Two thirds of the way there, final hurdle

MERFE

Oh I just went for the £1 ones but they were buy 2 for £1.50 so got OH one as well, he will be pleased. I got the smarties easter egg hunt pack and 3 kinder eggs so they have one each. Youngest loves kinder eggs. More than enough. Especially if they go to the hunt in the village too and probably get some from OH family.

Got a £10 love to shop voucher through yesterday for doing a food survey and have enough to cash out valued opinions so went for £10 sainsburys voucher. Will try to save them for extras at Christmas unless we really need them.
HSBC account is all opened and online just need to do the switching.
I've emptied our emergency pot so we wont be in our overdraft with Santander. I was having all kinds of issues with Santander since we moved and since I changed my mobile phone, even went into branch to sort it out but still cant set up standing orders or send faster payments to new people so I will be quite happy to get a fresh start.

MERFE

Changed my electricity DD to £60 per month instead of £66, only a tiny difference but we are in credit and unlikely to use much over summer so hoping it can come down a bit more. I'm not sure why they did it so high.
Taking the kids to a free screening of the Good Dinosaur today at film club, will have a small spend on some drinks.
Then last shop for the month but with everyone, should have maybe gone yesterday on my own. I hate having to say no, especially when they aren't unreasonable in what they ask for.

MERFE

OH got a statement for his CC as well today, its at £3538. About £1000 more than I thought it was. 0% runs out in September so hoping Barclaycard will be gone by July and we can transfer it onto there. This is the one he pays for out his £120 spends so I'm still ignoring it till everything else is gone.

MERFE

Electricity bill is definitely going to drop further, we used £36 for a month and DD now set at £60. It's reviewed in September so I am happy to build up a nice credit over the summer. I really need to get some pegs so I can start hanging the washing out when its nice.

I've made a plan for the Easter hols, if I don't I get stuck for ideas. I've included 2 costly trips - ones swimming (cant wait to see how much they've imporved with doing lessons at school each week) and the other to a soft play to cover a rainy day. Really hoping for niceish weather again as it makes a massive difference but we have to be out the house so OH can sleep. I've a few craft ideas for them for afternoons, really looking forward to the break from boredom.

Interview soon, plus I have heard from the citizens advice about volunteering for them, they are doing training in May, so just waiting to hear back about that, it would be great experience if I can do it. I don't feel such a rush to get back to work now some payments have dropped a bit, SOA still doesn't seem to work though as I haven't been buying clothes, putting away the emergency money etc and there is nothing left. I've kept to a lower food budget this month, not possible for April as its a 5 week month. We will have to get Oil this month too which will be at least £150, no idea where the £40 budgeted has gone. I think I really will need lots of saving pots to keep everything separate so it doesn't get spent. At the end of April because it is a 5 week month pay will be approx. £2200 I'm going to keep £200 to one side for car insurance in June. So there should be an extra £120 at the end of May, we'll see.

MERFE

Citizens Advice have put me onto the September training dates as the may one goes throughout the summer holidays. Hopefully I will still be able to do it even if I get the waitrose job. Getting everything ready today before the kids break up, polishing my shoes and ironing my shirt, scanning and printing copies of my right to work bits so I am all ready for Tuesday.

Kids need to decorate some eggs for school tonight. Luckily I have tons of craft supplies, I think we will keep them simple but I have mod podge, glitter, deco paper and paints, will see what they want to do.

They bought home a letter about group camping trip they are organising for May, it was so tempting to book on, its a great price but we no longer have our tent and it included a Friday night which OH would be working so no good.

OH has booked his holiday for the year, has a week off in summer, oct half term and next feb half term. He has to have Christmas off as they close. It leaves him a few days spare if needed for anything. Its good he has the winter holidays off, makes things easier with not having to take the kids out all day. Would like to go back to Kent for the August week but unless I get this job I don't think we will have the money, unless I used the car payments before paying more to Barclaycard but I don't want to do that. Maybe if I sell all my craft bits. Gonna get last years tax return done asap to help with decision making.

MERFE

Think I know what has been going wrong, my SOA lists the minimum payments and I don't pay the minimums plus with paying the kids school trip at the minute and loads of extras at the school (need to start keeping a record of all the pounds they ask for). I've worked out Aprils money and with paying £60 for the school trip instead of £80 and dropping the CC to minimums we will be ok. Then I will have to pay £90 in May to finish the school trip payments but that can come out the extra from Aprils 5 weeks pay. That still leaves enough for petrol to do days outs and the 2 paid outings over Easter Hols. But it is going to be super tight, getting oil doesn't help but cant keep putting it off. So I wanted a break from ebaying but think I am going to have to list some bits over Easter.

Kitten868

I am so the same! Only budget for dds and food. This month dd1 needs new clothes like a full wardrobe so there's £50 I wasn't planning but I've put it off too long. It's going to be so much easier with two incomes. I'm sorry it's so hard xxx

MERFE

Damn those kids for growing lol Oldest is starting secondary in September, not looking forward to the whole new uniform. I should be able to get away with just some new polo shirts for the other 2 and passing down jumpers. Middle one could do with some new t-shirts but his birthdays soon so I'll wait till after, if I buy them now he'll get loads for his birthday, if I don't he wont. That is how it works.

Maybe you can ebay the outgrown outfits and get some of the money back.

Lovely day today, we are off out to enjoy it, its not supposed to be nice this week but I am hopeful the weatherman is wrong.

MERFE

Well I think the interview went really well. I spoke up in the group discussion, I think I answered the test bit right and they only ask 2 questions, one about myself and why I want to work for them the other an example of something I've done I am proud of, that had a deadline and the feedback I got so I used a craft example for that. She said people will hear in the next day or 2 but then they have to match your availability with a vacancy so even if I get through the interview it depends if my availability matches, its a brand new store so fingers crossed, they are going to taking on 100-120 people, I really think the only thing to hold me back would be how far away I am compared to everyone else.

MERFE

EEEEEKKKK not a job offer but I passed the interview stage. They have to match my flexibility to a vacancy but so long as they can I will have a new job. So so pleased, it will make things so much easier.