Journey to happy skinflintedness

in_need_of_direction

I'd kill for a night out dancing. OH doesn't dance and those that I know who do are all half my size or half my age. Fed up.

saraih

Ooh, what kind of dancing? I can't do any of them well but that doesn't matter in your own house with the curtains drawn :rotfl:

in_need_of_direction

Yep, it's that kind of dancing

black_cat

saraih wrote: »

I used to say only boring people get bored but that was before I'd been skint for six and a half years in a row :rotfl: I would kill for a night out right now.

Dancing doesn't do it for me but I'd be fed up if I couldn't go to the coffee shop occasionally! Can you manage half a night out!! 😊

saraih

I'm so tempted now, black cat!

Fantastic news, the tax people wrote to OH and he's overpaid tax by more than £1200! they're sending a cheque!

EMERGENCY FUND ACTIVATED at last!

Oh my goodness, this feels like a lottery win at the moment. This is exactly what hasn't happened in a very very long time. I hope we don't get a letter on Monday advising it was all a big mistake.

I quietly and calmly told OH that it could 'deal with' some 'money stuff' if he wanted to and he just shrugged and said okay, so that's a battle we don't need to have. He stays so far away from money that he probably wouldn't notice if I didn't bother telling him, but it's his money to blow if he wants to. But he doesn't, so the emergency fund will be practically rolling in it instead :T

I'm trying so hard not to look excited in front of him but this is the first time in a long time that most emergencies could be dealt with and no borrowing involved.

How motivating! Next step, build it up to three-six months wages. Then we can start living like actual human beings with goals and things :rotfl:

And I got my crate of veg (and took my laptop this time). What a great morning

Of course I've spent it all already, £1000 emergency fund, £170 OH tablet, put the rest to a night out at the theatre on payday. Then it's all gone but the difference it will make is huge. Huuuge.

AND, this is just for one tax year so OH has been overpaying by £100 a month? no wonder we're skint! :rotfl: maybe in the future the wage he sees will go up? or he gets a refund in April? don't know.

Time to draw the curtains and do a little dance?

saraih

I've decided to wait until the cheque is cashed before getting excited again :rotfl: Just a couple of months ago the WTC decided we owed them £3000 when we didn't, it wouldn't surprise me if they just cocked up.

I chopped and froze everything that could be done from the veg, we won't starve anytime soon and there are a couple of things I've never tried to cook before so that should be interesting.

Didn't spend anything on the market again so that's good. There was a coffee table but it's too cold to strip outside and there's nowhere inside to do it without a huge mess that I could do without.

No other news, I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Trying some baked fish and peppers tonight but I didn't check if we had enough tin foil left so it might be improvised a bit

black_cat

Congratulations on your tax refund - the tax man doesn't usually make a mistake in your favour so I'm sure you'll get it! My OH has had them for the last few years when he's been working for an agency. Although it might be better to be paid at the correct rate, I like to think of it as having a savings account with the tax man! Although we don't get the interest, we would probably have spent it. Enjoy the security of your emergency fund 😊

saraih

Thanks, I hope it's right but you never know until they want it back suddenly :rotfl: it's ridiculous how much of a difference it would make, even more silly if he really has been paying too much all along. I've never understood them, they're a fickle lot

saraih

Good news: the tax cheque came already (and looks real ) so I'll stick it in the bank tomorrow while picking up OH's prescription. I'll try to get my photo for the passport at the same time to save travel money.

Okay news: L!nk came back with a figure that was only £250 less than they were asking with the illegal interest, so I got the ccj number and rang the court to confirm the amount, it was accurate

This was a LOT more than I'd hoped so I rang L!nk and said I was going to have to insist on them going back to court to request to reopen it and after a really lot of fussing they knocked off all the court fees and charges, about another £350. So now it's a far more reasonable £850.

I know I could be more stubborn about this and ignore them but it's a fair figure and will cut another chunk of unsatisfied debt, so OH will be happy and his job clearance will be more stable and they'll stop sending letters.

So when I get the offer in writing I'll set up a reasonable repayment, say £40 a month and pay it off quicker when I can. Manageable. I did insist on setting the amount myself without an income and expediture because sod them, they will take what they get and like it!

Bad news: No work this week and I really need some. Otherwise the travel and photo is coming out of the shopping money again, but if I don't do it all at once it's another lot of travel money.

Overall not bad! Onward and upwards.

saraih

Bit of cleaning this morning :T but I didn't do any of the other stuff that should have been done.

The council want to rewire the house next Wednesday (thanks for the notice!) so tomorrow I have to:

put the cheque in
pick up the prescription
pick up cheapo pound shop dropcloths + cheap packing tape
get my photos done
find some packing boxes
pick up flea stuff from the vet
get a copy of the cat's immunisations
book him into the cattery
see if anyone can help me move the heavy furniture on Sunday

I'll pack up and move most things on Sunday, then Tuesday night pack up the computers and Wed morning tip the beds on end.

They said it would take two days, that all furniture has to be in the middle of the room, that it will be a mess and that every room needs doing so I might as well leave for the day on both days. I've not really got anywhere to go so maybe the library? at least it's warm.

So cattery fees (£7 a night + £14 cat taxi), dropcloths, two days travel into town and a taxi back from the supermarket with cardboard boxes (or more if I need to go to more than one). Not a huge amount but lets say it's a good job I babysat and got the fruit and veg because I won't be shopping this week