Making money make sense

Franalamadingdong

It's been a quiet half term, mostly as it hasn't stopped raining. The boy went to a party yesterday - thank you present cupboard, which now needs stocking up. 
The boy's behaviour has been pretty poor and currently he's staring at no party. If he keeps pushing it he won't have any friends over for tea & cake either.

I'll be taking the dog to the vet on Monday I think. Spoken to mum and he has no insurance :eye_roll: if it's something straight forward like a UTI I can get it fixed... Other illness and treatment I will have to run past her first. So more doggy expenses before the end of the month! 

It also means I'll go food shopping tomorrow instead of Monday. For now, I'm sewing and watching a movie. I think I forgot to add a £44.11 income when I was playing with sums earlier anyway. Prolific is now over £20, but OP is only at £12.80 (£30 payout threshold) isay is about halfway to £5 gift card too. That all said, I've totally slacked off from doing them for a bit. Prolific have much more interesting studies. I've just finished a cognitive abilities one, which was fun.

That's about everything. Dog and boy are difficult. Lack of routine is dragging me down, so I am looking forward to being back at work. Boyfriend is lovely, and back at his place to watch the boxing. Haha.

Franalamadingdong

Urgh, I definitely need to book a normal food shop delivery for 2nd March. Going into store today ended up being 90p health and beauty (fine), £7.75 on household, which is already in overspend and £52 on food and drink, bringing it into overspend. Grr. Had the child with me this time, but in all honesty, it's much better for me to buy online and adjust things through the week and I can make it fit the budget. It being pancake Day soon I have cheap lemons and can make lemon curd! Yay! 

Franalamadingdong

Another spendy day yesterday. Took the dog to the vet. £38 consultation and I'll be taking his pee sample in today so I'll be paying for that to be tested. As he peed on my boots at some point between 10pm and 7:30am he had best have something wrong with him otherwise I'm getting a dog shaped rug! 
After the vets we got fish and chips for tea... Yep, after doing the shopping yesterday. Then I ordered some fabric in a closing down sale. #uncontrollable! 
Back to normal today and I've got tea out to defrost and will do pancakes for pudding. I need to take cash out for the child minder, but that's all I'm expecting other than the vet payment. 
I'm not going into meltdown because I've over spent and spend more, nor am I going to cut back everywhere. I have a cushion, it is ok, I just want to be more intentional with my money, it's ok to slip up.... Just not in dog pee. Lol. 
So, taking boy to school, going to work, then home, pick up boy and taking pee sample to the vet, home, tea, pancakes and then wonder what to do with my evening as I have finished up a quilt that needed quilting and binding! Woop! 

Franalamadingdong

Looking at my budget for March. I'll have MOT, car insurance and the birthday boy expenses coming out, but I have £400 in the car pot, having looked up quotes for the insurance It should be just under £300! And £90 left in the birthday pot for my boy.
I've increased the household budget - a new airer will be needed soon and I've added a dog and boyfriend budget  

It's looking like £2283.20 income, including money coming in from savings pots and £332.17 going into various savings pots. My phone/net/TV bill will be bigger this month as I wasn't billed last month, but I put some money aside into the bills pot for it. And I'm due a water bill this coming month.
I'm waiting for a payout of just over £20 to clear PayPal from prolific and just under £80 from top cashback and the money will go into the tech replacement fund (I've combined phone and laptop) when that clears and I add my £50 in March I will have £300 in there  
March is always an expensive month for me with my dad and my son's birthdays, mother's Day, occasionally Easter, water bill, often a 5 week rent month, MOT and car insurance. It feels good to know it's all under control.

Blackcats

Dare I ask how the dog is? sorry to say I chuckled at the pee in the boots particularly as there was an estimated time for the crime.
fish and chips is sometimes just the thing.  You have a good savings cushion and you are so sensible with money so you can be kind to yourself occasionally.   I fell off the wagon on Monday by going out for a curry with a glass of wine if that makes you feel better 😈

Franalamadingdong

Oh I'm fine with the odd slip up. It's not putting me behind on any payments or anything. I hope you enjoyed your evening out!

The dog is still out on trial - vets not given us our results yet, so we will soon know. I guess at least my kitchen floor is being cleaned more regularly! 

The biggest news is that the boyfriend wants to discuss our finances at some point. I've said that as it's peeing it down all weekend some point will be this weekend. He's thinking of just taking the plunge, moving over, setting up a business without the employee job safety net behind him. I've explained that I've no experience in running a business, nor any in construction, but if he can take care of that side of things I'm happy to help with the accounts. The first step will be to look at our household income/outgoings. He has a loan he is still paying off. I have told him off because he doesn't know how much he still owes (urgh). So that needs fixing. 
My other news is that my boy has decided he now wants to walk to school! He went off this morning, although I waited with him at the first road (the main one through the village). I think when he starts year 5 in September he'll probably be happy walking to and from school... Which leads me to wonder if it would be the time I go back to work full-time. I'd leave just before my son goes to school, and finish at 5:30pm, and I only work 5 minutes away. He's usually got an after school club until 4:30pm. It's not for worrying about yet, but something I can bare in mind. I think my work would be pleased to have me full-time, as that's what the job is supposed to be. Again, not something to worry about just yet. But it's a possibility.

Lots of unknowns usually makes me massively anxious, but I seem ok for now.

Franalamadingdong

Just given my mane a tidy up. I have hairdresser scissors and as it's just a bob it's easy enough to do. I usually put in layers, but I'm having a look at them grown out a little and put in a sweeping fringe. That all said, my hair is curly, so it usually just does whatever it wants!

The dog's test came back clear, so I'm killing him later! 

In positive news I made lemon curd. I've not made it in about a year and a half and it's so good my son got super excited when he saw it cooling in jars.

Blackcats

Discussing joint finances is a very good use of a rainy weekend and very exciting.  Hopefully it will be relatively easy to get the figure for the loan balance and that it won't be too much.

Maybe you could increase your work hours but not go completely full time.  One early finish day could be a treat day.  When my children were younger I finished early 2 days a week - i day was their swimming lesson day and it was nice to be able to watch them with a cuppa and we would have our tea in the cafe at the leisure centre,  the 2nd day was usually a go straight home from school day so we could have a nice dinner and watch a film in the winter and in the summer stop off for a walk and an ice cream.  

Franalamadingdong

Nice idea Blackcats. I currently do 9-3pm with half hour lunch break. The norm is 8:30-5:30 with 1 hour lunch break. It's not anything I need to worry about just yet anyway. 

My son was so happy to see me at his class worship this morning! And afterwards I was chatting to one of the mums who wants some fitted wardrobes made and a quote for an extension.... I've told the boyfriend, but not told him we're going over tomorrow.
I've gotten home and done some tidying and cleaning and baked some coconut cookies - so good. But I think I've trapped a nerve in my back or something, so I'm going to chill out from now until half 4 when I go get the boy. 
It's been so nice having the day off and pottering around doing jobs in the house and it being calm and quiet.

Blackcats

Mmm coconut cookies sound nice - could you share the recipe please.
well done for seizing the opportunity of possible work for the boyfriend.  School conversations are a good way to get and give recommendations for trades.