Washing Away My Debts By 2024

Squirrelz92

Morning @Keedie yes it was a very nice unexpected day off! Glad to have had it really as I ended up being incredibly productive! Kids wanted to switch about their bedroom furniture at 7.30am so I headed in with my muscles and the hoover 😂 let them do all the clearing up and organising as that’s not part of my job description on furniture moves! Got the cleaning bug so ended up cleaning all the windows, hoovered all of the house, scrubbed some carpet stains and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. So yes, all in all a good morning! Took the pooch for a lovely stroll at our local dog walking park after lunch and then picked up my grandma from the station just after 4pm

Well I received my reimbursement of £96.20 from the energy company so I’ve whacked that into my EF bringing me to a balance there of £453. I do still have the original £123.47 in my energy pot for the old DD to suck it out on the 1st August but if the new method of payment works, that shouldn’t disappear out as instead my credit left on the account should pay my next bill off in full. We shall see… don’t trust it so may just cancel the DD regardless just incase! I could put that pot money into the EF too but I’m tempted to keep it in there for when winter comes and the extra is charged, especially considering the price cap changing again in Oct. 

Made my PAD of £4.76 to CC2 this morning  

Was a bit naughty last night and spend £32 on my half of a well deserved meal out with my partner. We never get to go out as I have nobody to throw the minions at with not having any family nearby (hour and a half away) so grandma told us to clear off and make the most of her whilst she is here 😂 heading out again this evening but it shall be for a much cheaper meal and another drive hunting for our future house in the sticks😂 

Keedie

I'm glad you had such a productive day. It sounds like it was just what you all needed and you got date night and all! Lucky outcome from the sweltering heat and the train delay 😁.xx

Squirrelz92

Afternoon,

PAD made this morning of £5 to CC2

Grandma is heading home this evening via train after I finish work for the day. It's been lovely to see her and I am very thankful for her watching the minions so I can work. 

Nothing much else to report, things are steady away.
Starting to really not like my job. Only thing that is keeping me going at the moment is the salary, but I am seeking other employment as I actually want to work for my money instead of dying of boredom It's torture! 

Keedie

That was so nice of your Grandma to come on the train and I'm sure the kids are enjoying their holidays. I'm not a fan of my job either, I find if boring but stressful. But with the mess of my finances and it being a part time job that pays well enough, I know what side my bread is buttered, but I do need to change job once my son's finished his GCSEs. I just need to hold on until then. I still count down the days every week though lol.

LittleMissDetermined

Unfortunately ladies, work is our necessary evil! But it pays the bills and I like the people I work with.  Good luck in the job hunt @Squirrelz92 - any word on the interview for the one you were headhunted for?

Sarahwithlove

I feel your pain regarding work. The job market at the moment is so competitive and my jobs quite specialist so limits what I can apply for that pays me enough. Good luck finding something new 

Squirrelz92

Morning folks,

It's been a few days since I was active on here. The weekend normally gets the better of me anyway but I have also not been too well and with a lot going on, writing here seemed to naturally take a back seat. 

On Sunday I drove to Leeds to meet my Dad halfway to hand over the minions for 5 days to allow me to work I am picking them back up again on Friday after finishing work so hopefully the traffic is kind to me! It's great that the kids get to spend some time over in Yorkshire with my Dad and his family as it gives them different scenery for a few days and allows me to recollect myself. Sucks I don't have it off work to 100% make the most of it but such is life right? I always try to get my Dad to have them for one working week during the summer holidays for work purposes. That plus it helps saves on the cost of constant holiday clubs. 6 weeks worth for two minions isn't cheap!

I have always had issues with my back as I have got older from my Scoliosis as a child. I had rods fused to my spine when I was 11 and since then I have had no issues (other than growing 4 inches!). However the last year to 18 months, my lower back has started to become a bit aggy, mainly waking me up early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep. At first I could roll over and try again but the last week it has got to the point where I am so exhausted from not being able to do this anymore. I wake at stupid o clock and am unable to drift back off. This on top of now not being able to sit still for very long without the ache increasing to the point where I have to move to get rid of it, I cant cope. Ended up leaving work on Monday morning in tears as I couldn't function because of my tiredness and my constant aching. Drove to the urgent centre where I waited for 3 hours all to be thrown a box of co-codamol. My body doesn't do well with this drug and naturally I ended up very ill the following day. I left work in the morning again as I was sick and felt as though I had been on a bender the night before. Worst feeling ever Luckily they let me work from home (normally forbidden) so I am pleased there as I was worried about losing two days pay! I need a diagnosis and proper treatment as I can't continue taking the drugs but also can't continue to live in pain and without proper sleep. Shall register at my local doctors today or tomorrow and book an appointment to be assessed properly. Cost me £5.50 to park at the hospital and £19 for the drugs that make me feel ruddy awful!

Also naffed off that I got billed £36.99 for an annual subscription that I had completely forgotten about. Of all the cards for it to go on, it got added to CC2 so that was a punch in the face I have managed to cancel it now but I'm really gutted that I've gone backwards a tiny bit. Only positive thing is that its for Busuu, the language learning app. I was besotted with it when I first bought it almost 2 years ago. I love the french language from learning it in High School so as a little hobby I used to continue to brush up my skills using the app. I also wanted to learn Chinese which is on there too. So I suppose it's not like I got charged for something completely pointless. I actually do really enjoy the app and it's the best one I have found that works for me so far. It's almost given me a small poke to restart

I have been applying for a few management accountant jobs that suit me. I am in no rush to move as like it has been mentioned above by a few of you lovely lot, it pays the bills and this is key for me. I will not be moving unless the perfect position becomes available to me. I would love to work a day or two from home as this seems to be becoming the norm. 

I cashed out £8.36 from Prolific today so that has gone straight to CC2. I haven't made any other PAD's since my last post for reasons above but I think I am still ahead of my normal target with always making larger payments up to £5 a day

9 days until payday and I have £240 left in my current account. £50 of this will disperse into my pots tomorrow as per normal and I also have another food shop, extra diesel for the drive to Leeds and then a week off work with the kids no guaranteed there shall be spending there. Hopefully I will have something left over to throw at CC2 alongside the rounding up money currently building up in a separate bulk payment pot

Hope everyone is keeping well! x

Keedie

I'm very sorry to hear that you are struggling so much @Squirrelz92 😢.

I know how hard it is to work and parent through pain, so I commend you for keeping on going. It's good that you got some leeway with work and have been able to work from home. I think getting registered with the doctor so that you can treatment and a referral will make all the difference. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long in your area for a specialist appointment. I read your entry earlier but was struggling to stay awake and so I didn't get a chance to respond earlier, but  I didn't want to go to bed without letting you know that I was thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon.

Good luck with the job hunting and well done with the CC payment from Prolific. Will this offset what was spent for the Busuu subscription? I don't spend on my credit card (learnt the hard way with my mental health that I just can't trust myself to use it sensibly), so I'm not sure how interest etc is applied for purchases.

It sounds like your available funds at this point in your pay period is getting easier to handle as you have more disposable income in the run up to pay day. I'm now a converted fan of the bulk payment pot, and seeing my PAD pot growing as I chuck money at it helps me, as I know that I'm not leaving myself short by front loading overpayments and I'll be able to make a bulk payment at the end of the month. By setting it aside and not touching it, I'm motivated to grow my little pot as much as possible throughout the month so that I can have a great final PAD at the end. x

sunshine_raincloud

Completely agree with @Keedie 's nice message for you. Did you manage to register with a doctor? Hopefully you get a swift referral to a specialist. Would have thought with having surgery like that they might have kept you in long term follow up but hope you get sorted soon! Really not nice having to deal with pain but plenty of other analgesics out there than co-codamol so a doctor should be able to get something sorted for you. Let us know how you get on 

Squirrelz92

Thanks so much @Keedie. I managed to take a short walk up to the local doctors in my area and grabbed some forms for filling for both me and the minions so shall hand them back this afternoon. Once I am up and running on the system I shall make an appointment. I spoke to one of the lovely managers at my workplace when I returned on the Wednesday and they have said that they shall have their company doctor (starts proper work there in Sept) to give me an occupational workplace assessment to see if there is anything the business can do to aid me. They have said that providing I get the recommendation from my doctor to say that being mobile as much as possible is in my best interests for my back, they will submit a request to purchase an electronic standing desk and permission for regular walk abouts. Very happy about that  

Sadly, the £36.99 subscription has set me back quite a bit. Yes the Prolific payment will have gone towards paying this amount off and now it appears so will all the other daily PAD's I have made this period Gutted really but what's done is done. I can only move forward. I need to takeaway this £36.99 from my total paid which I really don't want to do but it's best to be 100% clear with where I am at. I LOVE the bulk payment pot!!! It's only my round up to a pound change that goes in there for the period but it's amazing how much has collated at the end! Think I am up to about £30 and I have a week to go until payday so that's good Definitely agree with the motivation it provides!

Thanks @sunshine_raincloud I just need to drop the registration forms back off to the practice and then go from there. Need to get it done sooner rather than later so I can get sorted at work and ideally be provided with another drug that won't knock me off my feet and make me poorly

Small PAD today of £1.76 to round my bank balance down to a neat £115. Quite a drop in a few days I know but all perfectly legit! The usual £47.24 of pot transfers came out yesterday. I also had to put in another £50 worth of diesel in preparation for returning to Leeds to pick up the kids this evening after work and the horse. That plus I needed the extra fuel for a nice trip to one of the companies we bought 5 years ago in Bolton. Made a nice change to work out of a different office and eat their freshly made Indian cuisine Didn't take any lunch and was unfamiliar with the area so what do you do? Google McDonalds! Also had to stop by the pet shop on the way to work as we had run out of dog food and I needed to buy another shavings, salt lick and some dog treats so that came to £38.50. 

Have child benefit coming into my account on Monday for £145 and I am expecting to see the CSA £228 also be sent across today. £190 of this will go straight to the holiday club to pay off the balance for the summer holidays whilst the other £38 shall be sent to HMRC tax free childcare ready for the return to school. Hoping by payday eve to have at least £100 spare to throw at CC2 but we shall see!