Making money make sense

Franalamadingdong

Made triple chocolate muffins whilst tea was cooking (just cooking pasta and heating up a homemade sauce). I didn't need to buy any ingredients as they were all in the store cupboard. The boy had fun making them with me and we all enjoyed one warm out of the oven.
The boyfriend arrived just as tea was cooked, and after telling me yesterday that he wouldn't want tea as he'd eat on his way, he declared he was going to have tea. So I split 2 portions across 3, giving him the lion's share, so I don't feel so naughty gobbling up that delicious muffin.

No huge plans for the weekend. I'm sure we'll wrap up warm for a walk at some point and I need to pop to mum and dad's to water plants, pick up post, clean a room and take out the bins.

Still, not spent any money and looking to a frugal weekend. One can hope anyway! Nice shower and pamper, film and cuddles on the cards for tonight. So delighted to have my man home.

Blackcats

Have a lovely weekend. You deserve it.

Franalamadingdong

Thanks Blackcats. I slept well for the first time all week last night and feel so good for it.

It's super frosty here so I'm just getting on with a bit of housework and then I need to dye my hair. Looking like a nice easy pottering day.

Franalamadingdong

Hello DFDers! Yesterday was my lovely pottering day. The boyfriend and I decided to just have a very relaxed weekend. Next weekend he's looking to do some work at mum and dad's place.

Yesterday was so lovely in that the boy helped me make dinner and then he cleaned the table while the boyfriend took over my washing up and so I dried. It's such a simple thing, but because I'm used to doing everything myself it was just so lovely and made me feel very connected.

The lovely moisturised skin seemed to prompt the boyfriend to massage my back with the moisturiser to make it soft too. I also earned myself extra work on my shoulder - it's been in pain for weeks. It's now super tender to the touch but it's really opened up the range of movement.

I had gotten away with not making any spends but the boyfriend asked for more of his special shampoo and conditioner. He doesn't have an @mazon account, so I just ordered it up. But he's sweet and gave me the cash.

In even better news we may have found him the perfect new job. So fingers crossed it will prove promising. He won't be moving this way until he has a job in place. And although it will be a paycut of about £12-14k neither of us have expensive lifestyles and there's development potential to get back into teaching SEND, which is what he loves and his current job is burning him out. There seem to be other opportunities around too, so we shall see what happens, but it's nice news and he's sent his CV off.

Anyway, £20.83 went out for the hair products for the boyfriend, but he gave me £22 and that's just gone in the pots at home - handy for if we need cash.

Planning on a bath and a deep hair condition later to treat my hair a bit having dyed it yesterday.

The only spend I can see coming up is the non-pulling harness once I've finally measured the dog! I've got the net/phone/TV bill that was due out Saturday, but probably won't come out until tomorrow, food shop due out Tuesday and that's about it.

The boyfriend was telling me off for having holey scruff clothes, but they are scruffs! I think a wee sort out and a possible shopping trip might happen. I have 2 £25 vouchers I can spend if I wanted to. Some of them I can just repair myself. Save it going into landfill when it's a simple fix.

Jox

Sounds like a lovely weekend and boyfriend is very sweet!


Good idea to repair clothes where poss, I sewed a hole in a shirt yesterday, it had ripped under the arm and it's a patterned shirt so my dodgy stitching won't show hopefully!


Good luck to boyf with the job!

Blackcats

Glad you had such a nice weekend. Very exciting about the potential job opportunity for the boyfriend.

Franalamadingdong

Thanks Jox. He's such a treasure. Although he's informed me we're getting married - no asking, just letting me know! Hahaha. And apparently sooner rather than later, I have been warned. he's changed his mind on having more kids too. Goodness me! What a difference a year makes! Thankfully I'm pretty easy going and my son adores the boyfriend and is endlessly asking for a baby brother. He asked for one when I was single too. Hahaha. Luckily I've been told more kids will be in about 5 years and I'm hoping he'll heel too exhausted from day-to-day parenting to want any more and might settle for a dog. Hahaha. Joking aside I'm happy whatever comes. We have the boy and so if more comes, that's grand, if not, that's ok too. The boyfriend never wanted more kids before, so this was a surprise! I have the coil, so thankfully that's the only surprise. Haha.

He is very sweet, we spend a lot of time laughing and he's amazing with the boy. Apparently they're going to make the dog a proper dog bed together next.

Thanks Blackcats. It was super when I started reading out jobs and saw what a great fit this one would be. It's part of a company who has another "branch" who tried to recruit him from his current job as he worked with them for their SEND needs in teaching construction, so the plan is to list the chap who tried to recruit him to work for them directly as a referee.

I have a few things to fix Jox, but a couple are just easy seam fixed that I can whip through the overlocker. I'm just lazy! I'm thinking of doing wabi Sabi (visible mending) on the hole in the dress I mentioned last week. I've since found another dress with a similar hole. I'm wondering if something in the wash is catching thing... But then these are simple cotton dresses that I've had for years and years, so it could equally be wear and tear.

Anyway, the dog will go out shortly. Then off to bed and a phonecall with the boyfriend and sleep(!) I slept so well while the boyfriend was here, I'm hoping that will continue for the week.

Best make sure I'm up a bit earlier tomorrow to de-ice the car as I can see a good layer of frost on top already.

Franalamadingdong

Had a quick calculation on my WTC and CTC and looks like they'll go down by £200 pm from April, but as the boyfriend will be moving in at some point this year it's possible that they'll stop all together, but I'll equally no longer be running a house on my own. Obviously electric, water, gas, council tax, rent will all be going up, but as we'll be sharing the costs, I'll likely be paying a little less. Not sure if we're going to be splitting bills 50/50, because I've got my son too. Obviously I'd be paying for my son's extra curricular activities etc, but just thinking about regular bills. I may well be overthinking again.

Currently trying to defrost as it's freezing! Planning on pork fried rice for tea and using the rest of the mince to make meatballs for tomorrow's tea.

I have to be realistic with food and drink costs, with the boyfriend and the growing boy I think £50 p/w rather than £40 is more manageable.

PA is at £10.13 and OP at £8.75. hoping to get OP to £10 by the end of the month. I know I'd not sniff at £20! I've added myself to yougov (although can't quite get how points are generated there as everything seems to have 0 points).

Just this week and next and I'll be able to close everything out and see the month as a whole. Those are just a few bits and bobs going on at the moment. And note to self: use credit card to pay for routine stuff so I can build my credit score (I have it set to pay in full).

Blackcats

Well Fran, how exciting to have a virtual wedding to look forward to. We can all wear our virtual money saving expert hats.
I think a chat about logistics of running your joint household nearer the time will be helpful. Without knowing what boyfriend's wages are you can't really work out what bills/benefits etc will be. As long as you are happy and love each other then the more mundane parts of living as a couple can be talked about openly to give you the basis of budgeting.

Franalamadingdong

Haha, yes, I'm not a "wedding girl" much happier filling out a form. I'm just like mum in that respect. She and dad only got married in order to get a joint mortgage - clearly this was a long time ago. The boyfriend would be happy with a trip to gretna green. And he knows I'm keeping my surname.

The boyfriend is pretty happy with me running things and him just kicking money over. He was less keen on being put on a budget himself. Hahaha.

We're super open about everything and there's no pretense. To the extent that quite early on in our relationship he got a booty call text from his ex. I asked what was going on with his face and he just showed me the text. I don't think he was expecting me to burst out laughing. He's always been so open and honest about everything there's no room for jealousy or paranoia. The only thing I'm concerned about is how his brother will take the news.

Alas, these things all take time and so no need to worry just yet. For now I need to scrape the car. I even had to scrape the Inside yesterday!!