Diary of a reformed shopaholic (I hope)

shoppingobsessed2020

Updated September to do list, I need to pull my finger out and crack on with more of these!

Sort through living room storage boxes x 4
sort through all shoes in hall - get rid of monkey boys old ones and my trashed ones (Saturday)
clean out my car (Saturday)
check monkey boys winter coat from last year - should still fit but he’s had a growth spurt so want to check so I can sort a new one sooner rather than later. (Saturday) needs to try on new coats so I can return ones that don’t fit to next.
Research cat food and best place to buy it. Want to try local independent shop in village first we prefer to support local where I can. 
Sort out understairs cupboard 
tidy his lordships study 
sort out study cupboard. 

Drawingaline

Depending on what cat food you are buying, the FB cat group I am on all seem to like z00plus as a site to buy in bulk. 

shoppingobsessed2020

Thanks, I’ll have a look.  I must also speak with our local independent this weekend to see what they can offer.  I don’t mind slightly more expensive if I’m supporting local, but I won’t pay through the nose to support local so it’s getting that balance right,

got a nice phone call when I was at work, I get my new car on Thursday or Friday of this week must clean it out tomorrow as it is literally a bin on wheels at the moment. I have the kitchen sink and then some in the car so need to clean it all out to make sure I don’t forget anything.  

The only other thing is I cannot under any circumstances use the child activity and childcare budget going forward,  swimming lessons start on Sunday so I’m getting an invoice at some point this week to pay for them.  Parent pay is now down to 5 weeks of childcare (ok I have a few weeks prebooked and paid for but I do like to keep around 2 months ahead so given it costs me £120 every 4 weeks in childcare plus £43 in lunches I really do need to make sure I keep that money to one side especially at the moment not knowing when his lordship is home as that will mess my budget if I then have to pull that out when I’ve only budgeted £135.  That £135 is based on transferring that every month so it evens out over school holidays.

shoppingobsessed2020

Happy new to me car day.  It’s lovely to drive despite being the same as my old car jut slightly newer and an upgraded model.I had an accident in my previous car and it’s never been the same since everyone’s told me it’s been in my head, yeah it definitely wasn’t.  This new car just drives so differently it’s beautiful,  few things cosmetically need fixed that I’m not happy about but the garage is going to do them when they have it back in to swap my private plate on to it,  annoyingly I’ll be without a car for a day but they will just have to pick it up from my work and drop it off at my work as I’m not able to take a day off anytime soon.

This week has been a bit of a wash out.  Fast food tea x 3 this week which is ridiculous.  I’ve just been so tired from first full week of work and school that it’s been easier to grab a Mac Donald’s for monkey boy or a kfc or a subway.  Totally ridiculous I know, and I’ve paid for it health wise this week induldging in what I shouldn’t be eating.  Big supermarket shop coming tomorrow so we can be organised.  Need some early nights to get back on track.

September to do list update
Sort through living room storage boxes x 4
sort through all shoes in hall - get rid of monkey boys old ones and my trashed ones 
Put my car kit back together 
return coats to next that don’t fit (ordered a few to see what fitted monkey boy best)
Sort out understairs cupboard 
tidy his lordships study 
sort out study cupboard. 

shoppingobsessed2020

Been a very busy week,  the new role has been interesting to say the least,  I’ve been taking on more responsibility (temporarily in my eyes) so have been asked to consider stepping up permanently as the person they appointed To that role has pulled out but it comes with extra (legal) responsibly, longer hours, being on call and weekends so unless we have a significant shift in finances and can afford a nanny then it’s not going to happen,  as it is I’m on call tonight to help the manager and have just sat down to dinner.  Not good for my health as I have to eat every 3 hours and it’s 6ish hours since I last ate and I’m paying for it and I’m not actually paid extra for being on call.  It will not be a regular thing but she has been on call every night for the past few months so I’ve said I would take it for a long weekend but if anyone has to go in I would need to call her as monkey boy is home.

the finances just don’t stack up to step up into the role, it’s salaried and pays 30k a year so approx 2k a month.  Yes I’ve had a pay bump to take the new role but stepping up for another £500/600 a month isn’t financially worth it when I would have to work every other weekend, I’d have to take the on call and be prepared to go in on nights and days off if I was called in.  I’ve taken numerous phone calls already this evening and I don’t think the salary bump is worth the sacrifice I’d have to make time wise with monkey boy and his lordship when he finally gets home.

in a few years when monkey boy is older I’d consider it but not right now, other than that the new role is great, I’m loving the slight change of pace and scenery and it’s true what they say about a change being as good as a rest.

finance wise I’m still plodding along. Need to phone Debenhams to give them bank details to refund me 24p.  Yes 24 pence, they reclauculated interest after I paid the balance for some reason so that put me in credit and they won’t close the account without refunding me that money,

I have adjusted the budget, I can’t give up my nails, I’ve tried I just can’t do it.  I’m booked in Friday evening to have them done and should get 3 weeks before I need to go back again.  If they didn’t snap and rip like paper then I’d be able to get away with doing them myself but I’m literally catching a nail on a sheet of paper and it’s ripping through the nail even with polish on so I need the heavy duty polish the the salons use.

other than that we were planning a play date this weekend with monkey boys friend from school but looks like that needs to be cancelled with new rules that have been announced in this area.  They sit next to each other in class 5 days a week so him coming to the house is clearly going to cause a panic and a spread of COVID and it’s insane.  I understand the rules and the reasons why as I deal with COVID every day at work but come on, let them bubble outside of school as well as inside school.  We will be following local rules as they are in place for a reason but I don’t agree with them.  Thankfully monkey boy is very well used answer tough that’s not the rules in this house when he questions why his friends are allowed to do x, y and z and he isn’t.  

Suppose I’d best go to bed before I get another ridiculous phone call.  A tired shopping obsessed2020 is a very grumpy shopping obsessed2020 and staff are going to learn that the hard way tonight it seems.

Chrystal

It sounds like a 24hr a day job!  No way I'd take it on with the youngster to see to and OH wouldn't see you at all on some occasions when he's home.  If they paid £5000 a month it still wouldn't be worth the stress! 
The situation with the kids seems ridiculous doesn't it?  I honestly think that there is no common sense at all in government... they need to employ some 'ordinary' people as Advisors, and be MADE to take notice of them.
Sounds as though my neck of the woods (North East) is going into lockdown.  Waiting with baited breath for the information tomorrow.

shoppingobsessed2020

It isn’t so bad as your on call when it’s your weekend in work so it’s only every other week that you are on call but for me it’s not worth it.  I don’t mind helping out occasionally but permanently it’d not for me.  After being woken up at 3am with a ridiculous phone call this is the last time I take the on call.  Monday morning the big boss is calling a meeting as he wasn’t Aware of the types of calls I was getting till I emailed him today with a very long list and said I want paying extra for this.  Upshot is I’m getting a one off bonus this month and they will up the salary for the position to attract a higher quality of applicant.

 Budget wise well that’s gone out the window this week.  Will have to reign it in and rejig things for next month as the grocery budget needs upping especially as his lordship should be home next month.  Well I hope so and am optimistic but my grocery budget does need rejigging as I’ve gone over this month,  really doesn’t help that literally all I eat is protein so it’s a Protein shake for breakfast, half to a third of a chicken breast mid morning with some cheese, lunch tends to be more chicken and cheese or a couple of good quality sausages then next meal is usually nuts of some description, then fish or steak or pork, then supper which is generally more protein or occasionally a slice of toast and poached egg.  Monkey boy is starting to eat similar to me but more carbs and veg for his evening meal rather than just protein.  Have been buying the steam fresh veg packs from the freezer as less waste but they are not cheap so stocking up when they are on offer for monkey boy.  Don’t really know what to do food budget wise as it’s not healthy for monkey boy to follow my diet but it’s not healthy for me to eat less protein.  I think it’s really a case of setting the budget at around 100 a week and anything left over is bonus and it will cover when I have to go to Costco and top up my chicken and sausage stash.

Chrystal

Good on you for complaining to the Boss, and great that you're getting a bonus for the hassle. 

shoppingobsessed2020

I’ve been in a bit of a who cares mood today.  I’ve just blew a couple of hundred quid on my exercise equipment for the man cave!  Stuff I wanted though, I bought a years les mills subscription and then a barbell and a few weights so I can do body pump classes.  My exercise class isn’t starting back anytime soon due to logistics so my bestie recommended this to me.

glad I did it as my exercise buddy has just come to drop something off and wanted me to split the cost of a personal trainer with her.  10 sessions would be £150 each which is just under what I’ve spent on a years les mills and weight bar, instead she is going to bubble with us (kids are in the same class at school and I pick her little girl up once a week and she picks my son up occasionally so very low risk all things considered) And we are going to start using the man cave gym on an evening for an hour or so every other night.  My work trousers are getting unbearably tight and I got rid of all my bigger clothes so I don’t really want to go down this route again which is what promoted me to buy the subscription.

other than that today has been a no spend day.  We’ve had a good day and done lots of pottering round the house, had a movie day and made s’mores,  monkey boy can’t wait for next weekend when he can have more s’mores so I’ve a feeling that may become a new family tradition.

i don’t know why I’m having a bit of a blow out at the moment, I know it’s only £170 I put on my credit card but it’s more than I want to put on my card.  This is why I need to get rid of my cards as I can’t be trusted with any.  I really should shred it but something is holding me back from doing it, again I don’t know why as I’ve been so excited when I’ve paid and closed other accounts.  Hopefully next payday when I get my new wage and see exactly what I’m taking home will reign me in.

alt80

@shoppingobsessed2020 I made a decent home gym ages ago hardly used it, lockdown came this year, gym everyday and we don't even go to the 'real' gym any longer. Actually enjoy home gym more just costs for swimming now. 100% worth it if you're going to use it.