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

Spendless

We're back from our Italy trip, which was a bit of a mixed bag tbh. But I still enjoyed being away and we got to visit Venice and go in a gondala which is bucket list experience. After a mosquito bite made my eye lid swollen I did end up visiting the hospital there! The cost for the injections, prescription and treatment came to under our excess on the medical insurance but I don't know if we get a charge for the phone call I made to the insurance Dr (who told me I needed to go to hospital) and their follow up call. 

Being away means I've not heard the budget news just the after math of it. I'm so thankful that our mortgage is offset and we only have 6 payments left to end it.

DD moves away this weekend. I have some shopping to get her later, though some things I will just raid my cupboards for. DH received a £20 M & S voucher from work due to them succeeding targets. I told him to let DD have it and she can treat herself to some of their new veggie ready meals and think she's rich for her first week there before reality kicks in when her student loan comes through, hahaha.

We've received the news that DS and gf have/are both handing in their notices. I'm struggling a bit to get my head round this. Both were in 'just for now' jobs whilst they saved towards their wedding next year. They currently live with Gf's parents in a picturesque place but without much public transport and their jobs are walk/get a lift to. There are more opportunities from where we live because it's commutable to a lot wider area. There's the possibility of them being able to rent somewhere at a very reasonable price (someone we know) but that place isn't ready yet and they haven't viewed it though DS did see it years ago. DS says he will instead do the online computer work, training AI a job he found during the 1st lockdown. That can be lucrative but it can also be sporadic. He said they want to be in a position to be able to move not be in a position where something is available and they are stuck working notices and say they can manage it. They are on hol next week abroad, so will have to iron out details then.

Don't think I'll be spending the next fortnight crying over an empty nest the same way I did last year!  

savingholmes

Children know how to throw curve balls.

Sorry that your Italian trip didn't go to plan. Glad you were able to access treatment though.

Spendless

Further developments since.

DS applied for a local to us job that DH spotted and has got it. Starts later this month. It's a foot in the door of the industry he did his degree in though not exactly what he studied, Still a fab first 'proper' job though. It is walkable from where they are hoping to rent. Unsure if the place will be ready by then or if they'll need to move in with us for a few weeks first. First they go on hol and gf is working her notice, then it will be move across to us.

DD is currently on freshers though we've taken an early morning call to say her phone isn't working (again!)

EssexHebridean

well I can imagine why you were a bit mystified at DS & GF throwing up jobs without anything to go to - albeit it does sound as though it's worked out ok for him at least! Hopefully he realises that things might not always run this seamlessly though! 

Spendless

Yes, I'm hugely relieved it's now starting to take shape for them. Still unsure when their rental property will be ready for them. It needs a few things doing and a few things getting for it before they can move in. I've already suggested they move in with us if place not completely ready. Unfortunately our area has suffered with huge cuts to bus services recently, so I may need to juggle getting him to his workplace for the first week or so. Looking forward to having them nearby. . .   

Spendless

It was brought home how easy it is to lose track of spending when you use your card. I took a little cash with me to Italy intending to withdraw from a cash machine once there. I found one once in our whole time there and not in the resort where we were. I had to use my card otherwise including the taxi to and from the hospital. Then I wondered why I hadn't been paid at the end of last week. When I logged on to my wage slips, I discovered that my line manager had been so on the ball authorising my time sheets, I'd had 2 weeks wages come through on the same day. The 2nd week was less money than normal as it had been the Queen's funeral, so my workplace closed and I don't get paid as an agency worker unless I submit a holiday request, 2 weeks in advance which of course there wasn't time to do. Just constantly using my debit card meant I completely lost track of spending. Thankfully I have just checked and my wages (hol pay for last week) is pending.

Spendless

Didn't realise how long since I updated this. We now only have 2 mortgage payments left till that is completely gone. My thoughts are with that out of the way, we will be able to channel more money into paying off credit cards. I do feel each time I tried this  year, life through another curve-ball.
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DS and his fiancée now live around 10 mins drive away nearby and he is enjoying his first f-time job, which is within walking distance of where they live. We've helped them a little, mostly by letting them keep any money due back to us that we paid out on bills when he was a student. His gf does need to find employment but they are on their way to independence.

DD messed up her student loan by spending far too much in the first  few weeks. My warnings fell on deaf ears but she's realised now when she'd like to buy family and her new boyf Xmas presents and has little money. She does long hours at drama school 8-6 5 days a week, which doesn't give her much time for a p-time job. She applied for a couple of Christmas ones but had probably left it too late. It's a lesson I'm relieved she's finally learning. She placed in the top 20 of her pageant and won an award for her Interview. She's now through to the final of another she's entered. 

My car passed it's MOT with only a couple of wear and tear items needing doing (exhaust and break pads) first. That's a help. However I developed an abscess and that affected my ability to work many hours over a few weeks which in turn affected my wages and I'm not quite out of the effect it had on my wages yet - this is what I mean about life's curveballs. I developed the abscess the day after daughter's paegeant final, so the related expenses had gone but my wages became affected instead! I am in hospital in Jan to potentially have the cyst that became infected removed. 

The huge majority of Xmas shopping is done. It is fortunate I shop all year round for gifts, it has helped so many times. 
The bits not bought are able to be done so by using Amazon vouchers DH got for a survey he did and some money that's in PayPal, so will cost us  nothing in 'real' terms.    

savingholmes

Sorry to hear you are unwell. Hope things improve soon 

Spendless

Happy New Year everyone. After tomorrow we will only have one payment left on our mortgage. It seems odd that the mortgage will be gone but not our other debts, but this money will now free us to be able to pay more towards them.

At the end of the week I am back in hospital to investigate further what caused the abscess and a plan for what they will do next.  

I got DD's Christmas hols mixed up, thought she was back next weekend and it's not till the following. That will help her though with her student loan not having to stretch as many weeks. Her ex continues to try and find ways to hurt her whilst having also unsuccessfully (thankfully!)  attempted to woo her back. Her ex friend who went off with him, is now pregnant to her new boyfriend. She does have another year of auditions to get through to see if she can get on a 3 year drama course but is also starting to recognise other talents she has, so is more open to exploring other things too. She does have a new boyf. He's not a student, he has a f-time job  lives in the same county as where she studies and  has a car so travels to see her. I am a bit wary though after last time. 

At the end of the month me and DH are going away for a few days before he joins a works conference. Cost effective way of doing it as DH's flights are paid for as is the hotel and meals  for the duration of the conference, just leaving my flight plus hotels and meals to pay for, for the days before the conference starts. I hadn't realised he'd not had a hol last year whereas me and DD accompanied him on his work trip plus went to Italy prior to her moving away, so was something he wanted to do, whilst keeping costs low. 

DS is enjoying his job. His gf hasn't found anything yet though. I hope she does it would make such a difference to them, one wage means they cover rent and bills, a 2nd one would open them up to being able to afford extras, such as hols, maybe a car, trips out etc.  They get married this summer

Workwise my contract is until the end of March. I'm already determined to not do what I have before and wait till it ends, take time off and then start looking. This time I will start looking some weeks ahead of me finishing if it's not being extended, Before I've always thought I'll take some time out to sort things in the house. Not this year, I work part-time, mostly from home and a large chunk of the week it's just me. I need to utilise this time more to get things done. 

savingholmes

Happy New Year and good luck with your plans.