Striving to save and stay solvent!

Honeysucklelou2

Wow, that sounds promising to get the damp problems sorted out.

MeandO

Thanks HSL, I'm 99% sure it's not the main problem in one area, but it's certainly contributing to problems in other areas. I had a reply to say someone will be in touch within 2 weeks, so we shall see what they have to say.

I've had an awful week. There's no point me moaning about it all, but I'm not in the best place at the moment. Being ill all week with very little sleep is not helping my mood, but until this bug has gone there's not much I can do about that!
Work has been dreadful, it's just a horrible place to be now and we're not being treated very fairly, but I need the job, so needs must.
I'm also going to have to wrap up my small business this year or next. Basically, it's not paying like it used to as designs and ideas have been copied on such a large scale and there is nothing I can do about it. Once I've used up the supplies I have in, that will be it. It will cost me around £3k to re-stock and I don't have that sort of money, nor will it make that back anytime soon.
Feels quite sad to be honest. At one point, I was considering doing that full time as it was so successful.

Anyway, onto other things. I've been spending a lot on Christmas presents, but at least it will be done nearer the time.

Tesco shop came in at £52 ish. No other spends in the grocery budget. OH dropped some YS meat in the other night for us to make a lovely casserole for tonight. He also brought loads of veg in which will last a good while.

One more £5 amazon voucher redeemed from surveys. A couple more surveys and I should have another, I just need to find time to sit down and do them.

OH and I were supposed to be going on a free swim/sauna/steam room evening tonight, but I am feeling so ill that I've emailed the company and requested to postpone until Saturday. Hopefully I'm feeling better by then.

Honeysucklelou2

What a shame about your small business. Are there not copyright rules that can be applied to your designs? I can understand about the outlay side. Each year I wrestle with myself about buying extra Spring bulbs to pot up and sell but if they go over before being sold, that is a total loss and I end up losing more than 8'm making. Must be hard though when so much time and effort has gone into it. Thinking of you.

[Deleted User]

Hi MeandO,

Sounds like you're going through the mill at the moment.

Hope the police thing sorts things out for you.

Bah to being ill too, there's a lot doing the rounds at the moment.

The spa day sounds lovely and you'll definitely feel more relaxed and enjoy it more when you're better.

Sending big hugs your way and I'm here if you need an ear to bend xx

MeandO

Thank you both, I do appreciate your replies and cheery-up thoughts immensely.

Unfortunately it's such a difficult grey area with copyrighting HSL2, I've looked into it in depth previously, but it's not really an option. It is very frustrating and quite soul destroying when you've worked really hard to develop ideas and someone just comes along and profits from your hard work. I've come to accept it's the way of the world unfortunately though.

Thank you too Purple we did go for the swim and sauna on Saturday after all. I wasn't really feeling like it tbh, but it was free and we would've lost the opportunity otherwise. We did enjoy, although I can't say it's helped this flu I have much. Am feeling rotten today and am off work with it.

MeandO

As above, I am feeling 'proper rough' today and most of the weekend, this bug has been battering me for ten days now and I'm feeling so drained. I've had to phone in sick today, much to the manager's annoyance, but I am feeling terrible.

This weekend has been quite a spendy one. Nothing in particular, just lots of little spends on Christmas presents, some craft stuff for DS to make some gifts with, a few groceries and cleaning products and a birthday present and a few cards.
I've update YNAB this morning though and it's all ok - ish. Need to reign back the spending for the rest of the month now though.

I have been able to pay another £94.58 off the credit card today through some business sales, and there's just under £160 on the way to the business account within the next few days, so I'm hoping to make another payment to the card of at least £120.
I chased up a refund on the boots/shoes this morning as I still hadn't received it - was told to wait another week, but it miraculously appeared in my inbox since. That's £94 credited back, and there's another £90 due in refunds within the next week or so hopefully - I need to keep an eye on those and make sure they're actioned.

I'm still waiting on the £48 cheque due from an ongoing long-term dispute and there should also be a £50 prepaid card on the way to me from sky rewards.

I helped OH with his remortgage last night, he's switched to a 5 year fix with a lower rate. I am still in my fix period, but as soon as I'm out in May I shall be looking around for deals. I checked my mortgage this morning and, if I can find an extra £102 to overpay this month, I will bring the mortgage down into the next thousand from £79000 into the £78000's. Really am hoping to get rid of this credit card ASAP and be able to throw more money at overpaying the mortgage.

MeandO

I've completed lots of surveys this afternoon and have earned enough points for another £5 Amazon voucher reward. This will be put towards OHs Christmas present which is around £90, so I need to do a fair few more surveys yet...

Went to pick DS up from school - completely forgetting he has a club on Mondays after school, so have to go back and pick him up when it finishes shortly.

I've done two loads of washing this afternoon, unfortunately having to use the tumble dryer as the weather is horrible.
Dinner for DS will be something from the freezer, I'm not particularly hungry but will find something in the cupboards later, there's plenty of food in.

.

Honeysucklelou2

That's great news about the mortgage getting close to the £78ks. It really does help when figures are visibly moving downward!

Remain totally impressed that you have so much Christmas shopping sorted. I've still got 2 birthdays so can't quite get my mind around Christmas until the birthdays have passed.

MeandO

It is indeed very motivating HSL2. Like the debt, I'm so impatient to get rid of the mortgage, I'm always nervous about actually having one. 5 years and what feels like a different life ago I was mortgage free and never lived in fear of potentially losing my home if things took a downward turn, but that's a different story. In fact, it feels like a whole different book!

I've tried to do a few more surveys tonight, but have been screened out. I have some orders to do tonight as a few more have come in since yesterday which I'm very grateful for as they've brought in a few more £'s to help pay off the credit card. Just a shame its not yet paying down the mortgage or going into savings, but hopefully soon...

A couple of items arrived which I'd bought for DS and OH's child for Christmas, but they were terrible - faulty and of poor quality, so I have requested a refund for those which is about £25 altogether.
Still waiting for the shoes refund to show on the credit card and for confirmation that two of the packages have been received. It's such a hassle returning things sometimes, I really don't see why it should take so long.

DS and I have had a lovely afternoon after school which consisted of a bit of crafting and making some Christmas presents for DS to give to family. We didn't have the best of mornings - everything seem to be more difficult than it needed to be, so I was determined to make this after school fun.

MeandO

I got all of my outstanding orders completed last night, ready for posting tonight. I also need to pick up an ebay parcel (a birthday gift) from a pick up point tonight when I post the parcels.

I should be able to pay off around £130 to the credit card from the latest sales. Nice to see it going down, but there will be another £330 added to it this week from the pre-planned trip this weekend, so it will be going up again. Still, it should be (just) under £1k now and then that's it - nothing else due on it - so I will focus on hopefully getting rid of it completely by Christmas.

I received a partial refund for the faulty goods overnight, but have chased them today for a full refund. :mad: