June 2010, 80 payments to go............

tootallulah

My goodness this is a long month, pay day tomorrow, not a moment too soon. I have not succeeded on my challenge to live on my pension I had to transfer over £150 so as not to be overdrawn, as it turns out my insurance and a charity donation leave my account on the 24th of the month and I had forgotten the existence of both. Still not terrible considering that I am still at work and that does bring its own expenses.

I am going to try a different tack in February with targets for taking in lunch, and NSDs to see if that keeps me more on track. I officially told the pension people my last day of paid employment yesterday so it feels even more real now. I really do have to sort out my driving phobia, I need a car in my new life away from London. I often get a lift from my Mum, she is 86, I feel it should be the other way round! I have overpaid my mortgage by £1500 this month.

museumworker

Great OP toots :j! I think you're right about work costing, especially as you become more senior.
How did the job interview go?

tootallulah

Job offer on the table, negotiations underway, largely around my desire to work four days a week not five, not going that well to be honest. However it is not urgent to have a full time job so I don't want to desperately take the first offer........

tootallulah

Just paid an over payment of £500 and aim to make another in three weeks time if all my budgeting goes to plan.

Oddly enough it is raining and so I am going to spend today making pillow case bags for a charity effort for Zimbabwe. It will be a change from knitting teddy bears.

My neighbour's son needs a temporary flat in London from M ay that would work out perfectly for both of us, fingers crossed it works. It will be nice to have someone I know although, fingers crossed, my tenants are all quite reliable at the minute.

tootallulah

Got up early and batch cooked lasagne, chicken curry and meatballs and rice. They are all now cooled and in the freezer, that sorts supper for a couple of weeks. I have milk and fruit so I should have a very low spend first week of February. My aim is to set an all in budget of £200 per week and whatever is unspent on the Sunday evening gets paid off the mortgage. As there are no rates for the next two months that should mean a good overpayment in February and March. I will be spending in April to get my flat ready to rent out so the next two months are the end of big overpayments for a while. The sun is shining- deep joy I am going to tidy up a bit in the garden and get some benefit from the vitamin A.

tootallulah

Overpayment of £500 this morning, I am better if I pay earlier in the month I think, time will tell. I have £980 to last for the next four weeks if I am to live on my pension sum, if this works I should be able to make another payment of £500 at the end of the month.

£12 in my purse, plenty of food though I do need a pint of milk and some bread to make my lunch sandwiches.

tootallulah

I skipped on the bread but bought two pints of milk, the carton is still in the fridge at work-grrrrrrrrrrr. I am meeting a friend for breakfast tomorrow morning, so I will have to wait until 8 for a cup of coffee.

tootallulah

Oh dear the milk is still in the work fridge, second day running with no morning coffee or tea. Just leaving home for the early train as with no tubes I have a half hour walk at the other end. In the summer Victoria to South Kensington is a lovely walk, especially the Hyde Park bit. On wet, windy cold today it is like a ten mile hike.

£1192 in the bank I am going to do a daily track as it would be good to make another £500 payment. I just need to remind myself that the last week of the month I must have £200 in the bank for standing orders.

tootallulah

1006.13 in the bank, I bought my monthly travelcard yesterday only two more of those to go in the short term.

Early start again today because of the tube strike, and another tomorrow as i am at the airport for a morning flight. Still it is February spring is definitely on the way.

February overpayment is currently at £1000 I am hoping to get to £1400 we shall see.

tootallulah

Life, for which read work has got in the way very badly his month, no more overpayments and I have spent every penny of my salary and will just squeak in with no overdraft, not great. Still only ten weeks to go which is good. I am investigating buying a tiny ex chapel at the end of my road which would be a perfect studio/office. I would get in a sub - letter for half the space which would cover my costs. I am booked in to view it properly next week, the guide price is £15k so it will probably go for £25kish. I am still pondering and doing my sums. I could not come to a four day a week agreement on the job so they removed the offer, fair enough. A few interim jobs may be the way forward. I am oddly excited by the idea of having a separate work space................