From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Janb5- I will investigate later today🙂.

Sunday was a relaxing day, no taxiing again, so more time to get things done. I had a bit of a baking fest so made apple flapjacks, chocolate muffins, lemon drizzle cake and banana & apricot loaf. Should keep everyone going for a couple of days 😉. Made a batch of pasties for tea, followed by Apple  Amber, using apples from the garden. Thankfully there was enough of the filling ingredients for me to make an extra pasty for DS1’s lunch today.

The elderly lurcher managed a circular walk today without too much trouble. He has reached the stage where it’s better for me to take him out on his own and go at his pace rather than have him try and keep up with more of us. He’s 13 and doing well considering his health issues this year.

There was even enough time to take DS3 to a cycle trail in the nearest big town. It’s far safer for him to cycle there than on the lanes here. He is getting better each time we go!  I was just glad to get outside for a walk. I noticed the holly berries looking a vibrant red against the glossy green holly leaves.

Honeysucklelou2

Another week has quickly flown by.  I missed not working at job no 2, especially as working one of those shifts means I don’t have any contact with the ex.  This week I was here when he was here but was surprised that he spent only 2 and a half hours max before leaving, particularly as he’d not seen the children for the last couple of weekends.


On Friday I had the day off, so DD2 and I made the most of it by getting out on the coast path. The sea was calm except round a jutting  headland where the waves were crashing as they hit the cliff face. It was lovely to have time to spend with DD2 -a positive of the lockdown. Normally she is at work on my day off, so lovely to have a bit of time together. Another positive is that she had nothing to do, so tackled my ironing pile while I was at work this week😇.

DD1 is preparing for her next step, which is quite a big one - moving abroad for further study. Lots of things to consider and sort out before the new year.

I’ve had to use some of my tips savings for purchase of the coat and for godson’s birthday gift, so losing a bit of savings. 

Honeysucklelou2

Another benefit of lockdown was coming home this evening ( Tues) to find that DD2 had cooked tea 😋. She is getting bored now with so much time off so I’m trying to make sure we have walks / activities planned in on my days off. In the last lockdown she still had college work to do but now she has finished, it’s the first time she not had any deadlines / essays to do.

This week seems to have been dreadful on the financial front. I’ve had a £200 repair bill on the car 😳 which, on the back of the first car repair bill, has wiped out accounts. I have spent quite a bit on ingredients / materials for work, so must get the receipts submitted so that I can be reimbursed.

On my last day off, I spent an hour and 15 minutes in a telephone queue, trying to get through to V*daph*ne. I pay  for DD1’s phone contract and needed to update it in terms of making sure her contract would cover her abroad and at home. Thankfully there was some kind of roaming (?) package available for the zone that she will be living in, so have signed up for that. In money terms it’s an extra commitment of another £16 a month but at least she will be able to use her phone there.


With all the extra spending this week, I haven’t even started on Christmas yet. I have saved a few pounds a week into a separate account so have a little pot I can use for gifts.

Spendless

Exciting news  for your DD1. Annoying about the car, but you can't manage without it so can't be helped. Totally understand re DD2, my own teen is in her 2nd year of college and has a mix of on-line and f2f classes but is struggling far more in this lockdown with lack of energy and motivation. I've long suspected that lack of daylight affects me as I've never been keen on these months and it's not the weather being cold that bothers me.

Cherryfudge

How nice of your DD! I'm not sure I would have been as disciplined if I'd been stuck at home.

Eek! to the car bill, but I think as it's an essential, it's money well spent. You need it to be as reliable as possible. Hopefully the receipts will make cash flow a bit easier. The extra on your DD's phone will be worth it, too - you need to stay in touch, and she needs to be able to make contact, send pictures, use maps etc etc. So the cost is a bit of a present to you all, for the reassurance and memories it will create.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Spendless & Cherryfudge.

Cherryfudge- that’s such a good way of looking at the extra phone bill commitment. The reassurance that she is ok will be the biggest  blessing, especially as she has a long term health condition to contend with. 

I got home from work to find a letter from S*ntan*er to say they  had now reinvestigated and decided to award me £141 for PPI compensation. Apparently it would seem that although the card was with the Alliance and Leicester, they were taken over / promoted by/ became financially underpinned ( not sure how one phrases it)  by MBNA  a couple of years after I had the card, so will only cover the first  couple of years. It looks like I’ve missed the boat to apply to MBNA now as we are over a year past the deadline but £141 is better than a slap in the face with a wet fish as my grandfather used to say!  As soon as it arrives and can be banked, the money can go off the first  window loan. I am determined to clear it by Christmas!

Jacket potatoes are in the oven and I think it’s time  to light the fire. Aiming for a cosy evening, preferably reading by the fire but in reality a fair bit of work to do too.

Spendless

What you've said would make sense in my case because I've never borrowed directly from Santander and it would have been A & L who I remember having a loan with. Definately £141 is better than nothing and better than my less than £9 -lol. I'm pretty sure I got my cheque through quite quickly.  
Pleased there's the end in sight to the window loan. 

janb5

So pleased you've got an extra boost of funds especially after the expense with the car.
Any update on the ex and the non mediation?

Cherryfudge

Honeysucklelou2 said:

Cherryfudge- that’s such a good way of looking at the extra phone bill commitment. The reassurance that she is ok will be the biggest  blessing, especially as she has a long term health condition to contend with. 

I feel I'm a bit of an expert at coping when adult offspring go abroad - numbers 2 and 3 are quite good at being scary! The oldest goes with his wife, who's an experienced traveller, and he's level headed too, so I don't worry too much about them. DD sent me a picture of her skydiving while she was travelling - as she said, better to let me know after the event! DS2 went to China with the least possible preparation, including not having ordered his inhaler, but he got back in one piece and as far as I know managed not to fall foul of customs he'd completely not researched.

I don't think I really help myself. I tracked DD's plane so I 'saw' her arrive in an airport on the other side of the world, but the app must have been slightly out of synch, as it appeared to park in a river. I was staring at the app waiting for emergency vehicles to show up (which of course they didn't, as it wasn't really in a river and even if it had been, ambulances probably don't have transponders so they would have been completely invisible to me).

Anyway they all got home safe and sound - and DS2 has been known to guide me across the road because he has doubts about my competency. Perhaps it's just a family thing.

Great to hear you have some PPI coming to you! Perfect timing.

savingholmes

Glad the PPI can help offset the car bill.