Keeping on the Straight and Narrow...

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82011439#Comment_82011439

I once waited & the company went kaput.

DancingInTheRain

Oh no @beanielou that's awful. I still haven't cashed out but giving it some serious thought as I woke up with a start this morning after dreaming all my store/receipt apps had a zero balance 😂

We've had a lovely day out at a small theme park a couple of hours drive away from us today.

Packed a picnic lunch and took lots of drinks to keep costs down but ended up spending £15 on ice creams and cold drinks as it was 26 degrees, significantly warmer than we've experienced the last few days 😂

Luckily there was plenty of sheltered spaces to escape the sun when needed and we just took our time walking around so we managed to go on the rides we wanted to at our own pace as the queues weren't too bad either.

The boys spent a few £s of their pocket money on a 2nd ice cream each as well as a little souvenir from the gift shop.

The drive there and back was problem free although both boys fell asleep within 10 minutes of us setting off back and we had to wake them up when we got home so I can see them having a late night tonight 😳

Luckily DH and I are both off tomorrow so at least we can have a lazy start to the day

Today's PAD: £1 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5067 (M&S CC £467)

DancingInTheRain

Another beautiful day ☀️

So much for a lazy start to the day, I was up at 630 and the kids were up at 715 with DH not too far behind! Took advantage of the temperature being a bit cooler first thing and got a load of washing done and out on the line as well as deep cleaning the kitchen before I left the boys with DH while I took Mum for some shopping and a cafe stop for cake and coffee.

Once I was back DH and I spent the rest of the afternoon tidying the garden while the boys stayed inside gaming, we then took the boys for their swimming lesson and then as it had cooled down a bit on our return, we ate our evening meal outside before the boys enjoyed kicking a football around for a while.

All 3 boys are now tucked up in bed so I'm enjoying a bit of peace and quiet on my own!

Today's PAD: £1 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5066 (M&S CC £466)

DancingInTheRain

Last day of DH's pay cycle and we have £4 left in the budget, not much but sent to the M&S card.

Would have had more left but DH wanted to get a couple of replacement tools for a few small DIY jobs he wants to plod on with so needs must.

Busy day at work today, totally flew by! Was hoping to sit out in the garden this evening but it is so windy it's not the calm and relaxing experience I was hoping for 😂

So plan B is sitting on the sofa with the boys watching Despicable Me.

Today's PAD: £5 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5061 (M&S CC £461)

DancingInTheRain

DH pay in & has been split between the bills account and the general spends account in readiness for the start of June. NSD today too.

The boys and DH have had a fairly chill day in between doing a few chores while I've been at work.

I'm working Sat and Sun too and given how much they hate going to the shops and I'll have limited time, I'm hoping for a low spend weekend.

May have to pop out for a few bits after my relatively short shift at work on Sunday as DS1 is off on a 3 day residential with school on Monday. We're going to pack tomorrow evening so if we're missing anything then it can be sorted on Sunday, he doesn't mind shopping when it's for his benefit 😂

Today's PAD: £1 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5060 (M&S CC £460)

Looking forward to Monday when the debt total will start with a 4 😀

beanielou

Bring it on!

DancingInTheRain

Struggled today with feeling unwell. I'm blaming it on it being that 'special' time of the month as I've struggled on and off the last few days which I've put down to the warmer weather but the nauseous feeling has really dominated today. Have tried to keep hydrated but struggled to eat much. Made it through work and then have taken it easy since being at home.

The boys have had a chill day and avoided the shops 🙌

Have reviewed the packing list for DS1's residential and I'm happy we have everything he needs, the packing is being left until tomorrow as I just can't face it plus need to get a couple of things washed and dried for him.

Today's PAD: £1 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5059 (M&S CC £459)

DancingInTheRain

Feeling a bit better this morning but still not 100%, only a short shift at work today so should be okay.

Tidied up my budget spreadsheet with the end of month figures, really pleased to see how much the debt is starting to come down while managing to increase savings too.

It's helped massively that we're no longer in the 'paying out money faster than we're earning it' phase of doing up the house plus I got paid a fair bit of overtime in May and have also worked a lot of extra shifts which in turn stops me spending!

My payday in a couple of weeks will have more overtime worked than contracted hours so I'm quietly optimistic that June could be a good month for finances too 🤞

This is only due to us being really short staffed at work, it won't last forever so trying to make the best of the extra hours and income while it's available.

In other news, DH is going to start gigging with his band again from next weekend after a long hiatus, he's looking forward to it and it's good to see him enthusiastic about it. He's really talented but the black dog can really eat away at his confidence so I'm really hoping he gets some positive effect on his mental health from playing too 💙

Any money he earns is going to be set aside in a savings account linked to his personal spends account and used to offset diesel for travelling to and from gigs plus expenses like drinks when he's playing or replacing equipment in order to make the gigs cost neutral. He won't be earning a fortune but any leftovers will almost be forgotten about but could be drawn on as back up EF if ever needed.

Today's PAD: £1 to M&S CC & £1 to Savings.

Debt total now £5058 (M&S CC £458)

in_need_of_direction

make sure he pays himself the recently increased mileage rate approved by hmrc

DancingInTheRain

Thank you @in_need_of_direction good point!