Giving every £ a job

[Deleted User]

So sorry Blackcats and all of you struggling without your mothers for last weekend -x

Great news re the CT rebate blackcats, what will you do with the money?

Blackcats

Thank you Miss RikkiC, SH and RebeccaP.

ironically I'm going to use some of the council tax rebate towards this years bill - some but not all as I want to put some into the holiday savings pot that I recently started as currently it's got a small balance of £200 and is likely to be a busy pot later this year.  Actually, I've re-branded it as holiday/entertainment and leisure so it will also cover subscription to national trust and any concerts or shows we want to go to.  The current £200 is clearly not going to cover very much from that list 🙃.  Have to start somewhere though.  I still don't know how long it will be before the rebate money will reach me.

I've started on this years council tax bill - it's £3750 (gulp) and I'd really like to make a dent in it before I retire just to take the pressure off as I learn to budget with retirement income.  To motivate myself I've drawn a tree with 10 branches and I can draw and colour in a leaf or an apple for each 1% I repay.  I've got 14% paid off so far.  I still find it easier to pay off a bill than to save up.

savingholmes

I can relate to finding it easier to pay something off than save.

Sun_Addict

Great idea to have a visual for motivation. I also find saving harder than paying off debt. I suspect it’s because you don’t have to do it. 

Alchemilla

Love the tree idea.

Blackcats

Glad I'm not alone with the saving v paying off debt motivation.

a strange week - another funeral to attend - that's 3 funerals and no weddings which wouldn't make such a good film as the 4 weddings and a funeral story.  Caught up with lots of family and friends though and we all said that we should meet up more often - it just never seems to happen though and of course the last 2 years have made it even more difficult.  

So far our spending has been ok this month - greatly helped by some Olio goodies.  I got some beautiful tulips too which are still doing well and are such beautiful happy flowers.  The food waste hero had 17 bunches to give away - I think the supermarket must have got their order wrong.  

Meals using the olio food included 
leek and potato soup 
tomato and red pepper soup
with home made bread

cauliflower cheese

made a banana and walnut loaf using the squidgy bananas

got some butter, milk, whole meal wraps, limes, apples and easy peelers.

in not good news my car has broken down - the clutch has gone.  I'm bemused though as the £1000 work that was done in February included a new clutch 🤷‍♀️.  Of course it was
6 pm on Friday when it happened so the garage has been shut all weekend.  Fingers crossed it won't be too expensive to fix.  In a funny sort of way it's been quite relaxing to know that we couldn't go anywhere other than on foot.

Sun_Addict

I’ve been to two funerals since December 😢 Can’t remember the last time I went to a wedding. Boo to the car, I don’t miss the expense of repairs now we no longer have one.

savingholmes

Sorry to hear about the funerals. I hope you are doing okay - it can be gruelling when you are in that kind of season. 

Glad Olio is still paying dividends. I've done well from there and on YS goodies this week. 

I would be expecting the clutch to be repaired for free if it was only just done. It should be under some kind of warranty.

Blackcats

Thanks SH and SA - I'm feeling much better now - I felt very overwhelmed by the funeral.  My aunt and my mum were good friends from the age of 15 and were both such energetic fun-loving people.  The service included Time to say goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Days of our Lives by Queen - talk about emotive and beautiful songs - I was in tears at the first note of Time to say goodbye.

there was some cost to fix the car but the garage explained what needed to be done and it cost less than I first thought (and a bit off for cash 🙃).  So we are back mobile now - first time ever I've put £60 of petrol in a car - I still remember eking out a fiver to top up with petrol.  

It was my birthday last week and I got some thoughtful gifts which I'm enjoying.  I'm easy to buy for - nice toiletries, candles, sparkly jewellery and I got some of each.   My dad treated us to a curry at our regular restaurant and they gave me a £20 voucher towards our next meal which was so kind of them.  They also gave us a plate of snacks that the staff were eating at the end of the day's Ramadan fasting - lentil pakoras and aubergine fritters which were absolutely delicious.

feeling very excited and a bit nervous because the time has come to hand in my notice next week.  I've rehearsed in my head what I will say and decided to say just enough.  I can't change anything about the culture and environment at work so I'd rather not leave on a sour note.  Still waiting for an official pension statement but I know enough to calculate fairly accurately what I'll get and it will be enough 👏

foxgloves

Good luck with that important event @Blackcats. It's a big thing, but you've been building up to it & have a balanced approach to your finances. I took VR several years ago primarily because I couldn't change the work culture which had evolved into something I didn't like at all. I knew I'd find it difficult to keep the famous Foxgloves gob shut so it was time to have a change of lifestyle before it got me into trouble. I'd have liked an exit interview but was not offered one, which said it all!
You don't need to go into depth. Just a fairly bland reason or two will do for when you are asked.
Exciting new start!
F x