Slipping Through My Fingers

teafor2

BalanceBy50 wrote: »

Just checking you are ok tea? Xx

beanielou wrote: »

I was just wondering how you were earlier.
Hope all is well as it can be xx

Homegrown0 wrote: »

Hi Tea! It's been a while! Hope you're well and the pots are going strong?

Hi Everyone it has been a while hasn't it, a bit longer than I thought actually when I checked the date.

All is good here thanks. Pots are still 'live' even though they're all empty. But that's OK, having nothing left in December was all part of the grand plan when I started them I'm giving myself a break from potting this month but will be ready to start over again in January.

Hope you're all keeping OK and the Christmas preps are going well. xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

I was thinking that you haven't posted for a while. Glad everything is okay. Are you looking forward to Christmas? Do you have any nice Christmas actvities planned?

teafor2

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I was thinking that you haven't posted for a while. Glad everything is okay. Are you looking forward to Christmas? Do you have any nice Christmas actvities planned?

I don't know why I stopped posting. I think it was just one of those times when a couple of days off turned into several weeks!

I am looking forward to Christmas. Nothing in particular planned. DD won't be home until the last minute which is a bit sad, although the positive to that is I'll be really excited to see her when she does.

Think I have everything pretty much sorted bar the last minute shop for fresh stuff. xx

Homegrown0

Sounds like a lovely Christmas planned - you're right, your daughter's arrival will be worth the wait!

I'm pretty sure everyones' pots are empty come December Mine certainly are!

teafor2

Homegrown0 wrote: »

Sounds like a lovely Christmas planned - you're right, your daughter's arrival will be worth the wait!

I'm pretty sure everyones' pots are empty come December Mine certainly are!

Yes, that's very true HG :rotfl: I guess a lot of people will have empty pots at the moment. But it was so nice being able to get money out of them whenever I needed it rather than trying to find it from somewhere else. It'll definitely be a lifelong exercise now.

Bet your boys are super excited about Christmas aren't they. xx

teafor2

Morning All

A quick update because there's really not much to say apart from the pots I set up this time last year have made a huge difference the past 12 months and the Christmas pots especially have been a great help. Apart from £10 in the hairdressing pot they are all empty, but they've certainly done their job well :rotfl:

It's been really good having the money there to dip into whenever it's been needed and I'll definitely be setting them up again in the New Year.

I'm still doing surveys and still submitting receipts. Surveys have been coming thick and fast the past couple of weeks and I've managed to cash out with RH and Shoppix as well, so this month I've had a nice cash boost. At the moment I have just short of £37 cleared/pending. This year all survey/receipt money will be saved for Christmas 2020 - either a meal or an experience for the DC's. Hopefully both

Hope you're all organised for Christmas and are looking forward to the Big Day xx

Homegrown0

Oh yes, my boys require peeling off the ceiling multiple times per day at the moment! I'm looking forward to work/ schools finishing so that we can start to enjoy the festivities together instead of all the crazy running around trying to achieve a million things.

I'll look forward to your 2020 pots update. And I like the idea of saving all your survey/ receipts money to treat the family in December 2020. A nice little pot of money for treats

LABMUM

Loved hearing about your pots and look forward to hearing about your 2020 post xx

teafor2

Homegrown0 wrote: »

Oh yes, my boys require peeling off the ceiling multiple times per day at the moment! I'm looking forward to work/ schools finishing so that we can start to enjoy the festivities together instead of all the crazy running around trying to achieve a million things.

I'll look forward to your 2020 pots update. And I like the idea of saving all your survey/ receipts money to treat the family in December 2020. A nice little pot of money for treats

Aww I do miss those days HG. I know what you mean about finishing the never ending list of things to do at school and being able to enjoy it at your own pace. Much better for everybody.

I have my list of pots already thought out, not much different than last years really. Definitely going to keep the survey/receipt money for Christmas though. I used quite a bit of it to do a few behind the scenes things but will be better prepared for those this year as well. xx

LABMUM wrote: »

Loved hearing about your pots and look forward to hearing about your 2020 post xx

Thanks LABMUM The 2020 pots will be pretty much the same, as will my daily life/spending which they need to cover so why re-invent the wheel :rotfl: They've been really good for keeping me focused on things and hopefully I'll be able to bump them up a bit more next year because some behind the scenes things are already being thought about in advance. It's been a good year for learning how to properly budget my spends and really make them work for me xx

teafor2

Morning Everybody

Only 5 more sleeps to go

I'm not sure if I've said this before but I like to plan ahead. Would you believe me if I said I had a list already up and running for things I want to do for Christmas 2020. :rotfl: After that confession, thinking about the pots for 2020 seems tame doesn't it.

The ones I set up for 2019 worked really well so I’m not going to change them or alter the amounts paid into them. For the past few months I’ve had £285 but I’m dropping this to £225 in January and the £60 difference is being put into a savings account for household items, although that's a very loose heading

That means I’ll have £35 per week spends. Last year any money left over at the end of the week was split between pots or went on some behind the scenes things, but this year I’m keeping it in my purse to do something 'nice' with once a month. I’ve no idea what so we’ll have to see how that pans out. If the money just disappears it'll have to be potted!

Savings: £25
DS: £10
Dog Grooming: £25
Hairdressers: £10
Christmas Gifts: £10
Charity: £5
Total : £85

Paypal: £33.32/£250/13%

I've added Paypal to the list because I want to use the money I get from surveys and receipts to pay for an experience for the DC’s and our annual Christmas meal. I’ll see what I have in there after 3 months and if I think I need to start adding to it then I will do.

Hope you're all organised for Christmas and whatever your plans are you're looking forward to it. Have a great day. xx