Learning to walk before I run

pavlovs_dog

Lovely to see you back Ed.  Hope the match is a less painful watch for you than Wales vs France was for me last night!

Alchemilla

pavlovs_dog said:

Lovely to see you back Ed.  Hope the match is a less painful watch for you than Wales vs France was for me last night!

It wasn't good! It was when France subbed on 6 players at once !

edinburgher

Good to see Italy playing as expected, thought we weren't going to get the result for a bit!

Babysitting has ended prematurely as MIL has a migraine, I swear we're cursed

QueenJess

badmemory said:

edinburgher said:

House is pretty much surviving and I managed to get DD2 to use her potty for the first time this morning. That sounds like a great achievement, but the childminder is getting her to do it 2-3 times a *day* (why do children always behave better for other adults)?

This is easy.  She is smart enough to know that you are stuck with her & will get even more attention by not using the potty whereas she also knows the childminder can just say goodbye so she needs to behave.  Don't let anyone tell you she is too young to do that.  If you are really lucky she is smart enough to behave like an angel out of the house & keep any hellion behaviour inside the house.

This made me laugh as my DD used the toilet all the time at nursery when we started training but point blank refused at home. I had to force her in the end by reading her books. She was just stubborn because she knew we wanted her to do it. We’re going to have some interesting years in the future!

edinburgher

I got her to go again this evening, largely by physically forcing her to sit on the blimmin' thing. Nothing OTT, just a hand on the shoulder and one on her back until she went a few seconds later. Had been squirming away, so she clearly needed. She's a funny wee soul, more like her mother than her sister

Paid my credit card bills today. The Sainsbury's one that we use after all Chase cashback has been earned is now zeroed as per usual, and my residual Barclays one continues to tick down at 3.75% of the balance each month. I'm happy to BT this onto a short 0% no fee card as long as the balance is reducing, there's not much cashflow benefit to paying it off faster at this point as the monthly payment is <2% of earnings.

Also did a wee £1 survey on Y Live. I'm about a fiver away from a payout. Still prefer it to YouGov, even if I did get screened out at 27% yesterday @South_coast ! 

Failed to win the lottery again, will take a break for a bit.

Dinner was a very tasty rump steak from Lidl (1lb for £6.xx), with Parmentier potatoes, onion rings and steamed asparagus. Delicious, but didn't agree with me. I'm on the ibuprofen after my op and it wrecked my stomach 😭 

Early bedtime, night all.

South_coast

edinburgher said:

Also did a wee £1 survey on Y Live. I'm about a fiver away from a payout. Still prefer it to YouGov, even if I did get screened out at 27% yesterday @South_coast ! 

You're definitely doing better with it than me, then. I'm still at £40, no movement from the other week 🤦‍♀️

Though my Barclaycard min payments are (were, because I've cleared that one) only 1%, so I'm winning that one 😘

Suffolk_lass

If you are willing to try something different for cleaning your washing machine, the advice from the engineer who installed our (which has stood us in good stead for about 16 years [she says, giving her washing machine the kiss of death] so far) - it is to use half the amount of detergent recommended on the "trying to make you use more" packaging, and make sure you do a hot wash once a month (towels or tea-towels here) with a teacup full of clear distilled vinegar and if they have marks on, a solution of soda crystals (green drypak) - two dispensing cups in enough hot water to dissolve them. I have never used anything else and never had a mould issue in the seal, and clothes are still clean. Anything with oil or grease on has a spot of washing up liquid on it (neat), before washing.

While the cleaning costs are low, this is still cheaper and the reduction in laundry detergent has saved loads. We are harder water than you, so limescale is the main reason for the vinegar, but it and hot wash remove the accumulated soap scum.

I might have to buy a lottery ticket now you have mentioned it, although I won £60 on Christmas eve so that is probably my lifetime allowance!

It really is good to see you back, and still sweating the small stuff

greenbee

On the WM cleaning front - I use half the amount of powder/liquid and add soda crystals to the detergent drawer. Never use fabric conditioner, just white vinegar, and maybe a few drops of essential oil (lavender for woollens, eucalyptus for cleaning cloths). The machine has a drum clean cycle which I run after I've washed pet bedding (I empty the sump and clean the filter both before and after). As I'm in a hard water area, I do this with citric acid and it keeps the limescale down. Also leave the door and drawer slightly open when not in use.

The DW also gets a dose of citric acid periodically (along with the kettle and the coffee machine!). 

edinburgher

Ooh - exciting WM chat  

I have always used half of the recommended amount of detergent, any more and it's a tornado of suds! We currently use the Dr Beckmann Magic Leaves (haha, I'm like an advert for Dr Beckmann). I like the fact that they are very light, you can fit a year's supply in a tiny box/corner of a cupboard, they clean very well, and the soft plastic package can be recycled in store. They're about 5p/wash on offer.

I used to use more "eco" products, but they were usually liquid, and there is a lot of carbon shipping miles to consider (same reason I wash with bar soap unless someone gifts me shower gel).

In terms of cleaning the WM, I've tried soda crystals and vinegar over the years, but there was an occasional "funk" left behind that I don't get with a more chemical cleaner. Perhaps it's just the cleaner masking this, but life is too short for a foosty kitchen! I'm generally a fan of vinegar, it's basically all I use to clean the kitchen 👍🏻

Right! Mrs E is taking the girls swimming, and a $20 survey awaits 🤓

edinburgher

While I feel lucky and privileged to be eligible for some of the more generous AI studies on Prolific, I am a victim of my own success. As I'd mentioned previously, this means I'll need to complete a tax return for the first time ever. As such, taking studies now involves:

• Take the actual study
• Withdraw the money (often in £ and $)
• Record the earnings for £ and $ as discrete amounts
• Record the amount (£) withdrawn from Paypal from the £ and $ earnings referred to above on a spreadsheet
• Keep back 21% for tax
• Pay 6% into my SIPP
• Update YNAB accordingly

I wonder what the impact of all that admin is on my hourly rate?

£18 gross becomes roughly £13 net. Also got 49p from TopCashback. Off for a quick shower and a coffee.

*Edit: Just checked and Prolific has surpassed my lifetime earnings from TopCashback by £1,000+. As such, it's the best side hustle to happen to me since matched betting.