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

Spendless

Unfortunately Mum hit state pension aged 60 at beginning of 2005, so looks like that ship has sailed. We will still look into if she has missing years that could be credited though. - thank you.

Pollie

Apologies if this has already been suggested but would something like an Asda parent student card, which you can top up as and when, be any help? This ensures that the set amount can only be used online or in store for food etc. Any social spending could then be paid separately.

Spendless

Pollie said:

Apologies if this has already been suggested but would something like an Asda parent student card, which you can top up as and when, be any help? This ensures that the set amount can only be used online or in store for food etc. Any social spending could then be paid separately.

Thank you, we have used them in the past, starting when she was at sixth form. I did buy her one a few months ago for the  small supermarket across the road from her digs. However she lost the student part! We found it at the weekend in her room, so she clearly didn't look very hard for it! However last night when I read your message I had another look and at the nearest largest supermarket she shops at though they don't do a parent student card  they do e-gift cards which could potentially work. I will see how she gets on this month managing her money and then put it to her does she need so much sent this way. I did receive a message from her saying she needed a costume for her next production and did she need to pay for that. Told her No, we would, her brother never had these sort of expenses with his degree, so we will fund additional stuff as 'educational expenses' (she ever gets a job I might review this though)

CB CC paid off. The loss of my job means we have had to use some of DH's forthcoming bonus towards it (borrowed from savings to put back in tomorrow on his payday), just accepting this as 'unforeseen circumstances'   

Spoke to pension provider about my name change, but it has gone to a department to decide if they will accept - their words - 'a copy' of my marriage certificate that I've sent them rather than it being posted. Pointed out it's not a copy of, I've uploaded the original that another member of their staff said I could do! Don't get a decision until just before DH goes away so this is going to have a knock on effect sorting out. Asked DH to email FA explain and then at least she could look at the figures whilst I wait to get the documents  into the correct name! 


As today is penultimate working day of the month, I can give details of where we're at. Debt is £8505 with £4300 in savings towards this so £4205 left to go to clear it. DH clothing account still needs dealing with though, will get him to sort it at the weekend. If this is done we can still keep to the same DFD.  DD's next rent instalment in April. I  currently need over £1100 for it. The coin purse with loose change is heading towards £10 in it. 

Going to try a NSD so anything left in the account later today can be transferred back to savings though DH who is working away will probably need some for lunch etc.

EssexHebridean

If she DOES blow through her money on socialising, there is of course always the option for you to do an online shop for her to ensure that she has healthy food in to eat, but not to send any further money...

Spendless

Yes that's what I'll have to do if it comes to it. Ensure she eats but that's it. I have heard from her - she's broken her straighteners. Have given 2 options, she can borrow a set I have and DH will drop them off next week on his way to the airport or I've sent her a link to a £20 pair for her to buy.

Realised when I did my update earlier that's only the CC! In addition I have 7 x £80 SO payments to go through = £560. Next payment will be on Thursday.  I'm not totally sure of DH clothing account but believe it to be around £500 so around £5300 of debt left to pay back. 

Spendless

So glad it's the end of Jan today. Yesterday the aim was for both me and Mr S to have NSD. This was more pleasant for Mr S who was  working away and on his employers expenses.  He didn't fancy breakfast at the hotel he was staying at so took a grab and go bag which sufficed for his lunch. Then ate his evening meal back at the hotel before going on a work related night out with his bosses. Meanwhile I managed with the limited food we had in. Couldn't even drive to a friends because of the puncture and resorted to taking the dog for a walk to my parents where I ate their crisps and biscuits. Periodically throughout the day I checked the bank account for the relative low sum left in the account ready to move it over. At 10.20pm having watched Love Island I decide to go to bed but first I'd  move all remaining money and check the account again. Imagine my surprise when it's £12.99 lower than it has been all day. Speak to Mr S, he's put an uber fare through on our account by accident.  It should have been on his works account! He can claim it back; that's not the issue, but I'd spent all day imposing restrictions on myself only for him to thwart me at the last minute!

And to add insult to injury. There's gas works in my street at the minute. A card put through my door whilst walking the dog yesterday  said that my gas needed to be turned off and they  would need access to my house (very little notice - this would have gone down well if I was still working!) . The workman has already been to do this and says someone will be back later today. So another day of mostly stopping in, this time in a cold house! 

When I lost my job there were a couple of transactions that had been already been planned to come from my wages. I still paid them but we decided that once DH was paid in Jan to move the money back into my account. As this has now happened it means I am now just over £1020 short of DD's next rent instalment. 1st step of finding this (before looking for employment) is to fill in the form HMRC sent and see if I am owed any further tax back. I can do this on Friday.

Heard from DD she says she has been making herself breakfast, packed lunches and evening meals, but is now running  low on  some items such as bread and cheese. I double up on these sort of  items but I'm not limited to one shelf in both a fridge and a freezer in a shared kitchen. She says she needs to grocery shop, so said for her to meal plan from what she has and create a grocery list from that. At least she's thinking about it.



  

Spendless

The SO DD back to my savings account went through yesterday. Still 6 payments left so £560 which still feels a lot.

 Next goal happens on the 8th when the min of £ 100is paid off of CC2. Followed by 15th when interest hits the savings accounts and then £600  goes to other savings accounts so we have built  enough savings  to clear the debt by the end of July before the 0% deal finishes.

The day of staying in when there was no heating was horrible! At one point I took my friend's advice and went for an afternoon nap, only to wake up 15 mins later by the dog barking because the workmen were back! 

We need a food shop quite desperately and DH did suggest going out to eat. I mentioned a discount code I had for a pub but then he said he needed to call at a relatives first, so have managed to cobble together a chilli, with mince, a jar of sauce, a tin of taco beans and some veg that needed using up. All currently in the slow cooker, to be served with rice and garlic bread. Quite pleased with that.  

Spendless

My friend has just messaged me about a job vacancy. Would I love to work there  - yes but it's the same organisation as before (job before last) and I do so badly at the type of interviews  they do that I'm stressed out just thinking about it. I feel like they're a interview version of Family Fortunes or Pointless. You said x Our survey said what we were looking for was y.

DH has also suggested I stick to the much easier to get temping jobs which also makes me think it's no good me even trying because he is usually the utmost 'Pollyanna' 

Spendless

And the clothing account has been paid off - woohoo. For some strange reason a DD had been set up for every 4 weeks, so of course the payment date was changing each month and if neither of us had logged onto internet banking at that time, it hadn't been noticed so was being missed.

DH cancelled this DD, then paid off the clothing account using a chunk of the bonus he received. Then he set up a SO to pay this amount back into savings. Starts March 1st, ends Aug 1st but he will do exactly same as what I'm doing with my SO; allow July 1st payment to go through then on 2nd July cancel but on his payday on 31st July will make the payments manually. So we are still keeping, fingers crossed to DFD 31st July 2024.  

Just used an online duration calendar and including today this is 180 days away, which doesn't seem as far as 6 paydays away does. .

Spendless

My car insurance is due at the end of the month, shopped around and insurance is going to go down by £60. This is going to be paid for all at once, rather than instalments like I usually do, saving more money as I  watched ML show saying car/house insurance put on a premium to do it this way (of course they do - why have I never thought about this?!). Instead £20 p.m will be paid back into the savings account. DH bonus has come in handy to help us out with paying up front. Once August 1st comes we will need to look at the budget with a fresh pair of eyes to our changed circs so we are saving  for items rather than paying them back from our accounts. 

Yesterday we bought a few underbed storage containers for us to sort all our bedding out. Each bedroom has a different sized bed and we invariably forget which bed linen is for which bed, despite going thru most of it a couple of years ago and writing it on the label with a market. So a different method is needed and the space created I am hoping to store DD numerous clothes for sale. We've got a couple of Vinted parcels to post on her behalf. After that I think she'll just resume with it in the summer when she's home