I am being upgraded from Mum to Nan - I need a plan!

Blackcats

You've been busy mum2nan. Isn't it great having pots of money pots for expenses and not credit cards and overdrafts ?   Mind you, ironically,  I struggle to break into my pots even when I legitimately should 🤔

Mum2Nan

 I unexpectedly had DGS yesterday afternoon at very short notice so spent the afternoon there.  I am always happy to help out!  Despite the old MIL jokes, I get on very well with my DSIL.  I never interfere but around if needed.  I guess things would be different if he was a rubbish husband and didn't treat DD well.  I am thankful I don't have to worry about them in that sense.

I wish BF had been here last night and I hadn't popped over the road to buy a bottle of wine.  After the second glass I thought it would be a good idea to balance transfer the dreaded Halifax MC.  This will now be known as MBNA!  I took into account November's payment to the MC so my debt will increase by the transfer fee.  This now means I have a credit limit across my CCs of £37,600.   Once November's DD payment has gone through and the overpayment, I will close this card down taking me down to £27,100.  Now I know I won't be using BC for a balance transfer, I can reduce that down as well.  I have a £15K limit on there.

Imagine some daft woman woke up this morning, thinking it was Monday, checked her watch and it said 9:15 then thought christ I am late logging onto work.  She logged on, the kettle went on and jumped into the shower to try and redeem herself.  Half way through her shower she thinks what happened to Sunday?   Yes, that was me.  I only had two glasses!  Watch, oven, microwave and clock in the bathroom now synchronised. I wonder if I will get brownie points for logging in on a Sunday.

I've missed seeing Mum and Dad today.

Mum2Nan

It's only Wednesday but I am having the week from hell.   My cousin called me on Monday to tell me my Auntie had passed away.  It was totally unexpected.  I couldn't tell Dad over the phone so drove over there.  He was so upset and I am sad for him.  I drove home with tears streaming down my face.

I applied for the MBNA balance transfer on Sunday and received an e-mail to confirm the account is open but the balance transfer failed.  I've now got to wait for the credit card to arrive before I can try again. 

In other news, the bin latch no longer works so a replacement is going to cost £186.

Mum2Nan

It's been a while since I last posted on here but I am still plodding on. My DGS is nearly 2.5 years old now, walking and talking.

In January I saw the back of my Barclays Finance for my mobile phone.  February I saw a £106 reduction in my mortgage payments as well as no more payments to my STL which was another £230 saved.  Next month I shall see the dreaded TSB loan paid off.    I am kind of snowballing MBNA as I know BC will be paid off.

I am still helping out my sister but only a few quid here and there.

The biggest news for me is my job, I have moved from support services to fee earning. Onwards and upwards.

beanielou

You are doing so amazingly well 

enthusiasticsaver

Soon just be the two cards.  Exciting news on job too.  Sounds like your DGS is doing well.  I have an almost 3 year old DGD and a soon to be 6 year old DGD and they do new things every time I see them which is usually 2 or 3 times a week.  Just been sent a video of my 2 year old DGD "reading" a bedtime story to my DD.  

Mum2Nan

Thanks @beanielou I have been trying hard this year to stick to my budget.

@enthusiasticsaver I do the same!  If I feel a bit fed up or irritable, I watch one of the plethora of videos I have of DGS and it always cheers me up.

I set my MBNA D/D to just over the minimum payment when my balance transfer finally went through and I have kept it the same since.  I am snowballing some of the savings from the STL, Barclays Finance and the mortgage payment reduction into a savings account as the C/C is 0% until October 2022.

Fingers crossed I will be debt neutral come November.   I have loosened my budget a bit again to make it more realistic.  I have also resumed my spending diary from January this year so I can see at a glance exactly where I am spending.

My new role from last year turned out to be boring.  Not enough to do and pretty thankless tasks that were far from brain taxing.  I was completely demotivated which is so unlike me at work.  Despite trying to hide my feelings during my PDR, my Line Manager and my main boss (the one who helped me with the interviews last year during the redundancy process) sensed all was not well.  I found myself telling them exactly how I felt and that I almost regretted not taking redundancy.  I was bored, bored, bored.  Did I say how bored I was lol?

About a month later my main boss approached me with an opportunity to take on a much more varied support role working with one of our clients.   I was given the JD and didn't really think twice about it.  After the interview (which I was not too phased about after all the practice sessions I had last year!) I was invited to join the team on a 3.5 days a week secondment.  The other 1.5 days consists of my old boring role (although this does seem to be gradually changing as I am getting more and more involved with my team's financial and accounting processes).  Main boss told them I don't come for free so they raised a Purchase Order for 3.5 days a week for six months with the option to extend and I love it.  The work is much more varied and I am becoming increasingly more involved at a technical level so this can be slightly challenging but I am getting to grips with it.

In trying to bring my diary up to date, my Dad couldn't attend my Auntie's funeral last year as she had quite a sizable immediate family and with the restrictions in place it just wasn't possible.  He took it very well all things considered.  I think I was more upset for him.

I am still with my BF but it's been rather tricky seeing one another since the last lockdown as I am part of my DD's support bubble for helping out with childcare.  Hopefully things will become easier as further restrictions are lifted.

I did redecorate my flat but on a budget.  In other words, I bought the paint and a tube of polyfilla and my dad supplied the rest!  I think I did a pretty good job but my balcony looks terrible.  I intend on sorting that out in the next few weeks.

Blackcats

Nice to see you back and sounds like you've done well with debts and budgeting. You sound very motivated by your new job - being bored at work is tedious and makes the working week drag by.  

enthusiasticsaver

Sounds like you have been busy and the work situation has worked out well. 

Mum2Nan

@Blackcats - thank you and very nice to hear from you.  I am really enjoying my secondment, it's challenging but I am winning (I think!)  My LM in jest (at least I hope it was) said he is keeping an eye on me in case I decide to go native!

@enthusiasticsaver only one card to go now, MBNA! 

I have been one of those caught out by Barclaycard with reducing my credit limit (I was going to do it) so they reduced it for me.   I have paid it off (out of my emergency fund) so the payments earmarked for BC will now have to go to repaying my EF.  I am kind of disappointed I have paid it off 6 months early because of the initial fee but perhaps it's done me a favour!  Whilst my EF has dwindled, having one gives you options.