Balancing not just the budget

doingitanyway

How are the frozen meals working out?

RosaBernicia

doingitanyway said:

How are the frozen meals working out?

Very well - very very well, I have hardly cooked anything myself since I got either order

RosaBernicia

kerri_gt said:

Buffythedebtslayer said:

Hi Rosa, 
I bought a coffee table and the drawer didn't fit. It is only a little table and I have turned it round so you can't see the gaping hole! but it really annoys me! 
I find working from home means I spend my life "working" and being driven insane by (well everything) every little thing that needs sorting. ugh. 
I thought Wickes were open? Maybe not..........XXX 

I've worked from home for a number of years,  those little things you speak of bug me to, some days i actually feel physically sick and overwhelmed by them. Last year i was doing some bits of DIY and painting ( incl sorting new skirting we had fitted and the guy didn't do a great job), all the paint and paraphernalia were in the office for months.  It really got me down.
I have wallpaper in the office that had white bits down the seams, bugged me for ages,  finally sorted it via a YouTube video last week...i now have paint marks down the paper instead 🤦‍♀️ need try and sort those this week. Doesn't help my desk faces the paper too.

There are no easy answers are there... hope you find a solution you are happy with, or can at least ignore enough!  I guess it's more frustrating when it isn't somebody else's place and their problem - not that I didn't used to grumble about why the office couldn't manage a coat of paint every decade, but at least it was definably Not Mine when I left. 

RosaBernicia

Slightly belated Sunday shuffle...

Weelll, it's not great, but it's hardly terrible either.  I've spent a lot on food, even by my standards, but it has meant I've eaten well and had time to finish up a lot of the remaining jobs around the house.  One more small piece of furniture to sort, then it's onto decorating, which will have to wait a few weeks due to both lockdown and exams.  Quite pleased on reflection, as I've been here a bit over 2 months and working full time in lockdown, so that's not a bad effort to get at least organised if not fully sorted.  So re the last plan, there isn't really much left to be done for the next few weeks.  There is the garden to think of, but that may just have to wait. 

I am currently running over budget but it's about half of the amount I should have free from payday which is only later this week.  And it does include a vet bill, furniture, and several textbooks,  I realised this week that my master's is longer ago than I want to admit, and really felt I should get the updated textbooks as so much has changed - even the language in a couple of them was bugging me as of course they were several years old between editions when I bought them, so are now really definitely out of date.  Not ideal but a lot cheaper than redoing the exam and will hopefully save my sanity too.  I haven't had to replace everything as some subjects don't move so fast. 

Oh and electrician booked, lockdown permitting. 

Small MSE things:

I got an updated bill from the energy supplier and am still surprised they haven't asked to change my direct debit... but am also cautiously delighted (can that be a thing?) because the total over 5 weeks was way less than I've been paying in either of my last two houses, thanks to the single glazing in the last one and mad metering in the one before. 

Completely missed an event I bought a ticket for this weekend - forgot, then couldn't be dealing with having to be online for so long and needed to get other things done.  Will watch the recordings eventually.  So that was a bit of a waste but nothing to be done about it. 

Getting slightly worried about some return that need to go back, as I suppose not an essential reason to go to the post office... but I think most companies are extending returns anyway. 

Finally, finally learning to be a bit more organised about food shopping as trying to order about once a week.  Not perfect yet, think I need to get ahead with keeping things in stock in case there are pointless substitutions, but getting there.

Plan!

Pay off chunk of 0% CC on payday

Pay off small CC on its statement date

See what's left after budgeting for next month, and start to build up savings again. 

 

kerri_gt

Yes, most companies are extending refunds, i think it helps them manage things in their warehouses too not to have loads of xmas and sales stuff all arrive back at once, although I'd still say if you need to get it sent back that's an essential reason enough to go to the PO.
I went to drop a return at an InPost locker today,  its not exactly a convenient location for me but I can route round to it if I'm going into town. Jeffing lockers were all full. Not sure if it was because of the weekend or the snow yesterday,  so still got that to return as no other local location to drop it.

RosaBernicia

Well I thought I'd be able to return something today when I went to collect... but apparently they are ONLY open for collection, and the return has to wait!  Just as well I'm not in need of the money, what if I was?

I got impatient and brought forward payday in YNAB so that I could budget next month.  It looks OK so far, and I should have a bit extra coming in from overtime which I'm planning to put towards decorating.  I've put some money in savings!   which was a very nice feeling as I haven't done that in months, well really ever since the move.  And I've paid over a chunk to the big CC that was just waiting in the current accounts, that gets it down to a nice round number and feels like an achievement.  The little CC doesn't need paying til next month as it had a zero balance on the statement date, and the store card can be paid in 3 months on 0% and also doesn't need paying til next month.  I feel like I should start putting money in the car and van pots again, but as they're not going anywhere there shouldn't be more than the basics needed.  I'll revisit that next month. 

Feels like some good plodding for the first time in a while 

kerri_gt

Oh that's annoying, Next are taking returns as part of their Click and Collect offering. Can you return by post/courier for free?
I have a couple of bits I bought from DP before we got put in T4 before xmas waiting to go back to store. Luckily only small value items (hope they're still trading by end of lockdown given they're part of Arcadia 😳)

RosaBernicia

kerri_gt said:

Oh that's annoying, Next are taking returns as part of their Click and Collect offering. Can you return by post/courier for free?
I have a couple of bits I bought from DP before we got put in T4 before xmas waiting to go back to store. Luckily only small value items (hope they're still trading by end of lockdown given they're part of Arcadia 😳)

That's a good point, I'll check.  It would save another trip to the store too.  I had assumed if they were open for collection I could do returns but it was literally just order pick up, not even a till open! 

kerri_gt

Fingers crossed. Next take your returns at the store door and then process them inside, offering a receipt if you want one. I only know as i picked OH some bits up from the sale and people were doing returns. Fingers crossed you can return free by post or courier.

RosaBernicia

kerri_gt said:

Fingers crossed. Next take your returns at the store door and then process them inside, offering a receipt if you want one. I only know as i picked OH some bits up from the sale and people were doing returns. Fingers crossed you can return free by post or courier.

Apparently I could return stuff to an Arg0s within a Sainsbo's 'while doing essential shopping', but not to the branch over the road which funnily enough means there is no branch within the supermarket!  It will just have to wait.