of DD, she still hasn't started her job - the security clearance/ vetting procedure is still underway - but she has had contact from them this week, so she knows it's still ok . She's very bored at home now! 

I think we definitely need some more structure for some of us in Feb (DS2 & DS3 and DH all have structure in their day with school/ work) - I'm thinking I shall get the 2 eldest involved in some housework/ decluttering and plot days for walks/ exercise. This may totally fall over, but I shall give it a go. I also had DS1 cook dinner last night and DD is doing dinner today - both under instruction, so it doesn't save me time/ energy, but it improves their range of cooking skills and my plan is that I won't need to be in the kitchen with them at all in a few weeks (although I am a bit of a control freak, so not sure how that'll work out..... ) I've also been very lax with food and exercise the past fortnight and some pounds have crept on (I knew they would - I have eaten crazy amounts and lots of high calorie foods most days) so Feb's goal is to get them all back off and hopefully some more (My bday is early March, so I have a target date! )  This lockdown is just a bit 'meh' - I'm not feeling as bad as I was a few weeks ago, but this is just more boring and like living in Groundhog day this time around. BUT - we are well and safe, and that is very important! (DH had 2 colleagues die from C0vid this week - including 1 that he was quite friendly with (and is our peer) so it's hit home somewhat harder - not that we were ever rule breakers anyway, it just feels that bit closer now)

So onto Feb.....  Feb brings longer days, hopefully some milder days (fingers crossed) and hopefully some flowers on all the bulbs that are coming up in the garden (most of which were from my Nan's garden - I'm really glad I rescued them - the purchaser was a single chap in his 20s and he is definitely not interested in all the plants my Nan had in there - he is having a very low maintenance and hard landscaped garden) It also brings a week's half term with no plans.. well, we are having the new consumer unit (fuse board) fitted, so that's something (in reality a day of intermittent wifi and electricity in general - not much fun! ) I might buy a couple more online escape rooms, as the kids all enjoyed those. Plus we have D15ney+ plus again at the mo (free with the new (sim only) contract I've just taken out for DS1) so we can have some movie sessions (although not on the day the electrics are being played with!! )  I'd also like the youngest 2 to do some clearing/ sorting in their bedrooms...... - although I suspect they won't be as keen on that idea as I am!     Hopefully DD will be able to start her job sometime in Feb, too. I've also got a tiny bit of paid work (approx 6 hours in total) across 2 days at school - so I'll need c0vid tests beforehand for both of those. 

It's now gone 10am, so I guess I could think about waking other people up (currently just DS3 and myself are awake)...

Karmacat

Savings and the BTL sale look good, greent, not surprised you're taking the f/f - with your older two about to hopefully launch into the world soon, you might very well need such a new model.    Lovely to hear you describing teaching them cooking skills - it really is for their needs.  Hope today is a good one  

killerpeaty

Suffolk_lass said:

killerpeaty said:

I love that you have provided your kids with washing things, let alone normal! When I went to uni, my mum used to sneak playdoh in my stuff, she clearly didn't care whether my peers thought I was normal

 @killerpeaty well that has made me really giggle this morning - what was she thinking?

She reasoned that drunk 18-19 year olds are effectively toddlers. To be fair, it was a great night and the play doh was in fact a big hit.  Unfortunately I can't tell you what happened to that play doh, it disappeared by the end of the first night presumably to great giggling and over dramatic sneaking.

Sorry to hear that your buyers are being such a pain Greent. If your ones don't want the white goods, I have been told that they are popular on facebook market place.

Why is the vetting process taking so long for your daughter?

debtfreeoneday

Great news on the BtL and DDs job and also the sales and survey sites!

that’s what DH said to me this week. Groundhog Day. I feel better this lockdown but just bored?  Though obviously super grateful for health and home. 

Karmacat

Ug, vetting must take so long these days - I was vetted in my 20s, because of an Army connection, and it was very minor.  These days, with so many streams of knowledge available via social media, it must take forever.

greent

DD's job requires SC clearance and there was effectively 2 weeks over Xmas and NY where nothing really happens - plus (apparently- according to DH who works for a co where virtually everyone has SC or higher clearance) they are taking longer than normal at the moment (unsure why) AND there was a query in relation to my name and marital status - just to add to the complications of these things in general. Not expecting any ultimate issues, though - DH has SC clearance himself, so we must all check out as ok (phew!) 

Dinner (made by DD) tonight was superb and definitely one to eat again - a version of chicken/ mushroom supreme with wild/ red rice and green veg. Sadly,  though, I don't really do recipes - so instructions to the new cooks are a bit vague - but this is how they learn - taste and adjust as they go and substitute things that a conventional recipe may require but that you don't have to hand Lifeskills.... (they can both do things like pasta sauce from scratch and fajitas (no packet mixes/ kits used on them here) and a basic cottage pie - I'm just expanding their repertoire)

Suffolk_lass

When I was first waiting to join it took six months and at that stage I don't think I was SC but I had to put in the forms after doing my induction training. I only worked with top secret material from time to time and always (successfully) argued I did not need the DV vetting - just rather intrusive and assumes you know everything about everyone you have ever associated with. Hmm (mumble, mumble)