My 2020 Vision

XSpender

Hmm my post from last night seems to have disappeared. Quick recap - got contacted by a company regarding a job so spent some time reviewing job spec and phoning phone tag with their recruitment team and putting proposed salary into spreadsheets so didn't get much off my list completed.

I have had to move a little money from savings to last us until the end of the month. I hadn't planned for the cash DH needed when he was away so this has messed up my figures a bit. The money will need to be replaced when DH gets paid his bonus at the end of the month. Bit fed up as I have really tried to manage our money this month but DH wages were £200 less than usual and it has been a 5 week month.

I need to go to aldeee after the school run but shouldn't spend much.

I have some coins to pay into the bank and €40 I have been hanging on to that I may just get changed and pay in too.thats a job for next week.

Must dash in the shower before the school run!

XSpender

I am through to the next round of the job I was contacted about plus it is a better package than I was initially advised. I am trying not to get too excited about the job as it is very much what I am looking for and the money would be fabulous and would enable us to do what we want and need to do financially.


I now have three in the pipeline this week and they are all FT, require time away from home and in my original field. I'm sure I said I wasn't going down the route again but I am feeling quite enthusiastic about the roles I have found.


Now my job search is ramping up again and I am going to be job hunting properly I will ring on Monday to start claiming JSA again. The money will help until I start work.


I am currently scoffing an open sandwich made with very fresh and still slightly warm GF bread.


Risotto for tea tonight followed by my first attempt at GF tiramisu.


I am hoping for a NSD as we are only planning a long dog walk after DH comes in from work which should be any minute.

XSpender

DH and I went to a live streaming of Billy Elliott yesterday, it was fabulous, we really enjoyed it.


We had ten minutes before it started to nip into Mr T and buy some sweeties and I managed to buy a coat! It wasn't what I had in mind but it is really warm and since I live in jeans at the moment is perfect for what I need it for. Mr T had a 25% off clothing event off so I paid £36 instead of £48 which compared with the Burberry one I loved at £695 :eek: was quite a saving.


My sinuses are still giving me jip so I have bought a steam inhalator thingy which is giving some relief. I am sick of having face ache and feeling like I am under water.


This week I am going to focus on the job hunt. I had always planned to start once DS was in school/start of October so I am a week ahead of myself. I have decided I will start claiming JSA again. I did claim when I was first redundant but wasn't looking really and I am too honest to claim when I wasn't actively looking. The house is relatively clean and tidy, the washing basket is empty and there is a little ironing so I will just keep things ticking over this week while I concentrate on the job hunt.


DH may be taking a couple of days holiday at the end of this week which will mean I will need to crack on at the beginning as I will not get anything done when he is here.


DH gets paid tomorrow and will receive his bonus. It is all allocated to paying off the CC (curtains, Christmas toys) spend this month and the rest to top up the 52 week challenge pot for Christmas.


This week's to do list


1) Restart JSA claim
2) Keep on top of housework but clean floors, vac and dust, change bedding as a minimum
3) Apply for 10 jobs
4) Cut out towelling for DM gift
5) Swim
6) Long dog walk at the weekend
7) Calculate and discuss/agree October budgets with DH
8) Start Stoptober, this should save us £80-£100:o

XSpender

XSpender wrote: »

This week's to do list


1) Restart JSA claim - done waiting for call for appointment
2) Keep on top of housework but clean floors, vac and dust, change bedding as a minimum
3) Apply for 10 jobs - 1 done, 2 apps to submit today
4) Cut out towelling for DM gift
5) Swim
6) Long dog walk at the weekend
7) Calculate and discuss/agree October budgets with DH
8) Start Stoptober, this should save us £80-£100:o

Pay day today so will shuffle money about in a bit.


Stoptober is going to be alcohol and carp free for us so we should hopefully save a bit more than the booze budget but will be making a donation at the end of the month so it will be swings and roundabouts really. I'm aiming for £100 saved from food and what would have been the booze budget after the donation.


Today I am going to vacuum throughout and change the bedding. Will also iron a couple of shirts for DH as he is off Friday. DMIL is having an op on Friday (day patient) and they don't drive so DH will be doing the dropping off and picking up.


I will complete the 2 applications I have saved, 1 just needs a covering letter but the other is a really basic application form. Will have a search for others too.


Pasta bake and garlic bread for tea tonight.

XSpender

Having a catch up while eating (or is it drinking) 57 varieties tomato soup.


Yesterday's plans went a little off track as I had a call to say that the project manager for the job I was contacted about would be ringing me for another interview so I spent some time preparing for that. Good feedback received
and I should (hopefully) be through to the assessment centre when they have spoken to the other candidates this week.


I am hoping it is the end of next week or the week after as I have 2 interviews next week already! These are only part time Christmas type jobs but it's all money at the end of the day while I look for something else.


I am starting to plan for when I start work so I must be hoping to get one of the jobs:rotfl: I have 3 x £5 off £30 vouchers for the new aldee for this week and the next 3 weeks and also £4 off £40 for Mr T for the next 3 weeks. I won't use them all but will use what I can to stock up the freezer with meat and some easy options for when I am working late or very early or away depending on what happens with the 3 interviews. I am finding it difficult to spend £40 in Mr T so have got my Christmas cake gift ingredients and a bottle of sherry out of the Christmas pot to use a voucher.


I am debating whether to clean and turn back on the FF in the garage as I may need the space as I start to buy the odd bit for Christmas. There are only 3 of us to cater for this year so my food budget for Christmas is £25 max.


Oh dear rather a lot of talk about the C word there but I would like all gifts and everything sorted early on if I am going back to work soon. I must get on with making my DM present or it will be some cut out squares of fabric for ever!


Pay day today (for DH) and I have shuffled the money about, paying off a small CC balance and topping the saving pots back up. Will shuffle a bit more when my JSA comes through as I am back at the joke shop, sorry job centre, tomorrow.


Right better go do a bit of tidying up or DH will think I sit on my arras all day, as if!;)

XSpender

Spoke to a very nice lady at the JC today, hope I don't have to be going there every week for too much longer, but it was a better experience than last time. Will not receive this months 2nd instalment until 31st so savings may be £100 shorter than planned.


Spent a fair bit today on a shop in Aldee to use a voucher, and one in Mr T too. I did spend a bit more than planned but spotted some chocs and some 1/2 price biscuits for Christmas presents and a skeleton costume for DS. I also bought all the dried fruit and flour for the christmas cakes I make for gifts. Will do another shop in Alddee tomorrow to use my other voucher. I have a list so it shouldn't be too bad.


I nearly bought a blouse and jeggings out of personal spends in Mr T but couldn't bring myself to part with the money. I do need a new outfit for my girls trip to London but will hang on a bit yet.


I then had a call to say there was a place for DS to start swimming lessons so another £45 spent there. He will need new trunks as his area bit big and we don't wont them dropping off mid lesson:eek:

XSpender

Gawd, I just keep spending this week. The spends are all budgeted for and coming from the right pots, I just seem to be leaking money:eek:


Spends included another shop in Aldee to use a voucher, some meat and GF bits from M & S and a maccy Ds breakfast for me and DH as he had a day off yesterday. DH bought himself a top from the [EMAIL="g@p"]g@p[/EMAIL] outlet store and we bought one for DS with 60% off. Oh and more bleedin light bulbs:mad: I have bought every type of light bulb we have in the house in the last 6 weeks. 13 in all. We only have 6 rooms in the house:eek:


I have been spending from the Christmas pot too. Thread and Velcro for DM present (I have everything to make it now, I just need to get on with it:o), bulbs for the forced hyacinths DH is doing (79p for 5 in Mr Al), and a 2nd hand bike for DS for £20. :j The bike is exactly what we wanted for DS as his main present and is hardly used. DH just needs to get it in the loft now.


I have found a GF cookery course DH is going to buy me for Christmas. It is not too far so travel costs will be minimal and it is well within budget. I don't really want any more stuff so I was struggling to come up with some ideas for him but this course will teach will me a skill that will help keep costs low in the kitchen:)


I do seem to be writing an awful lot about Christmas but I am hoping to get almost everything bought before I start working again so that the time I have can be spent making the gifts I have planned so far including 4 Christmas cakes, a jar of chocolate and cranberry biscotti, 3 bags of chocolate fudge and DM's reusable kitchen towel roll.:)


I am so pleased I started the 52 week challenge in January as I have never been this financially organised for Christmas before, funnily enough though this is the year we have drastically cut our planned budget so we should be left with a surplus to chuck at the mortgage:D

XSpender

It is chilly and foggy here today. I have managed to avoid putting the heating on so far but last night was a close call.


DH (and therefore me) has been up since 4am as he had a meeting in the midlands today. I am shattered but find it really difficult to nap once I am up and about.


I attended an interview yesterday for a temp Xmas job that I have been accepted for but it is a lot less hours than I was expecting and we would have to use childcare so is not as attractive as it seemed. I will do it if I don't have anything else but I have cancelled the interview that I had today for Christmas retail work as DH and I have decided it is not going to fit in with him being away and working weekends and the cost of childcare.


The plan instead is to concentrate on finding a FT permanent or long term contract job in my field. Yes, I know, a complete U-turn on what I said a few weeks ago about wanting to work part time.:o As I have started to apply for a few I have felt excited about getting back to work in my field, I don't think I am ready to semi-retire yet;) I am going to ramp up the job applications over the next few weeks.


We have spent a little more from the grocery budget, about half of it is gone now, but we are well stocked up. I don't need to shop again until the weekend and then only for milk, bread and fruit. DH cleaned out the garage freezer and fired it up again so we can batch cook and portion up the meat we have bought.


There are some portions of beef bolognaise and chicken chasseur in there he is happily munching his way through for lunches this week which is freeing up space for some C bits:)


Speaking of 'C' we have spent a bit more of the budget on some planned stocking fillers for DS, some pots for the forced hyacinths and a couple of decorations. Oh and a frozen GF Christmas desert spotted in M&S That should be it for a while as I am waiting for my Mr T vouchers and hopefully a double up event as well as our annual Christmas shopping trip to York to get the last couple of bits.


In other very important MFW news, I received another £2 coin yesterday so have hit £80 in the campervan money box:j


Plans for today are:


1) Apply for as many jobs as I can find
2) Tidy up, dust and vac

XSpender

Really cold here today but dry so I am planning to do a load of washing and hoping to dry it on the line. DH had a long tiring day yesterday including 10 hours of driving so I gave in and we put the fire on for a couple of hours as I think he was more tired than cold.


I am feeling a bit upset as I watched my little boy being picked on by another 5 year old this morning. Other child's mother no where to be seen obviously. I will be having a word with his teacher when I pick him up. I am not happy with his school at the moment as his class teacher made a comment about DS last week that I thought was poorly observed.


I applied for 4 jobs yesterday and discussed one with an agency. I will have a look for some more today.


DMIL and DFIL want a lift to the new aldee at lunchtime. I am not planning on buying anything (famous last words).


I haven't a great deal of time today so will have a quick look for more jobs, tidy up and try and sort our bedroom out a bit as it has become a dumping ground for laundry/the ironing mountain.


I really need to bake something as there are no GF treats in the house and better go check the meal plan as I believe I need to defrost some chicken for tonight's dinner.

XSpender

I ended up spending £20 in Aldee yesterday but that did include 2 shoe racks for our corner wardrobe and a DVD for DS stocking. Only £4 was on food (including chocolate).:o


Another job applied for yesterday, I am hearing back from the agencies positively regarding my application and putting me forward but have not heard anything about getting through to the next stages as yet.:( I have an assessment centre for one in a couple of weeks which gives me plenty of time for prep, thank goodness.


I have a scrip to pick up today and an almost £3 price match voucher for Mr T which happens to be next door to the docs so I will spend that on some GF flour as I really need to do some baking.


Budgets are looking OK so far this month, three weeks tomorrow until pay day though so anything could happen:eek:


Today's plans are:


Pick up scrip and hand into pharmacy - tick
Buy GF flour - tick
Bake something
Muck out our bedroom and sort out shoes on to new racks - tick
Take DS for his haircut after school - he was too tired and fell asleep at half 4!!!!
Get cash out to pay electrician tomorrow and for haircut - tick
Arrange meet up with friend - tick
Make chilli for tea - I am managing to stick to the meal plan this week:) - Famous last words!!!! We had sausages as I was chatting on the phone too long