The Four D's

FootyFanDan

Ouch! Not half neglected my diary lately (Sorry diary). Hope everyone is keeping safe and well. 
10 days out from payday and budget holding up tight so far. It has been helped by been off work at the beginning part of the month and also we seem to have done quite well shopping wise. Although I think we need to look at food spends we seem to do quite well but I wanna make sure that we are also getting the proper nutrition we should be, so a review of what we spend plus eat is something to look at. 

There isn't really much to report - today going to be a life admin day I reckon. I have got to try sort out getting car booked in for MOT/Service and a slight issue with handbrake. Adjusting to Lockdown again has not been quite as easy as the 1st one, although I know for some it's tougher than others , I have actually been able to save a bit of money in lockdown as well as getting on with some DIY stuff. It sounds silly compared to other problems in the world but starting to miss some of the interaction with the footy boys and been out at footy and just socialising in general. The little one is feeling a little crap too as she just got back into her drama and now stopped again so the overall constant changing hasn't been great although she has handled most of the situation really well.

Christmas hit our house last week.....I know haha! The little one was desperate for tree to go up (it was all her idea...honestly it was...) although not liking the fact I keep having to get one very hyper kitten from eating the decorations! Its helped keep the spirits up. I think we all just praying to get back to some form of normal but the fact we have our little family unit is a blessing that I know some others don't have so I am thankful for that.

I now have a few free days from work so I will do some housework too - the partner is still feeling the affects of her illness so is trying to rest, she is really struggling to sleep at the moment so just trying to help out where I can when little one is in school. I have the interview next week too for the promotion role so I am also just prepping for that - I am hopeful I will get the job as I have been doing part of the role for last few months so I do have a good understanding of it, it would give me such better work/life balance than I have now.

Todays Plan
- Arrange with vet for all kitten stuff to be done (they have a neutering scheme in December which will save me £50) so I need to ensure this is all booked in and sorted.
- Contact garage to arrange and get car booked in
- Go through all current contract end dates / deals ending and schedule in calendar as to when I need to take some action 
- Update spreadsheets YAY  
- Clean kitchen and vacuum - I did wanna cut grass but seems like going to rain here today so that ain't happening ( neighbour unhappy for another day )

After I have completed them tasks, I plan to chill out headphones in, music on and updating my documents on computer - wow I live the dream!! haha.

Stay safe everyone 

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Glad to hear your wife is ok and great to hear re house. Definitely pros and cons to buying or renting tbh. Wouldn’t worry about the whole having something to pass on to your little one - unfortunately if you or wife needs care when you’re older your res home will soon go. You’d certainly hope she will be established with her own life too. If there’s something to leave to my son I will gladly pass it on but I’m not sacrificing my quality of life for it and if he wants my business he can work for it. No qualms in maxing the portfolio LTVs and equity release from res home if that’s what it takes when I’m old haha.

We are having a ‘virtual’ Halloween too. Find the whole zoom thing very strange tbh but son will like it. Usually do trick or treat also he is quite annoyed it’s not happening this year. Definitely difficult for the kids - hard for us to get out heads around so even more difficult for them to understand. I am concerned it will affect them when they’re older - worrying about viruses etc?? Maybe just I’m paranoid but my son does seem quite concerned about catching the virus. When I was a kid we got sent out to catch them (maybe just my parents ha) but chicken pox is hardly corona lol.

Debt free February is brilliant and well done on the laptop fix/ Christmas.  

Are you Notts based too? FML I hope you’re not one of my tenants ha I’ll be mortified if you are with all I’ve written on here lol.

Haha now that would be funny if I was a tenant.....I am not though. I am not a million miles from you though I am based in good old Barnsley.

The little one is aware of the pre-cautions to take and was a little worried when her mummy caught it but overall we have managed to keep her quite calm and relaxed about the virus, although I am hoping that we are back to some form of normal soon. I think winter was always going to be tough but lockdown is starting to get frustrating now but I still have my job and overall I can't grumble I think I just miss the normal activities we do around this time of the year and socialising in general. We can all hope for some end to this shortly although not sure how things change after 2nd December and I am aware others have suffered and still are way more than myself. 

Haha it must have been the parents as mine were the same

mark55man

Experiences from doing the job you are interviewing for is literally the single best thing you can bring up in an interview!  Good luck with that, and well done on keeping relatively sane in all this drama 

FootyFanDan

mark55man said:

Experiences from doing the job you are interviewing for is literally the single best thing you can bring up in an interview!  Good luck with that, and well done on keeping relatively sane in all this drama 

Thanks Mark, I am hoping that the fact they have trusted me to step into the role on occasions when it needed covering will stand in my favour. I am under no illusions that its a tough job but I also know I can do it. I dunno about sane haha but yeah things are going well. Hope you and the family are all good.

FootyFanDan

Just checking in before heading off to bed to keep my self active. Today has been a long day at work but 1 day out of 4 down - everything that could go wrong technology wise today at work has done haha, then get home and laptop then wanted to play daft!. Its bit of weird time at the moment as it feels like I am hardly at work, got more holidays left to use after this set of day shifts and will be off then until 12th Dec   then hopefully when I am back no more night shifts to do. 

Xmas shopping is now all done so that is one less thing on my to do list, just got to wrap it once it all arrives (might be a night of xmas songs and a few drinks with gf to get through that hehe). I am still waiting on the garage getting back to me but will ring them when I am off - in positive news though I appear to have fixed my handbrake so that should hopefully be resolved but will probably still get checked at point of MOT. Also contacted the vet to sort dates for the kitten stuff to be resolved so pretty much ready for that, must admit although I wasn't fully sold on the kitten idea its brought a bit of joy to the little one....although I will be glad when the kitten stops chasing my feet hahaha. 

Hope everyone has a fab week ahead - stay safe.

mark55man

I'm planning a long break over Christmas, this year has been manic for work.  So just enjoy your time off - a bit for yourself, but mainly just chilling with family - that's my plan anyway 

FootyFanDan

mark55man said:

I'm planning a long break over Christmas, this year has been manic for work.  So just enjoy your time off - a bit for yourself, but mainly just chilling with family - that's my plan anyway 

Enjoy your time off, strangely I think this xmas might be a little more relaxed for me this year. We do tend to end up travelling around quite a bit so this year it will be nice to spend some quality time together (despite the circumstances that have caused this unusual time of year). 

FootyFanDan

Evening All, 

Another day ticked off on the countdown to more days off haha! 3 down 1 to go. Today as been one of the longest 12 hour shifts ever plus been mega busy. Tomorrow is last one though and also the day I feel like I have been waiting forever....promotion interview day - I am not really too nervous kinda been talked about and built up for so long now I just wanna get it done and out of way...I have a what will be will be attitude. I am desperate to get it coz it will be such a big move forward and will also give me such a more settled routine. I just don't want to let my mind think I have it and then deal with the disappointment if I don't. I am also hoping if I get it then I will be sparred working xmas.

In other news car MOT is booked in for Friday morning so hopefully that goes through pretty smoothly but we shall see. I have saved a fair amount towards it and will put more to it when I get paid Thursday.

Early night tonight, even though I am not confident early nights do me any good as I always seem more tired going to sleep earlier 

DancingInTheRain

All the best for tomorrow, you'll ace it! 💪

alt80

You'll smash it mate. Good luck (don't think you'll need it tbh). 

Not far away from you at all then. You're doing better than Forest at the moment. Think a team of blind men could do better than Forest right now though so not a massive compliment ha. Hoping to take my son to the football when we can.

How do you cope with the time off? Time off my business drives me mad and into self destructive stuff. Ridiculous I know should enjoy that time with family but more often than not don't.

Can sit back for Christmas then now? Same here apart from tree coming on Friday. 

Hope MOT ok - if it goes straight through sounds like you'll have a bit of unexpected cash. 🤞