Making the future happen - museumworker's MFW diary Pt 2

museumworker

Just been confirmed - have gone up payscale plus scale risen 1.5%, AND a £500 bonus for performance. Bonus and backdated pay will be in next month's pay packet.

Day off work today and using my gym membership with Pilates class booking. Need to take OH off membership and am considering cancelling mine too as not really getting good use of it.

Have KonMari'd wardrobe properly so bag ready for charity shop, and one for recycling. Need to finish jewellery today and then part 1 is complete!

OH about to take 5 day trip, v nervous as not been coping too well with everything lately.

Pearla*Merle

Hope things go ok during OH's trip, museumworker.

Great news on the pay rise and super duper overpayment shenanigans! Well done :T

Those sound like some crazy good flight deals as well! How did you set up an email alert on those?

museumworker

Thanks for relpying Perla*Merle, it's so quiet on this diary now (although that's mostly due to me not having time to comment on anyone else's!)

OH now left for his trip, I have one day on my own (with double drop off and collection:eek:, then having help from family after that so hopefully should be ok)

I set up an email alert via skyscanner, I get a weekly email to say how much the prices on the dates and times I set have gone up or down by. Unfortunately we haven't finalised our agreement yet and prices just rose by £30 each :eek: but hoping some budget airlines yet to release which will bring price down again. Also family have kindly offered to lend us their car so will save £600 on car hire too, should be a cheap break if it all goes through.

Cancelled joint gym membership, last month is July. Will save £84pm, am looking at local park gym membership which is £5pm and has yoga classes as well as other ourdoor classes I can do. Will pay as I go if needed.

Charity load dropped off, jewellery sorted and now finished first KonMari category. :j I had done it before but this time it feels like everything has clicked and I definitely won't need to revisit. Next up: books!

newgirly

Hi mw Great news on the pay rise and well done getting under £100k it's been a long journey over the years but we are getting there aren't we

museumworker

Thanks newgirly, certainly sounds as if you're getting there - and losing lbs as well as £££s - well done!

Am off work this week and would be good to get a few MFW things done:
* use gym membership before runs out
* [STRIKE]get dress fixed to save buying new one for event[/STRIKE]
* list unwanted jewellery on fleabay
* look at trading in any unwanted books (am about to Kon Mari that category)
* get OH to return 3x items to shop
* [STRIKE]finalise swap agreement so can book cheaper flights for holiday[/STRIKE]

Wish me luck!

museumworker

Got the dress fixed :j, £15 for a new zip. It's an amazing dress I wore to my 21st and one of the few survivors of my last KonMari cull. Felt very happy wearing it! Very tired today though due to late night and a glass of wine too many, son was late for school due to me oversleeping! :eek: £10 personal spend on drinks before the event.

Had to buy new makeup as all mine used up or out of date (been make up free for 6 months or so now). Bought using 3 for 2 so £45 for whole shebang, including tights and a cheap aspirin facial! Plus had hair did for first time in 6 months, a cheap supercuts number that I'm actually very pleased with.

Chased up swap people but they're not ready to finalise until August. Checked, and Ryanair haven't yet released flights so think it's fine to wait.

KonMari'd books, at least 120 are leaving. One final pile for OH to sort, which will do tomorrow evening together.

Tonight DD1 has concert, I used half price code :money: so saved £4.

I've registered DD2 with nursery around the corner, attached to DS' school. It would be more money than current (unsure how much as the 30 free hours not yet worked out by either setting), but would mean no commuting into central London with a buggy, one parent being able to do drop offs and collections, an easier transition to primary (same site), free outdoor play (no outdoor space in current nursery), and the chance for DD2 to make some local friends. It's been so hard doing 2 collections with OH away, I really hope she gets a place as this would make our lives so much easier.

CathT

It is so much easier when you children are in the same (near enough) place! It transforms the school run. Good to see you posting more regularly MW.

museumworker

CathT wrote: »

It is so much easier when you children are in the same (near enough) place! It transforms the school run. Good to see you posting more regularly MW.

Yes, I think it will be life changing. I'm finding things really tough at the minute, especially when my partner is away. It's only when I speak to other working mums that I realise how challenging our setup is, leaving the house at 645 with DD2, commuting to central London and back in rush hour with a buggy and increasingly wilful child. I could get up at 630 instead of 530- that would make a huge difference! :j

If they calculate it as I suspect, it would be £90 a month cheaper than what I am paying now (but perhaps £180 dearer than current nursery, once take into account 30 free hours). I'm going to focus on the overall cost going down :rotfl: as I think another year of the commute might throw me over the edge!

Am trying to post more often as it does get me to think more about money at home. Last night we costed a couple of options for car hire for our trip to Sweden. We would prefer a 7 seater but it works out an extra £150 so just trying to make a decision. OH started saying 'it's only an extra few quid' but as I've been thinking more about finances :money: I pointed out £150 was a decent OP and we needed to be sure it was worth it. The kids fight in the back of the car, hence the preference for a 7 seater, but when we hired one last year DD1 was still difficult so not sure it's the fix to the kids issues! We will buy a portable travel booster for DS, it costs less than hiring a car seat for this one trip and can be used for our other trips and taxis in the U.K. up to the age of 12 . DD2 is still a bit young so we will pay for car seat hire for her for the next few trips as we want the 5 point harness.

At home all day today as our kitchen door and window are being refitted as we have had problems with them since they were fitted, 6 years ago. The company who originally supplied them are covering all costs, so brand new window and door for free :money:.

I started seeing what my books might be worth but most weren't able to be traded in and those that I could were worth 10p, so looks like tomorrow might be a bumper day for the charity shop!

Today I plan to:

Kids
* [STRIKE]attend meeting with DD1 about exchange we are hosting[/STRIKE]
* return paperwork for DD1 music school
* [STRIKE]look for DD1 travel card[/STRIKE]

Me
* yoga
* [STRIKE]headspace app[/STRIKE]
*[STRIKE] arrange spa session with friends tomorrow[/STRIKE] Done, chose one have gift card for so free session for me :money:

KonMari
* [STRIKE]get OH to go through his books[/STRIKE]
* bag up books for charity
* [STRIKE]start paper category in KonMari[/STRIKE]

Money
* make mortgage OP (payday!) :j:j
* OH returning unwanted purchases for refund
* [STRIKE]check TCB[/STRIKE] £7.09 OP made
* book car hire via TCB (currently 10% cash back)
* complete survey for possible new survey group

museumworker

Lovely weekend with free spa session (paid with gift voucher), surprise trip to theatre from OH to celebrate 12 year anniversary and free trip to museum via my blog with DS today. They also have offered us an annual membership worth £24, which we definitely will use as my son absolutely loved it!

Retried trading in massive pile of books with another site and have been offered £65 :j, just need to book colllection and find a box large enough for them!

We got 11% cash back on our car hire, £71 if all tracks ok (we went for 7 seater in the end as we will be doing quite a bit of driving and it will hopefully make for a much more pleasant holiday!) Plus claimed £7.09 of cash back already earnt, payable straight to mortgage account.

Now quick catch up with friends, will probably opt for lime sodas as it's a school night so should be a cheap evening.

I reckon we've saved/earnt over £150 this weekend - if only every weekend could be like this!

greent

Hi me - just caught up with your diary (have been mia with regards to reading mf diaries for a while ) - it *is* hard with small children and a OH away - been there several times for months (only weekdays) and you have my full sympathy - but you have survived :j:T - and hopefully a change in childcare provider will make life easier if it happens again xx