Money-shuffling towards mortgage freedom

MeandO

How quickly my day went downhill yesterday... I had a call from DS at school not longer after my last post to say he'd had an accident at school and chipped another tooth. Sounds like him and his mates were playing to rough trying to throw each other down hills... Cue a visit to the emergency dentist today and another tooth filled.

Also, after an hour of putting together my new shelving unit, I realised it was an impossible task as the holes had been drilled in entirely the wrong place in the main piece. It can't be altered. Upon trying to get hold of the company, I found that there are numerous unhappy customers of this company, many whom have had the same issue, haven't had their goods delivered or don't receive their money back for faulty goods. I have emailed the company as that's the only way to get hold of them it seems, but had an automated reply pretty much saying 'don't expect a reply for 3 days due to covid 19.' The only saving grace is that I paid using my credit card so will be able to claim under section 75 if I have to, but it does mean some time without my money back. I have little hope of the company doing the right thing after reading the trustpilot reviews.

savingholmes

How disappointing in the shelving.

Sorry to hear re DS's accident. Hope you both get over the shock soon 

MeandO

Thanks savingholmes x

Yesterday I continued with clearing the shed out ready to put the garden furniture in there soon for the winter. In doing so I found loads of de-icer and oil for the car so won’t need to buy any for a while. I’ve offered a power tool I don’t use and some beach toys up for free on fb just to get rid, plenty of interest but getting the usual hassle of people demanding I deliver it to their door etc. 

If they don’t go today I’ll start another charity shop bag and it can go to charity. 

Two items have gone to the tip this morning and I’ve filled a black bag loads of rubbish from there too. A few things I need to put in the attic, but that will wait until OH can help me lift it all. 

The buyer of one £10 item didn’t show last week despite making arrangements to come at a certain time then reading my messages immediately and not replying when I asked if he was still coming. I’ve reported him for not showing up as I changed plans to be at home for the time that suited him.

Another lady is interested in the item and has asked to come today but I’m not counting on the money yet.

OH and I popped to the supermarket this morning to buy bread, milk and some veg and there was lots of YS meat and fish reduced to less than £1 each, so I bought sausages, chicken and some turkey burgers and smoked haddock for around 60p - 80p a pack. OH also picked up some fish, burgers and sausages to freeze. DS and I will have some Italian chicken burgers for tea tomorrow and perhaps some sausages for our breakfast, the rest I’ve split into portions and have frozen. Our joint bill came to just over £20 and when we looked at the receipt it said we had save over £27!

Last night I cooked a whole chicken that OH had bought in Aldi, reduced to just over £2 with a huge courgette we had in a magic box and some sweet potato and spring onion mash we made from veg in the fridge, There is lots left, so will use that over the next few days. I also made a blackberry and apple crumble from blackberries we picked and froze a while ago with some apples that were going over in the fruit bowl. I forgot how lovely crumble is. There is lots of that left too but I don’t think it will last long! 

MeandO

Two of the three free items have been collected, a third bundle of things are due to be collected within the hour. At least it’s some space cleared and items reused. The rudeness of people never ceases to amaze me though, one lady wanted to know what else I could give her for free and gave me a list of things she wanted. When she came to collect, she had an expensive car and was obviously well dressed. No thanks either. 😳 

DS has come back from his Dad’s full of cold so we are staying in this afternoon and he’s on the sofa under a blanket. Hopefully a couple of days rest and plenty of calpol will make him feel better.

I’m going to try and keep the momentum up in clearing and sorting things this week. We don’t really have a lot of stuff to be honest but there are few more drawers I could sort out and my wardrobe needs a clear out too. It makes me feel so much better to have a clutter free environment. 

I potentially start working extra hours towards the end of this week so should have a little bit more in next month’s pay then a nice chunk more the month after. I will need to notify tax credits when I start though, so next month might actually work out to be a less well off month before the extra hours and tax credits balance each other out. Swings and roundabouts isn’t it. 

I managed to fix our shower the other day as was having problems with the water leaking out of everywhere but the shower head. I thought I was going to have to get a small part for it but took it apart and reassembled it and all is well so far. Was really pleased with that. 

The second bedding set I’d ordered for DS arrived last week too but it’s very different from on screen and is not worth the money so will be going back. That will be £17 back on the CC alongside the £119 back from the faulty unit which it looks like I’ll have to go through the section 75 claim route for. The company are just terrible and still haven’t replied. 

The third free item bundle has just been collected and it turns out we have a mutual friend who is lovely, so we chatted for a while which was nice. 

One other item I’m selling for £10 is being collected in the next 15 mins so that will be £25 made from clearing the shed out so far. 😊

savingholmes

Well done for sorting everything. Sounds like some of that has been stressful but you dealt with it with grace. 

Hope you have a relaxing day today.

MeandO

thank you SH x

MeandO

I just had a lovely walk to the local post office in the chilly sunshine to return the parcel of unsuitable bedding to Amazon. It's a glorious day today, I love being outside when the weather's like this. I was going to put some washing on as it's sunny, but it's better off if I wait until tomorrow so I can wash one set of DS's uniform and PE kit after today. I don't think I have a full load to do anyway.

I'm feeling a little bit down, anxious and frustrated again today. I'm trying to put my finger on what exactly it is that is making me feel blue, but I can't really pinpoint it. I know the money situation is getting to me at the moment, it feels like one step forward and three back. There's around £60 in my bank account left until Friday which makes me nervous. I have money in other pots but I'm trying so hard not to dip into them. I do my best with saving every month but it feels like I'm never going to make much progress in building my savings up to a level that makes me feel at ease to cope with emergencies and repairs etc.
There's £25 in my purse from 'sales from the shed' which I'm going to put in the bank if I can get to one today. I'll shift that to a savings pot then so it's put to good use.

I've still not had a reply from the shelving unit company either which is annoying me, mainly because I want my money back, also because I want the two big boxes out of my way. I'm supposed to wait 30 days before contacting the credit card company but will try before if I hear nothing at all from the company in the next week.

DS had a lift to school with his friend early this morning and won't be back until late tonight as he has two clubs on. I'm not entirely sure what to do with my day once I finish work this afternoon. Perhaps another little walk will lift my mood.

MeandO

I decided to take a good look at my budget to see if there's anywhere I can cut back or any improvements I can make and there really isn't. I've also realised my calculations were wrong with regards to how much my tax credits will drop by when I up my hours this week and it's not in my favour. Either that, or the entitlements have changed. According to the online calculator I will be down by £220 a month which means I will only be better off by around £100 a month, if that. I guess £100 is £100 though so I just have to get on with it.
At the moment, I put £420 a month into savings, spread across various pots as such:

£100 to the car tax/insurance/maintenance & repair/MOT/house insurance pot (Current balance £570)
£100 to the Christmas pot (Current balance £600)
£150 to the Emergency savings (Premium bonds)  (Current balance £2400)
£50 to an easy access savings pot  (Current balance £500)
£25 to DS's ISA.

From this month, I am not OPing the mortgage for a while and so the savings will be up to £525 a month, adding an extra £50 each to both the car pot and the Christmas pot as the car insurance and MOT is due before Christmas and I know the car needs at least £300 worth of work doing to it. I may need to top the car pot up from the easy access pot although I should be receiving the 2nd cost of living help payment before then too which will probably have to go on the car. I can see both those pots and more being wiped by the end of the year plus I've promised DS we'll get a few days in disneylandparis next year so need to make some extra ££'s and fast. 

I've checked the CC balance and there's £60 on it once the refund for the duvet set and shelving unit are credited. I'll clear that on payday just to get it back to £0 and hopefully keep it there.

MeandO

As DS wasn’t home until late tonight I worked the first of my extra hours and have done nearly half the week’s quote today. I’ll work on a bit tomorrow as DS is at a friend’s for an hour after school and then finish the rest on Friday. 

OH came over earlier and I cooked us some burritos made with leftover chicken from the other day, peppers, onions and some Mexican spice mix. I have loads of wraps to use after buying them in bulk from c0stco a while back and then DS deciding he no longer wants packed lunches, so that was a good use for some of them tonight. I made some couscous and salad to go with them and there was enough left for both of us for lunch tomorrow. I will make the burritos again as they were lovely. 

I still haven’t used the car since Sunday and won’t need to tomorrow either as DS is getting picked up and dropped home as he was today. That has helped this week as the car needs filling up but I was desperately trying to wait until after payday on Friday otherwise I would have had to transfer money from a savings account. 

Tea for DS and I will be something from the freezer - there’s loads in there - a with some veg from the fridge. I might make some cakes tomorrow too as I have lots of eggs which need using and I think I have everything else in that I need too. DS will appreciate a little cakey treat too after school, I’m sure. 

I found out today that DS had taken £2 from his money box this morning and put it onto his school dinner account at school - they have a pay machine they can top it up with. He thinks it is costing too much money him using the school canteen despite me constantly telling him to have whatever he wants and there being over £30 on his account. I’ve explained that I am now not buying packed lunch things so am saving money that way so it evens out. Dinners are costing me more but I don’t want him worrying about that. He is such a thoughtful little man, I am so lucky to call him my son. Xx

MeandO

I had some bad news today which has shaken me. DS latest test results weren’t good and they want him in hospital in 2 weeks to do a colonoscopy. It’s not going to be pleasant for him at all and I am dreading it as he had airway complications coming round from the last general anaesthetic. 

I am convinced his symptoms are being caused by the massive dose of medication he is on - he is on more than 4 times more of these meds a day than every adult I know who takes them. Looking online, these meds can cause every issue he has experienced, but the paediatrician disagrees with me. I phoned the pharmacist at our GP surgery today to talk it through with her and she has set me up with a phone call with a go tomorrow to discuss it. I would like to wean DS off these meds then repeat the tests, but on the other hand, I guess the investigation will rule anything else out. It’s just so much to put him through again. I’m quite upset tonight, xx