A new chapter, An empty nest, Drama school & Last year of Uni

Spendless

Yesterday was a NSD for me but not for Mr S though he didn't buy much (things like bread as we'd ran out) but the money came from our joint account so not sure I can really class it as a NSD. I've been struggling with motivation in the house this week though everything that needs doing, pretty much requires a 2nd pair of hands, so will have to wait until me and Mr S aren't 'ships that pass in the night.

For a brief few seconds yesterday morning, I thought I had a leaking toilet to add to the list of broken stuff that needs replacing/repairing here. I saw wee on the floor around the bowl as I sat on it, then I realised if that was the case, they'd be more water and clearer, then I had a slight panic I was positioned incorrectly and had missed (TMI - sorry!) only that wasn't the case either, So my attention turned to the only other culprit in the house and realised instead of barking at the back dooor to be let out during the night like normal dogs, mine had gone into the bathroom and relieved himself up against the toilet! I was too bemused to be annoyed- lol

Yesterday evening my parents called round. Dad has his inheritance through from my late Nan. It's not had to go to probate because of amount she left (no property - she lived in a house owned by my parents) but has still been held up due to a banking error (thought they only existed on a monopoly board - apparantly not). So relieved, as they've been paying out for ends and ends from their own bank acc - though if Dad had listened and asked the FD to take the funeral direct from Nan's account like I'd said and was previously agreed then he'd not have had to use Nan's insurance money to pay for it instead. Thankfully they have listened to me about putting some money into their ISAs to catch this tax year, leaving their full available allowance for next when they should have sold Nan's house.

Mr S's work expenses have come through for his next flight abroad to the US. I've moved that money into a savings pot to pay the CC at the end of the month. I'm £250 short of being able to meet the whole balance by the due date but I'm hoping that if I can save a little each week, it will be acheivable. It would be nice to start March with nothing overhanging from a previous month. As it's Friday I've also moved over a further £15 into my pots, stolen is now at £65, extra rent is at £105 and my own savings at £35.

Spendless

Worked at the weekend and now a few days off which is nice. DD is on her way home from London as she has a break before her classes recomence. She has a mixture of practical and leisurely tasks to do whilst here.

Clearing my fridge with all the use up items to the bottom shelf, I saw there was quite a bit of stuff that would make a nice salad. It was just before my work shift and I'd intended going buying a meal deal as not much in. Inspiration grabbled me and into a lunchbox I put the remains of a couple of deli pots and some coleslaw, added some salady-bits, some protein (egg, cheese, chicken breast) and I had lunch, more filling, healthier and had cost nothing. I'd have not noticed if I hadn't been doing my 'sweep to the bottom shelf' and would have probably ended up binning it.

Just done a sort out of the freezer and have enough in for 3 meals which is perfect as will last till DH is home for working away, woud have been more but DH decided to serve up 2 x chicken kievs each last night. Thought it too much when I saw it, but ate it anywhere and then cue the sneezing fit I get if I eat too much. He realised after that, that one would have done. I have meatballs with sauce, pasta, garlic bread, small yorkies with beef (leftover item from xmas), mash and peas and breaded chicken steaks with potatoes and salad.

DH and DS went and helped throwing items into the skip at Nan's whilst I was at work. As there was plenty of room left, DH then added some items of ours. Once the skip has gone, parents will sort out getting a valuation on the house.

Spendless

Tuesday and DD's student rent paid. As I have no wages left this month to meet this cost, I used the surplus I take from DH's pay. This had built up to 10 weeks rent saved. I have used 1 of these weeks another will be used next week as the payment will be due before my next pay day. I have moved 6 of the weeks into a higher rate savings account and the 2 left will be used towards paying the CC at the end of the month as we have holiday expenses on it. That will leave £250 to pay on the CC , so I have divided this by 3, and taken £85(ish) and isolated that money, with the idea to hopefully do the same at the end of this week and next week. I am so glad I knocked up a spreadsheet months ago to identify where each week of DD's rent needed to come from.Going forward whether we still need to take a monthly amount from DH's wages will very much depend on my job. I am currently covering for someone long term absent and though there should be an update by now, there isn't. I have to plan for both scenarios.

I now have 2 full days off work to enjoy DD's company. Today we are going to have a leiurely day with a trip to watch Wuthering Heights and have lunch. Chinese hopefully as it's their New Year, but I suspect most will be closed, so am happy to settle for a toppings type place or a world buffet restaurant as a compromise. Tomorrow will be a pampering day, with haircuts and face masks and maybe manicures and then Mr S intends taking Thursday off for a practical day to help her with some 'life admin' as well as for my parents who need new passports for their cruise later this year, which I am so happy they've booked.

The skip at Nan's has pretty much been filled, so just needs the call to take it away. Parents have moved the inheritance into their ISAs (my suggestion so they made use of this year's allowance so next tax year's is fully available to them) and are having someone out to value the house next week

Spendless

I had a rare weekend not sceduled to work (rather than off due to booking AL).

One of our friends took early retirement this week so we were going to another city to have drinks and a meal to mark thr occasion. The train journey is 20 mins. We hadnt arrived at our destination when the train stopped. We were informed that another train ahead of us had broken down. Various options including getting an engineer to site were explored but broken down train couldnt be fixed. Ultimately it was decided that we would have to travel back down the track we'd travelled on. We returned to our starting point station nearly 3 hours after we'd initially set off, having been nowhere but on a train during this time.

We missed our dinner reservation and had to send our aploogies to another couple who had already got there (as they live elsewhere so had travelled from a different direction).

Ironically where we were heading was the same place me and Mr S were in December when I received a call saying Nan's health had worsened and we cut our trip short to return home.

Still we went for drinks in our home town but the return train time of 1 of our group meant they couldnt go for a meal later, so another couple who were flexible in what they were doing stayed with them and it ended up just me and Mr S eating out. All nice enough but not what we anticipated.

I could see on the departure/arrival boards when we arrived back that the broken down train had had a knock on effect all over the network as we'd been travelling on a main route. Very glad DD had returned to London the day before as she would have been caught in the chaos. She now has both a dbs check which will enable her to work in youth drama groups and an agent for when she graduates.

Plans for today. All very retail and finance connected. I need to know what DH has put on the CC over the last few days and isolate that money as I ideally didnt want to start March owing anything. Work out how much we have left of wages and put the money aside for the CC bill that needs paying at the end of the month. Get a little bit of grocery shopping, though for most of the week its just me and the dog, so will be able to be creative with meals and go and search for a present for DS bday. I have £100 towards this already so not overly concerned about that, its just making the bank account stretch enough to get us through to the end of the week when we'll both get paid.

Parents are having valuations on Nan's house next week. A private buyer has also expressed an interest in purchasing the property.

in_need_of_direction

well done to dd for getting an agent

Honeysucklelou2

So exciting for your DD to get prepared for life after graduation.

Humdinger1

Hurray for DD @spendless! Will you still be helping her financially once she's graduated? Love Humdinger xx

Spendless

Thank you all. I'm glad DD got ahead of the game in terms of headshots, spotlight (actor's directory) and securing an agent.

Humdinger - we will continue to pay her rent (which includes bills)until the end of the tenancy, which is 3 months after the end of her course. We made that decision last year when she went to study abroad and we decided to keep her houseshare on. She's aware she has that timeframe to find something to support her.

Spendless

Tuesday and DD's rent paid. Yesterday wasnt a NSD but the only costs were commuting ones. I also received some positive news which I may be able to share by the end of the week.

Spendless

Friday, my first and only day off this week and a lot of updates.

Firstly my role has now been made permanent, the person I was covering for having decided to leave. This has been a long time coming as detailed on this diary. Its taken a change of sectors, a compromise over how many hours worked and when and a slight pay decrease to get me to this point. I can now reflect that the previous jobs were a huge stress with outdated software, staff not being replaced, lack of training caused by the previous and the managers looking to blame someone else for it all. Both my mum and DH had expressed concerns that I would eventually get to the point where Id have a work stress related health issue that Id not recover from. DH has said the biggest thing for him has been that I dont get this in my new role.

Payday for me was yesterday and for DH is today. I finished mine with 17p in the bank! (Would have been 97p but I treated myself to an 80p sugar free jelly for a work lunch!). DH we finished with £60 but would have been higher if we hadnt had to take the dog to the Vet the other night over him eating some plastic and though he coughed it back up, we still went as a precaution! We do have pet insurance but bill was too low to use it, which is good in a way, but makes me aware of something mentioned before, we need a 'woof fund' for dog related costs!

Due to staff shortages this week, Ive done extra hours which will be handy next payday. Now Im permanent staff my spreadsheet shows that I am able to pay DD's student rent till the end of the tenancy. The weekly shortfall that occurs each month, I now have enough to cover except for 1 week which is what I add £5 to each Friday.

From now on I still intend taking the same amount from DH's wages each month but now it will be diverted into alternative Universe savings. That has started today and Im pleased to say that this means STOLEN is now FULLY PAID BACK. I'll now say that stolen was a digital device taken in London near a well known pick pocketing area and dates back to the Tex days, when DD accompanied him for a work related trip, he hadnt got his stuff together and was struggling to manage it DD helped him sort it and by doing so, the 'helpful' passer bys stole from her as her attention was elsewhere. Considering what happened next, it left a nasty taste in my mouth over it hence the alternative universe savings, cos in that this incident didnt happen!

Interest is due to be paid on the account its in over the weekend, so to keep things simple for me Ill move it to my Isa after that.

In other news parents or more precisely Dad since he was sole beneficiary of Nan's will have stepped in and treated us all to a 'need' which Im so grateful for. In DS's case this is a maintainance repair needed at his house, DD has had her laptop replaced as she was struggling with hers doing her coursework (I have same laptop and same issues!) and for myself (and Mr S) we are going thru our house and getting all the little things that need repairing/replacing done.

Enjoy the weekend everyone - Ill be at work!