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

Spendless

I went into town for job seeking reasons -  appointments not interviews on 3 consecutive days this week, so 3 lots of car parking charges! 

Day 1 was JC. Told them of an appt I had the following day with a local incentive group that the JC had mentioned that I qualify for. That afternoon the appt was cancelled due to illness. As Id already had to chase up getting on the program in the first place I wasnt convinced that they would have definitely been in touch by the time of my next JC appt, so when I saw the organisation had a drop in running the following day, I went there and from there I was told to come along to another group meeting  the day after to fill in details, which I did. Im back to awaiting a phone call for a 121 but at least I can tell JC Ive tried.

Next up was getting through to a 2nd round for a vacancy. This was an aptitude test, which I took. A day or 2 later I got told Id not scored high enough to get put through to the next stage. Fair enough but I asked for feedback as to why, they gave me my shockingly low scoring, where the others scored 3x as much. Ok Ive clearly gone wrong then but how? Did I misread/misunderstand the questions, take too long completing compared to others? Skip a section in error? What? Ive asked but no answer so far. Job hunting seems to have become like some bizarre escape room, where you cant get onto the next level of interview but no one tells you why! 

Other than that not much news. We had a Chinese takeaway for our WA and there was enough left over for lunch for 2 the following day.

Ive used the hot weather to be line drying and cutting electricity consumption down. Went grocery shopping and didnt even attempt a ridiculously low budget since it didnt work last week and probably ended up costing more. Realised I probably need a small amount of pocket money for myself instead of trying to manage with no/low spend days, failing miserably then kicking myself about it as I watch the bank balance decrease. 

Last nights tea was 'picky bits' due to the temperature. Think everyone else had the ssme idea though, no quiches left (apart from expensive or flavours Im not keen on), settled on hotdogs and chicken wings. 

Spendless

Had a letter from our water supplier. They are refunding £81. This is what they've worked out are charges to be just based on number of people in the house (we put 3 because that's the house at it's fullest, but in term time if Mr S is working away it's just me on my own) until the meter is fitted and we then pay per usage. It's come in handy and will go towards the xtra weeks rent I find each month. Mr S also rang Sky as that bill is also too high. They offered to knock £4 off -lol. As it currently stands we are now getting rid of it and will look for an alternative.  Most of the other bills aren't able to be looked at yet as we are in tie ins or need to look when it's time for renewal. 

Spendless

Letter from water supplier reducing bill from £896 pa which was an increase from £672 last year to £55 per month (£660 p.a) based on 3 people living here. Once the water meter is fitted I will seek to reduce these costs my usage further (if poss). 
We are getting rid of sky altogether and will seek a cheaper option. Decided it's not worth the £59+ per month they're charging. 
I have at long last opened a savings account where you can have named pots. I have opened and named 2 so far, but only rent has £10 in it currently. Once Mr S gets paid again I will open and name more pots and stick £1 in each one, then I'll decide which to fill first.
Slightly concerned cos me and DH received some money to share for our wedding anniversary last week. I know where my half is but can't remember where I put Mr S's. Hoping this is mislaid rather than lost! 
We have plenty of food in the fridge and only me here till Thursday. Meanwhile I want to make sure what is left in the bank stretches till this time next week and there's still the CCs to pay, so aiming for plenty of NSD and only eating what is already in. Breakfast was sausages, beans and scrambled egg and I'm still full. 

Spendless

NSD yesterday - Hurrah cant remember last time I did one. I had a catch up with a friend. We had an abudance of metal water bottles, so dropped one off at hers and had a coffee and cake with her. 

I have another catch up with a friend tomorrow but this will be lunch out, so hoping for another NSD today to balance it.

An Uber charge came out of our bank that no one knew anything about. Mr S investigated and discovered an accidental sign up to UberOne. That's been cancelled. On a similar vein a perfume subscription service I joined to get a birthday gift has gone through. I paused last month but had forgotten to do same this month. I'm going to email and cancel it altogether  because what I dislike about it is you only get told when its on its way, by which time its too late to suspend that month. 

Annoying to find youve spent money for nothing you wanted! 

I have a heap of salad bits to use up from the 'picky tea' during the heatwave so that is today's meals, Ive defrosted some prawns to go with it. 

My friend has asked me to be her +1 at her son's wedding later this year as she is on her own. I just have to wait and see if there is a clash of dates with me going away with DH first. Im really hoping there isnt and that we find out the dates he/we go away soon. 
 

Spendless

Unfortunately not a NSD yesterday, had an unexpected £10 to fork out. Nothing else though. Today won't be a NSD either as meeting a friend for lunch, haven't seen her in person for a few years (we've exchanged the odd SM comment/message) so loads to catch up on.   I've already spent on buying bread rolls at the cop op this morning. I decided to just  have a look at the reduced section and curiosity made me wonder how much an apple pie had been reduced to. I was shocked that the start price had been over £4 and with the reduction still made it around £2.50. I'm sure that not long ago the original price was similar to what the current reduction was. When did reduced  groceries start being like prices in designer outlet stores, where you think well I wouldn't pay that end price it's still too high! Member of staff nearby must have seen the look on my face and said 'they don' get reduced further till later on'  I did check out their 5 items for £6 and think I may get it to fill the freezer up to last us over the weekend as Mr S doesn't get paid till Monday.

Some pages ago I talked about how in an alternative Universe we wouldn't have occurred some expenses as life would have taken a different turn. I worked out what I could have saved from wages from a job at a different point in my life and also what the additional costs have been. They pretty much balanced each other out at around the £40k mark (gulp!) . I was about to address all this as I lost my job. Yesterday I sat down with my spreadsheet and finer detailed it. Of this £3770 is in expenses that should have never happened. The rest relates to Higher education costs. My intention is to tackle the £3770 first. This figure is then subdivided into 4 that come to this amount and is made up of 500 + 500 + 155 + 2615 = 3770. I may not share exactly why these costs incurred but will state as I fill each pot up where I am up to  with each individual goal. Once the £3770 has been repaid to ourselves I will look at the educational costs but depending on my job status by then may accept that some of these costs were always going to incur and only look  to pay part back - but I don't know until I actually get there. The smallest sum to pay back for this overall  total (educational  and otherwise) is £70 and the largest £8500.

In addition to this student rent still needs to be paid and I am working to the same strategy as previously with this. We have received a water bill refund this morning which has helped towards the deficit I find each month. I've incurred some expenses this month with things I wish I'd not booked, I didn't enjoy the theatre trip despite it being based on one of my fav all time books and it's not just the cost of the tickets it's anything you consume in there that adds up and you can't take anything in from home  because you're bag checked. I then booked something else as a friend's child was in it, but he is now injured so unable to appear on the day we're going to watch (obvs his health comes first). I'm sure we'll enjoy the experience anyway and no point in not going as it's not refundable/changeable. 

I've been invited to a wedding which I would really like to go to, so am hoping there's no clash with dates and Mr S next going to the US (because I will be accompanying him). Due to waiting for the dates of the US trip and knowing if I will be able to  attend the wedding,  I wasn't sure when to buy an outfit but decided to start tentatively looking and discovered there's a dress code, but not one that tells you what to wear but tells you what not to wear and I don't mean just the obvious like don't wear a full white dress or come in jeans and a t-shirt but  restrictions on colours, that and the mid Autumn date and not wanting to pick colours the bridal party is wearing had me at a loss for a while. Anyway I think I've found something that will suit and it's currently reduced. I think I will buy it because there's loads of formal dinners on DH's US trips so I'll wear it anyway. I just don't want to order it yet.


On the job front I am still waiting to hear about a temp job that that would take me through till Autumn. It's at the very beg stages though they may not even grant me an interview. I also have an appt next week with a local organisation that the JC told me about that helps people find jobs. I feel I've had to push a bit to get this appt, hopefully it will help.

 

Spendless

A lovely day spent yesterday with both immediate and extended family at a field at the side of a canal, that a family member owns. It looked like somewhere that Winnie The Pooh and friends would live, with various trees surrounding the area including several fruit ones (none ripe for picking), chickens and a rooster - I never knew how many times !!!!!! a doodle doo got said till yesterday. I thought it was a wake up call then they were quiet the rest of the time - lol. Chatting and relaxing in the sunshine with nibbles and drinks. The occasion was a young family member's half birthday as she has a Christmas time birthday which makes it difficult for any celebrations that are just hers.

Loved my catch up with a friend too. Its so good for MH to do this, even if we did have to race back to her house in order for her to sack the cleaner as her partner had discovered her lying naked on their bed - yup seriously, I dont make this stuff up lol.

We've been through credit card bills and though lower than before, we havent got quite enough left from DH's wages to cover it without going into savings so a small amount will have to come from tomorrow's wages. We're aware we've had extra expenditure this month and I have the additional week's rent for June saved up, so that's good.

Tomorrow I have an appt with an organisation that helps you look for work as recommended by the JC. I hope they are able to shed some light into whats going off with employers, it seems not hearing back from job applications is common from.what Im reading online. I also saw a part time temp 3 week job advertised that I could do, but uploaded onto a job site by an agency, one I'm registered with, who rang me a few weeks ago to update my details, who I said I was able and willing to do a short term temp yet they havent rang me and Ive seen the vacancy listed on a job site??? It seems so strange. Early on in this diary I uploaded my CV on a Sunday and was in full time work by Wednesday, ok agency and didnt last long but the work was there back then. 

Spendless

DH got paid yesterday. Another 3 weeks student rent was moved, we are now covered till the end of July plus 1 week's money I've saved.  I am getting a bit fed up of getting to the end of the month moving the little bit we have left over to savings, wages come in and then an avalanche of costs come out but I know we're  in a lot better place than we used to be when we had debts, mortgage and overdrafts.

I saw a local organisation that helps you find work yesterday. She found some jobs she thought would be suitable for me. One was changing their procedure from today so it would have made more sense to do it yesterday, but it was just far too hot to manage and try and concentrate with. I must have been in the shower/shallow bath 4 times trying to cool down and at night found myself moving from room to room trying to find the coolest place to get some sleep. I like warm weather but I found this unbearable. I tried to start the job application earlier but website is currently under maintenance until later on. Will need to do it though as I think deadline to apply is tomorrow.

Spendless

Ive now set up savings pots in my new bank acc.
These are to pay back some of the expenses that should never have occurred and in an alternative universe they didn't. Initially this relates to something lost, stolen, an event I bought an admission  for and  got ripped off and other trials and tribulations.

The categories are therefore, lost, stolen, event and the last one which has too many categories to list I will call Jaberwocky.
Collectively they total £3770. Currently there's £1 in 3 of the pots, £2 in the 4th.
This may take months or even a year+ to pay back whilst at the same time paying student rent and managing on 1 income. However this is now my focus to repay spent savings.

Once the initial target of £3770 is met, I will look at the student rents that was paid over the years from savings rather than wages and make a decision based on life at that point as to whether to pay back in full, part or just accept it as part of life. 

Spendless

This morning I have moved £5 from what I receive from job seekers into my savings pots. I put £1 in each, rent, lost, stolen, event and jabberwocky. Thinking of always moving £5 each Friday. Unsure yet if Ill continue to spread the load or just concentrate on filling 1 pot up at a time. The lowest goal pot is for £155.

Did a grocery shop yesterday but didnt buy too much as we're away at the weekend. My friend's son has been at a prestigious (dance) boarding school since he was 11. Hes now about to graduate. I bought tickets for us to watch his show. Unfortunately hes injured so wont be performing. I wasnt sure what to do but wouldnt get a refund on the tickets (which were expensive but nowhere near what theyll be once he's performing professionally). We decided we might as well go and watch the other students though it will incurr overnight and eating out costs. My Mum is coming with us and doing bits like this is the only break she gets because her and Dad are so hands on with Nan, and I cant take Dad away overnight due to the situation or even take both of them far. 

Had breakfast with a friend this week. She treated me. She lost her job not long after I did but has now found work. I have some more job applications to send in before the deadline date. 

Have a good weekend. 

Spendless

Last weekend when we took Mum away we had already paid much of the shared costs out of our account. Mum repaid back in cash her portion plus a little extra as a thank you for taking her, which was lovely and thoughtful and I refused to take everything she offerred.

The cash she had given me though, has enabled me to pay off one of my new savings pots. 'Event'  was paid in full yesterday and today I made the decision to transfer this amount into my cash ISA. It is so good to feel one has gone (been paid back). 'Event' had left a nasty taste in my mouth because I was ripped off by a 3rd party. I will now eliminate the experience from my head. 

Nothing new on the job front, a temp admin job that I was really inteterested in amounted to nothing,heard from agency yesterday. I have applied for more jobs this week though. 

As its Friday Ive also moved £5 into my remaining pots, so theres now £4 in each lost, stolen and jabberwocky. 

Today I have some housework to crack on with and possibly a grocery shop. Yesterday I bought bread rolls reduced for bacon sandwiches at Co op and Naans on clearance in Tesco because buying 2 x 1 portion meals plus the naans worked out cheaper than the boxed set curry for 2 Mr S had suggested I pick up. It had me thinking I see bread products reduced all the time, why do I ever need to pay full price unless I want something specific. So today I will tidy the freezer drawers and make space for the reduced bread products I find. 

Looks like today is set to be another warm one. Have a good weekend everyone.