Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

janb5

It`s still very hard for you  and I feel you have made a good decision based on love..x

Suffolk_lass

It is so hard isn't it? they are a member of your family and you hate to see them suffer. You have to consider them as you say, as well as the loss you will feel. As you say, while he still has quality and enjoyment, you can keep him going. One of our family dogs was put on a diet of tinned wet Chappie - which is good as their digestive systems become more sensitive with age.

apple_muncher

Take care. Hugs x

XSpender

I went into consultation for redundancy today as our team is to be reduced by 25% due to the continued impact covoid-19 is having on our industry and being unable to carry out our role as we did before.  I am grateful that they have not cancelled the entire contract which is what I expected to happen when first called to the meeting.  I have to go through an assessment and, as we are a geographically dispersed team, are location will also be taken into account as well as other factors.  The team do feel that the decision has probably already been made and the assessment is just a tick box exercise as they will know who they want.  They have offered VR but it is not guaranteed which also makes me believe they know who they want.  I can only give it my absolute best shot and what will be will be.  If I am successful I will be back to work on 1st July on the same package but will have a much better work life balance and won't have to worry about the lack of childcare available until schools return in September.  I didn't think I liked this job but when I might not have one I will bloddy well fight for it!

I have done 2 budget planners for July to September, one with a job and one without.  If I lose my job we will have to take another 3 months mortgage holiday which will then impact our credit score.  Our fixed deal is up in November and even with a new job by then we will be limited to what we can get.  It's 4 years today since we moved into this house and 2 years since we couldn't remortgage because DH had lost his job.

We have £1969 (hoping to be £1800 by the end of the month) on a CC due to go interest bearing on 26th June which we will need to make a decision about.  I will clear it from our furlough savings as soon as I know my job is safe.  If I don't I could either pay it off and hope I get a job before my savings/redundancy/PILON runs out or apply for the TSB card with 30 months 0% highlighted on Martin's email this morning and BT it.  That deal is only available until the end of June.  I have another with a balance of £5050 where the 0% ends in November.  The November card was due to have £2000 cleared in July from the furlough savings then cleared by the end of the year as we focus all our OPs on it. I could BT this card to TSB and use the £2000 to clear the next 2 smallest debts intstead.

The dog is feeling much better on the antibiotics and as his tummy has recovered he can now start his pain meds.  We have bought him the food he really likes that is much more expensive than what we usually buy him but it will ensure that he can't leave his medicine in the dish.  We will keep him on this going forward.  Because I have been feeding him our last few chicken breasts I have gone over the bulk budget by £7 purchasing a 5kg pack of chicken breasts for the freezer.  We now have lots of fresh chicken, sausages and GF breaded chicken in the freezer as well as Palma ham and a pack of cooking bacon so won't need meat for main meals for the rest of this month.

Our grocery spending is going well and we are currently at £202.91/£360.  I am quietly confident that we will come under budget as we have 2 weekends of food shopping to do and I have set myself a little challenge of buying as little as possible this week.  I have done the meal plan and only need 2 peppers and an onion to make all our evening meals but will need some other bits for lunches and some more dog food. DH has cut back on the booze now he is back at work and has suggested we knock a third off this budget going forward  

I will continue my savings challenge this month and attempt to sweep another £20 out of my budgets.  I used £20 of my current account buffer to help cover the dogs meds so will top this back up and the next 2 Fridays £20 sweep can go into the savings pot.

vampirotoothus

Hi on the part about you're poorly dog, firstly I am sorry to see, it's the worst part of having them. Secondly, don't use chicken breast, it is so expensive. For our cat we used to roast chicken thighs in their skin in a dish (no oil or fat) and then cut them into cubes and pop the tablet in. He used to ask us each day for them lol. Chicken thighs are lots cheaper and he won't know! Well done on your journey.

apple_muncher

XSpender, can I just say how amazing you are!!! Your reaction to the impending - or- not redundancy shows how far you have come. The old you would have been panicking (maybe you are but not showing it...) and running around like a headless chicken and buying htings for just-in-case. But now you have done two budgets to look at it, are making good decisions re paying the ccs/ transferring them and keeping on top of the grocery spends. Go you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suffolk_lass

Good to hear the dog is feeling better. I agree about using cheaper chicken for him - some of the SM do a tray of chicken off-cuts in their basics range - things like thighs that the knife went through when the bone was being removed. If there is a fresh meat counter it is worth asking there too.

My inclination would be to apply for the TSB card now while you are sure you are working and ask for £7k limit and say you want to BT - then you have asked - worst case - they decline. Not so bad if you got £6k as you could pay down by the difference and use the rest of that £2000 to build that buffer in case of emergency. Doesn't the main site have a CC checker to let you test if you will be accepted before you apply too?

You've got this on the grocery front. I have never seen you so focussed and as you know, I have followed you through this and your previous diary! 

XSpender

Aww thanks apple.  It’s funny that I come across on here like I would have been running around in a panic in the past.  In real life I am an unflustered, head-down-get-on-with-it kind of person, almost stoic in my reactions. I suppose I do tend to brain dump all my in-my-head discussions and anxiety on here 

Vampirotoothus (that is such a cool name) the dog has recovered from his upset stomach and is back on the tinned food.  One medicine is a capsule I can sprinkle on his food and the other is a liquid which can also go on his food.  He has eaten his food with both medicines on without a complaint so that is a relief.  The thighs are a good idea if he has to go back to the chicken and rice diet again as the 2nd medicine can cause stomach upset.

brizzlegirl

Just catching up and soooo sorry to hear about your dog. Its horrendous seeing them start to falter and when the vet says there is not much more than can be done Sending you all lots of virtual hugs xx

Agree with SL above, you've got this. You're focussed and at least on screen (was going to type 'paper' then ) you seem so calm about the consultation  and the possibility of a job loss despite it being daunting and which must be hard. OH has been through them a few times and yes I agree theres always a sense that they already have a plan of who and how they want to proceed. But I agree, give it your best shot and what will be will be you'll be fine, you've got this 

How is OH getting on? Pleased to be back? 

XSpender

@brizzlegirl DH is tired but loving being back at work. Their sales figures are the best they have ever been with half the staff and only being able to accept certain types of work.  It has given him an opportunity to start a fresh with the best guys in his team.  He even got a thanks from a senior manager this week

@Suffolk_lass I did decide to apply for the card but have had endless problems with the application as it linked to an old mortgage account I had and then crashed right at the end.  I will have to ring them again on Monday to ensure it has completed properly.  

I didn’t get enough limit to do both cards so may still settle the Lloyds card from savings/redundancy pay.  I have a 12 month offer on my Lloyds card, a small balance and a massive credit limit so that could be an option for the 2nd card.  If I settle Lloyds with savings, BT the Santander card to TSB and still have a job after July I would be able to clear the balance on Santander by the end of the offer period in November. 

I did a fair bit of prep for my assessment yesterday and am feeling anxious about it as I really need the job. One part is a role play which I hate even though it is what I do every day. We had another call about the new team structure where they admitted that there are only 7 jobs out of the current 13 as one role is ring fenced.  3 other colleagues are pretty much nailed on so there are 9 of us going for 4 jobs. Although 1 of them (possibly 2) will request VR.

I worked out what our mortgage will go to if we go on SVR in November because I haven’t got a job and can’t remortgage and it is horrific!  I do sometimes wonder if we would be better OPing the mortgage while all our debt is on 0% but that would mean they both just drag on even longer and we couldn’t OP enough to drop the payment by much at each remortgage. If I am employed in November I am considering a 5 year fixed mortgage to give us a bit more stability. I want the debt done by mid 2022 and the mortgage gone this decade!

My super cheap grocery week wasn’t that cheap at £44.36 as I needed dishwasher tablets(£2.99), 12 x dog food (£8) and bought 2 x 1.5l squash on offer (£2.50) as we needed squash.  I forgot sandwich bags and wheat wraps for fajitas in the week. I did drop a brand on ham, oven chips and squash so saved a few pennies there.  DH has set me a challenge of making his pack lunch for £1 day inspired by the super cheap YS bread rolls I keep picking up.  17p for 8 large rolls last week so I bought 3 packs and 20p for 4 large or 6 smaller rolls this week.  It is doable with some pre planning and the Grocery Challenge ladies have offered to help with ideas Leftovers would be easy but the work microwave is out of bounds due to Covoid-19.  2 rolls, crisps, 2 pieces of fruit, 2 chocolate bics (one to be replaced by something home baked i.e. cake, flapjack, savoury scone, piece of crustless quiche) and a savoury snack for the afternoon (currently a pot noodle but to be replaced by HM soup/vegetable chilli etc in a food flask) should be more than enough.

Grocery total is £256.20/£360.  Next month I am giving us less per week but as it is a 5 week month I won’t be attempting to do 5 weeks on the same amount as 4 weeks just yet.

Morries have a good offer on compost which we may go get today, I have an item to go back to B&Q and DH wants to order some hair clippers.  We may have a late walk on the beach as we really enjoyed it last Sunday.  HM sweet and sour chicken balls with egg fried rice and prawn crackers for tea