Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Thanks all 😊

Yes, it's been quite a jolly weekend, all told 😊 Flute playing and dinner with a friend I've not seen for a couple of years, last night's dinner and evening with friends, and breakfast this morning, and more visitors this afternoon, who sadly I only saw for an hour before I had to leave for band practice. Nicely sociable and a good distraction, although yet again I come out of the weekend feeling like I need another one to recover 🙄

Tomorrow is a work event, so lunch is provided, and I'm going to a friend's for tea (I'm giving the impression of a whirlwind social life - it's not always like this!) So I just need to make breakfast as I'll need to be out of the door before 7.30 so I don't have to rush. 

Won't be home til about 9pm tomorrow, but I really DO need to check dates on insurances - I think one renews on 8th Feb and I can't remember which one - will need to sort it out on Tuesday night as I clearly won't be doing it tonight. 

So tomorrow

* check insurances
* banks and shuffling
* make breakfast & dinner for Tuesday

That'll do. Hoping next weekend will be slightly more sedate, although I still have a Christmas family visit I've been putting off, and Mr Cheery has a gig on Saturday that I'll likely go to, and which may involve staying over, but I might see how I feel nearer the time.

beanielou

Have a good weekend 😊

Elisheba

Sounds like lots of fun has been has this weekend, which is the main thing 😁. Hopefully once tomorrow is out the way things will be be calmer and you can catch up with yourself a bit and rest more.

Cheery_Daff

Thanks both, hope so 😊 Need to try to distract myself from waiting for a job phone call 🙄 Hope they put me out of my misery at the beginning of the week rather than making me wait too much longer 🙄 At least I won't be having my phone ringer on for quite a bit of tomorrow, although I will check periodically through the day.

Might just adopt that policy for the rest of the week. Mr Cheery said if it were him, he's have the ringer on in the meeting (everyone knows I'm waiting for this call...) but I did point out it's not like one of those radio shows where you have to answer within 5 rings with the magic phrase or they give it to someone else 😂😂

At least I hope it's not! 😱😂

Cheery_Daff

Exciting times this morning (no, not that 🙄😂). EH mentioned the Octopods weekly free drink offer, and I got all cross because my local Gr3ggs isn't participating.

BUT I'm in town for a meeting this morning... A nice free cup of tea is now mine! 😃

EssexHebridean

Hurrah for pinning down a free cuppa Cheery! How annoying that your local Gr3gs isn't on the list - they do say that most are, apart from the motorway service type ones, but I don't imagine your local one is one of those!  I will definitely be making sure I nab them where I can anyway as after all, why not! (And now I've remembered they do a decaff option on a mocha, as well!) 

Still fcfcfcfcfc for you getting a good job related phone call! 

LadyWithAPlan

I hate to say this but when I have dairy I can hear myself breathing .. and then yes I snore as it’s the mucus on the lungs and vocal chords 

weight loss  may help but otherwise can you switch to plant based milk and DF for a month and see ?? the Alpro I can’t believe it’s not milk is v good 

fingers crossed for you .. 

dawnybabes

I had my free coffee yesterday, was very happy as Gregg’s do Decaf coffee and McD dont so if I’m out it’s been an expensive drink !

Cheery_Daff

EssexHebridean said:

Hurrah for pinning down a free cuppa Cheery! How annoying that your local Gr3gs isn't on the list - they do say that most are, apart from the motorway service type ones, but I don't imagine your local one is one of those!  I will definitely be making sure I nab them where I can anyway as after all, why not! (And now I've remembered they do a decaff option on a mocha, as well!) 

Still fcfcfcfcfc for you getting a good job related phone call! 

Ha, my local one is definitely NOT a motorway services 😂😂 Nearest one in any direction appears to be at least 30 miles away - from the map it looks like they've drawn a massive exclusion zone round us 😂 I mean, there aren't actually many Gr3ggs shops in that area - but there are definitely a few! How odd. Hey ho.

On the plus side, I did get a large tea this morning, when the Ts & Cs exclude large drinks so at least I don't feel too left out 😂

Cheery_Daff

Right. Insurances checked.

House insurance is due 14th, but for some reason they take the payment on 8th - I'm currently feeling uncharitable towards them so I'm going to assume it's because they want you to be caught unawares with the autorenewal (rather than so that if the payment declines you have a few days to sort it out). Anyway, I shall be cancelling that tomorrow and trying to save on the ludicrous £600 renewal price 😠 I've had an email from a comparison site for £315 as a starting point but need to check details.

Car insurance is due 18th Feb - email didn't say when payment taken but I assume not just yet. Will sort this week.

Banks and YNAB all checked. Couple of mysterious transactions have been cleared up with the help of Mr Cheery - one was a petrol station we've never used before, and the other, rather oddly just the abbreviated version of two County names, turned out to be a local charity shop that has obviously changed how it refers to itself on bank statements I've topped both house and car insurance pots up to £600 each (the renewal quotes) but hoping to reduce the overall total by at least £400, which I'll then reallocate elsewhere. 

Replacement wages pot now has £2468.40 in. I'm aiming for £2500 as a starting point in there so will have that finished (for now) this month 😊

Holidays pot has £303.40 in. Aiming for £800 to visit friends in Ireland around April. 

'Normal' monthly savings pot is now £408. I've been putting aside £350 at the start of each month (on top of the annual savings pots for insurance etc), the idea being that if we need to dip into it in the month we can, although actually we haven't needed to since I started doing it, and that has been getting shared between holiday and replacement wages. After the national insurance thing I've now rounded that up to £410 - that'll finish replacement wages and almost finish holidays too. 

Aiming for extra £10 a day income again this month. Should have £175 bank switch dosh arriving at some point, and a bit more cashback due (maybe more from insurance??) Happy wheel of course, and prolific, and going to stick a few more things on Vinted. 

So all looking decent enough. Always have to hold my nerve in Feb. Both house and car insurance, and an LPG top up too (£879) means there is often a rather large dip in accounts... But the money is all there in all the pots, saved for over the last year, so nothing to worry about really!