Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Payday! One way or another that's lead to a trawl through this month's diary and expenditure which has been useful but I'm out of time to complete it.

I woke up early for some reason - this seems to have been a theme over the past few days - but had a quiet start to the morning as DH went to look after DGD. My arthritic foot was being a bit tender so I took ibuprofen which is helping, then went to meet them at the cafe. DGD had woken from her nap so I didn't stay for coffee (just paid for DH's tea and biscuits, LOL). We decided to walk back fairly directly though DH had to stop for his prescription and I called in at the shops for some more cappuccinos.

DGD is under the weather: probably a cold and I have one too. I tested negative for Covid this morning. She's been very quiet nearly all day, but cheered up in the last hour. She can walk four steps now, but seems more interested in watching Bluey or practising pushing shapes through holes. Perhaps she's going to be an engineer?

I've managed to log into my work emails and payslip, which showed me I'd forgotten to put right part of a pay claim from the new year. I've sent an email to ask if it can be amended as it looks as though I'm getting just £17 for working most of one night. I have the manager's permission to claim for a night shift but inadvertently used an out of date way of applying.

I'm finding it very useful to record outgoings in a small diary. It's not fully up to date till I square it with the bank but it's easier than trying to go back through what I write here. I've also started a notebook to record my appointments to do with my sickness absence/treatment. I had so much offered to me in the first few days that I'm getting confused and while noting things down this evening I found two more websites that I'm supposed to investigate. Tomorrow I have a double phone appointment with the doctor but the rest of the day is due to be chilly and wet, with no appointments. I'll doubtless be on here, trying to motivate myself.

I solved the L1dl spending quandary by er, spending. I popped in this morning for cereal etc so I've now topped the £100 spend in February and have a £2 voucher to be spent in the next week. I also collected my free bakery item (a nice loaf of bread). Other spending has included a gift card for my SiL (35 Euros) and a bunch of 'free' photos off an app. It's one of those where you cover the cost by paying about £6 for postage, and also pay for any duplicates or enlargements. I was in such a hurry to get it done (to get this month's 'free' pictures) that I didn't notice how much it was, but I think between £7 and £8.

Right, I need sleep, will endeavour to put my spending totals down tomorrow, and also to move some money into the YBS account for savings.

Cherryfudge

What a rainy day! And I have Covid. Not too bad at all so far, though I think four out of eight who were on the weekend away now have it. This is my second bout: the first was April last year.

I had my GP appointment by phone this morning and have to make a couple of face to face appointments to follow through. One was supposed to be the physio later in the morning but then I got my test results so I'll have to book that again. I've got my sick note for a couple of weeks and been in touch with work to let them know. Interestingly, there was an email mentioning that after the latest recruitment drive there will be a pause to allow people to settle - this was one of the things I've raised with management so it's gratifying that it's happening. I also considered for a while then emailed the whole team to let them know I'm off with stress, and what's being done. I reckon that the more information I give, the less people can gossip.

So this morning went by on business-type things and this afternoon is headed towards finances as it's the first of the month. My manager has emailed to ask for details of the relevant payslip so she can see about getting me the right pay. I've paid c. £95 off the credit card so I don't need to worry about charges. Still haven't got another one so I can get cash back but it's way down the list.

Still to do: check other accounts and move £300 into YBS Christmas saver.

Yesterday's spending:
Entertainment £3.80
Housekeeping £19.88
Medical: £1.21 
Gift £30
Photos (I forget what they come under) £5.87

Decluttered: 43 receipts and a leaflet.

Cherryfudge

I've just ordered a new charger as I'm going to have difficulty sharing with DH while I'm infectious and he isn't. We had another but it disappeared on our weekend away.

The interesting thing is that most reviews of this one (Am@zon Basic) are for the black version, sometimes stating it's expensive. I agree, the black one is expensive (I've bought it before. It's currently £11.99). The white version, however, is £4.99 but otherwise identical (and easier to find if dropped behind the sofa).

I had £4.99 exactly on a voucher and still haven't cancelled Pr1me, so no direct cost at all to me.

Cherryfudge

I don't seem to have achieved much in the last day and a half. The new charger has arrived and I'm happy with it. DH has got some groceries. I had my first counselling session which has given me a few things to work on (like not checking my work emails every day!) and a few colleagues have been in touch. However, it's taken me till teatime today to work out how to transfer money into the YBS account. Odd, as I had no difficulty last month. It's now set up as a standing order so I don't need to remember till October when it matures.

February finances survived the 'paying myself first' along with increasing a couple of regular payments. I think March has to be more expensive as we are away later in the month.

I also found my Iceland Bonus card, Post Office travel card and a spare Nectar card while going through the receipts the other day. Those are all accounts that need to be set in order as I don't know what Euros I have left from Barcelona, pre-pandemic, and I don't remember if I ever got as far as setting up the loyalty cards with actual accounts (not where I do most of my shopping).

Cherryfudge

Some small progress made: I'm into the travel money app and there are 76 euros waiting to be spent! I knew it was around that amount. I now need to top it up - good job I haven't yet put the rest of last month's money in savings!

ETA: moved some spending money in but will need to see how much DH is taking as we share costs. We used to say £100 a day... alas I'm guessing that's no longer the case! Google says 181 euros for Venice, where we're going, but we have already paid for our flights and hotel.

Cherryfudge

A slightly manic evening: I was on a roll sorting out loyalty cards and downloading the attendant apps, and have also checked all bank accounts and confirmed yet again that most are on derisory interest rates, when suddenly DS2 rang to say he's lost his passport and did we mind if he came to look for it.

Now bear in mind he shoved everything he doesn't immediately need into boxes and has stored them in his old room, and that I've moved in there while I have Covid. I took my stuff downstairs then had a quick, unsuccessful look for it but in the end he came over - only takes him about 45 minutes while it takes us an hour - and found it in a few minutes. Then he hared off again as he has to be up at 3 to catch a plane!

It was nice to see him. And yes, he takes after me.  

I'm quite pleased to have made progress on those three pieces of plastic. At some point I need to make a phone call as I seem to have two nectar cards, possibly both with points on. It won't be a fortune but I want access to it!

badmemory

I hope one of your nectar cards wasn't like mine & expired so points were all lost.  There is nowhere really that I can use it round here except ebay so I currently my new one has a massive 9 points only due to some Wasgij purchases.  I don't think that is going to get me very far!

Cherryfudge

I really haven't got anything done this morning so I need to be accountable. A couple of colleagues texted which has got me thinking about work stuff. It's good to hear from them but I find I'm getting too drawn in. I could also do with checking those work emails again - how long can I resist? There's no actual need to do it for some time though at some point I will get a referral to Occupational Health and the counsellor has already advised there's an area she can't deal with and which needs to be flagged up with them.

DD has been in touch and is feeling better: she's had it worse than I have. I'm very sneezy! I did my Duolingo Italian and ran out of lives but it's a good way to disconnect from work. One of my things for this afternoon will be making vocabulary and grammar notes because at the moment new stuff is coming thick and fast after weeks of very repetitious basics.

I'm finding it difficult to get down to the 'for me' type activities I'm supposed to be doing for my well being as Covid and the weather are getting in the way. I need to be deliberate about it and make something happen. I'm not poorly enough to stay in bed, but at least I have replied to my colleagues and stopped there (thanks to Duo) rather than gone into the emails.

Will try to report back later.

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

I hope one of your nectar cards wasn't like mine & expired so points were all lost.  There is nowhere really that I can use it round here except ebay so I currently my new one has a massive 9 points only due to some Wasgij purchases.  I don't think that is going to get me very far!

Cross posted with you, sorry! I didn't know they can go out of date, it's possible my old one that I lost and found again has been cancelled as they sent a replacement. I'll try to find out.

Think of all the money you haven't spent - those nine points mean you are much better off then had you had 900 points!

Sun_Addict

Boo to having Covid again. If you’re off sick you shouldn’t be looking at work emails, you need a break away to recover wags finger 😆

On the Euros front I was very pleasantly surprised to find we have €100 left from our trip to Greece last August which will roll over nicely to next month’s trip to Lanzarote 😀