Learning to walk before I run

Suffolk_lass

I know you will get back to it and I hope I was not nagging you!

I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday, and add that we have booked a week on Arran at the end of September, in the same area you visited (I may have been influenced by your recommendation). I need to try (again) to book the ferry now it is July.

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - no nagging experienced, your chat always valued 👏

I do love me an Arran trip, wonder if I can figure out how to slot in a wee summer day trip 🤔 

savingholmes

Hugs. You will find a way 

killerpeaty

I hope you have a good holiday! I think recently a lot of us are pretty shocked at how our money doesn't go as far. It's one thing intellectually knowing but it's another actually emotionally knowing.

It feel rough now, but you know and you can plan. You've been through the mill recently but you've got this. You and Mrs ed are a great team and together you'll work out a way.

edinburgher

DD1 and I had a nice wee cinema trip this morning (Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken). A lighthearted movie with a few chuckles, some cinema snacks and a McDonalds, where I tried to be good by having their vegan burger Not too expensive in the grand scheme of things - £18 for cinema was offset by £14 of vouchers that I'd forgotten about and £12 for McDonalds was less by the time I'd withdrawn c. £6 from Prolific.

I also ordered some seasickness bands for the long ferry trip next week (free because I have a Big River gift card balance) and Mrs E is off to MoMo's to buy a few basics for the kids (undies etc.) That will also be free, or at least discounted, as I have a £10 voucher from the last TCB offer. So I suppose these little moments of wheeling and dealing do assist

edinburgher

I've had a quick look at YNAB during a coffee break from work and have realised that my approach to saving doesn't really marry up with their zero-based/"pay yourself first" approach and that it's more aspirational (i.e. a hived off pot of money that just sits there and isn't really considered during the budgeting process). I have added a budget line for an Emergency Fund and have set a target of 3 month's wages over the next 10 years. I know that's not very ambitious but it is as ambitious as I feel that I can be at present. There's nothing to stop me speeding this up in future if our finances improve (change the target date overpayment style). £98.37 set aside for this.

I am aiming to make £2.68 on Prolific this week so I can get to the next fiver and I will also do overtime on 2-3 days before my holiday. Other than that, trying to do as little as possible with finances.

Have a positive Monday all

South_coast

Morning Ed. Not really much I can suggest, as our circs are so different, but just wanted to echo the others in saying you will get through this. Even if you don't add a single penny more to SIPP/LISA/OP/whatever in the next couple of years, the actions you've taken so far will still be working in your favour and compounding nicely away in the background. 

Have a good break 😀

edinburgher

@South_coast - we all have our differences but I appreciate the positives you bring to the conversation despite that - like reassuring me re. investments

A difficult day at work, a new recruit isn't quite getting it and I'm hoping I made the right decision to recruit them

Tried to remain in the positive vein by getting some life admin done:

• Appliance repair guy out to see what he could do re. occasionally leaking dishwasher. He pretty much stripped it but couldn't find anything wrong. He has cleaned everything (although he said it was clean already), changed the orientation of a drainage pipe and adjusted the door seal. If that doesn't work, he will come out and replace the seal. £35
• Ordered a replacement seal for the pop up bathroom sink drain, which has stopped holding water
• Made worried looking faces at the toilet where one of the flush buttons doesn't seem to be working and the toilet makes a gurgling noise and then does a smaller secondary fill a few seconds after the first one finishes
• Phoned our solicitor to add DD2 to the will, they quickly called back to advise that there was no need for any changes as the will was written to allow for more than 1 child

In finance news, we are slightly better off than expected. AO had been holding money against my credit card for the new fridge freezer. Now this has been released, we actually have c. £500 available to allocate to EF in YNAB. I also did an hour of overtime, although I didn't get to the next £5 on Prolific.

Watty1

it is a tough wake up call when. I've had one. I realised I was only surviving on savings.

killerpeaty

How long has the recruit been in the role? In my last job, we had someone go to bits during his first 3 months, turned the corner and turned into the worker that he sold himself as. Sometimes it just takes time.

Good news on the ao £500!