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

Humdinger1

You deserve it @Spendless! Shows how highly DH's employer thinks of him.  Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

Spendless

Thank you.  I return to work today and an inevitable mountain of work! 5 weeks today till we close for the Christmas break! This morning interest has been applied to our savings accounts, I have moved this money across and has almost  paid for our Disney tickets, just £13 short.  DH needs to put in the cheque that will p[ay his flight back - international cheque so will take longer to clear. That will then cover the other  holiday expenses we had. 

EssexHebridean

What a lovely trip, and how lovely that so much of the costs were covered too! 

Spendless

Thank you. I feel incredibly fortunate that I've been able to experience this. For years DH wanted me to accompany him on his trips but family commitments always got in the way (term-time, exams, school residential  trips with no-one else to do the drop off/pick up DD in productions, destination had nothing to keep teens interested - then the pandemic followed). This meant the first experience I got was when me and DD went to Miami spring last year. I've now been away 3 times. I do slightly regret not accompanying DH back in the summer, but we made the decision back then on the circs at the time. There's various reasons why DH may not go again but if he does then I will also go to the next one.

The other day I got a letter in the post and it's yet another pension - this has £175 in it. I have no idea which brief job it ties up with! Definitely need to spend some time doing house/life admin to work it all out. If I rang them I'm guessing they can tell me what months it was being paid for which in turn will tell me which job it was? 

CB CC and what is owed to be looked at today. 

Spendless

CC looked at and not too painful. Largest amounts  on it are 2 Christmas presents for DS and DD. DS is a wallet with a certain coin holder in it. DS current wallet he has had since he was 11 (he's 23). I bought it him as he was going to Secondary school. I arranged the trip one day after school for just me and him, was really excited about some Mother and Son time, browsing round the shops, getting a bite to eat. Instead just like the sketch on Little Britain, I parked up, we walked to the nearest shop a 5 min walk away, he looked at the wallets - said 'I want that one' and then wanted to go home. He's never wanted another wallet since. He likes the way his opens up to keep coins - hard to explain but it sort of folds out. If I'd known how attached he'd be to it I'd have bought 2 that day! That style then become difficult to find. The one we've got him is more bulky than his original but I thought he could perhaps use it whilst he takes his old one to a leather repairer to have it strengthened. 

The other more expensive item is the coat that DD asked for for Christmas. It was on sale and other sizes had already sold out, so felt we'd better order before going away. We just need to make a decision of which bank account these 2 items will be coming out of.   

As I was packing to go away I found 50p at the bottom of one bag and 31p in another. Both have just gone into the SO coin purse. DH came in as I was counting up and asked what I was doing, so explained this was to ensure DFD is end of July not beg of Sept and my 'rules' on how I out money in. He then contributed some change he had in his jeans pocket. This means I have less than £4 to find for my target £80. As it's all in loose change that I'll need to bag into the correct amounts and pay in, it would be ideal if I'd reached my goal by  the time I'm off at Christmas. 

After we did the CC accounts, DH ran through the CC expenses that are due for payment in Jan that are connected to our trip away. The trip to Disney came in at cost to us less than £16 - thanks to the generous giftcard we received. On the day DH paid the tip in cash $30 which we had on him. This means the experience cost us under $50 (plus the admission tickets). I think this is a memory that will stay with us forever. I should ask DH if he knows how much our additional  overnight stay would have been because  thinking about it we can use that money in our savings account to offset the 2 xmas gifts. 

We also have the $50 dollar bill we can change back into Sterling. In addition I realised I hadn't sent my dental bill in to my health scheme (had it for years, so it covers any  medical conditions I've now got since taking it out and some years I 'win' on it, others I don't, so keeping for now - to be reassessed as we retire) so have a further £25 to come back with that. 

Oh and DH has been accepted for the new bank account (HSBC?) that was on here a couple of weeks ago. We both tried - computer said No for me - lol but DH ticks better boxes, higher salary and longer in a job, plus I no longer have a CC since we BT at beg of year  and had given no thought to how having one can help with credit scoring! So that is additional money to come too. I will remind DH when he comes home - he visits his invalid Dad on Saturday lunchtimes with a take-away. 

I also have around £10 left on an M&S card that I'm going to use to buy a bottle with to go with a present we fetched back from the states. Also check what amounts we have on other loyalty cards.

That feels better and more positive after writing it down. A few days ago I felt like we still had ages to go with debt repayments and were we going to get there. I think I probably just had holiday blues though. 

I'm considering wrapping some Christmas presents today - to see where I'm at. Don't hate me - lol

Spendless

just found 2 x £1 coins near the washing machine and as there's no-one here but myself they are mine - into the SO coin they've gone. I now have under £2 to find for my target.

Need to-imburse my Dad the dogs kennel fees. I meant to leave them the money upfront but forgot but then again I forgot that I needed to pack.

DD wants to come home this w/end. We  pay her train fares when she does, so need to see if that's feasible.

EssexHebridean

Goodness Spendless, I really wish I found money around the house as often as you do - it just never happens for us! 

Spendless

EssexHebridean said:

Goodness Spendless, I really wish I found money around the house as often as you do - it just never happens for us! 

I just think it shows how disorganised and inattentive we are! That's why I like to put it to a purpose instead.


DD 16-25 railcard doesn't run out till Monday which is excellent timing if she wants to come home for the w/end. 

Spendless

Having found another 20p coin tucked into the the bottom crease of another of my coin purses, I decided to add up accurately how much short I am of my £80 goal - it's 96p. After that I looked through a money box I haven't used in ages that is  in my bedroom and  has some loose change in and there's (just) enough in there but I'm going to give myself till just before  Christmas to find the 96p cos it's fun to stumble across  'forgotten/discarded' money but if I don't reach the goal then I will use the cash in the money box instead.

DD's train fare was a bit more than we usually pay, so glad her railcard still valid. We did get her an anytime ticket though as due to college commitments (she has to watch various live theatre as part of her course) she wasn't able to travel back last night and when she lived in Scotland she once missed the morning train we'd booked her on! Staff on that occasion were really good and helpful about her exchanging her ticket but that was one straight through train. This is 2 trains and a tube so not worth risking. When she does appear might distract her with does she want to put the Christmas tree up - yeah know it's November, I'm just trying not to think of the correlation between DD's appearance home and it being Black Friday weekend! I know it's documented on here how costly I've found some of her visits before. DH has suggested next time we buy her a railcard it should be a 3year one and would take her past finishing her degree. I'm going to check how frequently she uses it other than trips home because this might be something we can delay buying until Jan.

DH has deposited the American cheque for his airfare reimbursed. This time he did remember to take into account fluctuations in currency amounts and the bank charge for processing a foreign cheque (£27!) whereas previously we've withstood this. Not that I'm complaining, the company he does the work for is fantastic and he and I get generous and amazing experience through DH's connection.

I'm also towards the end of my Christmas shopping. I have an item arriving today for DH, which will finish his gifts off. DS I just need to add a small item to - in fact I might pay for them but them be a gift on behalf of DD. My parents we are going to look for some garden path lights. This is because my Dad who has cataracts in each eye that needs operating on soon is cooking (oven)  chips in an air fryer in their garage because he's convinced that otherwise it makes the kitchen greasy! I honestly believed it was a deep fat fryer being used and had decided to buy them an air fryer to replace it. I was astonished to find they already had one and it was being used in the garage! It's not even as though the garage is integral/joined on. It's a detached one and Dad has to walk down the garden path and through the house with his basket of chips! It's only a matter of time before he falls doing it. It's just under 7 years since my Mum fell on someone's garden path  (she was just leaving their house after doing someone's hair) the following day she had a hip replacement, so you'd think they'd be more careful! 

marzipan.

Hi Spendless, it may be worth looking for railcard now as there could possibly be a Black Friday offer on this weekend. Just a thought, I know it would need payment immediately but may be worth it to reap the saving in the long term, especially if you are able to get a 3 year one. Is your DD working over winter break? Maybe she could use one if she needed to travel to work, etc.