The single track road - life on a different path

MeandO

Hi MT

Yes, back to the grind! Unfortunately work is so boring at the moment, I'm really struggling and just feel so miserable here. Motivation and morale is at an absolute all-time-low here amongst all of the staff presently and it is hard not to take it home and make you feel despondent and negative about everything.

I do have a 5 day holiday booked for January which I'm looking forward to, but it's a bit far away to get excited about presently.

Great idea about the coast, I might do that Sunday evening if it's nice. My parents are up from tomorrow, staying for a few days and then taking DS back with them for another week/10 days until school starts. I love them to bits and they've been so helpful to us and are so good to me, but I do find it quite suffocating sometimes as they still see me as a child. I know you understand what I mean!

Yes, am 3/4 the way through the antibiotics and it's only today that I feel a little better. Hopefully they kick in a bit more soon.

My lack of self-control with money is annoying me. I start out well and then at the end of every month I have no money left or am borrowing from the savings. It's my own fault and only I am responsible, but I need to change my ways or I'm never going to get out of his debt hole. I think tonight I need to get back to YNAB and write myself some ground rules tonight.
I am aware that I am also unrealistic with my budgets and category funding in YNAB. I need to change this so I don't go completely overboard.

*Sigh*

liltdiddylilt

Hello lovely you!!

How is the sleep going? Are you feeling better? The antibiotics are taking too long, and you might need more after this or it will just come straight back. Bronchitis is a beast to kick but if you don't get rid of it properly it can really hamper your lungs and you end up with it every time you get a simple cold.

Well done on being down 3lbs at the beginning of the month.. I think I am up 4 after last week but I think I deserved it holiday back to the grind from tomorrow so making the most of it with a carrot cake and a magnum for my lunch :rotfl: I know you are proud of that

I actually have NO self control with money at the minute. I said I was focusing on me for a while as I've been so neglected but it is getting a bit out of hand now. Wanna hold my hand while I wipe YNAB and start over? :eek:

Your parents seems like absolute stars - from afar mine are too... but drive me insane as soon as I've been around them for more than a few hours.

Much love and hugs - wish I could come and make you some hot soup and look after you xx

MeandO

Ah love ya Lilty xx

I've got two days of the anti-b's left, so if it hasn't cleared up by then I'll be going back, don't you worry.
To be honest, I think it's gone from my chest now and just left *lots* of err, gunk. My head feels like it's full of snot. (sorry to put you off the carrot cake & magnum!). My hearing is dodgy on one ear presently, feels like it has popped permanently and I'm onstantly sneezing. Just wish it would do one now.

Ds's medicine isn't working yet either.

I'll be starting afresh on YNAB too tonight my lovely, so we can hot 'delete' at the same time if you like! I had kept track up until about a week ago, but there's just too much for me to be bothered with now and I want to start afresh and re-assess my category budgets. They're unrealistic.

I'm also considering using this diary as a spending diary - listing spends, other than bills, as and when. May make me more accountable of my actions if I have to fess up to you lot constantly.

Ds is in bed and I've had an hour and a half of working on getting orders made and out. The money is coming in from the business, but the supplies to make products are not cheap, neither is postage worldwide, so the money does seem to go out in large chunks too. At least its paying for itself and paying my tax bill presently though.

No exercise from me lately due to feeling completely cr&p, but hopefully back on the cross trainer next week evenings whilst DS is away.

Off to speak to YNAB....

xx

MeandO

Err, right...

I think I found the money 'hole' - you know - where my money disappears to every month without a trace...

Just made a fresh start on YNAB and, to be more realistic with my budgets, took a look at my bank account for the past month and added up what I'd spent on eating out/food bought for work lunches etc... it came to over £200!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

£50 of that was on Him's birthday meal and £33 was for the 4 of us at a restaurant for a day out last week during the hols but the rest of it is all made up of little bits here and there.

This stops now.

I have now allocated money to 'non-bill' categories within YNAB as follows, and given myself targets that I'd like to build these savings up to. When I've achieved these targets (ie. £500 in the gifts category), I won't pay anymore into it, but instead, will either make an overpayment to the debt or put it away into my ISA. If I spend any money out of these savings pots, I will pay back into it monthly until it's built back up to the target 'float' again. Hope that makes sense.

Car (insurance, tax, MOT maintenance etc.): £100pm (Target: £1000).
Christmas/birthdays: £50pm (Target £500) (thankfully have quite a lot bought already for Christmas)
House re-decorating savings: £15pm (£250 target)
Clothes: £20pm (Target £200)
Holidays: £20 (Target £350)
ISA/Emergency Savings: £25pm - no target - save save save!


That leaves £100 over a month for everything that's not a bill/grocery/petrol/debt payment, so eating out, days out with DS & Him, little treats for people (my downfall), haircuts, etc etc etc.

Hopefully this is more realistic and in time I will be able to hone it even more.

Little steps and all that...

apple_muncher

Lots of thought and sense have gone into your post above - go girl! We all know that it's the 'little' spends that add up, but it is enlightening to actually add them up and see the total!

So, are you and ynab friends again?! Sleep well, lovely one. And I'll be rather cross if you don't get more antibiotics if they are needed... xx

mumblingtaff

Well done on making yourself sit down and go through everything - making a start is always the hardest part isn't it?
I'll be doing something similar as soon as I get paid at the end of the month. Not looking forward to it .
Hope you're feeling a bit better today xx

MeandO

Apple, yes, we're friends again. 'He'll' be more of my friend when I add the tax credit payment that's gone in today though, he wasn't loving the 41p in my bank account yesterday!

Feeling slightly better today thanks both. Woke up coughing at 5.30am so got up and took some more cough medicine and made a hot drink. Typically dropped back off 5 minutes before the alarm (ie. DS!:D) went off. Could've slept late today for sure.

Just had a cuppa and a chat/moan with my lovely colleague/tea fairy who's like my work Dad. We were both saying how low this place makes everyone feel and how miserable everyone is. It's not good.
The torrential rain slamming on the tin roof is also not helping today and is supposed to be like this for the next 10 days! :eek::(

MeandO

tax credits all budgeted in YNAB, should be fine until payday which is 6 days away. Won't need any more diesel, just groceries for myself once DS is at my parents' and no planned spends, although there is £20 in the budget for spending money, £20 in the clothes category to leave there for after payday as I desperately need a need coat and new boots (one pair thrown due to massive holes, salvaged an old pair that were heading for the bin for now! ). I need to build this up before buying either of these things though. There is also £15 in the house re-decorating budget as my Dad is helping to finish some jobs for me this weekend and I may need to buy some supplies.

When it's all laid out in front of you, YNAB is so easy and obvious. I just need to live by the rules now...

stepuptothepl8

You are doing brilliantly.. Well done on restarting with YNAB. Hope you feel better v soon xx

MeandO

Thanks Stepup x
Was feeling better yesterday but an issue with highly solvent inks at work set me off coughing for most of the day.

So, some bits to add to the spending diary:

Had to pop out to get bin bags, coffee, bread, milk, loo roll and a few other bits last night - all essential and list stuck to
£13.81

Not essential, but a hot breakfast with colleagues this morning.
£3.69

All accounted for within budgets so not feeling too guilty!