Mooloo's little tapestry of life, 2016

oystercatcher

I had an American Express card for a while, for the cash back. Lots of smaller buisness refused to accept it due to the extra charges . So you won't be alone if you do the same as them. People are probably doing what I did and using it to collect cash back when they have alternative ways to pay available. Why should you pay for this . If refused I would just pay with my debit card instead !!

Savvy_Sue

I'm really surprised it was possible to take payment via an AMEX card if you weren't already registered: I've sometimes stuck it in a cardreader and found it just doesn't work.

Savvy_sewing

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I'm really surprised it was possible to take payment via an AMEX card if you weren't already registered: I've sometimes stuck it in a cardreader and found it just doesn't work.

It was a new one on me!
I will accept them IF I charge a2% handling fee.

We had a really good day that I wasn't expecting. When we opened up the only job I was expecting in was a load of name tapes for a lad off to boarding school. (76 labels to do). We had a denim skirt to make and that was all. In fact i was kept very busy all day. I was up and down stairs like a yoyo. We had 12 customers with drop offs, some several items. Several paid upfront too.
I took £102 today. Which is great for the first day back.
We were able to do some jobs straight away, and at 4pm people were coming to collect them again. I made a point of saying they were lucky as we were doing a run on jeans, or we had the Zips in stock,
And some minor repairs were done. At the £6.50 minimum charge.
My revised price list went up, and those regular customers I offered a discount for the first few things of this year, to aid the transition and loyalty. I don't want to loose regular trade.
I sent my seamstress home though at about 3.30 as she was coughing such a lot. I told her to go to the chemist and get something for it and only to come in tomorrow if she felt better. I can handle the morning on my own.
I have bought some of the name tag jobs home and will do them this evening in front of the tv.

So all in all a good start and I will be able to bank some money tomorrow. Yeah.

Savvy_sewing

Morning. It's my tax credits etc day, otherwise known as payday. So 10% went to my PO credit card and 10% to the banks CC. As on Monday I had played around with my money, shifting the odds and ends from bank to bank etc to leave round numbers etc I had moved more then normal into savings, although I emptied one across to another just leaving an odd amount to keep the account open, I have therefore sent just less then 10% into the second savings pot. This leaves me £400 exactly in the bills account ready for the DDs etc
So the ISA has £600, the Emergency Fund is on £700, and now the 2nd saver has just less then £100.
Although I will require Euros next weekend, but I will have another payday before that.
I still need to find out the exact total left on my Post Office card but it can't be much more than £250 now.
We spent £14.04 in Tesco last night. But don't need anything else, at least I hope not.
It's a half day at the shop for me, followed by a visit to my Mums, so I will need petrol. It's cheaper here in Brackley Tesco so I will get £30 worth when I finish at Lunchtime. I don't fill up anymore as my mileage is so much less these days. £30 lasts me about two weeks now.
I remember when it was £60 a week when I did so much more travelling.
I would have walked this morning to school and work but I won't have time if I go to see Mum, as today is the day I pick DGD up from school rather than the club.
I sewed3 carrier bags full of clothes labels on while watching tv last night, so I have about half still to do at work. As I'm driving I will be in early and able to start on them sooner.
All good then.
Now let's see if getting DGD up is going to be as smooth!

Savvy_sewing

And breathe! We were late to school as DGD lost a book. When I finally got to work I had planned to go to the bank but got sidetracked with the rest of the name tapes. They took me until 1pm when we closed. I was interrupted obviously as I was manning the shop floor. Wednesday is usually very quiet but it wasn't too bad today. 2 more jobs for the dry cleaners, a couple of jeans and coats pockets to repair and a wedding dress to alter.
Two lessons booked and paid for for one little girl, and as I was closing a late customer who wanted thread but by the time we had found the right colour chatted etc she's decided to buy my last sewing machine in stock so will be back tomorrow to pay for it.
These last few days I have also started suggesting people pay for the work then if they wish, and that has helped with funds. So there will be money to bank tomorrow.
It did mean I was late getting to my Mum, but I was able to show her how to transfer her files to her machine and also booked a parcel to be collected to go to France via my Hermes. So she now knows that she can send parcels from the comfort of her own home.
I never did get to put fuel in the car, so the money will at least stay in my bank for another day.
I have an appointment with an accountant tomorrow, to start getting the ball rolling on that side, see if he can help me refine my business and make sure I claim etc what ever I am entitled to and declare what ever I have too.
I scraped in at school to collect DGD.
She has done a little bit of her reading (no mean feat to get her to do that),
And as a rewarding have let her go on the PlayStation thingy.
I'm cooking 4 chicken breasts in the halogen oven. Two for tonight, and two to leave cold to slice for lunches.
The downside of today is my neck hurts (angle I was sitting st hand sewing probably-), I now have a headache triggered from the neck and the tingling sensations are in my left arm. The two little fingers are rather numb. A sign I trapped the nerve!
Twit that I am.
Time to heat the wheat pad!

Savvy_sewing

I have just started the ball rolling to swap my bank account to First Direct through the MSE link. In time I should get £150 back, and if I pay in £1000 a month I should not have to pay the £10 monthly fee.
I will definitely pay in that.
I have delayed the start though until I get back from my weekend away next weekend.

When I get back I will also look to card tarting on the credit cards to try and get a 0% balance fee deal.
With that lot sorted I may actually make my break cash neutral so to speak.

Savvy_sewing

Changed my mind and applied for a Halifax card. Spent ages and ages filling it in only for my careless moving of the page on my phone and it lost it all. Now I don't know if it's been finalised or not.
I shall have to call them tomorrow I suppose.
What a waste of time and energy

I redid it. Now we wait and see.
Went via quidco, £20 cash back on offer too. Fingers crossed.
I never got the cash back last year for direct line so I won't count it till I get it.

Savvy_sewing

I really didn't sleep very well. Weird dreams, up and down to the loo. Waking moments my brain was all over the place, so consciously trying to shut all the chatter by focussing on one image, but boy was it difficult.
I'm feeling more tired then when I went to bed.
My part time lady who does the shop will be in this afternoon, I have an appointment with an accountant at 2.30, time I got it sorted.
The sign writer messaged me yesterday, as he has been to take down the swing sign and the vinyl lettering but the paint is peeling off. So I need to get it sanded and re painted before the new words can go up.
So more costs. But it's got to be done as the clothes have nearly all gone and I only have the few downstairs that haven't shifted, that are on Agency style.
Time to finish my tea and get a move on, I need a hair wash today.

Savvy_sewing

We got to school on time. Phew.
I had time then to get petrol, park the car, walk into work, bank £180 for the business, and then went to Waitrose to get light bulb as the one over my desk blew and was a different type to all the other ones!
Lady told me about the free cup of tea/coffee and the man next to me showed me how to work the machine, so I took tea in to work with me.
I spent the morning on paperwork and phone calls, then about 11.30 actually got to sew. Staff came in and we spent a while going through the plans er for the shop, the days jobs etc.
I managed to pay off one of my bills, £117 odd, and had to buy a replacement foot controller for my janome machine, just short of £50.
Also had to order new sewing machines for stock and for the workshop use as we sold off the others just before Christmas.

I have still got a headache and neck ache and will be going to bed early to take the weight of my head off of my neck so to speak.

Oh and I went to see an accountant and get some advice too.
Today's chat was free and to do an overview for me etc and be on hand it will cost about £200 a year.

And now I'm going to relax as we had chicken and noodles for tea, and I have eaten mine already. Dgd is still eating hers.

Savvy_sewing

Morning. Tea done. But nothing else. Just woken DGD. Well she was already awake I could hear her coughing. She's off to the pantomime tonight with the Brownies, so I have to finish work early to collect her, feed her and get her into uniform and down to the collection point all before I usually close the shop. Thank goodness for staff.

I'm going to have to be careful with my posture when hand sewing and check the height of my chair etc as my neck is triggering numb spots in my arm and headaches again. I can't be going backwards health wise now!!