The Best Is Yet To Come

FtbDreaming

See it looks like your older 2 will still be entitled until they finish high school and your youngest will finish them at the end of primary x

slm6002

Thank you for that.  I was unsure because of something a work person said, but on there is looks like it does carry on.  I know the school will still benefit from funding for some time, but was unsure about if any of it would be forwarded to us.  Refunds on my work clothes are starting to be processed and I can see some money coming back into my account which is nice.  XH has also paid me early too (next month i will start getting almost £50 extra from him, if he has read the letter!) so the bank balance is looking healthy again.

FtbDreaming

Yeah the benefits of FSM are great. DP only claimed JSA for a couple of months and it’s continued for a further 3 years! I love that dd1 bus far is discounted to £12 month from £40. I’ve also benefited from £45 supermarket vouchers every week they’ve been off. I dread when I have to pay full price for the other 2. It’s no surprise middle earners can end up in worse poverty than people on benefits. The outgoings are crazy! 

Glad the ex is paying his way! It’s nice to hear things are looking up! X

slm6002

Well trying to watch the footie, boiling potatoes for cheesy mash and switching telephone and broadband providers all at the same time is not a sensible idea.  Potatoes boiled dry almost and pan will need a scrub, but think i managed to save enough of them to make dinner lol.  Got my renewal from my current provider for telephone.  With everything that has been going on i hadn't realised it was that time again.  Anyway the other day i saw something online about BT and universal credits.  Looked it up and for £20 a month (£2.01 more than i was paying, but if i stay it will be £30) i can have unlimited calls and fibre broadband.  Before i had to pay for calls and i have average broadband.  Fingers crossed it is a good deal.  It will renew after 12 months if i am still in receipt of U.Credits.  If it's no good or i am in a better position i will look around again

slm6002

Good evening, has anyone else not had their direct debit for car tax taken from their bank account today.  Normally it goes out each 1st of the month unless bank holidays and then its the next working day, but not today.  I don't want to be done for no car tax.  The bank say its nothing to do with them as its all ready to go, its just the dvla haven't requested it.  I know they have been on strike but imagine its all computerised so would go through anyway?
Paid another £50 to my government bank account.  This is now up to £500 and a bonus of £250.  A few more refunds for work clothes have also hit the bank, although i'm still waiting on the biggest refund to appear. I'm thinking i might make some overpayments to my loan with my Uncle soon.  That way any future mortgage application will have less debt to go against it.  I hope to put redundancy money towards it too, but will see what money comes in first.
I should get quite a lot of money this month....7th Old job payday for June, 21st Redundancy + holiday + old job for July, 30th New job for part of June & all of july.  That's on top of benefits and money from EX.
Got my contract from work yesterday - a bit late, but never mind - and the pay is slightly higher than previously thought which is nice.  I wont have a real feel until sept though when i get my 5 day a week wage less pension etc.

slm6002

Hi all, the car tax went out on the 2nd so all is good an i can stop worrying.  I have just ordered some cube storage and boxes so that i can get my bedroom organised.  At the moment i have a pile of plastic and cardboard boxes full of random bits and bobs from my old bedroom that i want to keep but really nowhere to put them.  Storage cubes will hopefully sort this as well as acting as a dressing table for me. 

I need to get DS  a new office chair as i noticed he is sitting all skew wiffy on his broken one, and as he is getting weekly tutoring i thought i would make it a bit more bearable for him as he is not impressed with the idea.  Trying to find a reasonably priced one that is suitable.

Kids are with XH today so i am just relaxing and window shopping in between loading washing machine and tumble dryer.  Got lots of washing to do again.  That and cooking the roast of course.  I found the next size school shirts for DS in the loft so that will keep him going for a while.  They are the largest ones i have up there though so once these have been outgrown i will need to buy some new or keep an eye out in the charity shops.  Glued DD2 and DS's shoes up as well.  I refuse to buy new ones so close to the holidays.  I have informed both schools that if the glue does not hold they will be wearing their trainers for the remainder of term.  Hoping they will agree to that.

Feel behind with my summer holiday planning as i've been preoccupied with jobs and everything else.  Need to start getting that arranged otherwise we will waste the 6 weeks away.

OK tumble dryer has finished so off to reload

slm6002

Ok today i finished work at 1 and came home and booked me and the kids onto our outdoor cooking session again for this holidays.  Youngest will also be getting some activities alone run by the same people, on other days but the older 2 are too old for those.  Not heard back about the swimming yet but think the closing date is tomorrow.  Not too much is booked in, but I think the bits that i do have booked in, plus everyone wanting to meet up, it will soon become very busy.
DD1 has today received her very own NI number as she is getting near to 16 (very scary idea).  She is currently setting things up government gateway access but think we are about to hit a brickwall as she doesn't have any ID suitable.
Trying to get her to sign up to help volunteer for the reading challenge too just for a bit of experience of life.

slm6002

I wrote a post yesterday but it sounded like i was just moaning even though i am ok, so deleted it and thought i would try again later.
Kids are with XH today so relaxing in the shade.  DD1 hasn't gone as she is in a bubble that was sent home to isolate for 10 days.  She isn't worried and doesn't mind as i am sure you will all remember we enjoy not having to go anywhere.  It does mean that we will miss end of term things but turns out many other children are also off and several of the bits we were going to are now being postponed until sept anyway.

The new job is going well, but really busy.  Only 1 more day left at the old job.  I found out we wont be getting our final pay plus redundancy on the last day but almost a month after we finish (i have not received the letter but others have!).  It doesn't worry me as i will still have income coming in and have savings pots and emergency fund.  
I really need to make a decision on moving so i can either put the saving i do have towards the new house and moving or pay off a lump sum to my uncle and start renovating current house.

Pros list to moving.... I can start fresh, it will be my house, i can put money into equity of the house when i have any spare, I get out of a road with lots of XH friends on it who i know relay things back to him.  I wont have to deal with house being built behind us and not being able to park.  Kids will have there own room so DD2 wont be kicked out of her room by DD1.

Cons list to moving....I will have a mortgage again, Uncle not keen on me moving (and i feel the need to keep him happy as he did lend me the money - even though not necessary, as he essentially gave me the money), the longer i wait the more likely interest rates will go up and i will end up paying more

Pros of staying put....Security of knowing the house is all mine.  I could use spare money to do the house up, I know my neighbours and the ones immediately adjacent are quite nice

Cons of staying put....XH will have won as he never wanted me moving as he has his friends around to keep a eye on me 
(yes i know i shouldn't care what he thinks but i don't want him knowing anything about my life now he isn't part of it), I haven't got anywhere to make a 4th bedroom so DD's will need to share and DD2 will remain on the staircase playing with her toys.  I'm not sure i will ever outgrow the need to move.

Worries - House will be on the market for years with no interest again, once i sell will i find something suitable (currently only 3 houses in a 5 mile radius of where i want with 4 beds in my price range), what happens if i loose my job again as i am the only income provider

I have all of these thoughts constantly going around my head most of the time.  I know i just need to make a decision and stick with it.

Sorry for the mammoth post and it still sounds quite negative, but the sun is out

slm6002

Yay we've made it to the holidays.  Finished yesterday off with a work BBQ at the new job.  I was sent home with all of the extra cooked burgers and sausages and rolls, and a choc cake and cream, so the kids were happy, I didn't need to cook and food wasn't wasted.  New bosses also gave me end of year gifts - chocs and a plant - which was totally unexpected but lovely.  
I still woke up early today but by choice not from the alarm.  I'm currently enjoying the cool air before it heats up.  I need to go to supermarket at some point - probably next job to get it out of the way.  Need to clean the house but other than that nothing planned until Sunday.  DD1 has agreed to help at the library for the summer challenge.  She will hand out prizes to those children who have read a book.  I told her it will look good on a CV, as she is hoping to find a job once she turns 16 in sept.  She lacks confidence so I'm hoping this will help, and as we have been going to the library since she was a baby she knows most of the staff really well.
Right I must get off the sofa and go to the shops

slm6002

I have finally signed DD1 and DS up for new bank account that allows them to have a debit card.  We just need to take their ID in to the branch to complete the application, but cant do that until friday when Although its with their current bank I am allowed to keep their previous account open so i have control over that money.  Any money they earn or have in cash can go into their new account and they can spend.  DS will be ok (I think) as he is more of a save until he has enough for bigger items.  DD1 on the other hand has a tendency to spend as soon as she has money.  I feel there will be a light bulb moment when she gets to the till and realises there is no money left.  It's mean but maybe the embarrassment will help the light bulb appear.
They are both on a mission to find jobs too so they can spend more.  Its been quite chilled here so far today, with washing being dried on the line.  Living room is still a mess but i have a while to sort