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

Spendless

A woof pot is an excellent idea and I have a coin purse amongst my numerous ones with pics of dogs on, that I can start saving in. He's been done today cost £35. My parents have paid it because I got the wrong date and thought it was tomorrow, thankfully they were dog sitting and remembered so I owe them back.

Yesterday was a NSD and I have added 30p to the Standing Order coin purse cos Mr S left it on his bedside table, and he'll not notice or if he does he won't be bothered.

Today I had to get petrol cost £9.99. I'd intended putting £10 in but a few years ago super sensitive pumps were installed and each time you get to 99p the next click is always for 2p more instead of a penny. I'm convinced they do this on purpose so you buy more than intended, so I refuse to play ball and if it's clicked to 99p then I stop there.

Lunch was prawn salad sandwiches with fresh fruit salad and a s/free jelly, but that has finished off the prawns and all the fruit, so need to have a think about what I am taking to eat tomorrow.

Spendless

Yesterday was my birthday, I received cash that will go towards my new phone, 2 lots of flowers (work and DD) tickets to see a play and my fav bubble bath.  I had the day off work (work perk). Due to lack of AL at my new employer I had to put some 'life admin/tasks' into yesterday. This included taking my engagement ring to be re-sized. I'd gone down 2 full ring sizes - no wonder it fell off! It will be ready in a week and cost is £35, which I considered good value.

Also saw financial adviser. I have paid enough NI contributions to get a full state pension (in 10 years) my lack of years are recent and not ones you can currently pay to top up anyway. I do need to find out my 'bits and pieces' of private pensions though over the years. This is going to mean going through all paperwork inc some in the attic so this is a task for the next 2 weekends.

DH has been paid today. We finished the month owing just over £16. I just moved money from savings account last night and repaid this morning to keep it as a clear balance. DiL has tested positive for covid so we wouldn't have been able to all go out this weekend for the family meal anyway even  with DH cancelling his day out tomorrow due to rail strikes. 

Later today we will pay £100 that will finish CC1. Mr S informed me yesterday that he has a clothing account with a balance on it. I knew he had one, I wasn't aware it wasn't being paid in full. Can't say I was best pleased at this news or when I asked him to give a rough estimate of how much was on it, that he wasn't sure if we were talking 3 or  having just gone into 4 figure number. Pointed out that he's paying interest on this account and at the beginning of the year me and him had disagreed about the  best way to get rid of the remaining CC debt as he was adamant he didn't wish to pay interest. Have told him the DFD is 31st July next year so he has between now and then to deal with it.

After my previous post I went to an everyday bag that I use intermittently,  though  I can't remember when I last did so. To my surprise there was a load of loose change in the bottom. As though the coin part of my purse had accidentally spilled open - in fact that was my first thought, I must have moved my purse to the other bag not thinking , only I hadn't my purse was still in the one I've been using since starting my new job, so I've no idea when or how this change happened. However, I counted it up and there was £8.45. This is going to go in the standing order purse, Will have to count up exactly how much is in there now, but I believe it will be around £40. This is half the money I need in order to be able to cancel September's SO. I'd given myself until the end of the year to achieve that, so am happy I've already smashed that target. 

Got to go to work now, glad it's early finish day even if it is only by half an hour. Will update later when CC1 has completely gone.  

Spendless

£100 paid off CC1 by the time I got home from work yesterday so that debt is gone! DH says the clothing account balance is £500, he paid £50 off, won't add to it - anything else he needs will be paid in full and we'll start chipping away at that too, fingers crossed that this can also be got rid of my end of July. Standing order coin purse has £42.20 in it. £37.80 left to find. 

Today's task is to make steps towards finding any private pensions I've had over the years. I've time-lined all my jobs and I can come up with 3 potential areas when I had a work's pension. 

Mr S's private pensions are in a better shape as he has them with 2 different employers for 20+ years each. I have said our current barriers to thinking through our retirement and when it happens, are as follows DD on degree and needing support for next 3 years, our current debt that will be paid off within a year - so glad I started this journey even if I do feel it took a long time to get going and the things we need doing in the house.   

Spendless

Mostly got tidied up. DH did start pulling out paperwork and just like the FA said, I discovered a pension I was oblivious to, I worked for this company for 2 years but on a zero hour contract, so assumed I didn't have one.  FA wishes to gather up all the 'bits' I have and do something with them. 

I also found 20p as I tidied, 1  x 10p under the bed the other 10p in you've got it - another coin purse!  Both thrown into the SO coin purse. 

Today as it's the 1st of the month, need to send DD her money to live on. I will need to borrow from another account since I don't get paid until Thursday. It's unfortunate it lands this way, but I'm hoping that maybe by the end of the year I can be 'in front' with my bank account and have the money waiting to transfer to her by the 1st. That's the dream with our joint current account too, that the bills all go out of, get to the point where we're always in front with the bills. 

Sarahwithlove

I think being a month ahead is ideal for most of us. You are doing well with the change I don't really use cash so would struggle with this. 

Spendless

Believe it or not I do use predominately card! I think what happens is there's a few places I go to that only/prefer to take cash and a few that charge if you do if under a certain amount, so I have cash for these places, usually when I go out so I put the money in a coin purse so it fits into a handbag, don't remember to empty it into my main purse on my return and then I'm surprised weeks/months later when I stumble across it again! 

Looking forward to payday this week so I can see what a full month's wages looks like! 

Spendless

Had my first full month's payday this week. A huge chunk went into savings to start going towards DD's 2nd rent instalment in Jan (1st instalment is next weekend) and also some had to be paid back as I'd borrowed from another account to give DD her monthly amount to live on. I still have some left over and that's nice to see at long last.

It was also DH's birthday this week. We went to a chain restaurant as he had a  birthday voucher come through for a main meal, though we had 3 courses each so didn't reduce the total bill by much. We reminisced of earlier days when we were a lot more skint. Once when the kids were young and DD not eating solids, I got a BOGOF voucher for a meal using that and DS eating a toddler meal and limiting drinks we were really excited when the bill came to £20.01 and my parents had given us £20. 

I also had an offer come through for a small touring musical I'd like to see but only at a venue next week, on dates I can't go, which is annoying! It's going elsewhere the following week but tickets would be dearer. Having a think about it. We've yet to do the CB CC for this month so might see where we're at after that. 

Long story as to what prompted it, but at long last DD has had a pre-assessment for ADHD in which she has scored highly. She now needs further assessments. This would  go someway towards explaining the issues she's had since age 14/15. Hopefully some awareness will help her put some coping steps in certain areas where she struggles (organisation, finances) . We  saw some signs this week  as we topped up her laundry card (£25 so goodness knows how much she's got behind by! - even taking into account it's expensive) and then she sent me a couple of pics of meals she'd made, veg spag bol on the first one, the next was titled picky bits (quiche, few chips, coleslaw) but also added, served on a pan (frying pan!) because all her plates were dirty! Baby steps! 

Today I can pick up my engagement ring - and pay for it since I have some wages. We are also on the hunt for any paperwork for any private pensions I may have. As they are unlikely to amount to much the FA is considering investing them in High Risk as it's not gambling with that much. We need to get a box out of the attic and see what is there. 

  

Spendless

Well we have 'found' £19K and that is the last pension statement I seem to have been sent back in 2014. I was always aware of this pension as it's the largest works one I have from my working life (pre kids), but I'd no idea what was in it.  DH says as a pension it's rubbish as a lump sum it's good. It also confirms that it has some life insurance with it, though again not sure on details. This is a relief because in the event I wasn't here before DD finishes her degree Mr S would manage the household bills fine, the difficult part for him would be paying DD's student rent on top (and she wouldn't  be eligible for any more student loan) .

Today's task is to put the various pension  paperwork into separate piles (table already cleared anticipating this), gather together the various significant paperwork, send a few emails clarifying the position and statements of some and then timeline it to give to the FA.

I went and picked up my engagement ring. It looks lovely and sparkly back on my finger, but I'm nervous of it falling off again. I'm cautious when washing my hands and my Mum told me not to wear it swimming. Glad she said that, I wouldn't have thought about it.  We go away next month and I shall have to make sure I don't have it on if I'm going in the pool, I'm actually contemplating leaving my rings at home tbh. I've already asked DH for a silver (colour) wedding ring next year for our 25th WA to compliment when I wear silver jewellery, is it too much to also ask for a cheap 'holiday wedding ring' hahhaha.

With family birthdays now over also had a discussion re Christmas gifts. DS and DiL are going to be asked if they wish us to continue paying their phone bills as their main gift. DiL this was part of a 2yr contract taken out last year and we told her we'd repeat the offer this year. DS we always paid his bill when he was a student and continued it last year after he graduated as he settled into his first job. I believe his contract is up at the end of the year. DD we will continue to pay her phone bill as she is a student (like we paid DS) and has been asked for a couple of ideas. We are going out for Christmas Day dinner, just to a chain carvery as there is just the 3 of us this year, DS is going to his new ILs.  Budgeting for Christmas seems very do-able and some items I already have in as I shop all year round and have for many years.

Spendless

The car passed it's MOT - well it needed a new wiper blade -lol.

I've been struggling with my new job this week, with work piling up from previous weeks.
However it's come to light that I haven't completely been told the most time efficient way to manage one aspect of it. 

Spendless

DD's rent paid, just short of a whacking £4K and the same amount due again in Jan! DS 1st student halls back in 2018 wasn't that for the year (he studied in a cheap part of the country). I remember the days of buying  nappies and thought that expensive for the 6 consecutive years I bought them. I didn't know I was born, I'd take that expense back instead 

I don't think DD is managing the money we send her well - a conversation to be had when she's home for half term in a few weeks, so I'm glad her rent being paid is under our control. She's already told me of one girl struggling with money to live on and they got their student loan at the beg of Sept when the course started, so who knows what some of them have got left now. Finding a p-time job is difficult, not only are they in classes all day each weekday, after half term, Sat classes start too. I'm a bit miffed about that tbh, because it takes away the students ability to look for temp Xmas work as these classes are until they break up in December, whereas I was going to suggest looking for a Christmas job to DD. On the plus side DD got the part she wanted in their next show which includes a solo. 

Interest on the savings  accounts went in today. We've done the CB CC spreadsheet and will pay that off next week.