A Ditherer's Diary (again)

Naomim

So today has been productive.  I have built my hallway unit and decluttered the old one but it's in the front room until I get round to the under stairs cupboard.  I've also put a small shelving unit up on a small corner of the kitchen and moved my herbs & spices to it as we're usually digging about in the larder to find them.

I've listed 11yo's old Build a bears and outfits as a job lot on FB marketplace and my kitchen ovens (top & bottom) are both currently sitting in a bicarbonate & white vinegar solution. 

15yo has gone into town today to buy his gf's birthday & Christmas present. I'm waiting on him to get home to cook dinner. I was going to do a roast but decided the ovens needed the clean and he can make fajitas tonight instead.

I still need to clean the bathroom, but I'm enjoying a coffee whilst 11yo is watching Nativity 2 at the moment.  

Hope you have all had a good weekend. 

Naomim 

Naomim

Got the bathroom cleaned yesterday and made sure I was the first to have a bath! I needed it yesterday as was knackered from the cleaning and building. I got my bluetooth speaker in there, stuck on the OlderandWider podcast and enjoyed a lovely soak.

I have put 11yo's build a bears on FB market place. Put them on as a job lot at £30 but now thinking they are too expensive as there's loads on there.  I have been looking for a bed for 11yo as she wants a trundle bed when her room is done. l found one on my local FB for £85. Offered £70 and it's been accepted.  The lady is happy for me to collect on Saturday so need to hire a man with van.   

Ebay emailed with my invoice which is £4.30 so that will leave me with £31.80 profit to go in the bedroom fund.  Still a few things to list. I have a ski jacket 15yo only wore to go skiing when he was in Year 7 and some clothes.  I also seem to have a massive collection of football boots, all different sizes. Most of them need cleaning and it's that that's putting me off getting them up for sale. I'd have to do it by hand as I'm not risking my washing machine with them.

Bupa refund won't now hit my salary until January payday as they have already done December for early payday.  This reminds me to use @enthusiasticsaver post and move the December salary into my savings account until my actual payday so I'm not tempted to use it before and make January looong.  Although I should be ok with Christmas already budgeted and paid for.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and is keeping safe and well.

Naomim



 

GeorgianaCavendish

Such a productive weekend, you are putting the rest of us to shame! 

I love the idea of hiding December pay until normal pay day, I might have to borrow that - otherwise I’ll have 5.5 weeks between Dec and Jan pay days! 

Naomim

GeorgianaCavendish said:

Such a productive weekend, you are putting the rest of us to shame! 

I love the idea of hiding December pay until normal pay day, I might have to borrow that - otherwise I’ll have 5.5 weeks between Dec and Jan pay days! 

I can't take the credit for this. It was @enthusiasticsaverwho posted about it last year and it worked so well for me having only just had my LBM.  

Naomim

Morning all,

I am almost up to £10 on my Shoppix app now.  I would have been there before now but I forgot about it for a couple of weeks so missed out on a few tokens.  I'm now thinking I might hang on to get to £20. 

I managed to get a trundle bed for 11yo's room from FB Marketplace. The lady wanted £85 and I offered £70 and was accepted.  I have got to pay out for a man with a van which is £40 and collecting the bed on Saturday. DD is very excited. I am keeping DD's mattress so after giving the bed a good antibac and swipe down she'll be able to sleep in it Saturday night fingers crossed.  I have paid a £20 deposit to the bed lady as people are notorious for not collecting stuff from there so wanted to reassure her I really did want it!  DD's bedroom should be sorted out on Friday. We have a man coming in to move the weird step area and change the boxy bit by the stairs bulkead.   So far all I will need to pay out is £210.00. The room will need painting but that is going to have to wait until a bit more money is saved up.  I have £80 in a monzo pot - this was £100 but taken out the £20 deposit already, I have made about £40 from selling some of DD's old toys and books and I "think" I have about £70 in cash in my bedroom put by so this is all covered. DD also wants a desk in her room and we have seen one in Ikea that is compact so I'm hoping to be able to sell her old bed and pay for the desk from that.

We have booked a local restaurant for Christmas eve.  We normally go to the panto and then out for a meal. Panto is out this year which is a shame as it really was our thing to do every Chrismtas Eve - even though the 15yo isn't keen on going anymore 😢 He's too embarrassed to be seen there now.  I have £110 to cash out from TopCashback so am going to use that for the meal.  After we are going to go for a drive around and look at houses with outside decorations. There is one road near us that really go all out and many of the houses collectively raise money for the same charity.  It's lovely.

I hope you are all keeping safe and well.

Naomim

GeorgianaCavendish

Really lovely to use your TopCashBack credit for a Christmas treat I started to use my "bonus" money (cash back, surveys etc) to top up my haircut pot, and thinking of swapping it to the holiday pot from 1st Jan. You are doing great work with getting your DD's room makeover on budget, this must be a great lesson for her as well about budgeting and having stages to a goal  

Naomim

I used to use Tesco vouchers for our Christmas Eve meal but then places stopped accepting them on popular days, Christmas Eve being one of them 😢 I know in reality I should be putting the cash towards the debt busting but I am taking the scenic route and we need a few treats now and then. It's lovely none of it is being paid on credit.

It really has been a great lesson for DD this year.  If anything she's always looking for ways to make money!  Usually by selling something. 😂 Both of my kids have managed to "save" towards a large Christmas present they both want and I couldn't (and wouldn't) pay out for in full. I am putting £100 each in as part of their Christmas gifts.   She's been very aware of me saving for the money to get her room done and to have it before Christmas is a big bonus for her.

My pots have gone right down as I had to pay £600 for the car and almost all the Christmas pot is empty but they are on standing orders on payday so will creep back up again for next year.  My car insurance is due in January, MrM's in February and his MOT is due in March. By that time the car maintenance pot will be back up to £500 and the car insurance will be sitting at £490 which is based on last years prices so I'm not fussed if the insurance costs a little more.

Todays Tesco came in at £135.00 😮 but MiL is giving me £30 as I got her beers for Christmas.  I'm also giving her my nectar points which are at £30 to use for the Christmas food shop.

This weeks meal plans are:
Honey & Garlic chicken stew - this is a Hello Fresh recipe we enjoyed so trying to make it myself
Stir Fry
Egg Fried rice with chicken
Home made kebabs - this was recipe from the tv show "Eat Well For Less"
Lasagne
Shepherds Pie - we didn't have it last week as we had fajita's instead.

I'm out Sunday meeting my two work colleagues. We're meeting up near where one lives and going for an outside socially distanced coffee so need to make sure we wrap up warm! 

Naomim

ladyholly

Sorry your 15 year old is off the panto. My DGDs both love going (though not this year) and they are 24 and 18. Every year I ask if they want to go thinking they will say no but every year they say yes even though the eldest has an hours train journey and then has to con her Dad into taking her home. I would do it but due to vision problems I am not allowed to drive any more.

Naomim

I'm hoping he'll come back round to it. He's just at that age where you're mortified by everything and everyone! 

Naomim

Well yesterday was a super busy day! I emptied out the whole of 11yo's room. It took me all day! I really thought I was on top of her stuff but found loads of stuff to sell on FB & Ebay.   I did tell her I was going to be ruthless 😁 Spent ages and ages removing stuff, taking photo's and listing it.  A couple of bits have sold already and got some interest in others.  I also had a black bin bag of stuff for the charity shop and another full of rubbish.   the rest of her stuff is in my bedroom and our landing which now looks like a complete mess!  My laundry basket has been neglected this week and is oveflowing.  I need a mothers help! 🙄

Today we have the man in to do the works on DD's bedroom. Not sure if he will be able to do everything as the stairs bulkhead is much larger than I remember so may need someone to box it off properly and make a cupboard or something in that space.  I may even try and do some of it myself...I have these grand ideas and then nothing comes of it.

I'm also worried about the boiler. we seem to have sprung a leak and have a plumber coming to have a look.  But I think having the extra radiator in has caused problems with the pressure.  The boiler is 15 years old so may need replacing.  I only have about £400 in the emergency fund so far so if we need a new one, I might have to put it on credit 😢  

Sometimes it's one step forward and two back.

Hope everyone is safe and well and looking forward to the weekend.

Naomim