Adventures of the Boy & Me..

Chandelier.

I thought I would write an update whilst on my shiny new laptop! At least this way it is easier to make my posts all nice and pretty rather then struggling whilst on my phone.

I have lost my motivation to do half the jobs I need to get done. I feel like everything is such hard work at the moment even if it is the simplest tasks. I would love to go back to bed right now instead of doing what needs to be done.

The filing of the paperwork is a big one for me. I struggle what to keep and what to get rid of. My mum helped me a bit last night and was rather ruthless at getting rid. There was just so much paper and I didn't know what to do with it all. I need to start keeping a close tab on it all and not let it build up like I clearly have done over the past twelve months. Yesterday I went to the pound shop and bought a plastic tray to keep bills/post in and each week I will make an effort to go through it and sort it all out into the correct folders. Hopefully then I shouldn't lose anything and it will all be easy to find .

I also need to figure out what to do for the boys birthday. I said I wasn't having a party this year but I will feel bad if we don't do a little bit of something. I am thinking of letting him pick a couple of friends to go bowling with and then food afterwards- or maybe the cinema. I must research prices and see which is the most cost effective way to do it. And I will ask him what he would like to do. Or another idea is for me to take him on a day out to theme park with our Merlin passes and book a hotel for overnight. Maybe that would be a better idea. I'll question it later with him. If so I will have to book early enough to get a room somewhere rather then last minute.

Another on my to do list as well as the other bits today is to compare car insurance renewal prices and get a rough idea of what it is going to cost me this year. I am hoping to haggle it down cheaper then last years prices.

I also need to phone the tax office as they have changed my tax codes and I seem to have been taxed alot on my weekly wage for this week. I must do this one as soon as possible or else they'll be heavily taxing me for the rest of the tax year :eek:.

I'll update later on my progress. Hopefully I will get more done then I feel like.

Chandelier.

Evening, just a quick one before I go off to bed as I am up early in the morning.

I have managed to get quite a few things done today especially under certain circumstances. My mood has been quite low and my motivation levels are zilch. I can't say anything drastic has happened to make me feel like this, because it hasn't. I think I spend so much time doing different things that I totally exhaust myself both physically and mentally. I never find the right balance.

Here is today's to do list:-

[STRIKE]- Put boy in breakfast club and after-school club.[/STRIKE] The boy is in breakfast club tomorrow morning, having a sleepover at his Nanny's and then going to after-school club on Friday.
- Check out pricing re dental plans. Still need to do this.
[STRIKE]- Finish filing. [/STRIKE] All paperwork filed into correct folders and put into a box and taken upstairs. It is all easily accessible now and I have a small tray where I can put letters in for the week and at the end of the week I will file into the correct sections.
[STRIKE]- Pick up laptop.[/STRIKE] Laptop picked up this morning. As mentioned previously it was a bargain. It's just taking some getting used to. I am not used to Windows 10.
- Send off hooded form. Still need to do this. I seem to be putting this off and I don't know why. I think I just dread the whole scan and send process.
[STRIKE]- Sort out online banking and align these up.[/STRIKE] Online banking sorted and all accounts lined up.

I have also looked at car insurance renewal quotes and it's looking more expensive then last year everywhere I look. I tried to speak to my current provider but they stated I have to wait until I get my renewal quote through at the beginning of August. I just want to know how much I'll be spending. I am so impatient. I have a least a rough estimate of what to expect. I understand insurances go up each year but some of these prices are just ridiculous.

I have also got onto the tax office as for some random reason I decided to check my online tax account and found that I had the wrong tax code. A quick phone call sorted this out and I also sorted out the whole uniform/union fees allowances out. Rather then get a rebate they've added extra allowances to my tax code which back date to 2015, so I will pay less tax over the next tax year. Win win :T.

Tonight we have also been food shopping and I've just finished packing that away. Our food stores look a bit more stocked now. We are currently in the process of running one of our freezers down so we can defrost as its very icy! We have three freezers in total and each are organised so we know where to find what we are looking for.

Although I might sound quite organised, I am far from it. I just have silly obsessions over certain things such as the freezers! Hahaha.

Anyway, good night and sleep tight everyone.

Chandelier.

Morning..

So I'm just sat in the garden trying to wake up properly. Once again I didn't get the best sleep. I really need to look at my sleeping patterns and get myself to bed earlier.

There's nothing much going on today apart from work. I'll keep myself busy there.

I forgot to mention that on Monday the boy got an award at school. I was so proud. However yesterday I received a message to say he's got another one. That will be two weeks on the run . He hasn't had one all year (no idea why) but then he gets two at once. I'm happy for him.

It's my weekly pay day tomorrow. I'll put it aside in a separate bank account for August pay day. All my other banking is lined up now.

Anyhow not much else going on.. happy Thursday everyone

Chandelier.

Small to do list today.

- Email work stuff to correct department.
- Email boys hooded top form (MUST DO)
- Make boys packed lunch and pack his football kit.
- Print off pay slip.
- Enquire about work related documents.
- See if I can pick up anymore shifts.

Chandelier.

I've agreed to do 3 hours overtime today to help out. I'm just thinking of it as extra money..

joeyjimbles

You are doing so well - getting your paperwork under control is such a good idea as you'll then know where everything is should you need it, and that helps stop panic attacks around renewals or having to check stuff.

Regarding your son's birthday - do you have any nectar points? They are doing a really good deal on Vue and Pizza Express https://www.nectar.com/summerrewards - 1000 points gets you 2 tickets to Vue cinemas, or 2 pizzas at Pizza Express and obviously 2000 points would get you both.

Chandelier.

Thanks Joey. I'm glad the paperwork has been done and out of the way. It was a huge bug bear of mine. I tend to throw everything into a pile and let it build up.. not anymore

In regards to his birthday he's decided on a day out to Alton Towers. We have Merlin passes which means the only cost will be a overnight stay in a hotel, petrol and food costs (there is a restaurant there I would like to try). I might make it into two day trips so we have time to do everything.

I've just finished work and I'm absolutely shattered so it will be bedtime for me soon. I just need to wind down and relax for a while before going to bed.

Good night and sleep tight.

Chandelier.

Good morning

I'm up bright and early. I'm currently sat listening to the birds in the garden. Lately the garden has been my favourite place to wind down- I usually spend an hour here in the morning and maybe an hour in the evening to sit and collect my thoughts. It seems to be working for me.

Today is the first of my weekly pay package. I've worked out I've three paydays left this month (including today's) which I'll use the for my income for August. I may have to pay less debt off for August, I'm thinking roughly around £250. I'll tackle that when I come to it.

I also need to start building up a holiday fund for next year's holiday. I may have to put the extreme debt busting on the back burner for a while to do this but none the less I'll still make payments.

I've car insurance to pay at the end of August and my registration fees In September. After that the only thing I've to worry about is Christmas but I can easily do that on a small budget.

My goal in regards to debt is to just pay as much as I can when I can. I'm not setting any big goals as I just become obsessed and end up not doing anything for myself. Which isn't always good. the debt is manageable even if I will soon be adding to it for dental work. I need to remember this and get in the mindset of it not being a race.

Anyhow I've got quite a lot to do today. I can't even think of half of it off the back of my head. All I know is alot of it is work related.

Have a good day everyone

Chandelier.

So today has been a busy day and I am glad it's over so I can relax. After I got home from work, I sat in the garden watching the boy and my mum playing tennis. The boy kept mimicking the sounds the players make in Wimbledon :rotfl:. Lots of giggling there.

I then made homemade chicken strips and chips for tea. It was lovely. The boy actually prefers these to shop bought chicken nuggets. Usually I make up a big batch and freeze some into portions for future quick meals. They freeze quite well.

Tomorrow the boy has yet another party to attend- its a nerf gun party. It sounds pretty fun! I'll probably just put money in a card again for the birthday child. I think it's much easier.

I have decided I am going to take the plunge tomorrow and stop smoking. It's costing me too much and it's no good for my health. I just need to convince myself that I can do it. Although I know I can, I need to be disciplined enough to do it. Once I tackle this, I will concentrate on trying to lose some weight.

Have a good evening everyone.

UncannyScot

When stopping smoking think of what else you could use the money you spent on fags for...
A mate of mine gave up and saved the money he was spending for a bike... after a year and a half he had the money to walk into the Ducati dealership and buy a brand spanking new black Monster... CASH!!!! Yes, he was a heavy smoker and it was bloody great to see him shut up all the nay sayers and doubters. 12 years later he is still off the fags and he still has his baby