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

threepenny_bit

Glad your daughter has found some comfort by changing position with the reflux cough - makes a big difference. 
I agree with you about the long month; I know we are half way through January but it seems so long since New Year already and must be more than 15 days lol! 

Spendless

I hope so threepenny bit. She's had it since before she came home in Mid Dec! Hopefully diet, posture and continuing meds will help.

This afternoon DD has gone to another city to meet up with an ex workmate. She worked with him at a tourist attraction in-between the 1st and 2nd short courses she did. He's a fellow actor but has already been through drama school, a little older than her and good looking (my friend says he looks like one of the actors from Bridgerton - I'll leave you wondering which one -hahaha). DD only views him  as a mate. He's a complete wind up merchant so I'm hoping she comes back having had a good laugh with him.  

I've had a reply from the accountant at one of the potential missing pensions. I didn't have one with them because I only worked there 12 weeks and checking on the Government website companies are allowed to delay enrolling you in one for 3 months. That leaves one missing one (that I've emailed about) but since I only worked there a short time too I think it's unlikely there is one. I have been able to speak to the other pension providers and either now have log in details/last statements sent back out or am awaiting a code to log me in. Once all up to date statements are gathered together can make appt with FA as to what to do with them.

Spendless

Well DD stayed out for 10 hours with her friend. Not bad for someone who was restricting what they ate and not drinking alcohol! I'd begun to think she was going to miss her last train home! She said her social battery was now full - so looks like a change of scenery was what she needed. She also said her cough hadn't been bad till we made our way from the station to my car which sounds like it was the temperature change to the  cold night - something DH says triggers his (He says he remotely controls his car temp to come on in a morning  for this reason - so it is about finding ways to control it).  Hopefully if she's feeling a bit better now, we can move onto other tasks I'd like her to do before returning, such as sort out her bedroom. I've appreciated this time I've had at home  with her even if I wasn't thrilled to lose my wages  last month - note I said wages not job! She rang for a repeat prescription the other day and I thought yesterday's was the last tablet, but I've found 2 more this morning (I think from the sleeve she took to Sweden) which means I don't need to collect and pay for her next prescription until Friday which means due to our bank works won't go through till Monday night. I know it's all the same money to pay out - I'm just mindful of which pot is paying for what until DH gets paid on the last day of the month and that's still 800 days away! Can't you tell I love Jan -lol

And on that note for myself. I'm still waiting to hear from HMRC about overpaid tax. I'm pretty sure I must have, I just don't know how much! I'm pleased about this bit though I have finally tracked down the answer to the last missing pension. There wasn't one but that's ok, it was just an answer I was needing. The email I received from the accountant at one of the agencies explaining that they didn't auto enrol until 3 months was helpful info in tracking down the details of the last potentially missing one. Through old emails, I established I'd received a job offer on the 27th Feb 2020 which said they'd enrol me in their pension in 3 months time unless I wished to join earlier then I was to ring them and I'd never done this because exactly a month later on March 27th, which was the Friday of lockdown1 I was told my job wasn't continuing due to the pandemic and 1st given a week - and then when they checked my contract (!)  a month's notice. I then don't work again until after I've started this diary. It's taken months to work it out not helped by each time I asked Mr S to assist in  looking  thru it with me he would reply 'I thought it was done' !!!!  I have 6  pensions (5 different companies), the first 3 a combo of private and workplace and pre-date marriage and kids. The last 3 are from recent times once auto enrolment became a thing. Now just have to ensure I have an up to date statement for each and can make appt with FA. Hoping to have this done before I return to job hunting so won't ned any time off.

On a household practical level. DH is away at a conference until tomorrow night, so thankfully being fed by work. DD has plenty of veggie stuff in - though whether she's currently eating it is another matter! On the meat front there's meatballs and chicken which means I have meals for today and tomorrow and can put off getting a full grocery shop until Friday too

I_Love_comps

Have read through your diary.  I will continue to follow your thread,

Spendless

Thank - I love comps. My head was all over the place when I started this diary and I didn't really make any progress for over a year. I almost abandoned the diary, but then roughly a year ago DH came on board with it (though we didn't initially agree on the way forward) eventually we found a solution we were both happy with  and from then on it's been a countdown - that I'm now itching to get rid of!

Today a cheque has turned up from HMRC. Not much under £560. This is now either money for DD's living expenses in future months OR it's around 1/4 of the final rent instalment due in April. I know it's the same money whatever I do, it's just my brain compartmentalises stuff!   

I've been to Aldi the cupboard was very bare. Had roughly a £100ish budget - came in at £105, having bought DD some food storage boxes (3.99) but forgotten dog food! 

Spendless

Me and DH did some more 'life admin' tasks this weekend

Remembered about a dental cost I hadn't claimed back (in a healthcare scheme) did so and £25.80 is being paid back into my account.

Paid DD student rent yesterday - another whacking £3920! I'm so happy this was saved up for, before last year we were constantly   raiding savings for these costs. The final rent instalment for this year is now the 3rd week in April and for a bit more reasonable £1960. I've decided the money I have already is to go towards this. The amount sent for DD to live on can come out of savings, just because when I do find another job that is a smaller amount to find at a time. 

Did some more work on my pensions, we are needing info from 2 places, 1 I need to be able to log in online and the instructions sent didn't work (I'd think it was me but DH was trying and he works in IT) the other we need confirmation that they have changed my surname to my married name (long overdue me sorting this, this summer is our silver WA -lol) before seeing the FA. It's my biggest pension the one I need an up to date statement for, but using the last statement sent a few years ago the pension pot totals £57K (so should be slightly more once I have up to date details). Not bad, since I didn't think I had much.

Dare I say - DD's cough seems to be on the way out. Typical, I paid for her latest prescription on Friday, 2 tablets in and it's finally going! DH said he once had similar and it took till his 2nd prescription for it to shift. Though she's managed to do some stuff during her long Christmas break off it's not been the experience she anticipated. The flip side of this is a shorter break would have meant her returning whilst ill. My own silver lining has been I was off and able to care for her. The elimination diet has been helpful in her discovering what her likely triggers are and she's now starting to put foods back in.   She went out with her friend on Sat to another city staying o/night. It was friend's 21st earlier this month and her parents paid for the hotel as a present. I sent DD some money to go out with but she bought the wrong train ticket home - because she bought it after midnight so had selected wrong day which was then picked up at the station barrier and meant she had to buy another which cost me as she'd not got enough money left. Not best pleased about this as it's a mistake she's made before not thinking about what day it is when she's out after midnight!  

Yesterday all 3 of us went to DS and DiLs for Sunday dinner for 1st time. We had chicken and I  cooked a Quorn roast for DD to have and the rest of the meal was veggie friendly and we were all stuffed afterwards. That's a trait my Mum has too, having extra sides at meals  and generous portions available and served as a reminder to me that doing this leads to less snacking later, and works out cheaper especially when I saw DS putting any extras in containers to have at work for lunch. 

We've made arrangements for taking DD back. Booked a hotel o/night for me and DH, paid for by loyalty points so free. We have a £100 supermarket gift card to get her groceries, which should help her budget better. Once she's back, I'll be a bit closer to my next step of looking for a new job. 

Spendless

Yesterday I took DD to afternoon tea at a hotel. This was to make up for a Christmas present I'd bought her (tickets to a play) that she now can't use. DD has been vegetarian for almost 8 years. We had given the dietary requirements and what did she bite into - a tuna sandwich! 

Now, I'm aware that some people who are actually pescatarians (eat fish) incorrectly describe themselves as vegetarians, can confuse the issue and also make  word pescatarian not widely known, but I do expect the kitchen staff of what is a swanky hotel to know the difference. Did speak to a FoH staff about it, who apologised and said they'd left the staff know to double check in future. When I went to pay the bill, I thought it was a bit cheaper than I expected, but I had paid a deposit in advance and the bar tender was finding my booking on the till so I dismissed it as my maths, and asked for a receipt, but that wasn't an itemised one, so left. As we went home I realised that 2 additional drinks hadn't been charged for (1 soft, 1 alcoholic) but since we were catching public transport back and walking to the bus stop for our once an hour bus, I wasn't prepared to turn back and query it. Maybe the drinks got knocked off as an apology or maybe they just forgot. They have my phone number to chase it up if they find a discrepancy but I suspect they won't.

The tax refund cheque has cleared in my bank. I've had a letter from HMRC though saying if I'm still not employed in 4 weeks time, I need to return some info to them. I'm unsure why, but I've never claimed a tax return in the current tax year before.

DD saw an overnight bag in TK Maxx that she loved. She lacks this sort of bag, which is a pain considering the amount of travelling she does and either pinches mine or shoves everything in a tote/carrier. Neither are ideal. I bought the bag secretly thinking my Mum might like to buy it from me for DD's 21st but she says she's giving her money instead. Thought it would just be a present from me and DH instead, then DD's Godmother messaged me for an idea, told her about the bag and asked if she wished to buy from me, she said she does, so when she gets paid next month she'll send me the money and that too will go into my bank account for the next student rent instalment.

Today is a day of ensuring DD gets packed for returning her to the next term of her course. 

clyndu

Hi Spendless, my DD always gets an open return for the train. It doesn't usually cost any extra and saves the midnight date issue. Also helped her when the connecting train was missed.

Spendless

Thank you for that suggestion. I'd always thought open returns were more expensive. In this case friend bought the tickets, so no idea what she'd purchased - just sent the money over. She'd clearly just bought singles. Then no idea why in their wisdom the decided to buy another single to return home just after midnight rather than waking up in the morning and sorting it then! I will tell DD to look at open returns in future though.

I had another look at the letter sent by HMRC and also my last pay packet. If I've looked correctly I am currently under my personal allowance for this tax year so am thinking I might be due some more tax back. Fingers crossed.

This weekend we return DD to her digs. Her cough hasn't completely gone but it has cleared up a lot. Bit sad that this meant she hasn't achieved a lot of things she intended to. She has been selling some stuff on Vinted though, which has raised her a little money she wouldn't have otherwise had.

This morning I've seen an email sent yesterday - that I'd missed from one of my pension providers giving me details on logging in. It says I can't do it till later today, fingers crossed that means I can view that statement. Tried the other pension provider to see if they'd updated my surname but their automated message said their system was currently down so were unable to provide any policy details. Looks like I'll have to try again next week.

Spendless

DD has been returned to drama school. Not without issue since getting her to be organised was a challenge! We were 10 minutes along the motorway home when she rang to say she'd not packed a single pair of socks! (hmmm wonder why we got on at you about sorting your stuff out!) suggested she found a pair nearby even if it was a funny pair from a card/gift shop, then once home DH ordered her some from Amazon though they're not arriving till Mon, so she'll have to manage/borrow a pair for class as package is unlikely to arrive before she sets off for class. Last night she went out for her friend's birthday. This was originally an extravagant event (and not for a landmark birthday either) fortunately  things started getting scaled down. DD did ask me to send her living expenses across but I could see it all disappearing on this night out, so instead said we would treat her - but with a fixed budget. I intend sending her money across in the early hours of tomorrow morning, when I inevitably wake up in the middle of the night. Once I would think send after 4pm when stores close, but now I think the temptation of internet shopping would possibly be there on a Sunday evening, so I'll send ready for the new term and also say that means it's to last exactly a month, with next amount sent on Feb 29th. 

DH took DD grocery shopping with a gift card he's got through accumulating loyalty points (so hasn't cost us anything) and bill came slightly under the  £100 amount, though a couple of make up and skincare items were included in this bill! Wish she'd thought about the socks then!  

The morning we set off, I managed to make a vegetarian roast dinner her from items in the freezer uneaten because she'd been reducing what she ate. Then I  was able to keep it cold with ice blocks till we got to DD's digs to put in her fridge. She just has to add veg (as I didn't have anything suitable in) and gravy and she has a roast dinner for today. for when she gets back from her night out (they were sleeping out)

Today we need to look at the CC bill. We have money left in the joint account but that is possibly because this bill hasn't been paid yet. However DH is aware he's getting a bonus as he can see his wage slip on-line so that will help with some additional expenses we have. This includes him going to Canada for a few days next month to help his Aunt. His Uncle is terminally ill and Aunt not in the best of health and unaware of how the bills are being paid as everything is on-line and she doesn't usually deal with it. DH is going to help her sort it.

Just before DH goes away my Dad is at an appt about his 2nd cataract op. As my parents look after the dog for me whilst I work, I will probably be looking to upload my CV once DH is back and we know what's happening about Dad's op. 

I was able to log on to one of the pension providers and get an up to date statement. It seemed less than I'd believed from a previous statement so was thinking I'd either transposed figures when jotting down or the fund had lost several thousand £s in a few years! Today I've looked again and it's neither, one is a fund value the other a surrender value which google has told me are different!  That leaves just one pension (my very first) that needs the company to update my surname to my married one. This was submitted online but no update as of yet. I need to ring them about this. Once that is done we can make another appt with FA to sort everything out. It is that plus Dad's op and DH trip that are currently my barriers to job searching (though I'm still of the view it would be pointless in Dec/Jan anyway) and that potentially sounds daft but I had so little AL in my last job because so many days were dictated when you took them with a not generous allowance anyway, I would rather not get myself in that situation again until everything else is dealt with.