The single track road - life on a different path

MeandO

And £5 just donated to a charitable cause that I couldn't not give to.
Sometimes we don't realise just how lucky we are.

apple_muncher

I like your essential shopping list. Where would we be without coffee and good loo roll, eh? xx

MeandO

Does tesco 9 for £2 loo roll count as good Apple? lol

The coffee was for my Dad really, I'm not much a coffee drinker, although I did discover Lattes last week though...

apple_muncher

I try to buy the Petal loo roll from Ice1and now - £1 for 4 rolls and good stuff. It was recommended on a thread I read ages ago, and I'm impressed with it.

Lattes, hey? Slippery slope! I'm one who has strong black coffee, so am cheap to keep.

Glad to hear you do not feel guilty about some spending x

MeandO

The latte was paid for by Him, so I've decided I only like them if they're free!

Well, my folks arrived yesterday, armed with food for the fridge, things for DS, and new socks for me and a couple of house bits they picked up from IKEA which they won't take any money for.
Mum has also made a huge shepherd's pie which well be having for dinner tonight. They're also doing lots of jobs around the house for me today and looking after DS. They really are wonderful. I am so lucky.

MeandO

Well, I'm home alone again for the next 10 days.
DS went back with my parents early this morning and boy, weekends are lonely when you're on your own. I've coped by keeping as busy as possible - This morning I grouted the kitchen tiles that my Dad finished for me over the weekend, so the kitchen's all done, except for touching up a bit of paint in places, it looks really lovely. I've put up some of the funky meta artwork which belonged to my Grandparents, and the place is starting to feel more like mine. I'd like to start painting the hall this week.

Then I finally got round to putting up all of the photo frames I'd recently painted to make a photo wall in the lounge. They've injected a nice bit of colour to the room as are painted in dark teal, light blue, dark red, cream and steel grey (it looks a lot nicer than it sounds!). I just need to fill a few more of the frames before that's finished. It cost me the grand sum of £3 too as the frames were so cheap. :T

I admit, I then had a bit of a wobble and a few tears did leak out as was feeling particularly lonely, but soon got busy and did a it more moving stuff around and soon felt better.

Popped over 'His' place for an hour which was nice, Him is incredibly busy with work he's had to bring home whilst also trying to entertain his daughter, so is somewhat stressed and pre-occupied, hence why I am keeping my distance today...

Had quite an upsetting weekend, so feeling a bit raw about that. I had quite a few disagreements with my Mum who, I know means well, but is very blinkered and naïve about a lot of things and insist on taking over with DS. She is also a big fan of the ex and was not happy about a situation that arose over the weekend which demonstrated his stupidity to the first degree - or rather she wasn't happy that I got annoyed and angry about it. Anyway, I will try much harder to be more tolerant and bite my tongue more next time.

YNAB and I are great friend though. I have around £100 left spread over various categories that I just haven't spent in like I normally would, and it's pay day on Tuesday. Any surplus before payday will be going towards buying a new coat and some boots at a outlet shopping place on Tuesday evening as I'm in dire need of both. Any leftover from that will be going off the debt!

I got loads of orders done tonight and ready to post out tomorrow, am trying to keep on top of that before it gets super-busy.

Hope everyone's had a nice weekend
xx

stepuptothepl8

Hurrah for photo frames, YNAB, and orders!! Boo to falling out with mum.. I have lots of sympathy.. My mum thinks that the sun shines out of DH's proverbial, so much so that I can't begin to talk to her about when we have rough patches.. Hey ho.

Hope you're ok? Payday for you tomorrow! Hope you can treat yourself to the new coat etc. I want pics! xx

MeandO

Thanks Stepup

Shopping trip didn't go to plan - neither of us bought anything at all! We didn't find anything we liked, so the only money spent was on some food out, grand sum of £5.
I have ordered a jacket online though, same one as I have now which needs replacing, but as it's been worn nearly every day for 2.5 years, it's not a bad buy at £39.99.
Also ordered a cardi and new purse as mine's broken, all budgeted within YNAB. :T

I've updated YNAB this morning with spends and income over the last few days.
Forgot to say, my Dad won £25 on the lottery which he kindly gave me, so bought paint for the hallway with that, topped up with a little bit I had left on a DIY store giftcard, so that's this weekend's project.

Another chunk paid off the tax bill from the business earnings today, so only just over £50 to pay on that now. :T
I'm getting a bit disillusioned with the business tbh. It has been a good money-earner since conception around 3 years ago, but it's extremely hard work. Unfortunately though, so many people have copied my designs that I'm now in competition with items that are so similar to my own. Everything I do, it gets copied within a month or two and there is very little I can do about it.
I need to make the decision to either invest in the business and take it in a different direction, or to cull it once this year's up. Some serious thinking to be done.

Still have the remnants of bronchitis, but feeling better since I came off the antibiotics. Can't exercise without getting out of breath and one side of my face constantly streaming/ear blocked and coughing up gunk.
Hoping it clears up completely soon as getting a bit sick of it now.

X

MeandO

Just phoned tax credits to advise reduction in childcare costs next week. Spoke to first guy for 20 minutes, who then said nothing had worked correctly on his 'system' and it could 'change everything' and cause me to get into trouble (!!!!!!??) so he'd have to transfer me to someone else. Went through it all again, next woman was just downright rude, practically accused me of lying about my childcare costs - asked me why I didn't report the reduction in cost kicking in in September when I first applied back in March, even though I said it would be changing in September and they told me to phone back then as they can't record changes until they happen!!!

All this, when I'm phoning up to tell them I'm probably unlikely to be eligible for any further tax credits.

This really is the most incompetent system ever. :mad::mad::mad:

laurasavon

I'm not sure what your business is but can you get a patent on your items so they can't be copied?

I don't envy you having to phone tax credits, last time I spoke to them I just told them to cancel my claim rather than keep repeating figures when I know I no I'm not entitled to anything now my maternity leave has finished. Good luck in getting what you are entitled to.

And enjoy your me time :beer: