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

Spendless

CB CC paid, slightly later than usual but still long before the deadline date. This month with 1 CC paid we gave ourselves a break from the £300 we'd been paying for it - now to be paid towards CC2. It's just as well we have otherwise we'd now be struggling a bit and DH's payday is over a week away. Some of it has been caused by mine and DH's birthdays both gifts (my new phone) and celebrations. The rest by DD as I mentioned above and getting herself into pickles. The latest that her food cupboard was full of flies - she's put back in there opened pasta sauce - why???!!!! I've told her it needs to be refrigerated and used if she opens it up. She was all for calling pest control?! Wonder who'd have copped for that bill! She wasn't thrilled by the explanation that she needed cleaning materials, possibly fly spray and to bin anything open and of course she either didn't have these items or couldn't afford to replace what she needed to bin! There was a radio article on this week about ADHD and DH heard one of the people on it explain that with it 'the project management part of the brain doesn't develop/work hence the disorganisation' Hopefully that if she gets a formal diagnosis then she can look at what there is to help with this and also how to deal with the dopamine hit she gets from shopping which doesn't help her finances.

Next weekend she starts her half term, which is a week later than many places. This proved to be a blessing a couple of her younger friends (from the days they all attended same local drama group) are now at performing arts secondary schools and sixth forms tried making their own way home this weekend only to get stuck at Kings Cross with no trains running They had to find friends to stay with or make their way elsewhere and get picked up by car by a parent.

There's several health issues going on in the immediate or extended family rather unresolved or undiagnosed.  It's taken a toll on me and a knock on effect of my new job. I've been struggling to the point I nearly left the job this week. I've had to give myself a good talking to as that wouldn't be the right thing to do for so many reasons.

Me and DH watched the musical I'd mentioned and enjoyed it. One of the actresses in it, is who Tex reckoned would be playing DD's part in his musical. Yeah right - having watched her, I can say she def wouldn't have been interested in anything he was offering - money included! By now I should have stopped being surprised how much of what he said is a lie. DD once said about him 'if he said it was raining and I could see puddles, I'd still not believe him' - quite! 

I have concerns over a friend. She is the one that I told I couldn't continue to help financially earlier this year. I saw her before I started my new job. She rang my workplace once in a professional capacity (she works in telesales, our company doesn't take speculative phone calls) and had to politely tell her we weren't interested - she realised it was me. Not long after my phone broke, I lost all my contacts and messages, when I got a new one I tried messaging her again on what I thought was her number, heard nothing. Though she hasn't had much money for years, she always sends the most beautiful cards, I didn't receive one for my birthday. Last night on our way to the musical, we were one street away from where she lives, so I put a note through her door explaining about my phone and asking her to contact me - so far nothing. If she doesn't wish to be in touch that's ok. We've been friends since our schooldays, she's DD's Godmother and was the one to recognise that Tex has a personality disorder. I'd just like to know she's safe. 

£45.47 in the SO purse - next target to hit is £50.

Spendless

Well that happened quicker than expected re my last sentence in post above. DH went to put something in the safe and discovered £40 he's not realised were there. 2 x £20 notes, so we've had one each and mine has gone in my coin purse, £65+ now. Hopefully can now reach the target £80 by the end of the year.

DH has gone away to work. He won't be back until Thursday evening. A grocery shop was done earlier today, so I will see how many NSD I achieve. If I take a packed lunch every day, which I usually do and tomorrow's is already done, then the only foreseeable thing I can see being needed is petrol as I'm unsure if I have enough to last the week. 

Spendless

Well I put £10 in my car on Monday morning and between then and now that was the last money I spent. The petrol light came on as I drove home today, would have lasted all week if I hadn't needed to come home yesterday lunch to let the dog out.


The freezer part of DH new car toy was put to the test. We wanted to see if it would be possible to do a full grocery shop here inc frozen stuff for after DD's upcoming  half term. So we bought some small tubs of ice cream and DH took one in his car freezer, 2 hours later and still frozen. He quite liked having the treat to eat at his hotel.

DD got rid of the flies but had to bin food which has left her even more skint! She was talking about her and a friend looking for bar work. That is probably the only work they can do, given how long the class  hours are. She comes home this weekend. DH is going to collect her - and I'm sure a pile of washing! 

We are also going to eat at DS and watch a boating  charity event, all boats and crew dressed up for Halloween and fund raising. DS lives close to water where it is  happening, so looking forward to that. 

Honeysucklelou2

So impressed with your pension organisation and finding out what you have available.

The rent for DD seems a huge amount…well done for being able to get that amount together.

Spendless

Pension organisation still on-going. I have a list of questions from my FA to ask the current provider from my employers. I have some questions that I need to send by email to another and I've identified a 3rd where compulsory providing pensions had come in and I worked there for over 2 years f-time (agency) that I need to query. I just need DH at home  to help me compose some stuff. That's proving the most problematic currently we only getting snatched time together even at weekends. This weekend and next being of the same calibre as he picks up DD and drops her off - I'm expecting her to fetch back far too much washing to just tell her to catch the train back. He's also helping DS and Dil as they asked for a lift into the city centre to bank some cheques still from their wedding. I offered instead but  he wants to make sure he can go with DD next week and sort out her having an actual student bank account. She's currently still using an ordinary current account - which is where some of the issue lies when she doesn't manage her money well.

DD rang last night and I asked when she moves into private housing from next year how much is the local rent and she says around the same -almost £10K.  Though that would be for a 12 month contract rather than the current 9 months she has in halls. Where she is is inclusive of bills and I'm unsure if they will be at subsequent places. In yr3 she spends the first full term abroad studying in America as part of her course. We have no details yet of the costs involved. I also don't know how we go about paying rent whilst she's there. We'll have to pay for her accommodation in the UK at the same time to ensure she has somewhere to live once she returns. This all buzzes around my head! My plan is to continue to put away a chunk of my wages to both pay this years student rent (£6k owing), and use the £4K DD  will receive in student loans this year towards yr2 with us adding £6K. She can then live on her student loan in yr2 instead of not managing on the money I send her and I can then spend yr 2 saving towards yr3 rents. So long as we're on target for the CC debt being paid off this should be achievable. I went out for a meal recently with my friend and she asked me how much of my wages I was keeping for myself., The answer was not a lot but I said to her 'but if I wasn't working, then where would these expenses be paid from?' DH salary might look good on paper but his tax free allowance is used up by him having a company car and other benefits in kind and then he's also a higher rate tax payer. If he receives £1,000 bonus (which happens occasionally) he gets in his hand £600 because it's taxed at 40%.  That's why it will be so nice in a years time when hopefully we are only paying household bills plus DD's student expenses.

We do have an expense I haven't mentioned though. DH received a speeding fine! He was doing 56 in a 50 zone on the motorway. He said he can't have noticed/realised that the stretch he was on had changed/been reduced to a 50 from 60. He has been offered a speed awareness course, which he is taking.

We didn't quite get to a full Monday-Friday with no personal spends as after my last post we decided on take-away tea, fish and chips for me, doner kebab for DH. This was in part due to us both being tired after busy working weeks and not as much food in, though we could have certainly found something to conjure up. It cost £12.50 total which I'm happy with. Oh just remembered that DH also bought bread earlier in the day.  That shows that if there is enough food in the house and petrol/transport costs taken care of then it should be easier to keep to no spends. 

Spendless

£71+ in the SO coin purse now. It got another good injection because at the w/end DH asked me if I'd fetch him the loose change he's left in the bedroom and give him the £1 and 20p coins  (he saves 20pences) and the rest I could keep for whatever purpose I wished . I made sure I re-iterated that it was definitely only the £1s and 20ps he wanted, he said yes, so I went and got it and kept the rest including the £2 coin that was amongst it, which I'd already spotted -     
Later using the bathroom (TMI!) I heard a £1 drop to the floor. It must have been in my back pocket, but I wasn't aware it was there and those are the rules, any money 'stumbled upon' goes into the purse. I also found a penny outside work yesterday, so that too will go in. 

DH was paid yesterday and it had been a tough month considering we gave ourselves a break from saving the additional £300  after we paid off CC1. Shows how easy it is to live up to your income. I think it was due to a number of larger ticket items including celebrations for mine and DH birthdays that are a week apart, the additional cost of my phone after mine broke, and my car's MOT, but this is something we need to be aware of in future and plan accordingly.

DD is home for reading week. DH collected her in one round trip at the w/end though he says it was tough to do. When he takes her back he has now got enough hotel  loyalty points for a complimentary o/night stay and is going to do that. As we suspected she had far too much washing she was bringing back to make the journey by train. That was always a bugbear of DS when he lived in halls, paying for laundry!  So far this week, we have paid for her dental appointment . My payday falls at the w/end so am hoping that means I'm paid early as I will have the money we sent her to live on already in my bank account as she goes back. Intend to buy her grocery shopping to take back. On Friday DH is considering taking the day off to help her sort out various things such as collecting the glasses we bought her last month and opening a student bank account - needs an appt as there's been an issue with trying to do it on-line. 

Spendless

Have been paid. Have moved money over to diff bank accounts. Now have half of DD's Jan rent. Sent over her money to live on this month - she at long last has a student bank account. DH has just set off to take her back and he will return home tomorrow. She didn't get a grocery shop done because 'she is due at a party tonight'!  Of course the shop could have been done earlier this week and just kept in the freezer or as DH said she could have got up earlier today and got it done this afternoon. I've said we'll pay her first supermarket shop instead.

Work is busy, so much that I started worrying about the amount of stuff I'll return to when I come back from America (I go next week) that DH said he'll be annoyed if me stressing ruins us being away, so I've decided it's not my problem, if they pull me to do a different task at the expense of all others and will cross that bridge when I come to it. 

 I also had a small amount (£35) of leftover wages from last month that I've moved across into savings, which is better than the other month when I only had a few pence left!  So for this week, hoping we can pretty much eat what's in. Whilst away the huge majority of food will be provided for (because DH is working and as he's Chairman, I'll be included as his +1). We have DH's flight that will be reimbursed (just had to pay for mine).

I've got a house to get clean and tidy as my Mum is moving in overnight for 2 nights (they live nearby, so she'll purely be doing 10pm-10am with the dog) until the kennels re-opens and she takes him there. That's a reminder, need to give her the money to pay for the stay.  

Spendless

Found 20p (2 x10p) by the WM last night and a further £1 in my coat pocket this morning, all put in the SO purse which is now bulging with coins. Just counted and I have £72.52 towards my £80 target <£7.50 to go!

1.5-2 hours into DD's trip back to her student digs, I got a phone call, she'd left behind a bag containing her make up, her friend's shoes (who has gone back with her for a couple of days) and friend only had slippers on and various other items, as well as finding out this morning DD had also left her new glasses behind! DH stopped at Asda and friend got some shoes to wear. DD's stuff we will now be dropping off when we go to the airport next week (we were staying overnight rather than travel that morning).  DD drives me nuts with this lack of attention to detail. I will ask DH where we are with the possible ADHD diagnosis as I'm aware disorganisation can be a symptom. Hopefully is she does get an official diagnosis then she will get signposted to somewhere that can help put some coping strategies in place to help. Maybe I'm just wishful thinking! 

Spendless

Updated scores on the doors.


CC2 owe £8805. Currently have £2700 saved towards paying this off

SO to pay back money that couldn't be BT to 0% so was borrowed from savings - £800 (10 payments back into the account it was borrowed from due to end Sept 24. Currently saving to get this paid off in July instead)

DH clothing account (that only recently came to light) £462. I have said once we are back from our trip, DH to pay anything over and above £400 from his wages. The remaining £400 to be borrowed from savings and then paid back at the rate of £50 a month which would then also give July as a debt free date for this amount.

*IF*I've added this correctly, it gives a current debt of £10,067 less the £2700 savings towards CC2 = £7367.OO

I do feel like we're getting there, though I don't feel I'm at light at the end of the tunnel yet.

In addition, we've talked over money for Christmas gifts and are going to use interest that was paid into our savings accounts towards it. I already have some presents already (I shop all year round, a habit started years ago, when I was single with a mortgage  and had a year's notice that I was likely to lose my job in December - which happened). This morning I have created a spreadsheet for the bits I still need to get. To be done on my return from the states, so highly likely that I can complete by Nov 30th which is my usual deadline date. I try to avoid Christmas shopping in December!  Spending money for America, not likely to need much as most things covered and me and DH only get a full  day together when not travelling/him working. Considering going to one of the Disney Parks and eating there. 

The money we get reimbursed for DH's flight should cover any expenses and maybe some left over.

Starting to look forward to it, though my workload will be piled up even more on my return!  

Spendless

So guess what idiot forgot they were off to the theatre tonight and had planned to pack instead for a trip that starts tomorrow - well today now since it's turned midnight! Thank goodness I'd already laid out what I wanted on DD's bed and had treated myself to packing cubes a few months back - Godsend! I had also forgotten that my hair needed cutting and colouring! That was sorted Mon night courtesy of Mum (she's a hairdresser). Think it's fair to see I've been under a bit of stress lately!

Just discovered we have no sun cream. Must have given this years lot to DD for Spain and it never returned! Will have to buy at airport!