Improving all the time

VelvetFreak

It’s nice to have savings categorised and future expenses planned for, there’s less surprises that way . I hope you’re having a good week and feeling a bit better.

FloraandFauna

Thanks, Velvet! It's not even that they were/are surprises, just that I always tried to absorb them from one month's pay and so couldn't save anything, or had to 'reduce' my savings. Whereas if I just put it aside in the first place I will feel as though I'm doing something successful when I pay, rather than seeing it as failing at monthly budget/saving goals. Silly, I know, it's all the same bill, it's just how you think about it!

Looooong day today. I expect I've been wonderful at MFW'ing, but am too tired to remember if I've done anything other than NSD. That's 14 of our 24, looking better. Yawwwwwwwn, and goodnight.

FloraandFauna

uh-oh, flashy blue lights and the most amazing, sympathetic, medics first thing this morning. am sorted out now by doctors, but can't claim an NSD due to spend on drugs (the pharmacy kind). am very grateful today not to be in serious trouble.

savingholmes

Oh dear - hope you get better quickly. Glad it was nothing too serious although flashing blue lights usually means it is...

FloraandFauna

Thank you, SavingHolmes, it's lovely of you to post. I honestly thought I was in serious, possibly terminal, trouble overnight as I couldn't move for a few hours, but thankfully it's just pericarditis.

I had been musing about OP/life balance over the last few days, and whether I shouldn't take things a bit slower to allow money for 'living', as lots of people mention that on here. I only had a vague idea so far that 'living' might mean spending a bit more on travel to the mountains, or nice wine, or cinema tickets or something.

But today I am so grateful to be actually living, that I think I'm going to be quite content as I am for a while, being frugal and slowly chipping away at this mortgage.

mark55man

how dreadful for you - must have been a real shock. No reasons why you can't do a bit more living while you are still living - mountains may have to wait but always plenty of beauty in UK countryside (unless it was skiing you wanted which is more of a challenge)

I hope your work life balance allows you to take few days off to recover properly. I think a blue light visit for a cardiac issue probably warrants a fit note for a week or so

FloraandFauna

Hello, MrMan! Lovely to see you again.

I have, in fact, been craving steak today. Normally can't justify it on a £ per lb basis, but coming round to the idea it's probably not morally feeble or weak willed to give myself a metaphorical (culinary?) hug after such a shock.

Although we all know that comfort eating is Not A Good Thing, comfort steak's not bad though, surely?

I'm fortunate enough to live in a very rural, rolling part of the country, but the true mountains (for walking/wild camping) are a couple of hours drive away and it's hard to justify the petrol costs. My work are extremely flexible on the whole working from home issue, so although I didn't manage yesterday, I've done a few things today. Part of my grand plan involves delivering these two extra projects by Christmas so amazingly well that I can justify applying for promotion. And that's not going to happen lying around on the sofa clutching my chest.

In money saving news, Barclays have just sent me a letter saying they owe me £12.26 wrongly claimed interest from some time back in the Jurassic period, so I've posted off the form claiming that. Kantar have sent me just over £10 in free stamps to start the RM tests, and I'm nearly owed another £5 from prolific. Add that to about £20 expenses in pay, £35 from free bingo spins, and that's over £80 I hope to see next month for OP'ing, conjured out of nothing. I may even get my £100 bank switch transfer by the end of next month, and about £16 from TCB, which is making my (IMPOSSIBLE, REMEMBER!) goal of OP'ing £300 per month look really close for the second month in a row! (£100 is OP'd as standard in the budget). Bonkers.

FloraandFauna

oh! and a train delay claim, although no news yet on when or how much for that, but if it takes Scotrail and Virgin more than a month to decide who's to blame and payout, I shall be writing very angry emails.

FloraandFauna

apologies for the stream of posts, but lying on the sofa does give time to think...

I have just realised that this month - the month I started a diary - is the first month since I moved in to this house last September that my savings have gone UP and not down at the end of the month.

Not by much admittedly, but the right direction.

When I was saving for the house deposit I started tracking every single penny I spent, so got quite good at keeping an eye on the various budgets, but always managed to spend slightly more than I wanted. This month, I have gone over the food budget slightly (Hello, steak!), but way under on petrol and phone, so come out about £100 ahead. This will go into savings which are low enough to worry me, as I've met my OP target this month.

The food budget is over (not because of WONDERful steak) but because I bulk-bought cat food and litter online, which saved some pennies in total but was a lot to lay out in one month. It has lasted this month though, and should see me through all of next, so that's probably £40 odd quid I can save from the food budget next month. And that will go towards the OP goal, which is looking achievable for next month now!

savingholmes

HI Flora - take it easy - allow yourself some time to recover - from the shock and the pain. Great news about all your over-payments. I used to be part of the #make10 a day challenge - I really need to restart that as although I've had some amazing windfalls this month it is unlikely to happen again like that.