Learning to walk before I run

Debsnewbudget

I have not checked back, but with regards to your mortgage increase, you did speak to an independent mortgage advisor didn't you ?
They really can find much better deals than us poor mortals !!
DM me if you want the link to the one I use 

edinburgher

@Debsnewbudget - I used an independent mortgage broker, yes. I don't think they're quite whole of market but I'm reasonably confident that the rate we got was representative (even if rubbish). I'll be using a local firm next time.

edinburgher

I have been feeling very down in relation to our current circumstances. I cancelled our pet insurance earlier on this morning and experienced a moment of intense anxiety, it feels like we are kicking away some of the safety nets that I have worked hard to establish over the last couple of years. I know that we have to get our EF sorted out asap and that some of these can be replaced in time but it was a horrible feeling. I would describe myself as an anxious person - I go through life with anxious thoughts basically every day. This was different, however, I never usually feel overwhelmed by these thoughts. Thankfully it was short-lived, maybe I'd had more caffeine than usual, too?

Will discuss canning Spotify again this evening. Considering getting rid of big river, too, does anyone else not have Prime and makes it work? We use it a heck of a lot but I suspect a big part of that is the convenience of Prime leading to laziness, IYSWIM?

A wee bit of financial positivity to wrap things up. Mrs E is due a pay rise and will find out this week what it will be (to be paid backdated at the end of the month). We are both switching to Barclays (£175 each with a little luck) and a £50 payment turned up from Y Live. I've also earned my next fiver on Prolific, although can't withdraw it yet. We will be keeping our switching rewards, the alternative would feel too brutal in the face of the many cuts and sacrifices we're having to make at the moment. The backdated pay will probably go almost entirely into our EF, although we might bung ££ to the JISAs as I feel guilty about cutting those even temporarily

I have been paid today and YNAB is back up to 18 days (10 days at its worst, 31 at its best so far).

Merlin's_Beard

With Prime, if you have over £25 worth of eligible stuff, it's free delivery anyway. So mainly I just let it build up in my basket until there's no charge and get one order every so often.

Like listening to the adverts on free Spotify, it's a little annoying, but it's not actually a big deal.

themadvix

We don’t have prime except the very occasional free trial - we try to avoid using Amazon anyway for ethical reasons. Very rarely find that we need something from there. Plenty of things have free shipping anyway. 

Agree about Spotify - having ads isn’t the end of the world.

 Don’t feel guilty about not putting into JISAs - I’m sure your girls have far more tucked away than the vast majority of their peers and if it’s in a JISA it’s not much use to you or them if you need it in an emergency.

edinburgher

@themadvix - it's almost all in ISAs, wee lump in JISA for DD1

savingholmes

Hi Ed

The scythe sounds like it cleared a lot of ground. Well done.

I think you need to give yourself some recovery time. I'd have kept the income protection (dependent on cost and coverage) and potentially gone off sick for a while to recover. Perhaps talk to a GP about how you are feeling. Can you get free counselling through work?

You sound like I am sometimes - when everything has to be done now - but sometimes giving yourself breathing room helps. Definitely talk more to your DW and see whether she can carry any more of the financial load. You are pushing yourself very hard.

edinburgher

@savingholmes - I think I need a new job more than anything - I'm not sure how my GP could help with that TBF I don't think I need to be signed off...

The income protection wouldn't have kicked in for 6 months anyway due to good council sick pay.

Cheery_Daff

More hugs from me (((()))))

We don't have prime either. Occasionally use for the odd thing, but often you can get cheaper/free delivery by just waiting a few days, or it's quite often cheaper to have stuff delivered to a locker rather than your house (although maybe that's just because I live in the middle of nowhere 😂). What do you mostly order from there? Could it go in with the usual supermarket shop?

QueenJess

Oh gosh, I'm not sure I have any useful advice for you.  Sounds like your brain needs a bit of break and whatever you need to do that, you should do.

In the longer term, keep plotting for the job (I am with you there) and think of this time as a short period of pain.  Things will get better I promise.  Concentrate on the little good things in your life.

I don't use prime and don't have an Amazon account at all *shock*, so no help to you there, although clearly it is entirely possible to live without it!