The Ultimate Incentive muddles along

Dinah93

I'm really loving hearing everyone's catch ups, great to be back and hear how well you're all doing. 

All my tasks I set for today are done, the only one that is in progress is uploading the mini class to the online channel, but that is purely down to it still chugging away on the upload, all the editing and covers for youtube etc are done. We have wonderful internet which stops working when it rains, so right now it's crawling along at the pace of dial up. 

wendz86

Well done on getting everything done Dinah!
I have today off work as well as my usual Friday so going to get some Christmas shopping done. Had £10 of nectar points so have doubled those on the app and off to see what i can get.

Dinah93

Morning all! 
Plans for today, I'm supposed to be meeting a friend for a walk, but I've had vertigo for nearly a week now, so I'm on hold to the doctors see if I can get some medication again to sort it out. So the walk is a bit questionable since I'm swaying to and fro just sat on the sofa. 
Today's money making to do list: 

1. 10 vine reviews 
2. Register at redbubble 
3. Email participants from pre-lockdown event 
4. Mailchimp - free yoga week 
5. Email zoom participants for tonights session 
6. Edit meditation and post 
7. Email out Monday night's class 
8. Nag NIM to finalise hire of 2x pieces of kit so they get out our hall

8 tasks feels rather daunting even though I know some of them are 10 minute jobs (nagging NIM is more 2 minutes 3 times a day for several days type thing )

It's a bit of a hotch potch of work for the online channel which is busier than ever during lockdown, and some of the other online earners. My main business is a group of 4 companies, then on top of that I have 4 self employed businesses related to the companies (one for the retreats/travel arm, one for our work in schools and kids activity groups, one for hire of a specialized piece of equipment which we made the decision to buy personally rather than through one of the geographically based companies, and one for the online channel and virtual tuition). The four companies are all mothballed until late December assuming we can reopen in January as they're very basic description is delivery of face to face classes or parties in studios, and we just have it split based on region firstly to reduce liability if something ever happened, but secondly because I have a co-director in two of the companies who do a lot of the day to day running of that one where I do more of the big picture stuff. 

The task I'm studiously avoiding is the accounts. My personal accounts as well as for the 4 companies are all due, and I absolutely hate doing them. I am now using vertigo as my excuse, but I'm going to have to do them next week whether I feel better or not. 

kavics177

Oh so nice to see everyone back! I'm still here, not posting at all but still reading some diaries. 
Dinah, I'm amazed that you payed off your mortgage, well done. As well as having all these ideas for businesses ( I wish I would have even one!), but to be honest I wasn't expecting anything else from you. 
We are doing well, mini Kavics is going to be 8 next week and baby Kavics is nearly 2. Mini Kavics plays the cello, does basketball and swimming and loves school and her friends. She really struggled with the lockdown emotionally and I'm dreading what will happen if they decide to close schools again. Baby Kavics is cheeky and kind and funny, she loves music and already speaks in sentences.She supposed to start nursery in September but with covid we decided that I stay at home till January. I'm planning to go back to work part-time and actually need to call my boss next week about the start date. 
My OH has a very secure job thankfully, but can't work from home unfortunately. He loves mini Kavics and is a really good dad. We are starting actually the process of him adopting mini Kavics tomorrow morning purely because if anything happens to me we don't want the girls to be separated. 
Financially we are doing just fine. No mortgage, no debts for nearly a year now. I still do spreadsheets and sell everything what we don't need and buy second hand whenever we can. 

Dinah93

kavics177 said:

Oh so nice to see everyone back! I'm still here, not posting at all but still reading some diaries. 
Dinah, I'm amazed that you payed off your mortgage, well done. As well as having all these ideas for businesses ( I wish I would have even one!), but to be honest I wasn't expecting anything else from you. 
We are doing well, mini Kavics is going to be 8 next week and baby Kavics is nearly 2. Mini Kavics plays the cello, does basketball and swimming and loves school and her friends. She really struggled with the lockdown emotionally and I'm dreading what will happen if they decide to close schools again. Baby Kavics is cheeky and kind and funny, she loves music and already speaks in sentences.She supposed to start nursery in September but with covid we decided that I stay at home till January. I'm planning to go back to work part-time and actually need to call my boss next week about the start date. 
My OH has a very secure job thankfully, but can't work from home unfortunately. He loves mini Kavics and is a really good dad. We are starting actually the process of him adopting mini Kavics tomorrow morning purely because if anything happens to me we don't want the girls to be separated. 
Financially we are doing just fine. No mortgage, no debts for nearly a year now. I still do spreadsheets and sell everything what we don't need and buy second hand whenever we can. 

I am so so glad to hear things have worked out well for you. I've followed your family on facebook and I'm always thrilled to see your positive posts, you deserve it. 

Dinah93

1. 10 vine reviews 
2. Register at redbubble 
3. Email participants from pre-lockdown event 
4. Mailchimp - free yoga week 
5. Email zoom participants for tonights session 
6. Edit meditation and post 
7. Email out Monday night's class 
8. Nag NIM to finalise hire of 2x pieces of kit so they get out our hall - 1 sorted out and going on Saturday, the other one we're waiting for the person to confirm. 

Which leaves me with a bit of free time once the kids are in bed, so addendum list (still not including any accounts of course) 

1. Register Printful 
2. Register Spreadshirt 
3. Register Teepublic 
4. Register Teespring 
5. Register Zazzle 
6. Register Society6

We had a bit of good news today, about 4 years ago, so way back when I posted regularly, we had a delivery courier fall off our step, collecting a parcel that was being taken to Cinny's baby as it happens. He decided to sue us (or whatever the UK term is) for £75,000 for damages due to providing an unsafe work environment. This was due to go to court in August, but delayed due to covid. So moved to February, but in half term which was going to be an issue for childcare in the current environment. Today we get a letter to say that the insurers have agreed a settlement with the courier, and there is no longer any need to attend court. So the lesson learnt, boys and girls is always, always get legal cover on your home insurance, and look where you're going when using a step! 

Dinah93

Morning everyone, another day with no real work to do. I have so many ideas all the time but focusing on what is 'best' to move forward with is always a challenge so I tend to go for quick wins. 

So today

1. Check facebook inboxes 
2. 10 Vine reviews 
3. Try to upload first 15 designs to all the POD sites I joined last night
4. Email graphic designer 
5. Edit 5 podcasts for next week 
6. Edit and post flexibility class 
7. Send mailchimp email 

Dinah93

1. Check facebook inboxes 
2. 10 Vine reviews 
3. Try to upload first 15 designs to all the POD sites I joined last night
4. Email graphic designer 
5. Edit 5 podcasts for next week 
6. Edit and post flexibility class 
7. Send mailchimp email 

Quiet on here today - please tell me you've all found fun Friday things to do even in lockdown?! 

Bit of a slower one today, I've had vertigo for the last week and it's been really bad today. Ordered the kids Christmas present today, bigger trampoline. They play with their 5ft one most days year round, but after 5 years it's a bit worse for wear and a lot too small for two of them. Unfortunately I bought the best deal I could find, rather than being in any way practical that we have a pretty small garden, so we have a 13ft trampoline coming, I'd say our garden is around 16ft long and 14ft wide so this could be a bit overwhelming I would love to move to somewhere with a bigger garden, and all the bedrooms on the same floor, ideally a bit more rural, but we either need covid to do one so my salary looks more healthy again to get a mortgage, or we need covid to do one so we can save up for a few years to buy outright (by which point the kids are probably too old to want or need a bigger garden), and we also need to make the decision where we want the kids to go to secondary. We are in catchment for a very well rated secondary where we are now, it does have a small catchment so we couldn't move to the countryside and still get a place, but it's still very run down with old resources and absolutely colossal, we are considering sending the kids private at 11, but that's a big financial commitment, and it's a case of trying to decide what we think our priorities are, bigger house, retirement, private school, travel, investments? I have no clue where to start with planning how to spend money, I just always have spent it as fast (or faster) than it's come in.

Still going to try to have a play with getting some of the designs uploaded, but my internet has been temperamental again so uploading in any capacity hasn't been on the cards since lunchtime. 

wendz86

Hope you are feeling a bit better today. Bet the kids will love the trampoline. Mine would love one but our garden is on a slope which makes it tricky. 
The girls are at their dads for the weekend so i've been on a mission sorting Christmas presents etc, done a few online orders. Treated myself to some new Christmas lights which I may have put up. Also listed a couple of things on Ebay. A friend dropped over some clothes for H her daughter has grown out of including wellies which she needed so that was good.

kavics177

We have no garden so the Kavics kids have trampoline at my parents' house. They love it and probably would love a huge one too but not a chance.
We live in a 3 bed apartman and during the first lockdown we seriously thought about selling and buying a house. It was a huge dilemma as I was at home with the kids while OH went to work every day and he was the one saying no to the house. We actually decided against it for time being because we are a bit scared to take on a mortgage again. Although I'm only early 40s and would still need to work for at least another 25 years, being mortgage free allows us to build up some savings and concentrate on our pensions. Also we want to change our cars (both 17 yrs old) and OH wants to buy another land for his bees (he is a traveling beekeeper). As for private schools Dinah, our system is different here but regardless I had the chance to send mini Kavics to a private international school here but the monthly cost would have been half of my salary. We are choosing the state route for secondary as well and spend the money on private tutoring if necessary. It is really strange that at this stage of our lives we need to make these decisions but I don't want to worry again about money.