Bricks Not Books

savingwannabe

I am so sorry you haven't been well. I hope you are better now. Glad your parents are coming down as hopefully they can help you out so you can recover properly. :j

Fab news on all the books in the spare room. It'll feel like it's your personal room now full of your favourite books. You always make great OPs so well done, as usual!:T

Gosh, I can't believe you have paid your TV licence in one go. I pay in instalments I don't think it costs any extra. I hope it doesn't as that's how I have always done it!:rotfl::o

Have a good weekend. I am going to try to rest as much as possible.

VintageHistorian

Oh dear, how did I manage to miss a whole month here? I seem to do that in the summer, I think it's because the heat makes me not want to do anything XD

June's total OP was £67.91, which wasn't quite as much as I would have wanted. Paying the road tax and TV licence made me feel very poor even though the money for both was saved, so I was reluctant to OP more.

July has also seen more spending. I had a week off which inevitably included a day out in Colchester. Treated myself to lunch out and bought some bits for my Christmas shoeboxes, and some cleaning bits DH wanted for the house. Also had an afternoon at the garden centre, no plant purchases but did have another lunch out as part of that. Also read a very large biography on Catherine the Great, and pottered around the house.

Despite the spending July's OP will be large as I put in a very big expenses claim at work. Train ticket to London for our annual conference, and a bunch of office supplies, meant I ended up with £92 claimed in expenses. Already been paid out by work and transferred to the mortgage so I'm easily breaking the £60 mark this month.

However after August I won't have any expenses to claim...as I've got a new job! Still doing comms and online content work. It's a 30 to 40 minute walk from the house, so I'll no longer have the hideous commute. I'm already excited about it. It's going to change so much for me that I keep worrying it'll all be snatched away at any moment. I applied and interviewed for it back in June and originally didn't get it. However during my week off one of the interview panel phoned and said they had created a second post and would I be willing to take it up? I could hardly say no XD I had been so disappointed and upset to not get it originally so have it turned around a few weeks later was amazing.

Along saving about £150 a month in diesel (I budget £200 a month at the moment and when prices go up I get pretty close to using it all up. I'm planning on putting £50 in at the start of September and then seeing how much I use in the month) I'm going to be saving so much time as well! Not sure what my hours will be yet but if I finish at 5 I will hopefully get home around 5:30. Currently I leave at 5 and get home some time between 6:45 and 7, with bad traffic there's barely a month where I don't have one evening getting home at 7:30. Just having that off my chest is going to make so much difference. I want to write some new eBooks for a start!
So now on my 4 weeks notice at work and then I'll have a week off (unpaid) and then start my new job. Work are both happy that I've got a new role, as I'd told them I was looking back in January, but sad that they'll be losing me. The saved petrol money is going to be split between bumping up the maternity savings, adding to the emergency savings, and spending on the house. Still need paint and a new carpet for the smallest bedroom and a blind for the office.

As far as I know my new role won't involve nearly as many expenses. Not sure how they manage things like tea/coffee etc, but it will almost certainly involve no London travel, so no more train ticket claims. But on the other hand I can use my extra time in the evenings for some more money-making things. I'm also looking forward to having more energy at weekends so me and DH can go explore a bit more of the local area.

Right, time to head to bed, have a good weekend everyone!

ChasingSunshine

Congratulations on the new job. It should like it will be wonderful for your quality of life.

VintageHistorian

Thank you ChasingSunshine! It really is going to make such a difference, both for me and DH! I'm so exhausted by Thursday that we don't really do much at weekends. That suits him too as he also has a long commute, but there are days when we would like to go somewhere and don't as I just can't face driving.

Had my last day at my old place on Friday. Various team members have been on annual leave so we actually had a little farewell party the week before, having cake and tea at a cafe in Cambridge. The team bought me a lovely book; "The Middle Ages in 50 objects" which looks really good. My line manager also gave me a gift card as a leaving present. Feeling quite sad to be leaving such a great team, but I really couldn't do the drive any longer.

Had a bit of stress this week as I hadn't heard anything from HR at my new place, and my two referees hadn't been asked for references either. Eventually emailed my new line manager just asking when I'd be hearing from HR and she seems to have given them a kick as it was all sorted out by Thursday afternoon. I was getting worried in case I didn't have a job to go to XD Swapping jobs has also saved me a good chunk off my car insurance! Was expecting it to be close to £400 for the year, but ended up getting it for £290! Plus there will be around £20 cashback for getting the comparison quotes through Quidco.

I now have this week off work so there's a few things to do around the house. Need to try and shift some more of the wedding china and get a bit of cash in. Also got some bits of washing to do, and start thinking about prepping for winter. I need to buy an umbrella as I don't currently own one. If I'm walking to work I don't want to show up at the office looking like a drowned rat! XD My winter coat will be fine for another year, as will my wellies. One of our wedding gifts was a slow cooker that I completely failed to use last year. However I've now bought a really good (second hand) slow cooker recipe book off Amazon. I went through it last night with some sticky tabs and marked all the recipes that I'd like to try, so that will add some nice variety to winter meals. I don't know if I'd feel safe leaving it on during the day while I'm at work, but at the very least I can batch cook some casseroles for the freezer. Also need to make some chili and a couple of lasagnes.

July ended with a total OP of £122.74, most of which came from my huge expenses claim! August has started with an OP of £52.95. That's the standard £30 OP, plus a train refund for DH of £15.20, and a tiny TT of £0.05 XD I also handed in expenses of £22.45 before I left work.

We also got a letter from Halifax stating that they'd miscalculated some part of the interest on our mortgage. As a result they've credited us with £20, and recalculated our mortgage payments so we're now paying £658.66 a month. However we're happy with the £666.36 we were paying, so we're just OPing the £7.70 difference as standard. It all works out the same in the end.

Right, time to go make some lunch. Dinner tonight is roast pork loin chops with all the trimmings Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

VintageHistorian

Hahaha, best laid plans to be productive during a week off quickly went out the window :rotfl:

Did the washing I wanted, namely multiple bath towels and the bath mat, and my hoodies. Didn't get the chili or the lasagne done though. Just didn't get round to buying the ingredients. I did however buy an umbrella. In fact I decided it was high time I invested some money in things I've been putting off for a while, so I bought a paid of sandals (£22 in the White Stuff sale), an umbrella (£4.95 in the Paperchase sale), and some bras (M&S but not in a sale).

My youngest sister got the A Level results she needed to get in to her first choice university :T So I've been full speed ahead with sorting out a box of goodies for her. During my shopping trip I got some plasters, paracetamol, an A6 sketchbook, some post-it notes, and some nice chocolate from Hotel Chocolat. She's also got a USB pen drive, some sticky tabs for books, biros, safety pins, and a mini vegetarian cookbook that I picked up in a charity shop for £1.50 and looks brand new. Need to find a few extra things to add to it, might get her some woolly gloves. She doesn't drink hot drinks so I can't get her hot chocolate sachets. Will keep an eye out for a mini hot water bottle though. Went out Thursday night for drinks, my oldest friend is pregnant with her second baby and is due in 10 days time! One of the bridesmaids from her wedding managed to pull four of us together for a chatty evening in a pub. All of us were drinking soft drinks which we found quite funny. I was the only childless one there so got to listen to all the battle stories about sleepless nights :rotfl: They're a lovely bunch, even if I only know the other three through my friend, so it was good to have a catch up.

On Friday me and DH made a little pilgrimage to the blue and yellow Swedish shop. Had breakfast (first time using the "Family Card", we got free hot drinks) before setting off for the long walk around. We spotted a kitchen design we really liked, although that's a long way off being sorted out. We went to get some shelving for the loft, some drawers for the office, and some replacement crockery (I've chipped two plates since we bought the first lot). We came out with everything we needed except a spatula and a whisk, and added a mirror. It's quite a large rectangular one with a white bevelled edge frame. Also bought 3 packs of meatballs, which should keep us going for a while.

DH assembled the loft shelving yesterday, and did my drawers today. I then spent the afternoon packing lots of my website stuff in to the drawers and sorting out Christmas things, while DH went through loads of paperwork and shredded lots of bank stuff. I've barely made a dent in the stuff we have piled up in the smallest bedroom but at least downstairs is looking a lot clearer! I've also packed all the Christmas decorations in to one box to go in the loft, and Christmas gifts in another box to go in our wardrobe. Next weekend we'll probably take some stuff down to the tip as we've got a lot of carpet off-cuts, empty paint cans, and two ancient blinds, which could all do with being binned. That should also create some more space in the smallest room, so I can sort through things a bit more easily. Also have two cardboard boxes I can stick up on Facebook as free to collect. They've lasted well and it's time they go to someone else who's moving!

First day at the new place on Monday! I did a test walk last Monday. 30 minutes to get there, 30 minutes to get back, and just over 6000 steps total. Add in a lunch time walk and I think I'll be good for 10k most days :T

No new OPs to add as I'm still waiting on expenses from my old work. Keep eyeing up the change jars but I feel I should leave those until the lack of expenses claims starts to bite. Should be able to do a TT next week, just need to be careful after spending money this week!

Dinner tonight was gammon, egg and homemade wedges, with peas. Dinner tomorrow will be some of the Ikea meatballs in tomato sauce Have a good week everyone!

savingwannabe

I don't know how I missed your summer posts. I blame the heat! Fab news on the job front. I bet your OPs will be even better and you will be so fit from all this walking.

Congratulations to your sister too on great A level results. Ikea Meatballs. Yum. I only go once a year and do like them. Keep up all the good work. Your posts are always so positive! I hope next week goes well for you. After this rotten weekend the good weather should return I hope.

VintageHistorian

I'm happy with good weather SW, but I'd prefer to avoid a heatwave Actually today has been very nice, warm and sunny but with a glow that I tend to associate with autumn.

Can't believe it's September already! This year seems to have gone by very quickly. In my case I've lost a lot of time to driving but two weeks in to my new walk to work I'm feeling much more relaxed about my car We drove over to my parent's yesterday evening, my eldest little sister has her 21st birthday in 2 weeks time. My parents are taking her and my youngest sister to Amsterdam for a few days to celebrate, so me and DH drove over with her birthday gift. Mum's hidden it away until her actual birthday. I bought her a handmade necklace from Etsy with tiny sapphires from pale blue to dark blue, on a gold chain. Sapphires are her birthstone, and it will be something nice that she can wear for her graduation and for job interviews in the future.

I also took along a box of things for youngest sister to take to take to university. I did the same thing for eldest little sister when she went off as well. Had to do a bit of last minute shopping to fill it up properly, but it had a bunch of useful things she might have forgotten such as a tin opener, a potato peeler, some Neurofen, post-it notes and sticky tabs, spare pens, a spare A6 sketchbook, and a little hot water bottle. I also managed to get a little vegetarian cookbook that looked brand new in a charity shop for only £1.50, she's already spotted some recipes she liked the look of.

We also met her boyfriend last night. He's going in to his second year at his university. They will both be on the south coast, but about a 90 minute train journey away from each other. Still easier than having to go back up towards Cambridge at weekends though, and they've already worked out the journey itself. He seemed like a very nice young man, and our parents like him too. He's studying music, youngest sister will be doing fine art, so they'll have a very creative household if they last!

So yes, I'm feeling happier about driving now that I don't do it every day. Last weekend me and DH even took a bunch of things to the tip. I haven't quite settled in to a proper pattern for my extra hours in the evening just yet, but it will come. DH still gets home quite late so I can't start dinner earlier and get it done and out the way. I've started a little bit of work on a new women's history ebook, and last weekend I had enough energy to bake! I made a double chocolate loaf cake but I'm glad I read the comments about the cooking time as it took much longer than stated! Also my loaf tin as a little smaller than the one needed so I made 6 fairy cakes out of the mixture too :rotfl:

Right, August OP was £79.32, which included my last expenses claim even though my old work haven't paid out yet. If they haven't paid by the middle of September I'll need to email my boss and ask about it. This month...who knows? But I didn't pay enough tax in August due to swapping jobs and I'm sure it'll get taken out in September's pay, so I need to be careful this month until it gets sorted.

Dinner tonight was very decadent; chicken and parma ham pasta, with a little bit of garlic bread, followed by a mini Haagen Dazs tub. I'm very full up, will need that walk to work tomorrow.

Have a good week everyone!

Courgette

Belated congratulations on the new job! 30 minutes walk twice a day sounds much nicer than 2-3 hours in a car. Your work sounds very interesting too. Out of interest, how many ebooks have you published? Do you earn much from them?

VintageHistorian

Thanks Courgette!

I've only published two so far, both about women in history. I have two more in my head (including a 3rd in my original series), so it's just a case of getting them on to digital paper.

I only have mine up for 99p each as they're quite short (30 biographies each eBook, tend to average around 800 to 900 words per biography) and I want them to be pretty accessible, I mainly charge just to feel good when I see a few pennies roll in I uploaded the first one in Feb 2014 and the second in Aug 2014, and since then I've made a grand total of £20.55, plus $5.95, AU$1.75, and CAN$0.35

So overall not a fortune, but it does mean I get an occasional payment of a few pennies from Amazon, and better it's in my bank account rather than theirs There's no minimum payout, which is a positive, I hate having to wait until I get to some arbitrarily large number when dealing with a wealthy company that could easily pay instantly (looking at Google AdWords here). I might earn more if I advertised them more but they're a bit old now so I'd rather save the energy for the new ones!

Courgette

Women in history are really my thing!

I've published an ebook too and an in the final stages of another. My earnings are pretty similar to yours really but it's a nice feeling seeing the pennies come in as you say