Currently clueless...aiming for awareness

canvascamper

Well this is some rare positive financial news - nursery emailed me to say I overpaid last month so they're going to credit back my childcare voucher account, which means I can pay the tutor from there!

Hooray! 

savingholmes

Woohoo that's fab. I think if you're the one saving in the account on their behalf and you are using the money for them - there's no issue.

canvascamper

Aww my biggest boy started high school today. He seemed totally unbothered by the whole thing (although I have just put him back in bed as he was sleepwalking, which is usually a sign he's feeling a bit stressed out).
Because of his autism I feel like formal education is one thing that could all fall apart quite quickly, if he can't cope. He's super bright but his mental health is our priority. So I treat every day he's in school as a gift.

We were told in July that he wouldn't need football boots until after half term. Apparently he now needs them for Friday! Thankfully Mr CC knows about footie boots so he's taking him to decathlon tomorrow and I don't need to pay for them 😅

Spends today - 

Nothing out of spending pots or savings pots 🌟

Cleaner £30 from bills pot
Credit card payment £25 from bills pot

06/09/23 daily breakdown

Spending pots total £17.78
Savings pots total £61.24
Bills account total £136.57
Emergency fund £86 

savingholmes

Eek to suddenly having to find footie boots. I remember that stage well. They can be so expensive too!

Hope your DS manages to cope. I think most schools completely underestimate the needs of autistic people so definitely advocate loads and don't take stuff at face value when they try and fob you off. I'm sure you're already on it. Unfortunately I didn't get my kids diagnosed with ND issues until post high school but better late than never.

canvascamper

Thanks @savingholmes. He seems to be doing ok so far but I am ready to advocate hard as and when required!

Today (and lots of this week) was HARD at work, a series of really stressful tasks that have left me totally drained.

Have not done any therapy shopping to make myself feel better (not even wine!) so that's good news!

Yesterday was a no spend day 🙌

Had to buy lunch today after I got stuck in a long meeting, hadn't had any breakfast and then felt distinctly light headed on the way back to the office at 2pm. £4.

Tram to/from office £3. 

Also bought deodorant and face wash for child 1 but used my boots points for that. 

06/09/23 daily breakdown

Spending pots total £10.69. 
Savings pots total £61.24
Bills account total £136.57
Emergency fund £86 

savingholmes

Well done on avoiding retail therapy. It takes a while to break the habit. It used to be my go to.

canvascamper

Phew, this weekend has been exceptionally...sticky 🫠. When is this thunderstorm happening, because this humidity is too much! 

Yesterday we went to the local park for a community event, it was nice to be back into the routine of school friends and staying near home at weekends. Child 1 had his parkour class in the afternoon and then went to get some new sketch books with his dad - he's really into drawing at the moment so he goes through sketchbooks at a swift rate. I know I'm biased but he's getting very good - he did a gorgeous manga-style portrait of him and his brother and sister today, I'm going to frame it and put it on the wall.

Today was a pottering in the house day. The kids did some art and craft this morning and I had a lovely lie-in, then Mr CC finished painting child 2's bedroom whilst I did a meal plan for the month. Children watched cartoons and I did some housework. We tried to play monopoly but it ended in tears as usual 🙄 and I escaped to Aldi instead.

We had tea around the kitchen table (my Sunday night request, child 1 finds it difficult so we only do it once a week and play card games to keep it interesting) and then baths x 3. All sounds very wholesome. The reality feels chaotic 😅

Money-wise, I've done 2 top up shops this weekend (I can't carry too much!). The first one on Saturday I had to raid the savings pots for (£17), and today I had to use the bills account (£24), so safe to say I'm now using money I don't have until payday on Friday. I don't need anything except tram tickets on 3 days, and petrol on 1 day so it shouldn't be too awful.

Bills out this weekend - milkman £15.54

I did sell £45 worth of stuff on Vinted so once that's all delivered I might cash some of it out. I try to keep it in there for clothes for the kids but there's already £30 in my account. Child 3 needs a new winter coat so I've budgeted £15.

09 and 10 September balances;

Spending pot - £3.67
Savings pots - £49.75
Bills account - £97.72

canvascamper

Happy Monday 😊

No spend day today, I was working and then child 2 decided she didn't want to go to karate so that saved me £6.50!

Got the slow cooker out this morning and make a bean soup, served with some rice and green peas, it was nice. Even one of the children ate it, they don't usually like soup.

There's enough left for lunch tomorrow for Mr CC and me as well.

Child benefit came in today, I've not touched it yet, need to decide how much to keep back and how much to put in spends, I get paid on Friday so I might not need it and I can put it towards child 1's school trip and to pay off some debt.

I paid for our new dishwasher (coming tomorrow 🙌) via PayPal credit. Took the money out of savings and transferred it to PayPal the next day. The money is showing as paid in PayPal, but it's still in my account and it's been 6 days - it's making me nervous!

Paid broadband/phone/BT sport bill today £67.24

06/09/23 daily breakdown

Spending pots total £3.67
Savings pots total £49.75
Bills account total £30.48
Emergency fund £86 

4 days to payday...

savingholmes

The picture sounds lovely. 

You sound like you are staying on plan money wise too.

Have a good rest of week.

canvascamper

Well...things were going swimmingly. Then, they weren't 

Tuesday I had to work in the afternoon (it's usually my day off), but I also needed to do a food shop as the cupboards were empty. 

Went to big Tesco and there were loads of yellow sticker items so I've filled the freezer plus food for packed lunches and 2 meals - cost me £75.17. I had to use the bills account, not enough in the spends account. 
Then I dashed home, got changed, dashed back out on the tram. Dealt with a very stressful urgent situation, and had a fancy coffee and cake on the way home (I'd not had time for lunch) - tram was £4.30 and food was £6.15. Also had to find £10 cash for child 2's school trip so got that from the cash point.

In good Tuesday news, my dishwasher finally came and is now all fitted and dish-washing and my evening is so much more pleasant!

Yesterday I was working in the office, so paid for the tram return ticket £4.30. I took my lunch with me very diligently (a microwave curry thing) intending on not going out at all over lunch, and then when I opened it, it was all mouldy By this time I only had 15 minutes of lunch left so I dashed to the nearest over-priced sandwich shop - £10.38 on lunch.

The bulk toilet roll order also got paid yesterday - £44 (lasts about 4 months). I paid for child 1's residential trip but that was out of his savings account, and paid for child 2's tutor from childcare vouchers. 

The money to pay my Paypal credit card (for the dishwasher) finally came out of my account so that's one less thing to worry about!

So now my balances are looking very sad -

Spending pots total £3.82
Savings pots total £34.71
Bills account total -£124.31
Emergency fund £86

Thank goodness I get paid tomorrow!