Queen Bee fighting for her Hive!

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello Friday evening! 

I must confess I entered the start of half term with some trepidation of having to entertain the kids. I needed to not have worried though and the kids entertained themselves wonderfully and are now back with their dad this weekend. So its Friday night and I'm here with myself and at a bit of a lose end. I do find these nights strange but its ok. 

So today was a good day. Contracts for my investment property were signed with the management company and yesterday carpets were laid. The fitting came up £200 cheaper than expected so happy to make that saving. So close to being ready for tenants. It feels like this has taken an age to happen but getting there! This month my normal  expenses are a bit higher as I have bills for the property to pay. So in light of this I need to keep tabs on food shop. We have food in the chest freezer so plan to eat from the freezer this week. It's my partners birthday coming up as well so quite an expensive time. 
 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Morning, 

I've woken up in a grump with myself. I'll admit my partner is a great guy but lazy as fudge when it comes to anything but playing his computer so the housework, food shopping etc lands on my shoulders and being completely honest it annoys me like no bodies business but this is just us. I know all about making him do it etc but it ends in a row and after asking multiple times I have just given up for an easier life. Anyway sorry didn't mean to digress. So this morning I wake up in a bad mood with myself as I'd rather not spend the day cleaning but its got to be done. Silly me just has to tackle the dumping ground which is the shelving unit in the living room. So now the living room looks worse than before! On the positive I was reunited with lost tv remote (not seen it since we moved here nearly 2 years ago!) oh and Easter cards which will come in handy for the relatives. My granddad was stickler for a card but the rest of us don't so much. Anyway I will get one of these out to my mum. She'll like that. 

Yesterday I went food shopping and had a reasonably frugal shop - bought what I needed plus one or two extras. I love my flavoured teas so bought a couple of boxes of that. Bill was just shy of £36 but paid for this on Monzo instead of credit card (credit card is paid off end of each month). The shop was selling some good priced birthday cards so got one for my partner's upcoming bday. Last night I stumbled across a discount code for some craft beers so bought my partner a case of beers with the discount code. This will do perfectly for his birthday gift. Bought something similar for him last year or the year before and this was a winner. 
 
After the cleaning I need to tackle a couple of tasks I have been putting off. Maybe if I do these then I will feel a bit better? Anyway better crack on. 

Have a nice day to anyone taking the time to read my post. 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello Saturday, 

Its a beautiful spring day and I am planning to take the kids out to a bigger park which is a bit more of a walk (after lunch so they can eat at home for free). I have a treasure hunt sheet to do which I hope will keep the kids entertained as I get my daily steps in for my virtual walking challenge. The kids have got a fed up with my daily walks so having to get inventive to get them out the house or I'm now even finding myself doing walking workouts at home! This weekend I am challenging myself to no spend days on both Saturday and Sunday. I have enough food in and nothing I really need to buy. 

Yesterday was payday and was a full months pay!    Had a shock at first as it looked like I had been overpaid until I checked my payslip and realised they gave me tax back (which I was due) through my salary! I didn't even know they did such as thing! Salary was all accounted for this month and more (from savings), bills and debt paying... never ending at the moment. 

One good step forward is that I am now back contributing something to a works pension. Not the most exciting of subjects however its one of those life things we really can't do without so another big  MSE tick for getting my finances back in the right direction. Talking of pensions I have now added an extra sheet to my finances spreadsheet and now keeping a closer track on my pension pots. I don't have a lot in them but having multiple pots from changing jobs makes it complicated to follow. So I will now check how these are doing as part of my monthly finances review on the 13th of the month and be able to make beautiful graphs from the data (inner graphs geek!). 

Not much news on investment property side - this week wardrobes were delivered and have been assembled and my lovely step dad is busy getting through the snag list inside and out. Paperwork has been received at the estate agents and hopefully it'll be ready for photographs & marketing in the next week or two's time. 

Right time to get the kids off the box and get them dressed! They'd happily spend all day in pj's watching TV! 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hi everyone, 
Today is going to be a quite lazy last home schooling day. I have little one back to school on Monday and the older one back on Tuesday. I've actually enjoyed lockdown #3 but ready for school opening up now. Today its my partners birthday, he ordered himself a cake which is getting delivered at lunchtime. I've had no sweet treats since 1st January so I am very much looking forward to celebrating end of home schooling and birthday with cake! Yay! 

I'm on count down.... only 9 days to go till I may actually declare I have saved more than I have spent this month! Soooo looking forward to this! Its only by a couple of hundred quid but this will go back into house deposit fund! 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Home schooling started for us with birthday cake and ended with birthday cake, from chocolate cake to cookies and cream! My partner celebrated yet another year on Friday and home schooling / lock down started for us mid December as both kids had to isolate then never went back to school. We've worked hard, had some tears but become a lot more stronger together. Immensely proud of how they have coped but very much looking forward to the next chapter at school.  

This weekend has been a bit of a treat - diet was parked and enjoyed eating lots of the naughty stuff inc curry take away. Diet starts again tomorrow. Took the opportunity to do a big shop so spent £72 in Aldi but cupboards, fridge and freezer is full so we won't need to go shopping for a few weeks. 

With my partner we've been playing detectives and trying to solve a murder - this was an alternative birthday weekend activity. Lots of fun and something a bit different from what we usually get upto on birthday's. 

dawnybabes

Just read all the way through.

Have you tried zinc and magnesium for your anxiety ? If you bought some ZMA tablets you could take one at night and might help the sleep too. 

missymoo81

Hey Queen, just caught up! Sounds like you’re winning at life well done! I hope little one gets on ok at school today. Sounds like you had a lovely weekend. Your rental property being almost ready to go sounds amazing! I remember the start of it all and it’s been a long time coming. Well done for being so positive throughout. Have a great week abs I look forward to your next update!

Queen_of_the_Hive

dawnybabes said:

Just read all the way through.

Have you tried zinc and magnesium for your anxiety ? If you bought some ZMA tablets you could take one at night and might help the sleep too. 

Hi @dawnybabes, I haven't thought of trying to improve anxiety with vits and minerals but will take a look into this so thanks. Hope you enjoyed the diary too. 

Queen_of_the_Hive

On Monday to celebrate International Women's day I made sure to put on a dress, even though I was working from home. It was nice to actually wear 'proper' clothes instead of my usual joggers. So I must make sure I do this more regularly . 

The kids have been loving being back at school and I'm happy they are happy. An opportunity came up this week to have a camping weekend with some friends, so I've booked and paid the deposit on the campsite. So this is something really exciting to look forward to. 

MSE wise I'm three days away from monthly accounts review and looking at being overspent by around £130. Hoping for a miracle that the stock market suddenly shoots for the stars and increases to cover the overspend. Keep fingers crossed 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Three days at school, fourth day dawns and we are home isolating. Littlest bee was showing iffy signs of cold / poss cvd so both kids now off school and isolating while waiting for home test kits. Don't believe he has it but best to be cautions. Such a bum as that's it, stuck at home till we know either way. Was odd asking my ex if he could deliver bread - luckily he was good about it and brought it around. The kids love their bread. Partner is quite pleased - he can't go into work this weekend until he has the test results so yay! 

Haven't done too much today - mild bit of home schooling but actually just let the kids do what kids should do and just play. We had confirmation our holiday is cancelled. This is the second time we have booked it to find it cancelled. So to make the most of the holiday already booked from work, I have booked a safe bet. A holiday apartment close to my family so we will actually get to see each other. They haven't seen the kids in over a year - December 2019 I think was the last time. It'll be huggalicious! Deposit on flat paid from bills account £70. Remainder to pay when we arrive at accommodation. June is booking up quickly

For mothers day made a late order of flowers - missed the boat on Sunday delivery but paid for Monday delivery instead. She'll be chuffed anyway! With discount code this was £28. 

My goal for today was to restart my accounts studies - I've not been as productive as I wanted as having the kids here was an distraction (excuse!). Anyway I have watched one video about getting back into study and I have another video to watch after the kids are settled in bed on one of the topics I was struggling with the last time I touched the study books.