A Ditherer's Diary (again)

Naomim

Had to go to Tesco yesterday as I couldn't get a slot for this week. Spent £74 and don't think I got anywhere near enough for a weeks meals. I stupidly didn't make a list or a meal plan and went at 7.45am so I wasn't there amongst loads of people.  I may have to nip to Aldi at some point for top up shop.

Two more little bits sold on FB so another £7 in the pot. My poor daughter is still sleeping in the front room. The carpenter is here today and hopefully if not finished he'll be back on Saturday.  I can't wait to get tidied up!

No money received from the builder yet. I'll follow up on Friday as that will be a week. I don't understand him contacting us to say he is in a position to make a payment and then not send it. It's not like we were pushing him for it.

On a positive note. On the day we went into lockdown, the company I work for completed the purchase of another company.  As we are global, they are working their way through different countries and groups on re-organisation.  Yesterday we had a call regarding the Department and teams I fall into.  They have said there are opportunities to be had and to register interest so I have told my line-manager I would like to be considered for a supervisory role.  I love the team I'm in, there's only four of us and I've never worked in such a tight team who has everyone's backs and gets on so well.  As much as I don't want to leave the team, I need to put my career and earning potential first.  Our team will have to expand as we are taking on another 800+ customers.  I'm studying for this so there's no point me not making any use and getting any experience.  We should find out in January/ February what's to come and who is where.  

I still haven't wrapped any Christmas presents so I'm going to have to start doing it soon. It's so hard with DD being in the front room as MrM is usually asleep by about 9pm which is normally when I'm just getting a chance to sit down and relax!

15yo is currently self isolating as two of his friends have tested positive.  One of them had no symptoms at all but his twin did so they both got tested. The one with symptoms was negative and he was positive. Luckily the isolation ends 23rd December. 

Hope you are all keeping safe and well.

Naomim

Naomim

MrM's December salary has hit the bank account so I have moved it over to the savings account to sit in there for the next week or so.

Chased up the builder again as nothing arrived yet. He said he'd do it yesterday, then messaged to say Santander was offline and he'd do it today. I'm not holding my breath but just trying to understand why he would get in touch now. 🤷‍♀️

Dd's bedroom is still being worked on. The carpenter should finish today and then hopefully we can get the carpet cut to size and her new bed up by tonight.  Decorating will have to wait for next year.

Naomim 
Update.  Just after I posted my Monzo account went kerching and the first £1000 pinged in. I tried to add a new Monzo pot but apparently I had got the maximum amount of pots. Who knew? 🤷‍♀️. So I've changed an empty one to keep on top of it and any further receipts. 

Naomim

Mroning all,

I hope everyone managed to enjoy Christmas as much as they could.  As we're in Tier 4 our plans changed so we were at home just us four. Usually we are at the in-laws with my husbands parents, sister and her three kids.  We actually had a lovely day at home. We dropped the presents off on the doorstep on Christmas Eve and then did video calls for present opening.  

I had a bit of drama two days before Christmas, the washing machine stopped draining and then coming home from the supermarket late in the afternoon, my car indicators stopped working too.  I managed to get the washing machine drained - all over the floor and I was desperately trying to mop it all up with towels.  I found £1.65 (put in the loose change jar 😁) and a couple of stickers. Tried the machine again, still not draining, more water all over the floor.  I filled it with soda crystals and left it to sit for a while in hot water. Still not draining and now sludgy, grey water coming out of the draining hose on to the floor and towels.  Wiped all the insides down and they were horrible, gave it another soda crystal wash on a 90deg wash and it drained. Did another and it drained again and seems to be working fine now. So it appears all it needed was a bit of cleaning and getting the sludge out the pipes.  I will now set a reminder to do a 90deg wash with soda crystals once a month.   Luckily the car indicators was a blown fuse and I managed to get my niece's boyfriend to come and change it for free.  So all good.

Yesterday I transferred mine and MrM's salary back into the bank account ready for the month ahead.  I'm hoping we might be able to save some more money this month as not able to go anywhere.  I've also emptied £45 from Paypal, £95 from Topcashback and £35 Quidco. This money is going directly into my bank account and covers the Italian takeaway we had on Christmas Eve and the additional spending we made on DD's bedroom.  I still have my £2 pot to empty but I have decided to hang on to it until it is absolutely full. It's already about 3/4 full but may take a long time to get to the top as not using much cash. 

With MrM's bonus and the £1000 we received from the builder we have an emergency fund currently sitting at £4000.  I save £50 a month and will continue to do so. 

I have been reading diaries and people's plans for the coming year.  I'm thinking there's not much more I can do financially. I'm already selling bits and doing surveys etc to make extra money for overpayments.  £17.74 overpayment earned from Prolific sent to Barclaycard today.  So my goals this year are to do some DIY.  I would like to get DD's bedroom decorated and my downstairs toilet and sand and paint my front door.  Doesn't sound much but has to be done when time and money can allow.

I have consolidated an old paid up pension into my current workplace one to have them in one place. This is currently at £73k so once the debts are gone I will think about upping my pension contributions. I'm 47 already and need to get the mortgage paid off and the pension in place.  

The final thing for the new year to think about is making a will.  

I wish everyone health and happiness for the new year.

Naomim

Four_Seasons

health and happiness to you to, here is to a much better year in 2021.

lucielle

Ditto the above.  
L

Naomim

Four_Seasons said:

health and happiness to you to, here is to a much better year in 2021.

lucielle said:

Ditto the above.  
L

Thank you both.

I braved Tesco yesterday. Went with a proper list and spent £74. That also included some extra's like J20 drinks which I would never pay full price for but were on for £3 clubcard price.  I also bought some dishwasher cleaner which is currently running. I don't want the dishwasher going the same way as the washing machine! and stocked up on more soda crystals.  

I've just checked the credit card balances. Last monthly payment came out today and now they are standing at £27,737.66.  I pay £620 a month so wondering how I might be able to make up the extra to get down into the £26k bracket in January. 🤔

I also ordered a small box kallax unit from Ikea to go into DD's new wardrobe.  My plans for Saturday are to try and get the room organised so it doesn't look like a shell and get her clothes off my bedroom floor and into her room.  She's only been back in it for about a week and already it looks like a bombsite. I'm sure she carries little hand grenades around with her. Everywhere she goes is a mess! 🤦‍♀️

Obviously absolutely no plans for going out tonight.  I might even have an early night!  

Stay safe

Naomim

GeorgianaCavendish

Happy New Year Naomi! You've made great progress in 2020, I'm sure 2021 will be even better  

Naomim

GeorgianaCavendish said:

Happy New Year Naomi! You've made great progress in 2020, I'm sure 2021 will be even better  

And to you @GeorgianaCavendish, I certainly hope so!

Naomim

Morning all,

I haven't been sleeping well recently.  I keep waking up all through the night then struggling to get back to sleep. I gave up at 6.30am today. I've lolled in bed catching up on tv drinking tea & coffee. 

Yesterday I finally managed to get most of DD's room organised.  I took out the trundle bed as it wont open anyway. She also wanted a desk for her pc so I managed to salvage a long plank from the trundle and have made a makeshift desk using the ikea unit I was going to put in her wardrobe.
I'm very pleased with myself as it's very MSE using what I have! Today's plan is to get her clothes back in her room.  Im just building up the energy to go for a shower. I know I'm far more productive when I'm not in my pj's.

We have a slot booked for the local tip tomorrow to get rid of the rubbish we have. MrM's car is already loaded.  I also have a flat tyre again so looks like another puncture.  God knows how im getting them.

Bills start coming out from tomorrow but hoping to have a non spend week apart from food shopping and possibly new tyre.

Naomim 

enthusiasticsaver

Desk looks good.  Hope you can manage to find a bit extra to get the CC debt below £27k.