Hazelnutty's recover and rebuild plan for a happier, simpler life!

Hazelnutty

I've made some inroads into the declutter project:

• Listed 3 items on ebay: one has sold and been dispatched already
• Shifted 5 items free on Olio
• Sold old phone with proceeds to Refuge (dispatching tomorrow)
• Put in a request to Weeecharity to collect old laptop for refurbishment for people who need them

I'm not having as much luck finding places to sell my historical prints, but will have another crack later.

Is anyone else up having issues getting petrol with the whole panic-buying fiasco? I'm due to make a trip on Friday but genuinely not sure if I'll get fuel in time plus I don't want to clog up the roads queueing for it given there are people who need it more than me (I live near a major teaching hospital). So decided to take the train even though the 40 miles requires 2 changes and more than twice as long as driving. I'm a bit nervous about low mask-wearing rates on the trains but at least can travel off-peak. A bargainaceous £10 advance though

Payday tomorrow: will check in with my usual monthly report and forward plan

joedenise

Well done on changing to train travel rather than trying to get fuel.  As you're travelling off peak you should be able to find a carriage away from the non-mask wearing people.  A really wish the government had made it compulsory on public transport and in shops to continue wearing them.

Hazelnutty

I agree @joedenise The signs are up asking people to wear face coverings, and the conductor put out a message over the tannoy, but it was a minority wearing them. One of my trains was really busy and I was standing next to an older person in the vestibule who was visibly stressed by it all. I honestly don't know why you wouldn't wear one *if you're not exempt* - it's no great imposition and you're protecting the most vulnerable around us. All you say when you refuse is 'I just don't care enough about other people'. To see that the majority of people have that attitude is, well, just really sad and alienating. Mind you, I've kinda felt like this in this country for a few years now.

Hazelnutty

September report

I aimed to be within my total budget envelope this month and I almost made it although admittedly I had to increase a couple of the pots after forgetting some trips I had planned! Final total £674/£670. The main overspend was food £345/£320.

Best news is an underspend on my current account gave me an additional £45 to put towards the CC, along with TTs and ebay sales I've now paid off two more £60 squares

I did much less well on the health & wellbeing goals. I've got a niggle in my knee so missed a couple of runs and a swim. I've generally kept up with journalling and I think I'll keep that going.

October plans

• Budgets are pretty much the same for this month: Food £320, Fuel £75, Ents £200, Non-food £50.
• I've shuffled the usual money into virtual pots and into my external 'freedom fund' savings account. 
• Money goals: CC under £700 and total spend within budget envelope
• Health/wellbeing goals: Run or gym 3 x week, swim 1 x week (I've joined my local Nuffield half-price through my health insurance and it has a small pool)
• New declutter, shift n sell goal: 30 items gone from the house, at least 5 sold, rest donated/given away free
• Keep journalling

I've already sold 3 items on ebay and listed two more of my higher value items, so fingers crossed I'll have more to throw at the CC. It's not going to make major inroad into the total but it is chipping away nicely.

Unfortunately it looks as if we can't do the bathroom yet, maybe summer/autumn rather than new year, but definitely something to save and plan for

Hazelnutty

Hi all just a quick check-in today. Thanks to @beanielou 's encouragement my Bay of E efforts are underway and going really well. I sold 4 of my 'higher-end' items (from my previous life in a 2-income household - I'd never buy those items now, or at least not new) and have just over £150 in my bank account today yay! I've immediately paid off another square on my M&S cc chart and am holding the rest temporarily while I decide what to do. I have 2 more items listed and will probably have another 2 to list next weekend. OH will list a couple of other bits on FB marketplace as for some reason known only to the algorithm, any branded items I list get flagged as breaching their guidelines (i.e. suspected fakes). It's infuriating and even supplying images of receipts and other authethicators by way of an appeal doesn't work

It feels very autumny now doesn't it? I've started turning on the fairy lights I put up last winter in my study which cheers it all up a bit. I'm almost out of candles so that may be a small indulgent purchase. OH and I had a lovely trip to the Peaks last weekend, all covered from virtual pots. We just love it there - I feel my whole body relax when we see the first hills

beanielou

That's great 

savingholmes

Well done on the sales... and the square colouring.
Just caught up on your diary. You sound like you have the right attitude to get the debt kicked into touch.

Hazelnutty

Thanks for getting me going @beanielou I just saw your sig about being MF - congratulations!! That's a massive achievement so cheers to you!

& for catching up on my diary @savingholmes It's always great to have fellow MSE-ers stop by to share the journey

This week's listings will be much less lucrative. I may get only about £20 or so of profit if I'm lucky, but I've identified the next batch to go get listed on Saturday, and these should be better.

Today is about mid-way through my pay month so a good time to check in. Budgets are all a bit over half gone, however, so I'm going to keep a closer eye on things for the second half of the month. Big shop from Sainsbos tonight should see us through almost to payday with our wonky veg boxes as top-ups. Non-food and fuel are both spent up already I have one more regional round trip to make but should be no issue with what I have in the tank. 

beanielou

Thanks @Hazelnutty.
It was a hard slog as a disabled single parent but worth it.

savingholmes

All new money helps. As does plugging holes in our buckets...

I love diaries as they are a constant reminder that everyone struggles at times but it is possible to get past it in a good way