Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway

So..... Pickle has got the bug I had last weekend! Great. I hate seeing him poorly and we are going through Nappies at a rate of knots. And.... if he has a poo incident after 8am on Sunday morning, he can't start at the childminder on Tuesday- great!

We are also changing his bed time routine so he's less reliant on me and any one can put him to bed. Not the best time to have started it, but I've just got to keep going with it now or he'll be even worse.

Money wise, less than £5 cash in the cafe this morning, so no impact on the bank accounts, tomorrow is going to be spendy - shopping centre he'll, but, I need to really think and plan tonight what I'm going for.

I've started Pickle's bag for the childminder - it's all cut out so I'll make a start on that this evening, once he's asleep. (Hopefully it will be quicker than the 45 minutes it took last night)

Nothing else to report...

Update on day 10

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £63.64/£73.99
Target 2: next 1% paid 0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction 0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £0.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33

4) Nsds 5/13

pinkypig

Poor little Pickle, its awful seeing them poorly, not to mention the laundry:eek:. Hope you both manage to have a better weekend xx

wishingthemortgaheaway

pinkypig wrote: »

Poor little Pickle, its awful seeing them poorly, not to mention the laundry:eek:. Hope you both manage to have a better weekend xx

Thanks PP. he seems quite well in himself, it's just his Nappies are horrible and he's not eating as much as normal. He's also got what sounds like a chesty cough again, but that's normally teething.
No nasty poos after 8am tomorrow or he can't start at the Childminder's on Tuesday.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all, let's start with the positive mse news shall we?

Got to £15.50 on vo this morning so cashed out an amaz0n voucher which I used to top up my account and ordered Pickle's advent calendar with. Yes, it's an expensive advent calendar, but I don't mind as, actually it's free because I've used survey vouchers. Going to continue to get these vouchers from vo as I use amaz0n a lot. Have done 1 more survey tonight so my balance is up to 75p - go me! (Will aim to get 1 more voucher before Christmas)

Fed up of having no pa surveys I sent them a message through the 'contact us' form yesterday, got a reply today saying my account had been flagged (for no reason the email said) so it's now been unflagged and I should (!!!) start getting studies again. There's £3.64 pending already can I get to £20 by the end of the month?

Friend I went shopping with treated us to breakfast this morning.

Now the not so mse news:

New shoes for Pickle... (enough said)

A trip to the shop that sells 'all the things you never knew you couldn't live without' £32 damage - not bad at all.

Mr Sparks' Christmas advert character is one of my favourite' s and Pickle's bedroom is loosely themed around this character. So I had to check out the merchandise. They didn't have the onesie I wanted and I think I was quite restrained in only buying the story book, socks and a pair of pjs (for Christmas Eve) I got 20% of the pjs thanks to my sparks rewards.
'Dine in for 2 for £10' meal deal purchased.

Costc0 - £101.47
£30 beer advent calendar for hubby
£30 beer advent calendar picked up for friend's partner, she's going to transfer the money over tomorrow.
Toilet rolls, shampoo & conditioner, batteries and something else.

So YNAB pots looking quite depleted in places, but a lovely day out. And I always panic in the middle of the month when actually financially.

I can't fully tidy on my phone and need to charge the iPad, so I'll do it later. Night all

Wish


Update on day 11

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £63.64/£73.99
Target 2: next 1% paid 0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction 0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.009/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 5/13

wishingthemortgaheaway

Happy Sunday everyone.
I've had quite a chilled out day today. Church this morning, then I spent the afternoon in the kitchen prepping a roast dinner for us and some friends. Then eatin dinner with said friends (new oven meets everyone's approval for a roast, especially the Yorkshire puds - friend's son must have eaten about 5) then, this evening I made Pickle's bag for the child minder's. It's a bit smaller than I intended, but should be ok (and, if it isn't, I'll just make a bigger one for him and use that one for a boot bag. )

Most importantly, i has been a nsd.
Hubby has informed me though that I need to feed him every evening this week, which means I'm probably going to have to go food shopping tomorrow and it will probably cost me a bomb. If I can get a meal plan written over breakfast time. And we head straight out to the shops after breakfast, we should be ok.

I need to check my work emails at nap time tomorrow, but that's all. At the moment I've got to switch the laptop on to check emails, but hopefully my phone will arrive soon and I can then check emails on my phone, especially on my 'retained' days (a day when I'm not officially
Working, but need to be contactable in case of a compliance issue, safeguarding concern or something else. )

Pickle is still not particularly well, so even now I know he won't be able to start at the Childminder's on Tuesday. (48 hour rule). Let's hope he's ok for Wednesday.

Just my goals to update.

Wish

Update on day 12

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £66.04/£73.99
Target 2: next 1% paid 0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction 0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 6/13

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all, not a hugely productive day today thanks to a poorly Pickle. We've stayed in most of the day, but did take a walk to the chemist for some more cough medicine, so not a nsd. But all paid for in cash, so no impact on YNAB.
I have managed to get the Christmas cake made (cooling in the oven as we speak) found the bottom of the washing basket (for an hour or so) and dealt with the work emails. I need to write a bio about myself to go out to all the settings, I hate that sort of thing it feels like vanity to sell yourself to people. But, needs must.

I am going to make Pickle a bigger drawstring bag. I've only got enough patterned fabric to make the outer side of it, but plenty of the plain cotton I used for lining the first one, so I'll do a single patterned panel and make the rest of the bag up out of the plain fabric, it will still look good. I need to get some more of the cord for the drawstring element, but that won't cost much and I can bob out tomorrow with Pickle to pick that up.

PA surveys have been good for me today £2.39 pending from today's 'work' so over £5, I usually cash out at £20, but I think I'll cash put at the end of the month, providing its over £20. (If you are having issues with PA, make sure there is a green bar that says 'verified' under the 'user details' heading. Mine said 'unknown' and that was because my account had been incorrectly flagged by their system. )

I hope Pickle sleeps better tonight, but I'm not holding out much hope, he's got a terrible cough. At the moment he can go to the Childminder's on Wednesday, as long as we have no more 'incidents'
Have a lovely evening everyone.

Wish

Update on day 13

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £66.04/£73.99
Target 2: next 1% paid 0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction 0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 6/13

pinkypig

Your Sunday sounded lovely:). Hope you all get a good night's sleep xx

wishingthemortgaheaway

Morning,
I was host to our community knit/crochet/craft group last night, then Pickle woke up just as everyone was leaving and that was the end of both my evening and my early night.

Yesterday was both low spend and spendy. Low spend in that I spent less than £10 on crafty things for Pickle's bigger drawstring bag and some naughty, unnecessary, but needed (for energy) supermarket snacks. And spendy because I paid £50 deoposit for our group Christmas meal. Technically I'll get most of that back from the others, but, in reality I'll just knock it off our share of the bill. (So I'm prepaying the meal bill)

I also signed up to the tax free child care account yesterday as our childminder has registered as a provider so just need to fund that account now, which I can't do until I get the security button code generator thing out. I'm going to put a bit of a buffer in at the start with then transfer £350 a month into the account which should build a little buffer in over time. As soon as I'm a month ahead (ynab style) I'll transfer over only the money I actually need.
I'm going to set it up as an 'off budget' account in Ynab.
I've prepaid 2 week's fees at the full amount so need to get it sorted by a week on Monday.

Hopefully Pickle is well enough to go to the child minder's today as I really want to get cracking with setting up the admin systems for work (new role so nothing in place) friends are checking out a new 'baby/child friendly coffee shop ' this morning so, as I'm only planning on doing half a day and I've been doing about an hour's work each day checking & responding to emails I'm going to join them later if I get cracking as soon as I've dropped Pickle off. (I'll take the laptop with me to respond to emails - but I can manage my own time....

In other news. Fridge freezer is broken (freezer not staying to temperature) it's covered by an extended warranty/repair insurance, but they aren't coming until Monday so attempting to use up as much freezer stuff as I can but then it's likely to be a spoils claim for the rest.

PA surveys going ok too, I do prefer them to the consumer surveys on go or swgbcks as they are much more interesting (and usually quicker too)

Budget wise, ynab has been Tilley tidied, but phone bill gone out so surplus transferred & only 1 more pack of bacon on subscription this month so that pot has also been emptied to the mop pot fund (effects of which you can see below)

Wish

Update on day 14

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £73.99/£73.99 ✅
Target 2: next 1% paid £2.11/£2.11✅
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £3.87/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 6/13

wishingthemortgaheaway

I can't believe it's nearly bedtime already. Today has gone so quickly. Pickle did his first day at the childminder, he's had a fab day and has been brilliant, lovely comments in his book and he's suitably worn out. (I'm hoping that means easy sleep and not difficult sleep).

I worked this morning, went to the group I volunteer at this afternoon and then when I got home and had a couple of hours to spare, so I cleared all the leaves out of the front yard and laid the off cuts of artificial grass down properly. They've been there since before the summer and I've just not had the opportunity to get it sorted. But, now it's done and looks a lot better. I need to try and do a job like that each day Pickle is at the childminders and I've not got a full day's work. (I then picked Pickle up half an hour early as I felt he'd had long enough for his first day)

In money news, I've sorted the childcare account payments out, I've done a test transfer of £1, when that appears, I'll transfer enough to cover December's payments.
And then, it's a nsd.

Washing to sort tonight, but I think I just need to chill a little bit and think about tomorrow's plans.
Wish

Update on day 15

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £73.99/£73.99 ✅
Target 2: next 1% paid £2.11/£2.11✅
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £3.87/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 7/13

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all, a daily round up, then a bit of a 'middle of the month moan'.

Today was not a nsd because I went to the blue and yellow pleasure palace. Had a cheapy 'fat friday' breakfast then went round the store. Not too many things jumped in my trolley. - damage £76.75. And the boxes to sort Puckles toys are got and mostly sorted. Next month I'll take hubby to get the units to put the boxes in. (I'll persuade him with the promise of breakfast).

Child care account set up. Money for the 5 weeks I've still to pay has been put in there and a standing order set up from my current account to the childcare account. The rainy day fund has been hammered for this, but I'll be able to replace the rainy day fund money when I get paid. (Mop pot is going to stagnate though.

Friend has paid me back so £30 towards the boxes.

Tonight I've balanced all the accounts - all good. However...

Middle of the month and I don't think the budget is going to last the month. (All I'm going to say on the matter.
Wish

Update on day 16

MSE NOVEMBER GOALS

1)MOP pot total of £276.10
Target 1: interest accrued £73.99/£73.99 ✅
Target 2: next 1% paid £2.11/£2.11✅
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £5.07/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction 0/£100

2) new sling fund £40/£110

3) surveys, cashback etc £15.09/£30
£0.09 Qm33
£15.00 - VO

4) Nsds 7/13