Making money make sense

Jox

It's just frustrating being stuck at home and feeling like freedoms have been curbed...it's a good practice for new couples living together and a test of relationships new and old! My husband is a free spirit and barely home usually and it's a big change for him to be home 24/7 with me and our 6 year old son, we're having to do some serious adjusting! I've got us netflix to help Good luck to you guys

Franalamadingdong

He was happy I came home with chocolate in addition to the other bits yesterday. Mum was thrilled I got her a chicken as they'd not been able to get one. It was the last one in the store when I went so I picked it up for her.

I hope you're handling everything well, Jox. I do feel guilty as I leave at 8:45am and get back at 3:15pm and he's home caring (being driven mad by) my son. 

We have Netflix and sky, but my son prefers YouTube. We limit his time on it as it makes him like a drug addict. It's the strangest thing. His cheeks go red, his eyes go weird and he breath becomes shallow. 20 minutes is his limit. More than that and he is so super cranky afterwards wanting another fix. Yet he's fine with regular TV.

Thankfully he's gotten back into exploring his Lego. My partner loves to watch films, my son gets bored and so do I. I need to have some sewing or something to do with my hands if I'm watching TV or films. My partner likes to say I have ADD I just say that it's boring to sit and not do anything. Bless him, he's very tolerant. It does mean I mostly give him free reign of the TV as he's the one actually watching it. I did steal the remote yesterday having had enough of man build fire, man make sword, man do man things and put on a true crime thing. He was working (lecturer) so I figured I could have dibs then. 

I think all in all we are doing ok. It's difficult for him and my son to not get out of the house. But we will go up to the holiday let at the weekend and clean my car. The holiday let is in the same village as us, is owned by my parents, and no one is there, but with it having a 2.5 acre garden it means we can let off some steam and there's no risk of us coming into contact with anyone. Plus they have a jet wash and water recovery system.

Franalamadingdong

So, as well as the extra £200 tucked away at the end of March I've popped in most of my April savings today and mama paid the dog and material costs back. I've moved £125 in savings for the laptop and holding the £50 for now. I'll check my spreadsheet tomorrow

Franalamadingdong

So. My pots are now...
Laptop: £576.83
Prime: £52
Bills: £50
Clothing: £115.93
Emergency fund: £2050
Car: £200
Birthdays: £145.03
Christmas: £250
Home improvement: £402.93
Events: £53.31
I'm so pleased how things are adding up and I'm confident I'll be able to afford a new laptop soon and the quilt design software. Once that's paid off I will be saving to replace my phone and then I'll more slowly put money aside for "large replacements" so this could be for white goods, a car, a sewing machine - those things that wear out, so my emergency fund will be for emergencies. Prime, car, clothing, Christmas, events and birthdays are all calculated so they don't need extra funding, but emergency fund, home improvements, bills etc can always take extra money as it is freed up. 

I decided to put the £50 for materials that the boyfriend told me to keep towards to food and drink budget. 

My job's secure and I've been told if I have to self isolate for 2 weeks I will get full pay for those 2 weeks, which is super nice of them. So my budget is somewhat stable for now.

Blackcats

well done on your savings progress.  Very impressive.  Glad the job is secure and you are reassured about self isolation.  

Franalamadingdong

Thanks Blackcats. I've meal planned for the coming week. I'm exhausted today. I've done a lot and really should have rested a bit. Tree pollen has hit. Blurgh. 

A bit apprehensive as to what I will find when I get to work in the morning. But I'll do my best

Blackcats

hi Fran.  I hope you are ok.  

Franalamadingdong

Sorry for the quietness. Yes, everything is ok. I have bought some hair clippers to sort out my son's hair and a new vacuum (cheap, but amazing reviews) and I've just been working really. I have had fabric and most of a pattern (lol) arrive for making NHS scrubs. So that is my Easter weekend sorted! 😁

Blackcats

I hope you had a good bank holiday weekend.  As good as you can in the lockdown circumstances.