Debt and Caring

savingholmes

Glad you got some rest. Hope you are having a relaxing few days. Enjoy the book. I think I watched her on utube. My advice to you would be don't become too restrictive - leave some fun £.

WelshmansDaughter

That is my fun money SH. The idea is to get the things I want for free or low cost but also to spend time wisely. So instead of just getting a little buzz from shopping I'm hoping to do the things with no immediate reward. Building up my hobbies in other words. As well as doing all the learning and organizing I've been putting off.

WelshmansDaughter

Greetings from an early (ish) morning bath where I am drinking tea and eating pudding. Christmas has just given me new junk food options 🤦‍♀️
Christmas was a bit bittersweet as Dad wasn't able to sit at the table with everyone for the first time. But given the range of topics I could hear included necrophilia, lists of people with covid and other such cheeriness I now think I got the better end of the deal sitting in peace with Dad.
My budget planning has changed a bit. I am liking the percentages as per Queen Gail but it doesn't quite match as I don't have transportation costs. Initially I was going to roll it into another category. But I've thought now about making it Dad Care instead. This would give me the option of having someone come in to give me a regular break when I actually want it.
So this is how I've laid it all out so far, with January being a test run of sorts.
My fixed income is Carers Allowance and the money teacup gives me. That covers my mortgage, debt repayment and the other things I have to pay for.
I work three afternoons a week doing the school run for €100. In a good month it could be €400 but the kids could get sick or have holidays or the universe deflates...
I've applied the percentages to this income because it varies.
This has gotten very long now so will break it up

WelshmansDaughter

todays photo is a 79 year old birthday card

savingholmes

I would find that hard to let go of. Pretty card though. Did you photograph the inside too?

WelshmansDaughter

Ha not for throwing away SH, I was making a scrapbook for Dad

WelshmansDaughter

Drumroll please...
My mortgage and cc payments have been made on time! Ta dah!
Baby steps 😀
Currently making a beanbag out of my old mattress foam. It is a labour intensive project ripping up foam. Already a 1000 more comfortable than it was as a mattress. 
Been a bit spendy the last two days, far too tired again and throwing my toys out of the pram. 

WelshmansDaughter

Current plan for flat-

Save 35% of variable income in renovation fund. Add support grant in June.
Plan trip to carry out renovations to either sell flat for decent price or rent out.

savingholmes

Well done for on time payments - that's fab. 

Like the idea of savings for renovations too. 

Happy New Year.

WelshmansDaughter

Day 1 of January Money Makeover and I'm not quite sure I've gotten the hang of it. I was running around this afternoon and didn't have dinner. So I wound up in the supermarket after dropping my aunt home and bought food with Teacup's credit card. Not really the spirit of the thing.
I put up an ad on Olio asking if I could borrow a bike and a very nice lady offered me one for free so I was off picking that up from the wilds of Kildare today. It needs a bit of TLC so I've added it to the projects list.
Project numero uno the beanbag has hit a snag. I was going to make a cover out of a fitted sheet and had a lovely relaxing time unpicking stitches from the elastic last night. Then I looked at it in daylight and it was covered in unmentionable stains. So that was for the bin (not recycling, human stains ugh). I could just use a duvet cover methinks. Although I was in the mood for a sewing project.
On the bright side I went up into the attic to look through my Nana's old sewing box. I had been thinking of an Aztec pattern on my beanbag cover so I thought there might be some orange thread. There wasn't but I did find a set of hair straighteners and a decent quality sleeping bag that I could use for Dad's wheelchair. 
Before the trip for the bike I went and took a photo of a local Art Deco house that I am planning to draw. I am doing a Domestika course on Expressive Architectural Sketching. I have that and one of the Georgian houses in mind to practice on.