Looking after the pennies

Lookafterthepennies2020

Quick update, one of the refunds has come through so paid that straight off the CC!  Learned my lesson with lending out money as SIL slipped out they had three takeaways in 2 days, did a food shop and her partners savings had paid for some things - despite borrowing from me as they had nothing! Never again!
The football boots sold today for £15 including postage so will get them sent off tomorrow, have been trying to find some new xmas baubles but everywhere around me seems to have been ransacked so money saved there!  I have officially wiped off two more debts from my totals as one that I called had only £26 outstanding and the other had £48 which I had already budgeted to pay today!  Work is manic ATM, I'm considering putting in a flexible working request and going back FT, its an extra day a week but still unsure as I have been struggling with anxiety lately, whilst the extra money would be good and I'm snowed under, losing out the day for the kids school holidays etc would be a nightmare and I have only just got my day a week off as I've finished uni? Decisions, decisions?   Also - Updated my totals today  

Sarahwithlove

Does flexible working only apply if you go back full time or could you do it part time now and see how it goes and if get on OK then increase it? Would it allow you chance to work from home for example or build up flexi time? That way you might be able to cover some of those extra days in the holidays with it. 

joedenise

Don't know if it's of any use but could you do a 9 day fortnight so that you get a day off every other week by doing slightly longer days for the 9 working days, so covering the day off?  Lots of people used to do that where I used to work but of course there often has to be a minimum number of people working on any given day, although we so much working from home these days it probably doesn't matter quite as much.

Lookafterthepennies2020

I have built up over time in the past short term but I think work would either want 4 days or go upto 5 as they have made slight digs before about oh we don't know what days your in are you in today etc. I am still in the office at the moment as we are key workers so ifs 9-5 unless I work from home on evenings etc also.  I have heard some rumblings that we might be getting bought out, if redundancys were made me being full time would benefit me that way also because I would be paid out at my FTE whereas building up occasional hours etc would be excluded. X

Lookafterthepennies2020

Decision made, I bit the bullet and spoke to line manager and will be FT from next year.  The boys are both at school full time now so whilst I would love a day off it isn't something I need like I did before, the extra money should help me clear the debt down just encase my job isn't secure next year! Thanks for the replies x 

Sarahwithlove

Good luck i hope it works out well for you. Just try and remember to take some time out got yourself it will be important when working full time hours 

Lookafterthepennies2020

Thanks @Sarahwithlove I have been doing some meditations over zoom during the week on an evening which I'm hoping to keep up to as agree I'll Deffo feel the loss of me time, I only finished my masters in October so tbh I've never really got used to the time off which will help lol x 

Lookafterthepennies2020

Hi all, just finished tea we had fajitas tonight and have planned chicken curry tomorrow and Spag bol Wednesday before I have to top up shop. 
I've just paid £15.80 to DS2 school dinners account and have £30 in my account for the week. Going to try keep it as tight as possible this week so I can hopefully pay a little off the CC. 
I bought a pack of crumpets for work this week so that will be lunch tomorrow, hopefully a NSD and I've got a full day of wrapping presents Wednesday planned x 

Lookafterthepennies2020

Morning All,
I have had a look over my Xmas spreadsheet last night and today and have made the decision to not give ds2 his bike for xmas but wait until his Birthday (April).  We have got him more than enough for Christmas without the bike (New PS4 controller and game, Football boots, 2nd hand iPhone 7) so whilst I feel really tight doing so he isn't a greedy kid and will be over the moon with his gifts, so the bike is waiting until his Birthday now.  It makes more sense as we usually end up at the caravan for his birthday anyway so he will get more use out of it then and he has a bike to see him through the rubbish weather until his birthday comes around!  I think his dad will have something to say about it (we go halves on all the presents for boys) however he will have far too much for xmas otherwise so I'm not setting the precedence.  This will also mean less to budget for his birthday as we have already bought the main present so can try pay some of this off the CC and other bills too.
Aiming for a NSD today, at work all day and not heading out at lunch so this shouldn't be too much of an issue as we have everything in for Curry for tea tonight too so no need to pop to the shops on the way home. Have a great day everyone x 

Sarahwithlove

Sounds like a good plan to me. If his dad wants him to have the bike tell him he can pay for it all. That way its him who ends up out pocket. 
I do think though kids come to expect too much. I always think of the scene in Harry Potter where his cousin asks how many are there and flips out because there's less this year despite them being bigger presents. Would never want that for my child. When we were growing up if we wanted a console it was split between the three of us and we would each get our own game to go with it. Bikes were Xmas and birthday presents but you didn't get much else. People get in so much debt trying to match other children their kids hang out with its madness.