Diary of a reformed shopaholic (I hope)

shoppingobsessed2020

busy morning already, playdate outside was cancelled due to monkey boy having an asthma attack so we have moved the playdate inside so they can have a tech day instead.  doing pizza for lunch out the freezer as its quick and easy.

whilst they are upstairs playing mine craft and pokemon i have been looking at my gas and electric usage.  my current tarriff is ending soon and every other tarriff with that provider is a huge increase.  we are high electric users, lower gas users so have managed to switch to another provider for £80 cash back via top cash back and an increase in £20 a year compared to what i pay now.  my current provider keep changing my direct debit so its never an accurate usage but i compare in kwh to always be on the safe side.  my dd at the moment takes £85 and the new supplier will take £120.  i always overestimate my usage on my soa as i hate being in debt on the utility bills which is surprising given i dont really care too much about credit cards and loans!  its bizarre but i really do have an aversion to going into debt on my utility bills, i dont mind a small debt of £30/40 after my winter bill as i know the first direct debit payment will clear it but other than that i cant stand debt on the utility bills.

ive £78.50 payable on top cash back and £100 pending so i think that will do monkey boy for a bike this summer.  i have a £150 halfords gift card which i need to use asap so i will buy a bike for me or him with that depending on what they have in stock next weekend and then when the cash back is payable will look at another bike.  his dad has a bike already but its too big for me so i cant even ride that in the meantime.

gives us another option of an activity to do with friends, will need to work out how to transport the bikes but i dont mind paying for a bike rack once i decide what we want/need as we have spoilers on both cars are limited to what we can use, so its going to need to be roof carriers which i hate so will need to check about tow bar and tow bar carrying racks which is pricey but i will see how often we use them before i go to the expense of a tow bar.  if i did go for the tow bar option i think id put it on his lordships car as he doesnt trade his cars in as frequently as i do mine so makes sense to use his.  however this is all hypotetical for now.

shoppingobsessed2020

been a nice few days getting back into the swing of things with activities and whatnot.

also got the home insurance to sort out as both buildings and contents is due next month, so will also try get something via top cash back for that as well.  thats tonights job or tomorrows job as have some work to do tonight from home.  having a work laptop really makes my life easier so im glad my boss agreed i could have one as its paying for itself as i can do more from home without the multiple interruptions that i would get during the day.  im not making a habit of working on a night for the day job but it makes my life easier when i can concentrate.

the other job i really must do is the credit card transfer for the mbna card.

i have given in and re-engaged the gardener, its just something i dont enjoy and i really begrudge doing.  its £25 a fortnight and its worth it, the odd bit of overtime i do working from home on a night will pay for it and im saving more with not having such a large food bill now his lordship is back to sea.  going to cancel my food shop again this weekend as monkey boy really enjoyed the few bits we got at the butchers so will do the same again, we still have full freezers so will see how we go.

other than that i need to top up my car, we dont get paid till next week and its starting to look tight, but i will just have to take his lordships car to save the fuel in mine and he has got almost a full tank in his so there really isnt a need to top mine up just yet as its choice rather than necessity when i have his car sat there.

i have to go to makro this weekend and spend money.  ive been sent a £25 off voucher if i spend x amount this weekend.  i buy my washing powder in bulk so i will go and get a box and a box for my parents and will see what else i can buy that we will use that will keep.  i know im going to have to spend some money that i wasnt planning on spending but £25 off is too good not to use and i need washing powder in the next 3/4 weeks anyway so it will save money in the long run buying now even though things are getting tight but ill whack it on my credit card as it will be cleared next week.  

shoppingobsessed2020

home insurance sorted, didnt manage to get it via a cashback site but im ok with that, his lordship is fussy with insurance so it has to be a "named" brand that he recognises so that limits my options slightly.  got it for the same price as last year which im happy with.  money in the house fund to pay for it so win win.

todays plan is a pj day.  pottering round the house and seeing what little jobs I can do.  monkey boy isnt very well so that limits our options today.  i will sort out that blasted mbna credit card to do the balance transfer today so that i can reduce some interest that we are paying.

i also want to look at my shredding pile and get my paperwork organised again, its rather messy at the moment and i need it sorted.  handyman has been asked to come and paint the fences next month as i dont have the inclination to do it.  lazy i know but if i go to do it i will get not even half way through and throw a huge temper tantrum and end up getting someone in to do it.  so i will skip all that and just get someone in to do it so i can focus on the jobs that i will do.   

other than that we are making progress on eating up the freezers, want to find something fun to do with monkey boy next bank holiday weekend.  might see if he wants a friend to come round and play or if we can arrange to go to a park or a beach and have a play date there.  the weather isnt meant to be great so it will most likely be an inside play date.

Drawingaline

Knowing your limits on DIY and house jobs is good I feel. I have discovered I hate gardening. I would happily pay for a regular gardener if I could find one. Atm I try and use the boy for the grass cutting. I am waiting for a quote to get rid of some shrubs, must chase that. 

shoppingobsessed2020

having such a blah night, its so silly but i worked out exactly how much his lordships work have cost us these past few months and the upcoming year.  if they hadnt messed him around with his promotion and hadnt taken his contractual bonus away (theyve taken it off everyone company wide) we would have had an extra 50K in our pocket between october last year and october this year!  its made me so angry, angry doesnt even cover it actually.  i cant verbalise just how frustrated i am especially when i look at the soa and that 50K would cover all our cards and loans.

dont get me wrong, we would have spent some of it treating ourselves and by that i mean doing the bathroom or the garden but a huge chunk of that debt would have gone and we would have been debt free on consumer debt and probably debt free bar the mortgage by mid next year.

i know its the what if what if and that senario never helps anyone but honestly i want to scream and throw things and get on a plane and go shout at his bosses.  bet their contractual bonuses havent been cut using covid as the excuse despite the fact that they have announced record profits 2 years running!  

i cant vent at him either as it will just make him feel worse, he has accepted a new job on the same rank that he is now for a little less money but better "perks" such as business class flights, pension and a few other things that make it worth changing company.  some such as free flights for me and monkey boy to join him on ship in the summer will not be taken advantage of as i cant think of anything worse and i cant hold my tongue around his collegues. 

shoppingobsessed2020

pity party over and done with.  today has been a semi productive day.

not moved any funds for payday yesterday so have to do that this weekend.  his lordship has got an interest free balance transfer offer on his lloyds card so no matter what i do, tomorrow i am phoning mbna to get a card sent so i can do a balance transfer from his mbna to lloyds, then i am going to balance transfer my barclays to my mbna and hopefully save ourselves a bit in interest.  

id like the mbna card to be clear by summer, then his barclays as im hoping to them have decent offers on the mbna card to balance transfer onto that.  my other thought is another remortgage and take funds out to pay a chunk off but its me thinking that so i know its not a good idea, but its tempting.  lessons have been learnt but thats the easy way out as i know we both havent fully learned lessons yet to do that.

Drawingaline

Try not to remortgage. It's very tempting, but look at how far you have come. When I get down about how much money we wasted and should have been able to move with a lower mortgage etc, I look back at what I spent money on once we started our journey. So much went into the house, carpets, plastering etc, we cash flowed our move, and right now I have £1300 set aside for some small projects we have booked in on the new house.

You have cleared some amount of debt, you helped a relative, and did so without a second thought (I know it increased debt, but imagine if you hadn't already cleared some of it!) Yes you other half has cost you this year, but I am assuming he is in a good position now if further opportunities arise (not sure if he has sat his exams?) And you were headhunted. I know you felt unable to take the position, but you are still valued for something other than a mother, I know how important that is!!!

Keep going, you have got this.

shoppingobsessed2020

what a morning, i hve looked at his lordships mbna card in detail.  9K owed and the monthly payment more than half is going on interest.  i am getting a new card sent for his card and im doing a balance transfer!  he has a balance transfer offer on his lloyds card so i am going to try transfering the balance from the mbna card to that.  they are the same group so i hope it works, if not i will shuffle things around and see how i can do it.  i know i cant transfer all the balance but a huge chunk of it should be able to go and then i can clear that down sooner rather than later.  well once i get the new card i will be.

this morning i am sorting out my transfer for my mbna card so that i can reduce the interest being paid on my barclays card.  

i need to go back through to another department at mbna once they have sorted out my power of attorney as they have lost it again on the system so need to reset up my password access and then see what if any offers are on dh mbna card, but that will be a job for another day once i have moved some of his balance to another card.


i will not be doing the mortgage thing tempting although it is, going to have a knuckle down again few months and clear another chunk.  i was just so frustrated going through his emails tidying things up for him and it just boiled my blood when i realised the £ amount we had lost.

he has passed his exams, he has no more big ones to do as he is the highest rank he can go, he wants to go to university and top up his hnd to a degree which is 6 months distance learning so is going to look at that in the future and he also wants to do some nebosh courses to round out his knowledge.  he is one of those that always has to be doing a course and learning so it will be something that i have to live with continuing to pay for his education.  i on the other hand am very happy with my qualifications and have no desire at the moment to do more.  i want to focus on blasting debt and sorting out my health so studying can wait, plus its been that long since i studied and sat an exam i dont think i could go back to that.

very low spend weekend this weekend, i have cancelled my grocery shop as we only needed £15 of online shopping so will just go to the butchers and greengrocers in the village and get what we need.  we are doing well on eating up the freezers and i did go to costco the other night and i spent my lowest ever shop.  really pleased with myself for that as it was things i needed and i didnt buy for the sake of it.  even monkey boy when offered some bits said no (croissants and crepes).  filling up my car with a tank of fuel cost more than my costco shop which is unheard of.

the plan for the weekend is small grocery shop and haircut for monkey boy, meal plan for the next week ahead, blitz the house as well.  downstairs is on my hit list for today and then upstairs can wait.  he needs a chill weekend as he is so tired so we are just going with the flow this weekend.

i have arrange to buy a weight machine from a friend.  his lordship wants one and sent me a link of one to buy for him, a friend is selling hers as she cant use it due to various health issues so he is getting a bargain.  im really against buying things second hand, i dont know why but if its something from a friend that i know has been looked after i will buy it.  i need to ask a friends husband who has a removal company to move it for me as there is no way i can shift the thing.  

we have some unused kitchen gadgets which i am contemplating selling.  we used to eat a lot of bread before my health issues and we had a bread maker, its been unused in the cupboard for the past couple of years so i am thinking about getting rid of it.  plus an egg poacher, atually its easier if i say i have half the contents of the lakeland catalogue in my kitchen sat unloved and unsued since my health issues really kicked off and they wont be used again anytime soon or used as much as they used to be.

im going to list at least 1 item from the kitchen and offer it out for sale on the local selling sites.

Drawingaline

I have bt between Lloyds and MBNA recently so you shouldn't have an issue.

Being with someone who likes to keep on with cpd is a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand costs money, but on the other should never be discouraged. It needs to be built into your budget I think. I must admit I found going back to studying really hard but also enjoyable and rewarding.

I am jealous of all your Lakeland stuff, some of it is amazing. But if you have no need for it, pass it on and make some pennies.

shoppingobsessed2020

i am so lazy at the moment its ridiculous.  wanted to do some listing of bits and i havent done anything, my house looks like a bomb has hit it, im just in a wallowing space of mind.

todays plan is going to be lots of littel bits, monkey boy has an activity this morning so ill do some finance work whilst he is doing that, and then the rest of the day is going to be spent blasting the house.  by the end of today i pledge that i am going to have listed 2 items for sale on local selling sites.  £10 is better than nothing in my pocket so i will do it, need to work out how much to list it for first though.