Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Morning all,

Oooh, SL, I hope your milk turns up! (I actually met my milkman for the first time today - he was delivering as I got back from Tesco with my Olio haul).

It's good to know I'm not the only one who takes solace in not looking as old as some people my age! Shatner does look pretty good for his age, I agree. Although I do think that ages do not have the same meaning they did years ago - 80 used to be really quite elderly when I was growing up, but 80 year olds these days can be much more vital and capable - just shows how medicine and better standards of living can change society. Anyway, I digress..!

BBQ with friends on Saturday was lovely - very low key and chilled - and yesterday DH and I did a few bits but mainly relaxed. I did list some items on Ebay with zero interest as yet. Up early this morning for Olio collection - quite a bit has been claimed pending collection, but also still have quite a bit... rye sourdough bloomer, anyone? 

MS things:
* Ebay listings
* Olio 10% will keep us in bread for the week and allows a couple of treats
* Have agreed to do another evening collection in a couple of weeks (think I may become the 'cover' for this particular store)
* Cat sitting for August has been booked (so should go through )

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with friends on Saturday
* Gorgeous weather!
* Relaxation time (although am beginning to think that we've got too used to this in lockdown!)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Sounding good, madvix!  I love the different income streams you've got going.

Suffolk_lass

Milk arrived this morning and the milk money is pending in the running costs account (the Coop only shows the reduced available balance so you have to know - the HSBC shows which DD is pending (but neither show the SOs) - anyway, sorry to ramble - all back to normal but no sign of any refunds here. We have only been getting our milk delivered for about 12 months - never seen our milkman but then, he delivers at 02-03.00 according to my neighbour with the new ringo thingy that pings him when someone approaches their front door!! - a shame it has not got a facial recognition feature so he can filter out the legitimate visitors in the wee small hours and turn off notifications for those!

We have been up to our ears in bees for the last week! It's swarm season!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Glad your milk arrived SL, but 😮 to the neighbour's doorbell. I wouldn't have one of those if you paid me - whose to say how the data is stored and they have no permission to be filming people who approach the door, let alone walk past on the street! And the endless noises/alerts.... arrgh! Your bee exploits sound fascinating, if complicated!

So this morning I paid myself and did money shuffles. Managed to pay all my bills despite being £down on pay. But next month is looking far worse! Holiday at the end of this month, which I'd like to say would help, but having raided the holiday fund for a break for DH's birthday present (last year, booked for this September), I don't have much of a holiday fund! I've paid my half of the accommodation though, so what's left will have to be my contribution (and obviously we won't be eating at home then either). I've got a couple of social things coming up this week, so knowing that I'm likely to be strapped for cash, I can keep my spending down (tap water here I come). I did manage to put a little bit into savings and make a £20 OP.

Karma, I like that you like my income streams, but they are all rather necessary at times like this! I'll be making a claim for the SEISS grant 5, but can't claim for 4 because work was OK Feb-April, which is what it covers. And not sure when 5 will open and it'll be for less (as a %), which is fair enough, but the global economy is definitely not back to where it should be.

Also did my tax return and can definitely say that the government assistance was required and what I claimed brought my earnings into line with the year before. Because of lower than expected earnings, my 2nd payment on account for 2020-21 (due in July) should be reduced (it takes 72 hours to update), which is good. This extra, along with the rest that won't be due for tax will be allocated as usual to pension or LISA (although I may TT some to savings/ISA/propping up my income this month).

MS things:
* £5 Gfk TV survey win! Haven't had one of these in a while and usually it's £1-2, so this is a good 'un.
* Confirmed cat sitting for this weekend (and one more visit than I expected)
* Clicks done
* Walked into town to get coconut milk. Thought I'd save money and get it from Aldi instead of Ocado, but apparently they've got supply issues and haven't had it for two months. Went to Tesco instead - more expensive than Aldi, less than Ocado, but could only get an obscure brand and it was 'light'. Wonder what the issue is?
* YG survey
* Dinner tonight will be be veggie chilli and I'll use a tin of beans from Olio in it (the bread for lunch was, of course, from yesterday's Olio collection).

Gratitudes:
* Lovely weather for a walk (stuck to the shade mainly)
* Lots of time for podcast listening
* Read a chapter of my book in the sun in the garden after lunch

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

themadvix said:

Karma, I like that you like my income streams, but they are all rather necessary at times like this! I'll be making a claim for the SEISS grant 5, but can't claim for 4 because work was OK Feb-April, which is what it covers. And not sure when 5 will open and it'll be for less (as a %), which is fair enough, but the global economy is definitely not back to where it should be.

Ah!  Really good point, madvix - it's got several levels of "normal" self employment issues.  Combined with, yeah, global pandemic affecting the global economy.  Kudos for dealing with it as well as you are.

themadvix

Morning all,

Had a good day yesterday - only a tiny bit of proper work, but spent a lot of time sewing and while I've not quite finished the bunting for family, I've started on bits to sell. It's certainly not going to make me huge sums, but at least it's something and it keeps me busy. Really hoping I get a couple of good projects from my main client this month though.

In the afternoon I went to Mum's and we visited my great aunt (first time I've been in Mum's car in over a year!). It was lovely to see her and being both doubly vaccinated and we did LFTs before we left, we had a hug too - wonderful and so *normal*. She's moving to be nearer her daughter (and ever expanding network of great-grandchildren) next month, so we have offered to help Freecycle some bits and provide boxes (her daughter and grandsons are coming to do the actual move). 

In the evening, I did another Tesco collection, covering for someone. Much smoother than last time, all listed earlier and I was much more chilled. Vast majority collected and I popped the remnants to the local homeless shelter. I kept back some bagels and fruit for us in my allowance.

MS things:
* Sewing work
* Clicks done
* MM survey done
* YG survey done
* Free fruit and bagels

Gratitudes:
* Lovely Olioers - all grateful/communicative
* Free fruit
* Hug with great-aunt

Today will involve more sewing unless work arrives and DH and I are going for date night at a tapas restaurant nearby - looking forward to it!

Have a good day all!

Chiglepig

Free fruit and bagels sounds awesome

themadvix

Chiglepig said:

Free fruit and bagels sounds awesome

It is indeed Chiglepig! Apples, oranges and some raspberries (although I am having to pick around the slightly furry ones).

 Have just had a BIN sale for one of my eBay items! Only £4 (before fees, but I’ll convert the postage as I’ll use my RM survey stamps to cover that), but better than nothing!

themadvix

Morning all,

Had a lovely meal out with DH last night - we walked (about 35 mins each way) which meant we could both enjoy the sangria. Delicious food, so well worth the money (DH paid, I don't have any money!). It was lovely to do something normal and be able to people watch and listen The way things are going, I think we're still likely to have restrictions for a while to come (especially with the Nepalese variant), so we're making the most of it while we can.

Today will consist mainly of housework and hopefully some sewing. I bought more white cotton yesterday and ordered some more bias binding - this will potentially be used for my first saleable items Reposted my 'wanted' request on Freegle and I've got another potential donor of fabric.

MS things:
* Found good stamps to cover postage on my Ebay sale - only 3p over actual cost
* Comps entered
* Clicks done (won 3p on the free spins I do!)
* Milk cancelled for today. DH and I are both trying intermittent fasting - he's skipping breakfast, I'm having it later to eliminate snacking - as we've both put on a few pounds lately. DH is horrified by this as he's always been at the nearly-underweight end of the BMI! Not the case for me, but I'd still like to shift it - it has the potential to save us quite a bit of money in snacks and milk apparently! See Tim Spector for science behind it all - it's good for our gut microbiome to have a break apparently too. 🤷‍♀️ It's an experiment (which is what Tim Spector is all about - finding out what works for you)
* YG survey
* Cat sitting begins tomorrow
* A client has paid two invoices together, putting me in a better position for payday this month (and I know I'll have jury service money next month)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely date night - first time we've eaten inside a restaurant since October
* My 2nd payment on account to HMRC has been appropriately reduced and it's been calculated now, so I can pay and sort pension and stuff (and maybe free up some money!)
* Freegler contact

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Sounding good, madvix - the donations for what you're going to make, the plans to make the most of things while still staying safe from the Nepal variant (I don't like the sound of that, or the news today about the Indian variant) and the intermittent fasting (I like the principle of that, just can't quite hack it yet!) **and** the mse stuff, really good there.