"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

32p current account interest paid into mortgage…

LadyWithAPlan

greenbee said:

Payday today, so I’ve done my usual early morning shuffle for the last day of the month. I’ve made a big OP (which means that I’ve paid more than double the regular payment this month - probably my largest to date) and when I can drag myself out of bed and find my laptop, I’ll shift another chunk to PBs. 

Otherwise today is laundry, watering and work.

The joy of the monthly shuffle!!  i have always enjoyed it as have budgeted into pots for a decade plus now but it was extra fun knowing all the MSEers were doing the same.. Think of all that extra financial focused positive energy in the world today.
 I also bought some PBs as well as invested in S+S isa as well.

My robot is amazing, I dont understand how I lived without him. He mops too

greenbee

I'm looking forward to my PBs all being in the October draw! Sadly the first batch weren't paid for until August as I had to faff about finding my NS&I number in an ancient file. 

Looking at my S&S ISA, the funds not doing well are the ones someone who I thought was good at investing advised me on. I have some very basic criteria for investing, mostly based on ethical considerations, and generally do OK. 

greenbee

Decorator has been round this morning, so hopefully a quote will appear soon to go with the landscaping quote I'm expecting based on last week's visit. 

WM is making horrible noises so have stopped using it and messaged the local appliance repair guy who is, of course, on holiday this week! I need to call pest control to bird proof the roof before next nesting season and check some holes that may or may not be something larger than mice... I also need to get hold of someone who appears to be a gardener who does hedges and pruning (as opposed to tree surgeons who do hedges).

I've just had a couple of magnetic white/blackboards delivered which I'm hoping will help me to organise the freezers... I may be overly optimistic!

Cheery_Daff

Sounding pretty organised outside the freezer so I have high hopes for inside it! 😁

greenbee

Cheery_Daff said:

Sounding pretty organised outside the freezer so I have high hopes for inside it! 😁

I have absolutely no idea what's in either of them. But at some point i'll find out and write it on!

WM repair booked, chimney sweep booked, gardener contacted and coming sometime this week when we can find a slot that works, pest control contacted (not heard back yet), decorator has been so I live in hope of seeing a quote from her and the landscaper who came round last week.

Garden furniture scrubbed and rinsed in breaks, and some waterbutts topped up from the tap. 

First home-grown aubergine currently being consumed.

Cheery_Daff

Excellent progress!

greenbee

£2.50 withdrawn from Quidco... it'll go to the mortgage as soon as it arrives.

WM is sorted - he said it wasn't a significant issue, tightened and loosened a screw and gave me a quote for if/when the drain pump does end up needing replacement. At the moment the noise is it vibrating against the casing of the machine. Although that's stopped since he left. More importantly, I now have contact details for someone who does appliance repairs. 

Hoping that the gardener who was due to come round on Monday but had to cancel will come round either tomorrow (when the car is off for it's MOT/Service) or Friday as the hedge and pruning need doing soon. 

Landscaper has told me I need 20m of hedging, so I can start thinking about that. He's still sorting out the quote including getting the guy who does his fencing/gates to come and have a look/measure up and send some ideas to choose from.

Pest control has been and done a survey. Holes outside are voles, not rats (thankfully!). There is one place identified as easy mouse access, so I have a tube of silicon on order to deal with that.

Main patio has been bleached twice, as well as pressure-washed and is looking better. The furniture has been scrubbed and put back on it. I have 20L of bleach sitting on the doorstep ready to do the rest/for next year.

Nothing back yet from the decorator. No date from the cleaning company, and I haven't got round to replying to the one that took ages to get back to me claiming they were trying my mobile (I didn't give them a mobile number, as the copy of the contact form they attached to their email clearly shows). I have been given the details of a carer/PA who advertises in the village, as one of the people who did my shopping for me when I was isolating suggested she may be able to help. I'm resisting. 

I've found another local roofing company, so need to email them and see whether they'll sort out the slates and deal wth the felt under the eaves where the birds get into the roof. 

I've had two more HUGE aubergines from the greenhouse. One more, and then I think that's it as no more fruit appears to be setting. Peppers are STILL green. Padron peppers are turning, chillies are also green. Beans are pretty much over so need to come out. Hopefully I'll sow some winter/spring veg over the weekend.

Rheumatology appointment booked. Still waiting on cardiology (I thought the referral was showing in the NHS app but it seems to have vanished, so I'll have to find out what's going on) which the letter says I should hear from by tomorrow - if they turn down the referral I'll ask for a private one. 

Struggling with the LC this week, so minimal work going on. Thankfully my boss is pretty understanding - more so than I am frankly, as I'm utterly fed up with it. I can cope with all the other stuff as long as I can work but once it starts impacting work I really struggle. Realistically I probably need to work part time, but I don't think there is anything out there at the moment that fits my profile and income requirements on less than full time. Paying down the mortgage, sorting the house out and saving while I can is the way out.

Oh... must measure for and order the splashback for the kitchen and threshold for the sitting room/hall floor. They would both help hugely in terms of getting the house finished!

greenbee

This month is feeling tight - last month's dental bills on the CC (I think there's still one to come on this month's bill, but thankfully after this lot I should be able to claim something from my healthcare towards checkups and hygienist appointments), my mum's birthday, car insurance, house insurance, car service/MOT. 

The £2.50 from Quidco has gone to the mortgage, but that may well be it this month. And there may not be anything for PBs either.

I have at least got a quote for quite a bit of the garden work, and it's a lot cheaper than the guy who ghosted me when I asked for some changes. 

Peppers look like they're thinking about ripening, so fingers crossed we get a few more days of sunshine. There's one aubergine in the kitchen to cook with, and one in the greenhouse. Beans are pretty much over, so need to come out. Strawberries and raspberries still producing. Carrots, beetroot and some greens still going well. More salad has been sown as the weather looks like it'll be warm enough for a bit. 

Still behind on work, still behind on the massive list of jobs in the house. Still waiting on quotes from various people for various bits of work, but have more people to contact and follow up with. 

Heating was on for a bit, but has been off again since the weather improved. I've also finally brought the dehumidifier in, which I should have done ages ago as it has been so damp this year (well over 60% humidity in the house, so trying to reduce it below 50%). And I'm drinking masses of fennel tea - partly to keep warm, partly as an appetite suppressant while I'm so immobile, but mostly because I have vast amounts of fennel fronds in the garden and can't bear to waste them. There's only so much fennel pesto I can keep in the freezer!

Not as much structured resting or pilates going on as I'd like, but I'll get there. 

greenbee

Payday again, and as I'm still waiting on a lot of people to get back to me about work I want done, I've shifted a chunk of the savings planned for that into PBs. I suspect there'll be more chance of me winning something with a large batch than lots of small ones. Either that or everyone will suddenly materialise and want paying!

Expenses were (finally) paid a few days ago from a trip in September (my fault, I took ages to submit), so that was paid off the mortgage when it arrived, and the rest of the month's leftovers also went into the mortgage. I just wish the app updated the totals a bit faster!

Hair appointment today which will be expensive, but I'm recording video for work next week, so it's important (sadly I can't expense it though). 

I may also need to go into the office at some point, which will break the journey to/from my mum's when I'm visiting for a family wedding. But I need to work out what I can/can't expense given that I'm not driving myself at the moment. In fact, I have a feeling that they don't cover expenses to and from the office regardless of distance, so maybe I'll insist the meeting is in the US where they WILL expense it