The Edcawber Principle

edinburgher

Did all the housework yesterday. Cleaned aquarium, washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer and took out the recycling and bins.  Worryingly it no longer seems possible to turn off the filter change light on our expensive tumble dryer (£500 in 2015). It's one of those heatpump ones and we rather stupidly didn't realise that you needed to clean the heat exchanger once a month. I think it was 6 months before we did, cackhandedly and dented several of the fins I think it will need to be serviced, but assuming replacement heat exchanger and a qualified engineer, we'll likely be talking £££ (if it can be done). It will wait until early 2021.

Lovely trip to the cinema with DD today, a vaguely funereal feel as they have to shut down again tomorrow. I bought expensive cinema snacks (must be the 4th time in two months despite 25 years of avoiding them, feel terrible for the folk losing hours and jobs). For their part I got given a double portion of nachos and a free fruit juice for DD Lovely friendly people, it's all so surreal.

Finances getting finagled today, slightly worried as we're at -£800 or something for the month. We are still to get CB and two wages during November (so only negative until then), but our "age of money" on YNAB is crap (sitting at around 10-15 days most of the time).

Was talking to a sibling yesterday who is in England and is now facing furlough after desperately scrambling to find sufficient work over the last few months as they were recruited into the teeth of the pandemic. I feel awful for them - they're confident, driven and really good at their work and they took a risk for a better opportunity when they moved jobs. I feel very insulated sitting at home with my reliable local government job and trying not to dish out platitudes

Made my monthly donation to the Trussell Trust today, has rapidly quadrupled (from a low base) as the situation out there gets grimmer and grimmer. Not looking for a pat on the back for that, just suggesting those of us who are luckily relatively unscathed by the virus in our daily lives think about those who are less fortunate? Not feeling particularly cheeful today, think I'll watch the (older) Gavin and Stacey Christmas special to cheer myself up.

Take care everybody.

edinburgher

Finances updated after all the direct debits went out and I have to say I find myself confused AF

We received CB today, but despite that the gap in our budget seems to have got worse. We now appear to have -£925.50 and I'm scunnered. A quick check of the last fortnight seems to show that all major expenditures have been captured. Maybe just a ridiculously spendy October that our finances couldn't bear? We did spend c. £500 on DIY, £300 on DD and £500 on groceries. YNAB can be a handy tool, but I'm not convinced that it's an intuitive way to budget.

Trimming money off of budget lines on a daily basis, but feels like picking up pennies from the path of a steamroller. Thank goodness my full increment will show up in my next wage. We have both done the WFH tax reclaim thing, not much more to do at this point.

Suffolk_lass

I'm more of a spreadsheet fan than an app person - I like to see directly what impact my changes make. Of course ours are a bit boring now. Got the letters from the Land Registry yesterday saying the BS have relinquished their claim on our home. I told DH it's his birthday present (it's today) - I organised gifts from DS and my mum but forgot anything from me. I hope living with me is enough for him (rotfl)

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - well done on paying off the mortgage - I'm only sorry it was at the expense of poor DH!

I have been feeling gloomy today (day 2 of calorie counting and cold weather)? Cheered myself up by listening to H3eart Christmas, a temporary radio station that blasts out all the cheesy Christmas songs I won't hear in the shops this year. I'm limiting myself to one day a week until Christmas so that I don't overdo it...

Budget trimmed, -£892.21 and counting.

Suffolk_lass

We are not permitted to have Christmas songs, films, lights, decorations or any form of celebration until it is Christmas here. It dates back to our original idea (probably mine - very foolish!) to surprise DS by decorating on Christmas Eve. I think the was 2 or 3 at the time. We amended this to the weekend before Christmas (after getting really snippy with each other at around 3.30am over fairies) but it has stayed there ever since. Such is life in Suffolk tower (well chimney really)

edinburgher

Gosh! @Suffolk_lass I don't think I could take the discipline at yours

I haven't listened to any more Christmas choons, but Classic FM do try and spring the odd one on me and I'm not responsible for that.

This week dragged quite a lot, although I've stuck to calorie counting and long walks (up to 16,500 already today) and trying to remain cheerful. I'm having a nice little lazy afternoon at the moment, the only real housework I've done was cleaning the aquarium. Mrs E and DD out at the park with rellies.

Budget continues to look grim and it has nothing to do with buying tickets for the Lions game at Murrayfield next June, oh no... I have cashed in £405 of PB to help balance the books.

beanielou

Got to have something to look forward to 😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

edinburgher

beanielou said:

Got to have something to look forward to 😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I agree Beanie - worst case scenario and I've got £250 of enforced savings. Saw no live rugby this year, I've missed it

Suffolk_lass

There's a bit of controversy around that match I understand. It is the same day as the English Premiership final and the suggestion is that none of the Premiership clubs are releasing players so potential for no England players. I imagine it will be a useful insight ahead of the South Africa tour 

edinburgher

Just lost a post.

Budgets trimmed, I am in a bad mood because DD and I had our walk ruined by the !!!!!! cat following us around the neighbourhood and getting stuck in gardens